From an Fortress to Town: The Formation of Shushi as an example of South Caucasian Urban Life

This study aims to throw some lights on certain aspects of pre-modern social life in the south Caucasus. Focusing on Shushi as a typical case, it attempts to explain different characteristics of urban life in 18th century south Caucasus in relation to the political, ecological and social conditions of the region. Central to this study is an attempt to explain the contribution of tribal force to the formation of urban life. Following a general look on the historical background, it traced the process through which a tribal governor established Shushi as his center of power and developed it to become a small town. In the meantime, it surveys the physical as well as social structures of the town as a part of its historical development. Finally, it tries to highlight the role of Russian domination in continuation and development of Shushi's urban life in a modern period. The study shows that Shushi's historical development as a typical case in 18th and early 19th south Caucasia has been directly affected by both internal and external factors.