Nakhijevan in Documents of the U.S. Department of State

and the National Archives of Armenia (1918-1920)

 

The paper is focused on the turning points in the fate of the Nakhijevan District, which had formed a component of the Armenian Oblast since 1828. With the help of new archival material from the U.S. Department of State, this article highlights tha battles which led to the destruction of the Armenian villages in the District and murder of thousands of Armenians, as the region hanged hands between its native masters and local Muslims. The latters outnumbered the native population through massacre by organized bandits and Turkish troops.

The sketch depicts in detail the involvement of British, Soviet and Turkish forces in this concrete area and the larger Republic of Armenia, when both the local Muslims and the native Armenians were trying to hold this strategic piece of land under their control.

In the long run, the Armenian Army moved forth on July 12-25, 1920, and the Muslims recognized Sharur-Nakhijevan as part of the Republic of Armenia. However, the entrance of the Red Army into this region on July 28, the unsuccessful Soviet-Armenian negotiations in Moscow and the war launched by Mustafa Kemal against the Republic of Armenia in September, 1920, blocked the accession of Nakhijevan to Armenia. //-244

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The district of Nakhijevan was a unit of the Vaspurakan province in ancient and medieval times. In its turn, Vaspurakan had a territory of 40.870 sq km and was the 8th province of Great Armenia. It stretched from the distict of Rshtunik on the south-west of Van Lake to Goghtan and Nakhijevan, on the east. The district (or Gavar) of Nakhijevan entered annals, written by historians of the 5th century Movses Khorenatsi, Pavstos Buzand and others.1  "Ashkharhatsuyts," i.e. the Geographic Atlas by Movses Khorenatsi and by his successor, geographer and mathematician of the 7th century Anania Shirakatsi evokes a particular interest in its capacity of a geographic source on our issue.2

One of the most prominent centers of Vaspurakan and Nakhijevan in particular, called Jugha, is mentioned in 1918-1920 under a modern name of Julfa. It had been a town on the left bank of Araxes, similarly referred in the "History of Armenia" by Movses Khorenatsi. It had been a centre of crafts since Ancient period; and trade in silk cloth, rugs, spices, jewellery and gems, weapons and wool, carried on with many countries of East and West flourished here.3 Jugha as a town of up to 40.000 residents, had constructed eastern and western fortress walls, as well as lodgings on the right bank of Araxes, linked to a downtown by a big bridge. There were 7 churches, beautiful houses, caravansaries, inns and a covered market in the city. One would also discover an old Armenian cemetery with its famous 10.000 carved cross-stones (khachkars), that had been erected in the 10th-17th centuries as memorial steles on three hills to the south-west of the Jugha dwelling zone.

However, brutal raids of Tamerlane and Turkoman nomads in 14th-15th centuries; then subsequent wars between Ottoman Turkey and Persia caused a grievous exodus of the population from Jugha. In the most tragic for this city and all Nakhijevan year of 1604, in compliance with an order issued by Shah Abbas I of Persia, all Jugha had been razed to the ground and burned. Its whole populationwith 300.000 more Armenians was forocibly relocated into Iran, suffering great losses. They would henceforth develop trade and economy of Iran. Nearly 20.000 violently displaces persons were settled in Isfahan where they built their quarter and called it Nor Jugha. On May 31, 1667, merchants of New Jugha had been the first in Russian history to conclude an agreement with its court on business activities of the Armenian Trade Company of Isfahan. Its team of 40 negotiators had achieved a right of the transit trade between Europa and Asia, from Astrakhan up to Archangelsk. Later on, at the end of the 19th century nearly 500 persons could return their native land to resettle there. Ruins of Old Jugha remain west of the 1919 Julfa - key railway and highway junction in 30 kilometers north-east of the district centre.

In December of 1989, later in 1998, 2002 and on December 10-14 of 2005 thugs of contemporary Azerbaijan by the sanctions of their criminal government had exploited bulldezers, then army with artillery and savagely destroyed the old Armenian cemetery, a memorial under the auspices of UNESCO - the last groups of 3.700 khachkars and monuments, built in the 10th-17th centuries. They demolished and leveled this historical monument, striving to erase every evidence of the Armenian civilization at Nakhijevan.4

Nakhijevan (Nakhichevan) in its quality of national-administrative unit of the Modern History was included in Russia in accordance with the Turkmenchay Treaty of 1828. In common with the Erevan khanate (both established in 1747), it formed the Armenian Province (Oblast, from March 21, 1828). When this Province was abolished Nakhijevan together with Erevan had successively entered on April 10, 1840, into Georgia-Imeretia, and from December 14, 1846, into the Tiflis Governorate. We should note that the Russian Tsar Government had never subordinated it to the Caspian Province, Shemakha, and later to Baku or Elizavetpol Governorates. Moreover, when the Erevan Governorate had been created on June 9, 1849, it embraced the whole Armenian Province, i.e. Erevan and Nakhijevan, in common with the main portion of the Alexandropol uezd (district). During the next administrative reform of December 9, 1867, Nakhijevan uezd, combined with Sharur-Daralagyaz (Vayots Dzor), had remained a component of Erevan Governorate as usual. And the latter represented one of the five biggest units (Governorates) ion Transcnaucasia. At a time of final legal definition of the inner borders in 1874, Nakhijevan was again recognized as one among seven Districts of the Erevan Governorate.5

As far as demography is concerned, after all previous devastations and an influx of alien tribes, in 1916 native Armenians made 41,2 per cent of the Nakhijevan population or 54.000 dwellers compared to 131.000 of the whole bulk.6 When we calculate population figures including Sharur, they are correspondingly equal to 83.000 and total 211.000.

Nakhijevan had encountered two Russian revolutions of 1917 in the same status of District. The first, bourgeois-democratic February revolution had preserved to considerable extent stability and conduct of administration in the Transcaucasia together with great achievements of the Caucasus Front. However, the second, October revolution brought far more grievous consequences. The Caucasus Front of the Russian Army had begun to disintegrate in December of 1917. Ottoman troops violated the Erznka (Erznjan) Truce and took the offensive in January, 1918. This attack had immediately destabilized the entire Ttranscaucasia, with its Erevan Governorate in particular. When the Armenian National Council in Tiflis tried to arrange the national self-defense, Tatar and Kurdish inhabitants of the Governorate undertook a sabotage of this militant program. They demolished the railways, telephone and telegraph lines, plundered individuals on the roads, attacked Armenian villages ot only in Vayots Dzor (Sharur-Daralagyaz) and Nakhijevan, but even in the closest vicinity of Erevan. These actions had been supplemented with raids, carried out by Sharur and Elizavetpol Muslim National Council, who looted train loads of weapons and retreating Russian soldiers near Bash Norashen, Shahtakht,7 Elizavetpol, and committed the malicious Shamkhor Massacre. As a counteract, Armenians had raised their local squads of Militia.

 In February of 1918, though the Transcaucasian Commissariat had been set up and preserved its devotion to the 1st bourgeois revolution of 1917, as well as to republican Russia, the district Muslim Council had invited the Armenian National Council of Nakhijevan to join its land with Persia. After refusal, the Muslim Council had requested to proclaim independence of uezd. The Armenians' response did not change. Both Armenia with Georgia, and Tatars, who held sessions at Tiflis or Gandzak, did not bring up such proposals. The main industrial center Baku had been simply a part of the Soviet Russia. Nevertheless, on February 22, 1918, the Muslim NC had arranged a gathering in the city of Nakhijevan and proclaimed this land "independent khanate."8

