▁A zer ba ij an . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁recon quest ▁of ▁Georgia , ▁Ag ha ▁Moh amm ad ▁Shah ▁was ▁assass in ated ▁while ▁prepar ing ▁a ▁second ▁expedition ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 7 ▁in ▁Sh ush a ▁( mod ern - day ▁Nag orno ▁Kar ab akh ▁Republic ▁claimed ▁by ▁Republic ▁of ▁A zer ba ij an ). ▁The ▁re assert ion ▁of ▁Iran ian ▁h eg em ony ▁over ▁Georgia ▁did ▁not ▁last ▁long ; ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 9 ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁march ed ▁into ▁T bil isi , ▁which ▁would ▁mark ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Iran ian - ru led ▁domains ▁in ▁the ▁C au cas us , ▁compr ising ▁modern - day ▁Georgia , ▁Armen ia , ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁A zer ba ij an , ▁and ▁D ag est an ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁Rus so - Pers ian ▁Wars . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 7 th / ear ly ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁were ▁act ively ▁purs uing ▁an ▁expansion ist ▁policy ▁towards ▁its ▁neighbour ing ▁emp ires ▁to ▁its ▁south , ▁namely ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁success ive ▁Iran ian ▁kingdom s . ▁Ag ha ▁Moh amm ad ▁Khan ' s ▁death ▁and ▁the ▁Russian ▁troops ▁entering ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁possession ▁of ▁T bil isi ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 9 , ▁led ▁directly ▁to ▁the ▁Rus so - Pers ian ▁War ▁(