The article deals with the role and importance of one of the leading public entities of Dagestan - the Derbent khanate - in the historical events that took place in the North-East Caucasus in the XVIII - beginning of XIX centuries. It describes the place of Derbent and its neighborhood during the period of the two international events in the region - the Caspian campaign of Peter the Great and the struggle of the mountaineers of Dagestan for independence from Nader Shah. Great attention is paid to the policy of Derbent rulers - Fatali Khan and his son Shih-Ali Khan in foreign policy. The work is limited by the beginning of the XIX century, when Derbent became a part of Russia in 1806.

The article deals with the foreign policy of Fatali-Khan. His contacts with Russia were the closest. He appealed to the Imperial court with the request for admission to the Russian citizenship, had diplomatic contacts. The authors describe the policy of Fatali-Khan in expanding the territory of his possession, show the relations with Shamkhal Tarkovsky. Another area of the Khan’s foreign policy is relations with the Georgian Prince Alexander.