There
was
no
sovereign
governor
in
Iran
after
Nadir
Shah.
Every
regionand
district
had
its
own
ruler.
They
fought
with
their
troops
against
one
another.
One
ofthem
was
Azad
Khan
with
the
tribe
of
Afghans,
the
other
-
Kerim
Khan,
who
occupied
Fars,
Lurestan,
Araq,
and
the
territory
near
to
it,
the
third-
Muhammad
Hasan
Khan
Qajar-
heconquered
the
districts
of
Astarabad
and
Mazandaran,
and
the
last,
Fath'
Ali
KhanAfshar
-
the
governor
of
Urmia
(Urumi).
None
of
them
obeyed
the
other.
Panah
Khan
started
to
rule
over
Karabagh.
He
took
advantage
of
thedisagreements
between
Armenian
meliks
of
Khamsa,
brought
them
under
his
control
andpunished
the
rebellious
ones.
He
seized
from
the
governor
of
Nakhichevan
the
mahals
of
Meghri
Giuney
down
to
Bargushat.
The
mahal
s
of
Zangezur
and
Capan
were
capturedfrom
the
beglarbegs
of
Tabriz,
and
also
the
territory
from
the
river
of
Tartar
andUshachogh
down
to
the
borders
of
Sevan
Lake
(Giokcha)-
the
settlement
of
the
Kolani
tribefrom
the
governor
of
Erevan.
Thus,
from
1755
through
1757
Panah
Khan
became
the
governorof
the
whole
territory
from
the
bridge
of
Khoda-Aferin
(on
Arax
River)
down
to
the
riverof
Kurak,
which
had
been
the
dominion
of
the
beglarbegs
of
Ganje.
Moreover,
hebrought
groups
of
people
ruled
by
one
minbashis
of
Kengerlu
tribe,
living
inNakhichevan,
of
Demirchi-Hasanlu
and
Jinlu
tribes
from
Georgia
to
Karabagh
and
settleddown.
All
of
them
were
brought
near
and
given
places
worthy
for
habitation.
They
served
tohim
faithfully
and
never
betrayed
or
disobeyed
his
will.
Javanshir,
Otuziki
and
Kiabirli
tribes
had
been
Karabagh
inhabitants.
All
of
them
served
to
him
[Panah
Khan],
but,
occasionally,
the
tribes
of
Javanshir
andOtuziki
betrayed
him.
[Panah
Khan]
subdued
the
khans
and
governors
of
Ganje,
Karadagh,
Ardebil,
and
Nakhichevan
in
a
short
time.
He
appointed
his
men
and
agents
in
some
of
them,
took
heirs
and
wives
as
hostages
from
every
country
and
kept
them
in
Tarnakiut.
