THE 1877–1878 QUBA UPRISING AGAINST THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE: HISTORICAL-GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF AN ANTI-COLONIAL MOVEMENT IN NORTHERN AZERBAIJAN

Abstract

The article examines the Quba uprising of 1877–1878 that occurred in Northern Azerbaijan during the Russo–Ottoman War of 1877–1878. The study analyzes the political, socio-economic, military, and ethno-confessional causes of the uprising within the framework of the Russian Empire’s colonial policy in the Caucasus. Particular attention is devoted to the historical geography of the uprising, including the strategic position of the Quba region, mountainous communication routes, and the role of local Muslim communities in anti-imperial resistance. The article investigates the consequences of administrative reforms introduced by the Russian Empire after the abolition of Azerbaijani khanates, the increase of taxation, military pressure, land confiscations, and religious tensions in the region. The research is based on archival documents preserved in the Azerbaijan Republic State Historical Archive, materials published in the “Acts Collected by the Caucasian Archaeographic Commission” (AKAK), and works of Azerbaijani, Russian, and Western historians. The article concludes that the Quba uprising represented one of the important manifestations of anti-colonial resistance in Northern Azerbaijan during the late nineteenth century and reflected the growing dissatisfaction of the local population with imperial administration.