Introduction

Despite its relatively small size, Azerbaijan, one of the most ancient countries in the world, has often found itself at the center of events due to its geographical location and strategic importance. East–West trade routes pass through its borders, and the destructive marches of great emperors and world conquerors have traversed its territory at different points in time. Azerbaijanis living in the vast territory stretching from the foothills of the Caucasus mountains to the Caspian Sea have been a target for great powers since ancient times—Achaemenid rulers and Roman legionnaires, Sassanid satraps and Arab warlords. Yet over the centuries, Azerbaijanis managed to create a unity at the crossroads of swords and diplomacy.