▁usage ▁in ▁Iran ▁is ▁extremely ▁rare . ▁ ▁Following ▁military ▁defe ats ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁Q aj ar ▁Pers ia ▁c eded ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁territ ories ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁C au cas us ▁and ▁Trans c au cas ia ▁to ▁Russia ▁via ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Gul istan ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 3 ▁and ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Turk men ch ay ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 8 . ▁The ▁territ ories ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Ar as ▁River , ▁which ▁compr ised ▁the ▁region ▁histor ically ▁known ▁as ▁A zer ba ij an , ▁became ▁the ▁new ▁north - west ▁front ier ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁Empire ▁and ▁later ▁Iran . ▁The ▁territ ories ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Ar as ▁River , ▁which ▁were ▁not ▁known ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁A zer ba ij an ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁their ▁capture ▁by ▁Russia , ▁were ▁absor bed ▁into ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁renamed ▁the ▁A zer ba ij an ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁during ▁the ▁country ' s ▁short - l ived ▁independence ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁as ▁the ▁A zer ba ij an ▁Soviet ▁Social ist ▁Republic , ▁and ▁finally ▁became ▁the ▁independent ▁Republic ▁of ▁A zer ba ij an ▁when ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁dissol ved . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁and ▁usage ▁The ▁name ▁A zer ba ij an ▁itself ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁At rop ates , ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁Sat rap ▁(