Shusha was established circa 1751 by Panah-Ali Khan Javanshir, the founder and the first ruler of an independent Turkic Khanate of Karabakh, as the capital. After the 1805 Kurekchay Treaty between the Russian Czar and the Khan of Karabakh and prior to the 1828 Turkmenchay Treaty between the Russian Empire and the Qajar dynasty of Iran, Shusha became an administrative capital of the Karabakh province (1822-1840), and later, of Shusha district of the Elisavetpol Governorate (1840-1923) of Russian Empire. Upon the establishment of independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) in May 1918, Shusha became the administrative center of the Karabakh governorate of ADR. Over nearly 250 years of its existence, Shusha grew with successive waves of migrants moving to the city, including the Armenians. By 20th century, the city became a cradle of Azerbaijani art and music, and a major trade and cultural center of South Caucasus. In 1870s, musical master Sadigjan developed the first Azerbaijani tar (lute) in Shusha. Richness of the musical performance tradition of the city greatly influenced the musical education of the famous Shushavian, Uzeyir Hajibeyov, the father of Azerbaijani classical music and opera, first of its kind in the Muslim and Turkic world. Many other prominent Azerbaijani and Turkic figures, including Bul-Bul (founder of Azerbaijani opera vocal); Jabbar Garyaghdy oglu (Azerbaijani Mugham Art virtuoso); singer Rashid Behbudov; composers Ashraf Abbasov, Suleyman Alasgarov, Fikret Amirov, Farhad Badalbeyli, Seyid and Khan Shushinski; writers Abdurrehim bey Hagverdiyev, Mirmohsum Navvab, Najaf bey Vezirov; poetess Khurshudbanu Natavan; and one of the founding ideologists of Turkism, Ahmet Agaoglu, originated from Shusha. When the Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan sparked in 1988, Shusha became the center of tragic warfare. Since May 1992, it is under the control of Armenian forces, with city's majority-Azeri population forced out in its entirety. During the past 17 years, a number of Azerbaijani cultural, historical and religious landmarks of Shusha were destroyed. Nevertheless, Shusha remains at the core of Azerbaijani identity and the rich historical and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan.