Similarly, Azerbaijan appealed to the history, as despite having some degree of autonomy, Mountainous Karabakh was part of Muslim khanates of Ganja and Karabakh. Plus, demographically Azeri constituted a majority in 7 of 8 uyezds of Elisabethpol guberniia and even in the heart of Mountainous Karabakh Muslims (Azeris and Kurds) formed a considerable minority. Thus, carving out the pockets of Christian concentration and addition of them to Armenia was regarded by Azerbaijan as injust, illogical and deterious to the welfare of all concerned. Azerbaijan did not regard the steppes and mountains of Karabakh as something separate, as tens of thousands of Azeri nomads circulated between them and in the case of separation of Highland and Lowland Karabakh, nomads would face certain ruin. These nomads, though never considered in census, regarded Karabakh as their homeland. Strategically Mountainous Karabakh was important for Azerbaijan as well, since control of any other power over it would leave Azerbaijan very vulnerable. Economically Karabakh was tied to Azerbaijan with almost every major road going eastward to Baku, not westward to Yerevan.