Mehdigulu Khan Javanshir

Mehdigulu Khan Javanshir (Mehdiqulu xan Cavanşir; 1772-1845) was the third and the last khan of Karabakh Khanate and major-general of the Russian army.

Mehdigulu Khan was born into a family of Ibrahimkhalil Khan of Karabakh and Khurshud Beyim – a daughter of Shahverdi Khan of Ganja and daughter of Javad Khan. In July 1805, he was promoted to major-general by the order of Alexander I, after the treaty of Kurakchay about conversion of Karabakh khanate to Russia was signed.

After the murder of his father (his wife and many underage children were also murdered) in 1806, Mehdigulu Khan was promoted to the Khan of Karabakh under the guidance of lieutenant-colonel Lisanevich, by the order of Alexander I.  He didn’t forgive the committed crime to Russians and was a secret ally of Iran during his reign. In November, 1822 he escaped to Iran. The Khanate was abolished and transformed into a province of the Russian Empire.

His daughter was a prominent Azerbaijani poet Khurshidbanu Natavan.