Khanate was ruled by the supreme council known as "Kat" in Lak or "Divan" where viziers, main qadis, warlords and the ruler participated in the meetings.

The state of Laks consisted of one Lakia that was divided into such territories as "Kullal", "Uri-Mukarki", "Machaymi", "Vitskhi", "Gumuchi" and "Bartki".

In 1721 on July 21, Surkhay-khan I and Haji-Dawood invaded the Safavid Iranian city of Shemakha, the major trading center of Shirvan, and captured it.

In 1722 a 110 thousand army of Peter I of Russia came to Dagestan as he invaded the Iranian domains in the region during the Russo-Persian War (1722-1723).

[6] Colonel Alexander Komarov wrote that "In 1723 September 12, shah Tahmasp had ceded to Russia the whole Caspian region from Astrabad to Sulak, however Gazi-Kumukh was not included there.

[8] Surkhay-khan I receiving the title of khan of Shirvan and Gazi-Kumukh, made Shemakha his residence, built schools, fortresses and roads.

[13] In 1734 on August 17 general Nader moving in different directions captured Shemakha, Qabala, Khachmaz, Derbent and Kura.

Crimean Kaplan Girey-khan, by the order of Turkish sultan, removed Khazbulat-shamkhal and appointed Eldar-bek of Kazanish, an ally of Surkhay-khan I, as new shamkhal.

In November 1735 Nader overcoming the resistance captured Ganja, Djaria, Sheki, Shirvan, Shemakha, and Derbent.

In December Nader advanced to Madjalis where "people of Akusha stubbornly defended themselves but were defeated", noted Bakikhanov.

Historian Jones wrote that "the fierce sea of the conqueror’s army turned its waves on habitats and fields of Kumukh, and possessions of all people of this place were destroyed".

[18] Russian military administration in the north Caucasus reported that utsmi Ahmed-khan with Surkhay-khan I built ten fortifications equipped with guns.

[19][20][21][22] Russian officer Kalushkin at the Persian court informed the Senate in Moscow that "Surkhay-khan ransacked Derbent fortress, defeated the army of Mehdi-khan".

Shah's historiographer Mirza-Mehdi Astarabadi wrote: "The banners that conquered the world are leaving Iran and heading to Dagestan".

[24] Muhammed Gazim, historian of Nader-shah, wrote that "the troops of Surkhay kept on firing from guns for two hours and all the 20 thousand shooters of Khorasan and Turkestan left this world".

French diplomat in St. Petersburg Marquis de La Chétardie wrote: "The defeat was all the more significant that Nader Shah lured himself into a trap and got into the canyon where hidden forces on both sides have made a terrible massacre of most of his army".

Turkish minister promised to support saying: "When the mentioned prince will be firmly established on the stolen throne of his ancestors, then he will give back previously under our rule states of Shirvan, Ganja, Tiflis and Yerevan".

In the mountains he was famous for extensive teachings in the Muslim spirit, and due to his ancient family had great connections throughout Dagestan and was respected by all the neighboring people".

Turkish emissaries visited the khans of Lakia and Avaria with large sums of money asking for alliance against Russia.

In 1803 Octobers 22, Surkhay-khan II crossed Alazani and attacked the Kabardin battalion of Tiflis regiment, under the command of Major-General Gulyakov.

[48] In 1819 October 19 Surkhay-khan II with a 3 thousand army attacked the Chirakh garrison but didn't succeed and ordered to retreat.

[49] Major General Vrede fortified tsar's troops in Beduk, Richa and Chirag, against the attacks of Surkhay-khan II.

In 1820 general Aleksey Ermolov decided to capture Gazi-Kumukh, the stronghold of anti-colonial struggle of highlanders, by a direct attack.

Surkhay-khan II gave many battles of which the largest were at Tiflis, Derbent, Khosrekh, Chirakh, Kurakh, Kartukh, Alazani, Quba, Akhaltsikhe, Akhalkalaki, Kartli, Kakheti, fortress Surkhayli in Cherkessia, Ganja, Yerevan, Kars, Ardagan and Erzurum.

[7] After the capture of the Gazi-Kumukh Khanate, Sufism as the teachings of Qizilbashes, had spread in Dagestan, that had been prevented by the war of Surkhay-khan II.

Laks were such political figures of Caucasian war as Haji Yahya-bek, Muhammad-Efendi Guyminski, Buk-Muhammad and Bashir-bek (naibs of Imam Shamil).

Representatives of Gazi-Kumukh clergy came to Ummu Kulsum-beke with a request from people to take charge of state affairs offering her Mahmud-bek, nephew of Aslan-khan, as an assistant.

[55] Mahmud-bek and his brother Garun-bek the ruler of Kura Khanate, who were in Gazi-Kumukh, declared themselves allies of Imam Shamil.

[56] In the summer of 1847 Aglar-bek, younger brother of Abdurahman-khan, arrived from St. Petersburg to Gazi-Kumukh in the rank of staff-captain of the Russian Army Guards.

In 1877 Jafar-khan was elected the ruler of an independent Gazi-Kumukh who assembled the army of Laks, Aguls, Lezgins, Tabasarans, Rutuls, Avars and decided to capture Derbent but before reaching it learned of a defeat in Levashi and other strongholds.