Hossein Qoli is first mentioned in 1795, as an official and member of the household of his close friend, the crown prince Baba Khan (later known by his regnal name of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar) in the city of Shiraz.

Hossein Qoli served as a guardian of the northern passageways to Tehran from Qazvin until 1802, when he was appointed governor of the eastern province of Khorasan, which he brought stability to over the course of five years.

Hossein Qoli, in contrast to the other khans in the Caucasus, avoided making a deal with the Russians and was able to hinder their plans for twenty years.

Article XII of the Treaty of Turkmenchay, which specifically denied him and his brother the ability to sell or trade their property in Erivan—a right guaranteed to everyone else—was a clear indication of Russia's irritation.

The first mention of him is in 1795, as a member of the household of his close friend, the crown prince Baba Khan (later known by his regnal name of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar) in the city of Shiraz.

[5] The traveller von Freygang, when describing Hossein Qoli, stated that "the khan by his boldness had raised the reigning Shah to the throne" and that "he enjoyed his master's full confidence".

By putting the leaders in jail and blinding some of them under Fath Ali Shah's decree, Hossein Qoli was able to bring about stability over the course of five years.

[6] It would be greatly difficult for the Russians to proceed into northern Iran if the Iranians were able to hold the region of Erivan, an important invasion route.

In 1808, Hossein Qoli was joined by Hasan Khan as support against the approaching Russian invasion by Gudovich, which the brothers successfully repelled.

[11] As the focal point of offensive and defensive operations against Russian forces in the Southern Caucasus, the Erivan Khanate grew in importance.

Additionally, Russian resources were diverted to other fronts by the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812, the French invasion of Russia, and the repeated clashes with Muslim tribes in Daghestan.

[12] In response to the assistance offered by Sherif Pasha of Akhaltsikhe, Hossein Qoli was in August 1810 sent there as the head of a 7,000-man army with orders to assault Georgia via Shuregol.

Hosein Qoli Khan told Abbas Mirza that he would go back to Erivan if Sherif Pasha did not appear before the weather would get cold.

[13] The Russian general Alexander Tormasov resolved to attack Hossein Qoli as soon as he realized Sherif Pasha had not mobilized his forces.

[14] In 1812, the Russians made peace with the Ottoman Empire, and with the withdrawal of French forces, men that were urgently required on the Caucasian front could be transferred.

Lacking other opinions, Iran agreed to make peace with Russia, signing the Treaty of Golestan in 1813, in which the Russians received the Iranian lands of Baku, Ganja, Shakki, Quba, Shirvan, Karabakh, and parts of Talish.

[16] The treaty's territorial arrangements were unclear, for example, in Talish, where it was left up to the mutually appointed administrators to "determine what mountains, rivers, lakes, villages, and fields shall mark the line of frontier."

[17] In early 1825, the northern bank of Gokcha, which the Iranians believed to be a part of their realm, was seized by the Russians under the orders of Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov, the governor of Georgia.

The state of the Muslim minority under Russian authority and, lastly, whether and to what extent Russia had been weakened as a result of its internal crises, were secondary concerns.

The peace party at Fath-Ali Shah's court was ultimately outmanoeuvred and the final decision was to launch full-scale warfare against the Russians.

[23] Despite Abbas Mirza's soldiers appearing to be unprepared for a large fight, Iran's entry into the war in the summer of 1826 started out successfully.

In Shirvan, Ganja, Talish, Shakki and Karabakh (aside from Shusha), the stationed Russian troops were either driven out by the rebels or Iranian forces, or withdrew themselves.

[24] Between July 28 and 30, the Russian army fought an intense battle against Hossein Qoli, who conquered Pambak and Shuregol in northern Erivan.

[26] On 2 February 1828, Abbas Mirza signed the Treaty of Turkmenchay, thus ceding Erivan and Nakhichevan as well as agreeing to significant war reparations and other concessions.

[27] Hossein Qoli, in contrast to the other khans in the Caucasus, avoided making a deal with the Russians and was able to hinder their plans for twenty years.

Article XII of the Treaty of Turkmenchay, which specifically denied him and his brother the ability to sell or trade their property in Erivan—a right guaranteed to everyone else—was a clear indication of Russia's irritation.

These nomads received special rights (such as reduced taxes, privileges, pasture liberties, grants of land, and salaries) in exchange for staying clear of the villages and restraining their members from bothering the settled population.

Hossein Qoli maintained a friendly relationship with Melik Sahak Aqamal, the secular leader of the Armenians in the Erivan khanate, and played a key role in arranging the marriage of Isaac's daughter with Alexander.