One of the independent state formations that formed in Azerbaijan in the middle of the 18th century was the Ganja Khanate. To protect its independence, the Khanate was forced to wage war several times with the Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom and the Karabakh Khanate.
      
1796, the Russian army led by General V. Zubov occupied Ganja. After the death of Catherine II, in 1797, Russia withdrew its troops from Azerbaijan.
      
In January 1801, Pavel I issued a manifesto on the unification of the Georgian kingdom with Russia. During the reign of Alexander, I (1801-1825), who succeeded his father after he was killed because of a conspiracy, the Russians began to again carry out their plans of conquest in the South Caucasus. This work accelerated when P.D. Tsitsianov was sent as commander-in-chief to the Caucasus.
      
Ganja occupied an important place in Tsitsianov’s military-strategic plan. Tsitsianov tried to launch an attack on Ganja as soon as possible, since he knew that the Ganja Khan Javad Khan did not even want to think about Russian dependence. For his part, Javad Khan understood the inevitability of an attack by Russian troops on Ganja. Therefore, long before the outbreak of hostilities, he strengthened his positions with the Georgian side and, knowing the sympathies of the Armenians for Russia, moved them away from the border.
     
Tsitsianov assembled more than six battalions and three squadrons for the Ganja campaign. Among them were two battalions of the Sevastopol Regiment, three battalions of the 17th Jaeger Regiment located in Shamshadil, one battalion of the Caucasian Grenadier Regiment and three squadrons of the Narva Dragoon Regiment. Most of this army gathered on November 20, 1803, in the village of Soganlyk, 15 versts from Tbilisi. On November 22, a military campaign against the Ganja Khanate began. Tsitsianov, who arrived with his army in Shamkhor on November 29, sent a message to Javad Khan and demanded the surrender of the Ganja fortress. From Javad Khan's answer, Tsitsianov understands that he will not surrender the city to him of his own free will and will fight to the end for his possessions.
    
After this, Tsitsianov orders the troops to move to Ganja. The first clash between Javad Khan and Tsitsianov’s troops took place two miles from Ganja, in a place called Guru-Gobu (Gulu Gobu). After a short skirmish between the parties, due to superior enemy forces, Javad Khan had to retreat to Ganja. However, to get closer to the Ganja fortress, Tsitsianov had to occupy the Bagbanlar part of Ganja, where the defenders of the city, led by Javad Khan, fortified themselves. The first military operation near Baghbanlar began on December 2, 1803. The defenders of Ganja were significantly outnumbered by the numerically superior enemy forces. Despite the heroism shown against the advancing Russian troops, Javad Khan and his troops could not withstand the artillery fire and retreated to the fortress. Confident of an easy victory and not expecting such stubborn resistance, the Russian troops limited themselves to blockading the fortress, without launching any attacks for a month after this battle.
     
The situation in Ganja itself has deteriorated significantly. In his next letter, sent to Javad Khan on December 9, 1803, Tsitsianov, who had not lost hope of taking the city without a fight, demanded the immediate surrender of Ganja. On December 11, Tsitsianov received a response from Javad Khan: the khan proposed to first lift the siege of the fortress and then begin negotiations. During the negotiations, winter cold set in, and accordingly, difficulties for the defenders of the Ganja fortress increased.
     
In his last letter, sent to Javad Khan on December 29, 1803, Tsitsianov, as before, insisted on the unconditional surrender of the fortress.
     
Thus, a month has passed since the siege of Ganja by Russian troops. During this time, Tsitsianov sent six letters to Javad Khan demanding the surrender of the city and was refused each time. In such conditions, on January 1, 1804, Tsitsianov convened a Military Council, which included Major General Portnyagin, Colonel Koryagin, Lieutenant Colonel Simanovich and several high-ranking officials. By decision of the Council, the assault on the fortress was scheduled for January 3, 1804.
      
Thus, on the night of January 2-3, 1804, Russian troops divided into two groups and attacked the Ganja fortress. One group under the leadership of General S. A. Portnyagin attacked the Karabakh Gate, and the other group attacked from the Tiflis Gate. Javad Khan's main forces managed to repel the attack twice, and only during the third attack did the enemies enter the city. After the Russians captured the main tower, the battle intensified.
      
Despite the wound, Javad Khan, who was in the first ranks of the defenders, fought with the enemy with a sword in his hands until his last breath. Javad Khan's son Huseingulu Agha also died in the battle. The fight continued the streets of Ganja. More than 1,500 people died in the battle for Ganja. On January 3, 1804, Ganja was captured by Russian troops.
      
The occupation of Ganja was of great importance for Russia. The fate of other khanates of Azerbaijan had already been decided. The tsarist government established a special medal for this occasion, highly appreciating the hard-won victory over the Ganja Khanate. The Ganja Khanate was abolished, the city was renamed Elizavetpol in honor of Queen Elizaveta Alekseevna. Those who uttered the word “Ganja” were fined.

Recommended literature:

1. Azərbaycan xanlıqlarının qısa tarixi: Dərs vəsaiti/elmi red. C.M.Mustafayev, İ.M.Məmmədova ; rəyçilər F.R.Ağamalı, F.N.Məmmədov, R. H.İbadov.- Bakı: 2011.- 392 s.
2. Babazadə, Elgün Tofiq oğlu. Gəncə xanlığının tarixindən : monoqrafiya = Из истории Гянджинского ханства : монография / E. T. Babazadə ; rus dilindən tərc. N. M. Vəlixanlı, layihənin rəh., elmi red., ön sözün müəl. Y. M. Mahmudov ; AMEA A.A. Bakıxanov adına Tarix İnstitutu. - Bakı : Şərq-Qərb, 2012. - 428 s.
3. Nuriyeva İradə Tofiq qızı. AZƏRBAYCAN TARİXİ (ən qədim zamanlardan–XXI əsrin əvvəllərinədək). Ali məktəblər üçün dərslik. – Bakı: Mütərcim, 2015. – 336 s.
4. Gəncə hökmdarı Cavad xan və Ziyadoğlu-Qacar nəsli. - Gəncə: “Elm”, 2020. - 255 s.
5. Mustafayev, Camal Mehdi oğlu. Azərbaycan xanlıqlar dövründə : dərs vəsaiti / C. M. Mustafayev ; elmi red. T. T. Mustafazadə ; Azərbaycan Dövlət Neft Akademiyası. - Bakı : MSA, 2012. - 256 s.
6. Azərbaycan tarixi : uzaq keçmişdən 1870-ci ilə qədər / S. S. Əliyarlı, F. Mahmudov, İ. Babayev [et al.] ; red. S. S. Əliyarlı ; Bakı Dövlət Universiteti. - Bakı: Azərbaycan nəşriyyatı, 1996. - 872 s.