By Tim Lambert
Ancient Azerbaijan
Ancient Azerbaijan was ruled by a series of empires. The Persian Empire existed from 550 BC to 331 BC. It included most of what is now Azerbaijan. The Persians introduced Zoroastrianism.
Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, but after his death in 323, his empire broke up. However, in 247 BC, another Empire was founded, the Parthian Empire. It also included most of Azerbaijan.
In 224 AD a third empire was founded in Central Asia, the Sassanid Empire. They too ruled most of Azerbaijan. During that time, Christianity spread to Azerbaijan.
In 651, the Arabs conquered the Sassanid Empire, but the Persian influence on Azerbaijani culture remained strong. The Arabs brought Islam. It gradually replaced Christianity as the main religion.
In the 11th century, Azerbaijan became part of the Seljuk Empire, which again ruled much of Central Asia. Under their rule, Persian culture flourished.
In the early 13th century, the Mongols conquered Azerbaijan. However, after the death of the Mongol leader, Genghis Khan, his empire broke up. In the late 14th century, Azerbaijan was conquered by the great Central Asia leader Timur or Tamerlane. However, after he died in 1405, his empire broke up. In the 16th century, Azerbaijan became part of the Persian Safavid Empire.
Modern Azerbaijan
In the early 19th century, the Russian Empire expanded southwards, and the Russians took control of Azerbaijan. In the late 19th century, under Russian rule, the economy prospered, and the oil industry boomed. Railways were built.
In 1918, following the Communist Revolution in Russia, Azerbaijan became independent. However, it did not last long. The Russians invaded in 1920, and Azerbaijan was forced to become part of the Soviet Union. It collapsed in 1991, and Azerbaijan became independent again. However, Azerbaijan faced years of conflict with Armenia over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which had a majority Armenian population.
Today, the economy of Azerbaijan depends on oil and gas. In 2025, the population of Azerbaijan was 10.3 million.
