Many of the khanates were subdivided into mahals (regions), territorial units inhabited by members of the same tribe, reflecting the fact that residue of tribalism was still strong.Firouzeh Mostashari. On the religious frontier: Tsarist Russia and Islam in the Caucasus. I.B. Tauris; New York, 2006. .The Caucasian Campaigns and the Azerbaijani Khanates The success of the Russian campaigns in annexing the Transcaucasian territories was not solely due to the resolve of the generals and their troops, or even their superiority over the Persian military. The independent khanates, themselves, were disintegrating from within, helplessly weakening one another with their internal rivalries.Alexander Murinson. Turkey’s Entente with Israel and Azerbaijan. Routledge, 2009. P. 2.The core territory of modern-day Azerbaijan, i.e. Shirvan, Quba and other Azeri Khanates in the Caucasus, served historically as place of refuge for Persian and later Russian Jews.
Okres chanatów uważany jest za okres rozbicia feudalnego Azerbejdżanu. Tym samym rozpoczął się półwieczny okres niepodległości Azerbejdżanu, choć w warunkach głębokiej dezintegracji politycznej i wojny domowejHarcave, Sidney (1968). Russia: A History: Sixth Edition. Lippincott. p.