DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION IN AZERBAIJAN IN THE MIDDLE AGES IN AZERBAIJANI HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE XX CENTURY - THE BEGINNING OF THE XXI CENTURY

In the Azerbaijani historiography of the second half of the 20th century, we can observe a limited number of research works on the demographic situation in the Middle Ages, closely related to the socio-political conditions, restrictions, prohibitions and ideological requirements of that time (namely Soviet period). At that time, the strict control over the social sciences, and mainly the fact that our historical achievements were often ignored or distorted, caused serious obstacles to the scientific and objective coverage of the history of Azerbaijan. However, despite the existing numerous difficulties, a number of valuable research works on the medieval demographic circumstance were published in Azerbaijani historiography during that period. After Azerbaijan regained its independence, with the elimination of ideological shackles and restrictions on historical science, especially at the beginning of the XXI century, more reliable, scientific-objective research works on the medieval period, including the urban population of the said period, appeared in Azerbaijani historiography. As a whole, in the second half of the 20th century - at the beginning of the 21st century, Z. Bunyadov, M. Sharifli, A. Alizade, J. Ibrahimov, Y. Mahmudov, K. Shukurov and many other Azerbaijani historians focused on various stages of the medieval period, including those that took place in our medieval cities. They managed to investigate the impact of socio-political and economic events, population settlement, natural and mechanical growth of population, and general population growth on a scientific-objective level and describe the historical demographic environment in detail.