In the first half of the nineteenth century foreign trade through Astrakhan, due to a whole range of social, geopolitical and religious reasons largely concentrated in the hands of the so-called "Asian merchants". A significant role in this group of entrepreneurs played "the Persians". Ethnically, the majority of them were Azerbaijanis, who came from different provinces of Azerbaijan and Northern Iran. During the period of Azerbaijan entrepreneurship is gaining a major role in the Caspian sea trade and firmly grounded in Astrakhan, displacing it to other ethnic groups of entrepreneurs. The article describes the social status of the Azerbaijan entrepreneurship in the region, volumes and trading patterns of this group of merchants, relationships with local and Imperial authorities.
