The Shamkhalate of Tarki, or Tarki Shamkhalate (also Shawhalate, or Shevkalate; ) was a Kumyk state in the eastern part of the North Caucasus, with its capital in the ancient town of Tarki. It formed on the territory populated by Kumyks and included territories corresponding to modern Dagestan and adjacent regions. After subjugation by the Russian Empire, the Shamkhalate's lands were split between the Empire's feudal domain with the same name extending from the river Sulak to the southern borders of Dagestan, between Kumyk possessions of the Russian Empire and other administrative units.
At some point the Shamkhalate had vassals from the Caspian Sea to Kabarda and Balkaria. The Shamkhals also possessed the title of the Vali of Dagestan and had their residence in the ancient Khazar-Kumyk mountainous shelter.
Annexation of the Tarki Shamkhalate and other territories of Dagestan by Russia was concluded by the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813. In 1867 the feudal domain of the Shamkhalate was abolished, and on its territory the Temir-Khan-Shura (now Buynaksk) district of Dagestan Oblast was established.
During a short period in 1580-1590s the Shamkhalate was officially a part of the Ottoman Empire. Since the 16th century the state was a major figure of Russian politics to the southern borders, as it was the main target and obstacle in conquering the Caucasian region.
Emergence of Shamkhalate
Arab version
According to records from Arab sources, the Shamkhalate emerged in the year 734, when Arab conqueror Abu-Muslim appointed one of his generals named "Shakhbal" to rule over the "Kumuh region". This version is based upon "Derbend-name" source, which is by itself not known to have a certain author and has many anonymous undated versions. The most recent authored version is of the 16th century.
Critics of the Arab version
V. Bartold also stated that the term "Shamkhal" is a later form of the original form "Shawkhal", which is mentioned both in the Russian and Persian (Nizam ad-Din Shami and Sheref ad-din Yezdi) sources. Dagestani historian Shikhsaidov wrote that the version claiming Arab descent was in favor of the dynasty and clerics (the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad). A. Kandaurov wrote that the Arab version was elaborated by the Shamkhals themselves. Also, the title Shamkhals is not mentioned in the works of the Medieval Arabic historians and geographers.
Turkic-Kumyk version
Among the supporters of the Turkic version of the creation of the Shamkhalian state is Lak historian Ali Kayaev:
It was supported by Turkish historian Fahreddin Kirzioglu, the early 20th century historian D. H. Mamaev, Halim Gerey Sultan, Muhammed Efendi, and others. Dagestanian historian R. Magomedov stated that:
Russian professor of oriental studies, the Doctor of Historical Sciences I. Zaytsev, also shared the opinion that the Shamkhalate was a Kumyk state with the capital in the town of Kumuk (written thus in medieval sources). While studying works of the Timurid historians Nizam ad-Din Shami and Sheref ad-din Yezdi, Soviet historians V. Romaskevich and S. Volin, and Uzbek historian Ashraf Ahmedov, as well as professor in Alan studies O. Bubenok, call Gazi-Kumuk (also Gazi-Kumukluk in medieval sources) call the Shamkhalate area as the lands of Kumyks.
Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi called the Shamkhal "a natural Oghuz". One of the arguments of the Turkic version is that Shamkhals were elected in the way that is traditional for Turkic peoples — tossing a red apple. Ancient pre-Muslim names of the Kumuk [today Kumukh] inhabitants, as fixed in Khuduk inscription — Budulay, Ahsuwar, Chupan and others — are of Turkic origin. On the graves of the Shamkhals in Kumukh there are Turkic inscriptions, as noted by professor of Caucasian studies L. Lavrov. The grave itself was called by the locals "Semerdalian" after the Khazar city of Semender; the gravestones there are patterned in a Kipchak style. In the "Maza chronicle" Shamkhals are described as "a branch of the Khan-Hakhan generations". Nizam ad-Din Shami Yezdi in his 14th century Timurid chronicle The Book of Triumph and Sheref ad-din Yezdi mentioned the land as Gazi-Kumukluk, where the suffix "luk" is a Turkic linguistic sign. The ruler of Andi people Ali-Beg, who founded a new ruling dynasty, also had a title of "Shamkhal". According to the local story, starting from Ali-Beg until Khadjik, the rulers of their land spoke in the "language of the plains", i.e. Kumyk.
Jamalutdin-haji Mamaev in the beginning of the 20th century wrote: