The Ildegizids,[4] Eldiguzids[5][6] or Ildenizids, also known as Atabegs of Azerbaijan[7][8] (اتابکان آذربایجان Atabakan-e Āzarbayjan) were an Atabegate of the Seljuk Empire, and a Sunni Muslim Turkic[6] dynasty[9] (started by Eldiguz of Kipchak[6] origin), which controlled most of northwestern Persia,[5] eastern Transcaucasia, including[5] Arran,[5][6][8] most of Iranian Azerbaijan,[5][6][8] and Jibal.

However, closer to the end of their reign amidst continuous conflicts with the Kingdom of Georgia, the Eldiguzid territory shrank to include only Azerbaijan and eastern Transcaucasia.

[6] The historical significance of the Atabeg of Azerbaijan lies in their firm control over north-western Persia during the later Seljuq period and also their role in Transcaucasia as champions of Islam against the Bagratids of Georgia.

His marriage with the widow of Sultan Toghrul II (1132–1133; Masud's brother and predecessor) afforded him to intervene in the dynastic strife which erupted upon Mas'ud's death in 1152.

Kingdom of Georgia, whose army was additionally strengthened by the Kipchak mercenaries, became the strongest rival of the Shams al-Din Eldiguz.

[11] While leaving the city, his troops carried off the well-known gate of Ganja as their trophy, which up to this date remains on display at the Gelati monastery.

[12] From 1161 onwards Georgians began to make plundering raids and outright conquests on Ani, Dvin, Ganja, Nakhchivan and other regions controlled by Atabegs.

[13][14] Eldiguz formed a coalition with other Seljuqids in the beginning of the 1160s to fight against the Georgians, and in 1163 the allies inflicted a defeat on king George III of Georgia.

However, this time they were forestalled by George III, who marched into Arran at the beginning of 1166, occupied a region extending to faraway cities as Nakhchivan and Beylagan, devastated the land and returned with prisoners and booty.

[15] Pahlavan transferred his capital from Nakhchivan to Hamadan in western Iran, and made his younger brother, Qizil Arslan Uthman, the ruler of Azerbaijan.

Even Shirvanshah Akhsitan I who used to be Atabegs' liegeman attempted to intervene the interior affairs of the Eldiguzids and opposed Qizil Arslans aspiration to the throne.

Qizil Arslan's nephews began to rule independently, and one of the Mamluks of Jahan Pahlavan, Mahmud Anas Oglu,freed Toghrul III from his prison and regains the sultanate throne in May 1192.

[4][9] After defeated by Abu Bakr, Amir Amiran Omar went to gain a support from Shirvanshah Akhsitan I and Georgian Tsarina Tamar.

In 1194, the united Georgian-Shirvan and Amir Amiran Omar's troops defeated Abu Bakr in the battles of Shamkir and Beylagan.

[9] In that period, Armenian prince Hasan-Jalal Dawla (founder of House of Hasan-Jalalyan cadet branch of Siunia dynasty[21]) (c.1215–1262) began his separatist activities, a fact which shook the fundamentals of the weakened State[citation needed].