Editing Abbas Mirza (section)

===First war with Russia===
[[File:Political map of the eastern part of the Southern Caucasus between 1795–1801.svg|thumb|300px|Political map of the eastern part of the [[Southern Caucasus]] between 1795 and 1801]]
The reign of the Russian [[tsar]] (emperor) [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander I]] ({{reign|1801|1825}}) saw an increased desire on the part of the Russians to increase their presence and influence in the Caucasus, where they had already shown interest since the 1760s. Prince [[Pavel Tsitsianov]], who Alexander I appointed to oversee Caucasian affairs in 1803, had nothing against about using violence, but any infringement of Iran's control over the Caucasus was not something that the Qajar administration could just ignore. Since 1502, Iran had controlled the Caucasus and the Iranians saw it as a natural extension of their country.{{sfn|Pourjavady|2023}} In mid-January 1804, Tsitsianov [[Siege of Ganja (1804)|invaded Ganja and conquered its fortress]]; its governor, [[Javad Khan]], was killed, and between 1,500 and 3,000 residents were slaughtered.{{sfn|Pourjavady|2023}}{{sfn|Daniel|2001|pp=86–90}} Russian law replaced Islamic law, and the congregational mosque was transformed into a church. This marked the beginning of the first Russo-Iranian War. On May 23, 1804, Fath-Ali Shah ordered Russian forces to depart from Iranian territories in the Caucasus. Iran interpreted their unwillingness to comply with this as an act of war.{{sfn|Pourjavady|2023}}

Fath-Ali Shah designated Abbas Mirza as the leader of the Iranian army against the Russians, and gave the order to mobilize a sizable force of 20,000 soldiers towards [[Erivan]]. Since Abbas Mirza was only fifteen at the time, his leadership would have been more symbolic than actual, yet he nonetheless actively took part in the war and displayed bravery as a military commander. Fath-Ali Shah also assigned experienced tutors and commanders to assist Abbas Mirza, which included figures such as Mirza Bozorg, Soleyman Khan, Ali Qoli Khan Shahsevan, Ali Qoli Khan Sartip Qajar, [[Pir Qoli Khan Qajar]], [[Sadeq Khan Qajar]], and [[Mehdi Qoli Khan Qajar]].{{sfn|Behrooz|2023|p=61}}

Abbas Mirza's aid was eagerly solicited by both England and [[Napoleon]], anxious to checkmate one another in the East,<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Abbas Mirza|volume=1|page=10}}</ref> especially as Persia bordered a common rival, namely Imperial Russia. Preferring the friendship of France, Abbas Mirza continued the war against Russia's young [[General Kotlyarevsky]], aged only twenty-nine but his new ally could give him very little assistance.<ref>Hopkirk, pp. 60-63</ref> The early stages of the war following Fath Ali Shah's orders to invade and regain Georgia and the northern parts of the contemporary Azerbaijani Republic ended up in years of relatively territorial stale warfare. However, as Prof. [[Alexander Mikaberidze]] notes, Abbas Mirza led the army in an overall disastrous campaign against the Russians, suffering defeats at [[Gyumri]], [[Kalagiri]], the [[Zagam River]] (1805), [[Karakapet]] (1806), [[Qarababa, Nakhchivan|Karababa]] (1808), [[Ganja, Azerbaijan|Ganja]] (1809), [[Meghri]], the [[Aras River]], and [[Akhalkalaki]] (1810).{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2011|page=2}} The tide started to decisively turn as Russia was sending more and more advanced weaponry and increasing numbers of soldiers. Commanding the southernmost Russian divisions during the long war, Kotlyarevsky defeated the numerically superior Persian army in the [[Battle of Aslanduz]] (1812) and in early 1813 [[Storming of Lankaran|stormed and took Lankaran]]. The Russians were encamped on the opposite bank of River Aras when his two British advisers, Capt Christie and Lt Pottinger, told him to post sentry pickets in short order, but Mirza ignored the warnings. Christie and other British officers tried to rally an army retreating in panic; for days the Russians launched fierce assaults, but at last Christie fell, and Mirza ordered a full retreat. Complacency cost 10,000 Persian lives; Mirza believing wrongly in the weight of superior numbers. In spite of the absence of leadership, the Persians at [[Lankaran|Lenkoran]] held out for weeks until, breaking through, the Russians slaughtered the garrison of 4,000 officers and men.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

In October 1813, with Abbas Mirza still commander-in-chief, Persia was compelled to make a severely disadvantageous peace known as the [[Treaty of Gulistan]], irrevocably ceding swaths of its territory in the [[Caucasus]], comprising present-day [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Dagestan]], and most of what most recently became the [[Republic of Azerbaijan]].<ref>Timothy C. Dowling [https://books.google.com/books?id=KTq2BQAAQBAJ&dq=russo+persian+war+1804-1813&pg=PA728 ''Russia at War: From the Mongol Conquest to Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Beyond''] p 728 ABC-CLIO, 2 dec. 2014 {{ISBN|1598849484}}</ref> The only promise the Shah received in return was a lukewarm guarantee that Mirza would succeed to his throne, without let or hindrance.  Persia's dire losses attracted the attention of the British Empire; following the reversal of initial successes, the Russians now posed a serious threat from the Caucasus.<ref>Hopkirk, pp. 65-68</ref>