Draft:Isaxan Rebellion

The Isaxan Rebellion was a peasant uprising that emerged as a response to the rapid collectivization and confiscation of peasant property by the Soviet regime in the late 1920s. Originating mainly in the Borchali, Qazax, and Lori regions of Transcaucasia, it defended the inviolability of rural life and the preservation of national traditions against Soviet repression. The rebellion also became a part of local oral culture through epic poems such as the Qaçaq Isaxan Dastanı.

Isaxan Rebellion
Part of Collectivization in the Soviet Union
The building that housed the Celaloğlu (now Stepanavan) police station in 1930.
Date 1929–1930 Location Borchali, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, Transcaucasian SFSR Result Rebellion suppressed by Soviet authorities Initial success for the rebels Peace agreement signed but later violated by the Soviets Death of Isaxan in late summer 1930
Belligerents
Karapapak Turks Azerbaijanis	Soviet Union Georgian SSR OGPU
Commanders and leaders
Isaxan Hacibayramli † Qurban Hacibayramli Ali Haqqalanli Sadix Sadixoghlu	Unknown Soviet OGPU and Red Army officers
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
~50	~1000

Background

At the beginning of the 20th century, during the period of Sovietization and collectivization in the Transcaucasian region (including eastern and southeastern Georgia, northern Armenia, and western Azerbaijan), widespread social and political unrest took place. Following the collapse of the Russian Empire, the region became a complex web of conflicting powers and ideologies. The most critical factor behind the rebellion was the Soviet policy of “Collectivization” that intensified in the late 1920s. Peasants were deprived of their lands, livestock, and grain. The campaign to “eliminate the Kulaks” provoked anger among the settled and semi-nomadic Karapapak Turks. Arbitrary arrests, forced confiscations, and excessive taxation created the groundwork for revolt. In this atmosphere of oppression, Isaxan Hacibayramli (born 1897 in Qaraxaç Plateau), known as Qaçaq Isaxan (“Outlaw Isaxan”), emerged as a folk leader defending the rights of the people. His movement transformed passive resistance into an organized armed struggle against Soviet injustice.

The Rebellion

The Isaxan Rebellion, taking place between 1929 and 1930, became one of the most notable anti-Soviet uprisings in Georgia’s Borchali region and surrounding areas. Within weeks, insurgents took control of villages around Sarvan, Koraxı, and Qızılhacılı in Borchali, and parts of Qarayazı. Reports of Soviet casualties alarmed both Tbilisi and Moscow. In response, Soviet authorities launched large-scale operations with reinforcements from the Caucasus Army and OGPU units. There were even discussions among high-ranking officials about negotiating peace with the rebel leader to prevent further escalation. Isaxan and his followers used the harsh terrain — Madash, Saz Mountain, Ceyranchol, Goy Tomtu, and Keshish Mountain — to wage a successful guerrilla campaign against Soviet forces.

Aftermath

The scale of the uprising and the Red Army losses forced Soviet authorities to pursue a temporary peace. A five-point peace agreement was reached, which persuaded Isaxan to halt the fighting. However, the Soviets soon violated the agreement. Within two months, they launched a surprise operation, attacking Isaxan’s group while they were unprepared. During renewed clashes in the summer of 1930, Isaxan — regarded as a hero among the Karapapak Turks — was killed in battle at the age of 33. His death marked the end of the organized resistance but left a deep impression on local memory as a symbol of courage and Soviet betrayal.

Legacy

The Isaxan Rebellion has remained a notable symbol of anti-Soviet resistance in the South Caucasus. It reflected the determination of local Turkic and Georgian villagers to defend their traditional way of life against forced collectivization. Its memory survives in folk poetry and oral narratives across the Borchali and Qazax regions.

References

• "Записка по прямому проводу – Москва ОГПУ, Ягода, Евдокимов, от Реденца – Берии." F.13, d.38, list 8, corr.4, p.120.
• "Особая папка заседания секретариата ЗКК ВКП(б), секретарь ЗКК ВКП(б) Криницкий." F.13, d.38, list 8, corr.4, p.120.
• "Совершенно секретно, Москва – Секретариат ЦК ВКП(б), от секретаря ЦК КП(б) Грузии – Кахиани." F.14, d.10, list 6, corr.3, pp.68–74.
• Hamlet Isaxanli, *Soviet Totalitarianism in the Caucasus (1920–1930s)*, Baku: Khazar University Press, 1998, pp. 55–58.
• Hamlet Isaxanli, “The Sovietization and Collectivization of Central Transcaucasia and the Isaxan Uprising,” in *Azerbaijani Socio-Political Thought: 20th Century*, Baku: Khazar University, 1996, pp. 1–16.
• Nağı Bayramgil, *Memories of the Azerbaijani Uprisings Born of the Red Invasion*, Türk İzi, 1954–1955.
• Nağı Bayramgil, *Nights in the GPU Prisons*, Türk İzi, 1954–1955.
• Nağı Bayramgil, *The Communist Kolkhoz System and the Peasantry*, Türk İzi, 1956.