We have to record an outstanding event in Western Armenia, which preceded this initiative. There, in Western Armenia, an energetic participant of the liberation movement since the Balkan Wars A.Torgom (Arshak Yervandian) had announced on February 13, 1918, in the city of Karin (Erzerum) The Armenian Independence Proclamation Act. He took a parade there and called this city the capital of the new State.9 This document was based on the principles of liberty, justice and law; on the reality of the Ottoman State policy with its intentional extermination of a nation by systematic massacres and mass deportations during the last forty years; and specially on the truth of unspeakable sufferings inflicted by a Genocide during the last four years; the Genocide, which had been the main reason to throw the oppressor Ottoman Empire in the World War; as well as on the fact of great tenacity of the people, that succeeded in preservation of universal and their national values. The whole policy of the Young Turk Government made it impossible to coexist in one State and was more than sufficient reason to proclaim the independence of Armenia.

Armenian Independence Proclamation Act of February 13, 1918, had taken place the next day after the Turkish assault, cattied out along the all front-line. So, the act resisted the Brest Litovsk negotiations. It paved the way to following two opportunities: the first of them supposed recognition of the nearest Brest Treaty and subordination to the Soviet power with the next surrender of the one third of the Western and half of the Eastern Armenia. This actions, however, did not save from Turkish march on Baku and had only cleared the way for it. The second opportunity dictated transformation into the State which ought to resist to its uttermost on all positions, starting immediately from Karin. The first version afforded an easy Ottoman absorbtion of the Eastern Armenia. The second would transfer the main bulk of resistance onto the territory of their Empire.

Independence of Nakhijevan proclaimed at such disposition by the Muslim National Council Tatar mmeant only an increase of the Brest Litovsk booty, and this time not on account of the Kars Oblast, but at expense of the Erevan Governorate. An initiative of independence had not been yet manifested by the Tatar ringleaders at Gandzak or Tiflis; they would be ready to the similar step at the end of May, 1918, under the open pressure of Turkish official ultimatum, presented on May 26. If we take into consideration uncovered Turkish struggle for a march onto Baku via Nakhijevan railway, waged from the month of March, we can conclude that an "independent khanate" evidently served Turkey. In March of 1918 the Muslim population began its military operations not to advance in the north-eastern direction towards the Tatar inhabited area; it moved to capture the Bayazet highway instead. such an intention had immediately brought a siege of all Armenian villages in the district.

Months of April and May were full of murderous engagements; and on June 4, 1918, all three republics of Trannscaucasia had concluded the Batum Treaty with Ottoman authorities, the very first for newly-independent Armenia. This Treaty contained predatory huge territorial augmentation of Turkey (demanded by its ultimamtum of May 26), including almost all Nakhijevan uezd without its small south-eastern subdistrict of Ordubad (ancient Vordvat). The latter had been reserved for artificially formed Transcaucasian Azerbaijan.  It is valid to say, that Halil and Vehib pashas did not give any historical, economic or demographic proofs of their pretentions. They spoke of nothing but conqueror's right and actual annexation. Vehib explained that the Ottoman Empire had been deprived of Balkans and lands in Africa; so it shifted eastward to compensate its western losses. Turkey had been interested in two itineraries on her eastern road: the first to Gandzak, the valley of Kura and Baku. The second stretched via Sharur, Nakhijevan, Zangezur.10 In conformity with their plans, they prepared to continue Genocide in these districts, i.e. to drive out and exterminate Armenians - the native population, who thousands of years cultivated this part of Armenia.        ...

 

Notes

1. Մովսէս Խորենացի, Պատմութիւն Հայոց։ Աշխատ. Մ.Աբեղեան, Ս.Հարութիւնեան։ Երևան, 1991, էջ 83, 112, 180, 296; Փաւստոս Բուզանդ, Հայոց Պատմութիւն։ Թարգմ. Ս.Մալխասյանց։ Երևան, 1987, էջ 267; Ս.Տ.Երեմյան, Հայաստանը ըստ «Աշխարհացոյց»-ի։ Երևան, 1963, էջ 72, 109-110: The original sources testify, that minimum 80.000 people lived in its centre at those times.

