"[3] Aliprandi claims that Council considered itself authorized to act both as a legislative and an executive body, and that the decisions on major political and economic issues of the region during 1918–1920 were taken by the Karabakh Congress.

On 15 January 1919, the British governor of Baku, General Thomson appointed Khosrov bey Sultanov the "Governor-General of Karabakh and Zangezur" within Azerbaijan, despite neither region being completely under Azerbaijani control.

[11] As a result of the bloodshed, the Karabakh Council was compelled to sign a provisional accord with the Azerbaijani government on 22 August 1919, submitted to their rule pending their final status decided in the Paris Peace Conference.

The signing ceremony was attended by members of the Karabakh Council, Bishop Vahan, Khosrov bey Sultanov, and other notable Armenian and Muslim officials.

Despite the agreement stipulating the requirement of consent of two-thirds of the six-member council for Azerbaijan to make military movements, in November 1919 Azerbaijani forces were being transferred throughout Karabakh in preparation of an incursion into Armenian-controlled Zangezur.

During meetings of the Eighth Assembly of Armenians of Karabakh from 28 February to 4 March, the delegates expressed discontent with the Azerbaijani administration and warned that they would resort to countermeasures if their existence was threatened.