Fath
'Ali
Khan
Afshar,
one
of
Nadir
Shah's
famous
commanders(the
charkhchi-bashi
of
his
army)
occupied
some
regions
of
Azerbaijan
and
had
norival
there
apart
from
Panah
Khan.
He
attacked
Panah
Khan's
army
several
times
andfailed.
Lastly
he
came
with
numerous
troops
and
stopped
on
a
big
field
beyond
Askeran,
between
Balluje
Qaya
and
Khojalu
(Khoja
Alilu)
river.
He
built
fortifications
on
theedge
of
the
road
and
settled
down.
Up
to
now
the
signs
of
its
walls
are
seen
and
are
knownas
"Fath
'Ali
Khan
Sangiar"
with
people.
(88a)
He
spent
the
winter
there.
At
that
time
Melik
Hatam
and
MelikHovsep,
the
meliks
of
Jraberd
and
Talish,
came
and
joined
the
armed
forces
of
Fath'Ali
Khan.
They
built
another
fortification
near
to
the
first
one.
The
remains
of
itsruins
are
also
available
now.
Fath
'Ali
Khan
stayed
there
for
six
months
with
noresults.
At
last,
with
meliks'
and
his
whole
army
he
attacked
Panah
Khan.
Panah
Khanwith
a
regiment
of
outstanding
warriors
of
Karabagh
fought
a
fierce
battle.
The
rivals
didnot
hesitate
to
slaughter
each
other.
On
realizing
his
defeat
Fath
'Ali
Khan
made
every
efforts
to
enterinto
negotiation
with
Panah
Khan.
(88b)
Both
sides
were
in
favor
of
peace,
and
treaty
wassigned
in
Aq
Korpi.
Fath
'Ali
Khan,
under
the
pretext
of
strengthening
the
friendlyrelations
between
each
other,
asked
[Panah
Khan]
to
send
his
son
Ibrahim
Khalil
forseveral
days
to
him,
because
he
had
great
sympathy
for
him.
He
wished
to
bestow
greathonors
upon
him,
show
hospitality,
after
which
he
would
be
sent
back
with
every
respect.
Panah
Khan
relied
upon
his
lying
sweet
speech
and
sent
his
son
withsome
of
his
experienced
men
to
Fath
'Ali
Khan's
residency.
Fath
'Ali
Khansent
his
officials
and
army
commanders
to
meet
them.
They
accompanied
[Ibrahim
Khalil]
tohis
camp
with
great
respect.
A
few
days
later
Ibrahim
Khalil
realized
his
real
intentionsand
sent
a
man
to
his
father
telling
him:
"I
have
found
out
that
Fath
'Ali
Khanis
going
to
take
me
away
with
him.
Send
me
my
fast
horse
so
that
I
could
somehow
escapefrom
this
misfortune".
Unfortunately,
Fath
'Ali
Khan
departed
with
Ibrahim
Khalil
beforethe
message
was
received
and
the
horse
sent.
When
the
sad
news
reached
to
Panah
Khan,
theblue
sky
grew
dark
for
him.
He
counseled
with
his
men
on
the
ways
of
saving
his
son.
(89a)
At
that
time
the
news
spread
about
the
murder
of
Iskandar,
thebrother
of
Kerim
Khan
and
the
latter's
arrival
in
Azerbaijan
for
taking
vengeance.
Heoffered
Panah
Khan
to
join
him.
The
events
went
like
this:
Kerim
Khan,
who
was
a
fair
nobleman
and
a
great
leader,
hadsuccessfully
occupied
the
regions
of
Araq,
Fars
and
Dar-al-Marz
by
his
forces.
WhenFath
'Ali
Khan
returned
to
his
domain,
he
[Kerim
Khan]
unleashed
a
war
against
him.
Kerim
Khan
sent
his
brother
against
him.
A
battle
took
place
between
them
at
neighborhoodof
Isfahan.
By
God's
will
Iskandar
Khan
was
killed,
his
army
defeated
and
Fath'Ali
Khan
occupied
some
regions
of
Araq.
On
hearing
of
this
calamity
Kerim
Khanbecame
enraged
and
decided
to
avenge
him.
He
conscripted
a
big
army
and
sent
one
of
hisrespectable
men
to
Panah
Khan
with
a
friendly
message
before
arriving
in
Azerbaijan.
Hewrote:
"Now
Fath
'Ali
Khan
has
become
our
vicious
enemy.
He
has
killed
mybrother
and
treacherously
taken
your
son
hostage.
Every
now
and
then
he
fights
againstsomeone.
I
swear
to
murder
him
and
get
my
revenge
for
my
brother.
My
friendly
request
isto
hasten
here
with
your
troops
(89b)
to
solve
both
problems:
to
free
your
son
and
have
mybrother's
revenge".
Panah
Khan,
being
on
hostile
terms
with
Fath
'Ali
Khan,
was
bidinghis
time
and
waiting
a
favorite
opportunity
to
punish
him.
He
immediately
hurried
to
KerimKhan's
residency
with
numerous
troops
and
cavalry.
Kerim
Khan
received
him
with
greathonor
and
they
started
war
against
Fath
'Ali
Khan.
They
met
Fath
'AliKhan's
troops
at
Urmia.
After
a
short
fight
[Fath
'Ali
Khan]
was
defeated
andretreated
to
his
fortress.
There,
he
was
besieged.
Soon
he
realized
that
he
was
unable
toresist.
He
didn't
find
any
other
way
out
but
for
submitting
to
Kerim
Khan
relying
onhis
promises
and
guarantees.
Kerim
Khan,
who
titled
himself
Shah's
vakil,
that
isShah's
deputy,
invited
Ibrahim
Khalil
Khan
to
his
residency
and
gave
him
robs
ofhonor,
a
sword,
a
horse
with
a
golden
saddle,
a
raqam
of
Karabagh
khanate.
Afterwards
let
him
to
go
to
his
country.
He
asked
Panah
Khan
to
accompany
him
to
Shiraz
to
have
a
good
time
andfeast
for
several
days.
Panah
agreed,
and
they
together
with
Fath
'Ali
Khan
went
toShiraz.
Kerim
Khan's
mother
pleaded
her
son
to
kill
Fath
Ali
Khan,
but
herefused
and
kept
his
word
(90a)
until
they
reached
to
the
place,
where
the
battle
betweenFath
'Ali
Khan
and
Iskandar
had
taken
place.
There
Kerim
Khan
asked
[Fath
'Ali]:
-What
place
is
this?
Fath
'Ali
Khan
answered
bravely:
-This
is
the
stern
place,
where
Iskandar
Khan's
life
was
taken.
Kerim
Khan
grew
so
furious
with
him
as
if
he
had
gotten
an
apoplexy.
Heimmediately
ordered
to
murder
Fath
'Ali
Khan.
Some
days
later
they
arrived
in
Shirazand
stayed
there
for
a
time.
Panah
Khan
fell
ill
and
died
there.
His
body
was
sent
back
toKarabagh
with
every
honor
and
buried
in
his
family
estate
in
Aghdam.
They
say,
as
if
Panah
Khan
pretended
to
be
dead,
beforehand
orderinghis
retainers
to
take
his
body
to
Karabagh.
This
way
he
would
make
his
escape
from
Shiraz,
get
back
to
Karabagh
and
assume
power
again.
Kerim
understood
his
aim
and
said:
-He
has
been
a
good
friend
of
mine
and
I
must
send
his
body
back
toKarabagh
with
great
respect.
He
ordered
to
open
his
stomach
and
fill
it
with
drugs,
and,
afterwards,
to
take
him
to
Karabagh.
