Abulfat agha Javanshir (Azerbaijani: Əbülfət ağa Cavanşir; Persian: ابوالفتح بیگ جوانشیر) also known with his pen name Tuti (Persian: ﻃﻮﻃﻰ, lit. 'Parrot') was an Iranian noble of Azerbaijani ethnicity.
Abu'l-Fath Khan Javanshir | |
|---|---|
| Governor of Dizmar | |
| Tenure | 1813 - 1828 |
| Born | 1766 Shusha, Karabakh Khanate |
| Died | 1839 Tabriz, Qajar Iran |
| Buried | Qom, Qajar Iran |
| Noble family | Javanshir clan |
| Father | Ibrahim Khalil Khan |
He was born in 1766 to Ibrahim Khalil Khan of Karabakh and Rugan Khanum, an Armenian girl from Nakhichevanik village in Shusha. Had an excellent palace education and involved in affairs government since early age. Ibrahim Khalil Khan sent him to the Russian camp upon arrival of Valerian Zubov in 1796. This event was described by Mirza Jamal Javanshir, the vizier of the Karabakh Khanate and historian:[1]
While Agha Muhammad Shah was still at Fars and Khorasan, general-in-chief Count Valerian Zubov, on the orders of Her Majesty Empress Catherine, arrived with a large unit in the Derbent area, captured the Derbent fortress, and, after approaching the city of Shemakha, set up camp. Ibrahim Khan, on his own free will, sent his son Abulfat Khan and sons of several beks of Karabakh to Valerian Zubov with presents and purebred horses expressing his obedi-ence and sincere feelings to the high Russian state. He had also written a request in which he expressed his loyalty to Her Majesty the Empress.
— A History of Qarabagh
He was sent as an hostage to Fath Ali Shah upon death of Agha Muhammad alongside his half-sister Aghabeyim agha Javanshir. He was later placed under Abbas Mirza, given the titular title of khan.
He was called to Karabakh sometime in 1804 by his father when he had a fall out with his elder son and heir Mammad Hasan agha Javanshir. Since he was born of a "temporary wife" but had a royal favor, Mammad Hasan felt threatened and secretly allied with his other 'legitimate' half-brothers Khanlar agha Javanshir and Mehdigulu agha. Meanwhile, Abulfat agha occupied southwestern part of the khanate - Kapan, Güney, Chulundur and Bargushad provinces (modern Syunik Province, Armenia and Qubadlı District, Azerbaijan) and set up his camp on banks of Vorotan river. He marched on Togh, where his Mammad Hasan was supposedly stationed, however didn't expect his half-brothers joining him. Mammad Hasan, who commanded horse cavalry, battled 5,000 men led by Abulfat in Dizak, in December 1804 and captured 1,000 people alongside prominent Iranian commanders.[2]
He invaded Karabakh again in 1806 with 5,000 strong army accompanied by Amanullah Khan Afshar and Hossein Khan Sardar. However he found out that his father was killed and was resisted by Jabrailli tribe,[3] after which retreated to Syunik where he met Armenian and Azerbaijani nobility. However he was later pursued by Jafargulu agha, his nephew in 1806 for which he was promoted directly to colonel by a supreme order. Abulfat left for Iran and made governor of Dizmar - Iranian part of Karabakh after Treaty of Gulistan.[4] His area of influence was limited with Syunik Province. He was considered as heir to Karabakh sometime in 1820 by his half-brother Mehdigulu.[5]
After breakout of new Russo-Persian War he joined Qajar army in hopes of regaining Karabakh with no luck. Treaty of Turkmenchay deprived him of his remaining lands and he had go back to Iran in 1828, resigning from army in 1833. He died in 1839, Tabriz and was buried in Qom. Most of his family were given estates in modern Eastern Azerbaijan in Iran.[3]
He had at least two known wives - Nisa Khanum, a daughter of Mirza Rabi, the vizier of Heraclius II and Badir Khanum - daughter of his kinsman Ismail Javanshir with numerous issues:[6]