Caucasian AlbaniaCaucasian Albania (or Aghbania) was an ancient state that covered what is now southern Dagestan and most of today's Azerbaijan of the Caucasus. For most of its history, the Caucasian Albania was a part of the Persian Empire. Caucasian Albanians were one of the Ibero-Caucasian peoples, ancient and indigenous population of modern Southern Dagestan and Azerbaijan. Already in ancient times they were heavily mixed with the Persian people who settled in the area during the Achaemenid, parthian and Sassanid periods. This region should not be confused with modern Albania and Albanians (Shqiptarë), who are a separate people from the Balkans and only share the name coincidentally. Ancient tribes of the Caucasian Albania were: Hers, Gargars, Gels, Caspians, Uties, etc. Kingdom of Caucasian Albania (Aghbania) was founded in the 3rd century BC. In the 7th century AD Kingdom was abolished by Arabs. Since the 8th century the Caucasian Albania existed as principalities of Aranshahs and Khachen, along with Iranic and Arabic principalities: the Principality of Shedadians, the Principality of Shirvan, the Principality of Derbent, etc. One of main regions of the Caucasian Albania - Hereti was a part of Georgia (Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia) since the end of the 7th century. For centuries the region was a part of Persia. Since 1921 the part of Hereti, now districts of Kakhi, Belakani and Zakatala, is a part of Azerbaijan. Another historical part of Albania - Artsakh (present-day Nagorno-Karabakh) - is presently occupied by Armenian military forces. Armenian historians claim that Artsakh has always been a part of Armenia. On the basis of Georgian alphabet, in the 5th century was invented the Alphabet of the Caucasian Albanians. This alphabet was discovered by the noted Georgian scholar, Professor Ilia Abuladze in 1937. The Caucasian Albania was one of the first countries where Christianity was adopted from the end of the 4th century, when the Albanian Church was formed. As a result of the expansion of Seljuks (Turks) on the territory of modern Azerbaijan in the 11th century indigenous Albanian population was assimilated. Albanians played a significant role in today's Azeris' ethnogenesis. The Udi language spoken by 8,000 people in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia is thought to be the last remnant of language spoken in Caucasian Albania. See also Arran External links
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