About Some Aspects of Ethnic–Cultural and Confessional Processes in Azerbaijan in the XIII–XIV Centuries

Abstract

The article deals with the study of ethnic-cultural and confessional processes in Azerbaijan in the XIII–XIV centuries. The methodological basis of the study was the basic principles of historical knowledge and a comprehensive analysis of sources of different types. The establishment of Mongol rule in Azerbaijan and a new wave of migration of Turkic tribes to the South Caucasus led to a further increase in the number of Turkic-speaking population. The Turkic language received official status and became the language of education. The Mongol khans pursued a policy of religious tolerance, patronage and support for various religions. Islam won a convincing victory in the rivalry of various religious doctrines and was declared the official religion at the beginning of the XIV century. In the XIII–XIV centuries, a new style was formed and developed in architecture and art based on the fusion of local Islamic traditions with East Asian elements. The summer residence of the Ilkhanid rulers in Takht-e Soleyman became one of the first centers where the formation of a new style was observed. In the decorative arts, the new style is especially clearly visible in art pottery. The results of Mongol rule were not the same for all regions of Azerbaijan. For South Azerbaijan, the Mongol period was a new stage of economic and cultural development, but for Arran it had negative consequences. Shirvan occupied a middle position between these two opposite sites.