Konstantin Davidovich Tarkhan-Mouravi (1811–1869) was an
Imperial Russian
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
Baku
Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
(1857–1863).
Background
Tarkhan-Mouravi was born in 1811 into a Georgian princely family of Tarkhan-Mouravi in Tiflis Governorate. His father was David Tarkhan Mouravi (1764–1839), his mother was Makrina Tsereteli (1790-1855).
Career
He joined the Kherson Grenadier Regiment of the Separate Caucasian Corps as a private in 1826 and was promoted to non-commissioned officer the same year. He fought in the
Russo-Persian War (1826–1828)
The Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828 was the last major military conflict between the Russian Empire and Qajar Iran, which was fought over territorial disputes in the South Caucasus region.
Initiated by Russian expansionist aims and intensifie ...
and the
Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829)
The Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829 resulted from the Greek War of Independence of 1821–1829; war broke out after the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II closed the Dardanelles to Russian Empire , Russian ships and in November 1827 revoked the 18 ...
. On 19 April 1829, he was promoted to ensign for distinction in combat.
Between 1830 and 1833, he received several military honours:
* 19 January 1830:
Order of St Anna
The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hon ...
, 4th class, "For Bravery"
* 16 June 1831: Order of St Anna, 3rd class with bow
* 27 July 1833:
Order of St Vladimir
The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus'.
Grades
The order had four ...
, 4th class with bow
Following the dissolution of the Kherson Grenadier Regiment in 1834, its 1st Battalion, including Tarkhan-Mouravi, was transferred to the Georgian Grenadier Regiment. On 22 April 1838, he was promoted to lieutenant for distinction against the mountaineers of the Caucasus. On 2 March 1839, he received a gold sword inscribed "For Bravery". He was then promoted to staff captain and appointed governor of the town of Nukha in the
Elisabethpol Governorate
The Elizavetpol Governorate, also known after 1918 as the Ganja Governorate, was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Yelisavetpol (present-day Ganja). The area of the governorate s ...
.
By 1845, he held the rank of captain and served as district chief of Quba uezd in the
Caspian Oblast Caspian can refer to:
*The Caspian Sea
*The Caspian Depression, surrounding the northern part of the Caspian Sea
*The Caspians, the ancient people living near the Caspian Sea
*The Caspian languages spoken in northern Iran and southeastern Azerbaija ...
. Later that year, he was transferred to
Shamakhi
Shamakhi (, ) is a city in Azerbaijan and the administrative centre of the Shamakhi District. The city's estimated population was 31,704. It is famous for its traditional dancers, the Shamakhi Dancers, and also for perhaps giving its name to th ...
as district chief of Shamakhi ''uezd''. In July 1846, he was promoted to major for "exceptionally diligent and zealous" service. By 1847, he was district chief of
Shusha uezd
The Shusha ''uezd'' was a county (''uezd'') of the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire, and then of the Ganja Governorate of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic with its center in Shusha in 1840–1921.
Geography
The Shusha ''uezd'' was lo ...
On 22 March 1852, he was appointed to special duties under the commander of the Separate Caucasian Corps and was promoted to colonel on 14 November 1852. On 1 January 1854, he became commander of the Grenadier Regiment of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich.
During the
Crimean War
The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
, his regiment distinguished itself at the Battle of Kurekdere. For his actions, he was awarded a bow to his existing Order of St George, 4th class, on 18 April 1855. The battle citation noted his leadership under fire and the storming of a heavily defended Turkish position despite a numerical disadvantage.
In March 1856, his brother, Iosif Tarkhan-Mouravi, succeeded him in command of the regiment. Konstantin was reassigned to the army infantry and attached to the Separate Caucasian Corps for special duties. That year, he received a badge for 25 years of flawless service, worn on the St George ribbon.
Governorship
In 1857, he was appointed acting military governor of Shamakhi, replacing Major General Sergei Chelyaev. He assumed office in April, with imperial confirmation following on 15 May. He was promoted to major general and formally confirmed as governor on 17 April 1858.
