On October 20, 2020, during the Second Karabakh War (September 27, 2020 – November 10, 2020) the city of Zangilan was liberated from the Armenian occupation. This is the third city on the territory of Karabakh which was liberated from the occupation by the Azerbaijani army. Qarabag.com has prepared material on the history of the administrative and territorial division of the city of Zangilan from the beginning of the XIX century to the present.

The administrative center of the Zangilan district is the city of Zangilan (formerly Zengiyan, Zeygilan, Zyangyalyan, Zangelan, Pirchivan, Zangilan) is located in the southwestern part of Azerbaijan, on the bank of the Okhchuchay river.
[The cities and urban craft of Azerbaijan XIII-XVII centuries. M.H.Heydarov 1982, p. 25]
[The description of the Karabakh province compiled in 1823 by Active State Councillor Mogilev and by Colonel Ermolov II on the order of Commander-in-chief of Georgia Ermolov. Tiflis, 1866., p. 208]
[The map of Elisabethpol governorate with the identification of the rural societies and the distribution of population by religion. 1888]
[E.Kondratenko. The Caucasian calendar for 1917. Tiflis, 1916. Department of Statistics., p. 56]
[The list of the populated locations in Azerbaijan. Edition of Namcomprod based on the materials of the agricultural censuses of 1917 and 1921, Baku, 1922, p. 43]

In the book of the Azerbaijani historian M.H.Heydarov (1982) entitled “Cities and urban craft of Azerbaijan of the XIII-XVII centuries” it was mentioned that, according to the Iranian historian Hamdullah Kazvini, Zangilan was founded in 636.
[The cities and urban craft of Azerbaijan of XIII-XVII centuries. M.H.Heydarov 1982, p. 11;25]

In 1813, according to the Treaty of Gulistan, the Karabakh khanate (including the village of Zangilan) became a part of the Russian Empire.
[E.Weidenbaum. A guide to the Caucasus. Tiflis, 1888., p. 146]

In 1823, Zangilan was designated as the village of Zeygilan.
[The description of the Karabakh province compiled in 1823 by Active State Councillor Mogilev and by Colonel Ermolov II on the order of Commander-in-chief of Georgia Ermolov. Tiflis, 1866., p. 208]

In 1835, the Karabakh province and the village of Zangilan were incorporated into the Muslim Provinces of Transcaucasia of the Russian Empire.
[O. Evetsky. The statistical description of the Transcaucasian region. St. Petersburg, 1835., p. 24]

In 1840, the Karabakh province (including the village of Zangilan) was incorporated into the newly formed Caspian region. All magals were renamed into districts, and provinces were renamed into uyezds. Consequently, the Karabakh province was renamed to Karabakh Uyezd.
[The Caucasian calendar for 1871. Tiflis, 1870. Section 2. Historical overview of the Baku governorate, pp. 44-45]

In 1846, Karabakh Uyezd, which included the village of Zangilan, was renamed to Shusha Uyezd.
[The Caucasian calendar for 1868. Section Third. The historical overview of the civil institutions of the Caucasus and the Transcaucasian region., p. 398]

In 1888, Zangilan was listed as Zyangyalyan in the Zangezur Uyezd of the Elizavetpol governorate.
[The map of Elisabethpol governorate with the identification of the rural societies and the distribution of population by religion. 1888]
[The Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire. The second collection. Volume XLII.  Section 2. St. Petersburg, 1871, p. 383]

During the years of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920) the village was part of Zangezur Uyezd of the Ganja governorate. In 1919 and 1920 the village of Zangilan was incorporated into the Karabakh Governorate-General.
[The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920) Legislative acts (The collection of Documents) 1998, p. 157; 389]

After the annexation of Zangezur to Armenia in November 1920, the village of Zangilan was incorporated into Gubadli Uyezd.
[The history of the Formation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region of the Azerbaijani SSR. 1918-1925: Documents and Materials.1989// From the protocol of the joint meeting of the Politburo and the Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee of the ACP (b) on November 30, 1920, pp. 63-64]
[The list of the populated locations in Azerbaijan. Edition of Namcomprod based on the materials of the agricultural censuses of 1917 and 1921,  Baku, 1922, p. 43]

In 1925-1929, Zangilan was mentioned as part of Jabrayil Uyezd. In 1926, the village of Zangilan was indicated as part of the Zangilan district and, in 1929, as part of the Zangilan dayra (presumably the borough) of Jabrayil Uyezd.
[The territorial and administrative division of the USSR as of January 1, 1925, 1925, p. 201]
[The territorial and administrative division of the USSR as of January 1, 1926, 1926, p.190]
[The administrative and territorial division of the USSR and the list of the most important settlements with a chronological list of resolutions on changing the borders of provinces, regions and republics from 1917 to 1929, 1929, p. 115;189]

On August 8, 1930, the Zangilan district was formed with the center in the village of Zangilan.
[The Azerbaijani SSR, administrative and territorial division. 1964, p. 42]
[The Azerbaijani SSR, administrative and territorial division as of January 1, 1977.1979, p. 6]

As of 1934-1957, the administrative center of the Zangilan district was indicated as Pirchevany, Pirchevan, Pirchivan.
[The administrative and territorial division of the USSR. 1934, p. 234]
[The USSR: administrative and territorial division as of January 1, 1941, 1941, p. 234]
[The USSR: administrative and territorial division of the Union Republics as of January 1, 1951. 1951, p. 302]

On August 31, 1957, the village was renamed from Pirchivan to Zangilan. In the same year Zangilan received the status of an urban-type settlement.
[The Azerbaijani SSR, administrative and territorial division as of January 1, 1977.1979, p. 9;211]
[The USSR: administrative and territorial division of the Union Republics as of January 1965., p. 424]

On September 9, 1967, Zangilan received the status of a city.
[The Azerbaijani SSR, administrative and territorial division as of January 1, 1977.1979, p. 9]
[The USSR: administrative and territorial division of the Union Republics as of January 1, 1980. 1980, p. 444]

After attaining independence of Azerbaijan (1991), the Zangilan district retained its administrative and territorial status with the center in the city of Zangilan.

On October 29, 1993, Zangilan was occupied by Armenian armed formations.
[Thomas de Waal.  Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War.  2003, p. 386]