The Laks are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group native to an inland region known as Lakia within Dagestan in the North Caucasus. They speak the Lak language. Laks historically live in the Lakskiy and Kulinskiy districts of Dagestan. This ethnocultural area is known as Lakia. There are about 200,000 ethnic Laks in the world.
Shamkhal, or Shawhal is a title used by Kumyk rulers in Dagestan and the Northeast Caucasus during the 8th–19th centuries. By the 16th century, the state had its capital at Tarki and was thus known as the Shamkhalate of Tarki.
The Avar Khanate, the Avar Nutsaldom, also known as Khundzia or Avaria, was a long-lived Avar state, which controlled mountainous parts of Dagestan from the early 13th century to the 19th century.
Lakia is an ancient ethnic region within the state of Dagestan. Its historical capital is Kumukh, one of the ancient cultural and religious centres of Lakia. The people of Lakia are self-designated as Laks and their native language is Lak.
"Gazikumukh Shamkhalate" is a term introduced in Russian-Dagestan historiography starting from the 1950s–60s to denote the Kumyk state that existed on the territory of present-day Dagestan in the period of the 8th to 17th centuries with the capital in Gazi-Kumukh, and allegedly disintegrated in 1642. However, In the 16th century's Russian archival sources Tarki is stated to be the "capital of Shamkhalate" and "the city of Shamkhal", while "Kazi-Kumuk" is mentioned as a residence. These facts contradict "1642 disintegration" date. Moreover, there is absolutely no source before the 1950s containing the term "Gazikumukh Shamkhalate" or a statement that Gazi-Kumukh had ever been the capital of Shamkhalate. Historically, Shamkhalate is widely described as Tarki Shamkhalate or just Shamkhalate.
The Shamkhalate of Tarki, or Tarki Shamkhalate was a Kumyk state in the eastern part of the North Caucasus, with its capital in the ancient town of Tarki. It formed on the territory populated by Kumyks and included territories corresponding to modern Dagestan and adjacent regions. After subjugation by the Russian Empire, the Shamkhalate's lands were split between the Empire's feudal domain with the same name extending from the river Sulak to the southern borders of Dagestan, between Kumyk possessions of the Russian Empire and other administrative units.
Kumukh aka Gazi Kumukh is a village and the administrative center of Laksky District in Dagestan. It is located on the banks of the Kazikumukh Koysu, a branch of the Sulak River.
Lakia, the later name of the ethnic territory of the Laks in the central part of mountainous Dagestan, which is historically known as Gumik or Tuman. Kumukh is the main historical, cultural, spiritual and political center of Lakia that consists of Lakskiy and Kulinskiy districts.
Historically, Dagestan consisted of a federation of mountainous principalities in the eastern part of the North Caucasus. Located at the crossroads of world civilizations of north and south, Dagestan was the scene of clashes of interests of many states and until the early 19th century, most notably between Iran and the Russian Empire.
Fatali Khan or Fath Ali Khan of Quba was a khan of the Quba Khanate (1758–1789) who also managed to dominate the Derbent, Baku, Talysh and Shirvan Khanates, as well as the Salyan Sultanate during much of his reign.
The Derbent Khanate was a Caucasian khanate that was established in Afsharid Iran. It corresponded to southern Dagestan and its center was at Derbent.
The Withdrawal through Andalal by the Persian army under Nader Shah took place after he broke off the siege of the last Lezgian fortress in order to return to Derbent for winter quarters. His withdrawal came under heavy raids by the Lezgians. However, there is no mention of any pitched battle around Andalal, or anywhere else during the withdrawal, in any of the primary or secondary material in the established historiography of Nader's Campaigns.
Kura Khanate or Kürin Khanate was a state entity that existed from 1812 to 1864 in southern Dagestan. The khanate was ruled by a branch of ruling family of Gazikumukh Khanate.
Mehtuli Khanate, or otherwise known as Dzhengutai Khanate was a Kumyk state in Dagestan that existed in the 17th–19th centuries.
Amir Hamza III was an khan of Kaitags who ruled Kaitag Utsmiate from 1751 to 1787. He was known as a significant military figure in the history of Dagestan and Transcaucasia in the 18th century.
Shaykh Ali Khan or Shikh Ali Khan was the last khan of Quba before its annexation to Russian Empire.
Surkhay Khan Kun-Butta or erroneously Khanbutai, Khon-Butai, Khomutai was an 18th-century Dagestani military leader as well as last independent Gazikumukh Khan.
Daniyal Sultan or Daniyal Bek was an ethnic Tsakhur nobleman, general-major of the Imperial Russian Army and in Ottoman Army and the last ruler of Elisu Sultanate. He is best known to be one of the naibs (viceroy), relatives, as well as a member of the close circle of Imam Shamil.
Muhammad-nutsal IV the Brave also known as Nursal-bey or Mersel-khan was an Avar nutsal (ruler), who ruled from 1735 to 1774.
Aslan-Hussein Khan I or Aslan ibn Shahmardan (1781—1836) was the khan (governor) of the Gazikumukh (Kura) Khanate from 1820 to 1836 and the khan of the Avar Khanate from 1827 to 1828.