2. Է.Լ.Դանիելյան, Հայաստանի քաղաքական պատմությունը և Հայ Առաքելական եկեղեցին (VI-VII դդ.)։ Երևան, 2000, էջ 37; Ա.Մուշեղյան, Մովսես Խորենացու դարը։ Երևան, 2007, էջ 111, 124:

3. Մովսէս Խորենացի, նշվ.աշխ., էջ 83; Аракел Даврижеци, Книга историй. Пер. Л.А.Ханларян. М., 1973, с.52-53, 55, 73-78, 401; Հ.Քյուրտյան, Ջուղայեցի խօջայ Նազար եւ իւր գերդաստանը։ Բոստոն, 1943; Մ.Ա.Ավետիսյան, Նախիջևանի պատմության վավերագրեր (1889-1920թթ.)։ «Լրաբեր հասարակական գիտությունների», 1996, N 3, էջ 186; Ա.Ա.Այվազյան, Նախիիջևան£ Երևան, 1995, էջ 124, 127:

4. Թ.Խ.Հակբյան, Ս.Տ.Մելիք-Բախշյան, Հ.Խ.Բարսեղյան, Հայաստանի և հարակից շրջանների տեղանունների բառարան, հատ.4: Երևան, 1998, էջ 427; The Annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery in Jugha. RAA Research on Armenian Architecture, Beirut, 2006.

5. Խ.Հ.Ավդալբեգյան, Հողային հարցը Արևելյան Հայաստանում (1801-1917թթ.)։ Երևան, 1959, էջ 6-10; Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն, 8 հատ.։ Հատ.V, Երևան, 1974, էջ 13, 204-210, 219; Հատ.VI, 1981, էջ 15-16։

6. Նախիջևան-Շարուրը 1918-1921թթ.։ Փաստաթղթեր և նյութեր։ Խմբ. Վ.Ն.Ղազախեցյան։ «Բանբեր Հայաստանի արխիվների», Երևան, 1993, N 1-2, էջ 25 (following: Նախիջևան-Շարուրը); Ա.Ա.Այվազյան, նշվ.աշխ., էջ 7; Է.Ա.Զոհրաբյան, Ազգամիջյան կռիվները Երևանի նահանգում 1918թ.։ Երևան, 2000, էջ 77։

7. It's another outstanding historical centre of Nakhijevan: the Arkashat (Arshat) city had been founded in III century BC and served as a residence of Armenian kings. Tombs and cuneiforms of the Van kingdom, dated II-I BC had been also discovered on its territory. See: Ա.Ա.Այվազյան, նշվ.աշխ., էջ 157-159:

8. Հ.Ռ.Սիմոնյան, Անդրանիկի ժամանակը, 2 գրքով, գիրք Բ։ Երևան, 1996, էջ 201; Է.Ա.Զոհրաբյան, Ազգամիջյան կռիվները Երևանի նահանգում, էջ 79:

9. Complete text of the Armenian Independence Proclamation Act had been submitted, put in the U.S. Congress record and published in: Maintenance of Peace in Armenia. Hearing before Subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Unated States Senate, 66th Congress, 1st Session on Senate Join Resolution N 106 A Joint Resolution for the Maintenance of Peace in Armenia. Wash., GPO, 1919, p.60-62; "Armenian Review," 1980, vol.33, N 4, p.441-443; see also: Հայկական հարց, Հանրագիտարան£ Երևան, 1996, էջ 136:

10. See: Ա.Խատիսյան, Հայաստանի Հանրապետության ծագումն ու զարգացումը, 2-րդ տպագ., Բեյրութ, 1968, էջ 86 Vehib's excurusus of May 30, 3rd session at Batum, see also ¿ç 72, 77; R.Hovannisian, Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918, Berkeley & Los Angeles, 1967, p.195. On the Turkish genocidal policy continued even outside the Armenian shackles, as they were shaped at Batum, see: Հ.Ռ.Սիմոնյան, նշվ.աշխ., էջ 242, 259:    ...