Muhammad Riza Khan
Muhammad Riza Khan was a puppet khan of Shamakhi under Fath-Ali Khan of Quba in late the 18th-century.
Biography
He was born to Muhammad [Said Khan (Shirvan)|Muhammad Said Khan of Shirvan] and his first wife Firangiz khanum in 1753. His family belonged to House of Sarkar of Khanchobani tribe. He had younger full-brothers Askar Khan and Mahmud bey, in addition to half-brothers Isgandar bey and Qasim Khan. His full-sister Hamsa Khanum married to a local Shirvani bey while half-sisters, Halima Khanum and Anakhanum Khanum married to their paternal cousins.Muhammad was only 10 when his father and uncle started their dual-rule in Shirvan Khanate. He was arrested alongside his father and family in 1768 and taken to Derbent. Following disastrous defeat of Fath Ali in battle of Gavdushan in 1774, his father Muhammad Said was reinstated in New Shamakhi as a vassal in order to retain Quba suzerainty over Shirvan. Poruchik Pavel Batyrev, who visited the region at the time, reported that Muhammad Said “had no authority of his own and obeys Fatali Khan in all matters.” Muhammad Riza's uncle Aghasi Khan also returned to rule Shirvan Khanate in 1774 from his base in Alvand. Aghasi seemingly also accepted vassalage to Fatali Khan.
Alarmed by reunited brothers, seeking to exploit the situation through dynastic politics, Fatali Khan agreed to a marriage alliance—his sister Fatma Khanum was married Muhammad Rza in 1779. This move was designed to neutralise Muhammad Said as a political threat and to sow discord between the brothers - a decision that enraged Aghasi Khan, who then left his refuge in Alvand and demanded share of authority from his elder brother. Muhammad Riza on the other hand, fled to court of Fatali Khan, who soon launched punitive invasion onto Shirvan. Though the two brothers united against him, they were defeated—Muhammad Said fled to Shaki, and Aghasi returned to Alvand. Despite several attempts at reconciliation, including sending gifts to Fatali Khan, their political position continued to weaken. Multiple sources confirm that Fatali Khan subsequently appointed Muhammad Rza as vassal khan of Shirvan. According to Adolf Berzhe, he ruled for 3 years.
According to Russian-Armenian major Averian Serebrov who was dispatched to the region in 1796, Muhammad Said returned to Shirvan as soon as Fatali Khan left the region and began to have say in its governance. Fath Ali Khan, unwilling to allow him authority, sought by every means to manoeuvre the province into his own control, nominally under his son-in-law’s rule but without the influence of his father. He succeeded in this objective: agents of Fath Ali Khan surrounded and abducted Muhammad Said, brought him to Fath Ali Khan. He then sent him under guard to Salyan, where, by Fath Ali Khan’s order, he was executed.
Muhammad Riza's rule didn't last long either. Subsequently, fearing that Muhammad Riza might seek revenge for his father's death, Fath Ali Khan exiled him to Quba, where he was also executed in 1789.