On 30 May 1859, Shamakhi suffered a severe earthquake, destroying or damaging over 3,500 of its 5,400 buildings and killing or injuring 400 of its 30,000 residents. Viceroy
Aleksandr Baryatinsky
Prince Aleksandr Ivanovich Baryatinsky (, tr. ; – 9 March 1879) was a Russian General and Field Marshal (from 1859), Prince, governor of the Caucasus.
Early life and background
He was born into the aristocratic Baryatinsky family, a s ...
, citing the city's history of earthquakes, proposed relocating the provincial capital to
Baku
Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
. Tarkhan-Mouravi objected, citing Baku's harsh climate, poor water supply, and health hazards, arguing it would cause more deaths over time than earthquakes in Shamakhi. However, German geologist Hermann Abich refuted this view, recommending the move. In September 1859, the transfer of provincial institutions to Baku was ordered, and on 6 December an imperial decree designated Baku as the new provincial capital.
Tarkhan-Mouravi remained in office as governor of the newly established
Baku Governorate
The Baku Governorate, known before 1859 as the Shemakha Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty (1801–1917), Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its center in the booming metropolis and Caspian Sea p ...
. He was awarded the
Order of St Stanislaus
The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Kingdom of Poland between 1765 a ...
, 1st class (8 September 1859), and the Order of St Anna, 1st class (25 October 1861). In 1861, a local branch of the Women’s Charitable Society named after St Nina was opened in Baku at his initiative.
Retirement and death
In 1863, he was reassigned to the Caucasian Army for special duties. He retired in July 1865 with the rank of lieutenant general. Tarkhan-Mouravi died on 6 February 1869.
Conflict with Gasim bey Zakir
During his tenure in Shusha, Tarkhan-Mouravi was involved in a high-profile conflict with the prominent Azerbaijani satirical poet Gasim bey Zakir. Zakir, known for his sharp criticism of officials and his wide intellectual network, including figures like
Mirza Fatali Akhundov
Mirza Fatali Akhundov, also known as Mirza Fatali Akhundzade, or Mirza Fath-Ali Akhundzadeh (12 July 1812 – 9 March 1878), was a celebrated Iranian Azerbaijanis, Iranian AzerbaijaniIlia Orbeliani, had also made enemies among the regional elite. Tarkhan-Mouravi was considered one of his most hostile adversaries.{{Cite book , last=Kocharli , first=Firidun bey , author-link=Firidun bey Kocharli , title=Azərbaycan ədəbiyyatı , date=2005 , publisher=Avrasiya Press , others=Qänbärqızı, Ruqiyyä , volume=1 , location=Bakı , page=332-338 , language=az , trans-title=Azerbaijani Literature , oclc=837968266
The conflict escalated in 1849 when Tarkhan-Mouravi accused Zakir of sheltering his fugitive relative, Behbud bey Javanshir, who was wanted by imperial authorities. Using this as a pretext, Tarkhan-Mouravi launched a raid on Zakir’s residence in the village of Xındırıstan with an armed detachment. Zakir’s son Najafgulu bey and nephew Iskandar bey were arrested on charges of aiding the fugitive and sent to prison in Shusha. Zakir and his entire household were also detained and imprisoned. Following the arrests, Tarkhan-Mouravi reportedly ordered the looting of Xındırıstan, leaving its residents in destitution. Behbud bey was later executed in prison. Despite Zakir’s repeated petitions to higher authorities protesting his unlawful detention, no official response was given. After spending nearly a year in Shusha prison without trial, Zakir was exiled to
Baku
Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
. His relatives were sent further into internal exile, first to Tiflis, then to
Voronezh
Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...
and
Kaluga
Kaluga (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kaluga Oblast, Russia. It stands on the Oka River southwest of Moscow. Its population was 337,058 at the 2021 census.
Kaluga's most famous residen ...
.
Zakir continued to campaign for justice from Baku, appealing to allies within the bureaucracy such as Akhundov, Ismail bey Gutgashinli, and new Baku governor Mikhail Kolyubakin. These efforts eventually contributed to his release. The poet later referenced this persecution in his verse, naming Tarkhan-Mouravi among his chief tormentors.