The Role of Russians in Rahim Khan Chalabianlou’s Initiatives in Azerbaijan Region (1324-1329 AH/1906-1911AD)

This research tried to investigate the initiatives and activities of Rahim Khan Chalabianlou, one of the Khans and heads of tribes in Azerbaijan, in misleading the goals of the constitutional revolution and constitutionalists in Azerbaijan area. Moreover, the study delt with the important issue of the role of Russians in fueling the movements. The research hypothesis is that Russians influenced Rahim Khan’s initiatives and movements to mislead the constitutional revolution and to interference in Azerbaijan region. They sometimes overtly showed their cooperation and sometimes they covertly cooperated. Rahim Khan's initiatives like suppressing the revolution of people of Tabriz and making insecure the Azerbaijan region through attacking the telegraph office and cutting the telegraph wires, robbing the postal packages sent from Europe, attacking Ardabil, and conquering the city paved the way for Russia's interference in Iran’s affairs, especially the northern Iran that they assumed their influence area competing with the British government. The study used a descriptive-analytical method and focused on documents and library resources. The results showed that among the initiatives of Rahim Khan were leading Chalabianlou Tribe in attacking Tabriz in the constitutional period, killing Azerbaijani constitutionalists, and making insecure the trading routes of the region. Alongside the attacks, the tsar Russian government supported covertly Rahim Khan’s initiatives and activities.