Lazistan Khanate

The Lazistan Khanate was a proposed buffer state suggested by the United Kingdom during the Congress of Berlin in 1878. The proposal envisioned the establishment of an autonomous or even independent state in the historical region of Lazistan. It aimed to resolve disputes regarding the status of Batum and its surrounding areas, which had been ceded to the Russian Empire after the Russo-Turkish War. The proposed state, predominantly Muslim and under international supervision, was intended to limit Russian influence along the southeastern coast of the Black Sea. The khanate was based on the recognition of the ethnic and religious distinctiveness of the Laz Muslims. It is considered one of the earliest diplomatic examples of using "national principles" as a basis for proposing a new state. The proposal was briefly discussed in diplomatic circles but was eventually dropped without implementation.