Author:
Smbat Minasyan -
E-mail
Karabakh (ARTSAKH)
during
THE ANCIENT PERIOD AND IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Artsakh
(Karabakh)
was one of
the 15 provinces of Metz Hayk (Armenia
Maior, Great Armenia).
It played a significant strategic role for the Armenian statehood
throughout its history. Artsakh world (ashkhar-province) served as a
shield for the central regions of Armenia from the raids of nomadic
and barberian tribes from the east.
For the first time Artsakh is mentioned in
Urartian
inscriptions
as 'Urtekhe' or 'Urtekhini'. . "The Armenian provinces include Favnena,
as well as Kombisena and Orkhistena, and Orkhistena provides the
largest number of riders', notes Strabon.
Aghatangelos (5th century) testifies that the
winter residence of the Armenian kings was in Utik Province,
northwards Artsakh.
In the 5th century Artsakh is mentioned as 'Pokr Siunik' ('Syunik
Minor'). According to Movses Khorenatsi, after young Grigoris died in
the field Vatnyan his deacons took his body to Syunik Minor and buried
him in the village of Amaras.
Yeghishe writes that after
Avarayr Battle in 451 many of the
Armenians who had revolted against Persia ran away and found shelter
'in the southern and impassable lands of Tmorik and the forests of
Artsakh'.
Hellenic-Roman and Armenian authors testified
that the River Kura was the border between Armenia and Agvanq
(Caucasus Albania). Utik and Artsakh situated at the right bank of the
River Kura.
Claudius Ptolomeus wrote: "From the north Great Armenia borders on
part of Kolkhida, Iveria and Albania, and the border passes along the
River Kura".
Byuzand (5th century) wrote: 'He (Mushegh Mamikonyan)
established the border of his country (Armenia) and
Caucasian Albania along the
River Kura, as it formerly used to be". The Maskut king Sanesan
'crossed his border, the big River Kura and invaded into the country
of Armenia".
The political, social-economic and cultural issues of Artsakh are more
expansively described in "History of Aluank Country" by the Armenian
author Movses Daskhurantsi (10th century).
From the Arabic dominion through the re-establishment of the
Armenian statehood under the leadership of the Bagratids (885),
Artsakh constituted part of the administrative unit "Armenia", and
during the reign of the Bagratids was included in it.
Starting from the 10th century Artsakh is mentioned in the
historical works and sources by the name of "Khachen". During the
ruling of Prince Sakhel Smbatian the center of the principality, i.e.,
the fortress of Khachen, became the princely residence. Like before,
Khachen Principality remained one of the regions of Armenia. The
Byzantine emperor Constantine addressed his letters to the prince of
Khachen with the inscription "To Prince of Khachen, Armenia".
The name
"Karabakh" is first mentioned in the 14th century.
Geographically, it corresponded to the territory of Khachen
principality. "Today it is called Karabakh and Mugan", a Georgian
historian wrote.
The sources testify that Mountainous Karabakh was one of the
original provinces of Armenia regardless of the different names
assigned to the territory in various periods of the history, and the
Armenians have always been the aborigine population of
Karabakh. As an eyewitness, Strabon evidences that during the reign of
the Armenian king Artashes I (189-160 ) in Armenia "nowadays all these
peoples speak the same language", i.e., Armenian. Stepanos Siunetsi,
an Armenian poet and grammarian (VII-VIII centuries), indicating about
the existence of the Armenian dialects in Armenia, wrote: "And for
mastering the language one should be familiar with all dialects, such
as the dialect of Korchaik and Tauk, Khut, and Fourth Armenia, and
Sper, and Siunik, and Artsakh".
One of the Arabic sources evidences that not long before the
Mongol invasions when the troops of Jelal ad-Din intruded into
Transcaucasus, Armenian prince of the
Artsakh
principality Hasan-Jalal, the founder of
the famous Gandzasar Monastery (1240) was released from the threats of
Sharaf al-Mulk who was moving to Transcaucasus for collecting taxes.
The prince paid the lump sum tax and set free the Moslem prisoners: "(Sharaf
al-Mulk) stopped near Khachen Fortress where Jelal ad-Din, the nephew
(the son of his sister) Ivaneh al-Kurjhi was residing. Sharaf al-Mulk
assailed him with threats until an agreement was reached under the
condition that 10,000 dinars would be paid to Sharaf al-Mulk and 700
Moslem prisoners would be released that had been captured a various
periods. Among the prisoners there were some elderly people that had
been taken hostage in their childhood."
Despite the fact that during the period of the Mongol
invasions (1236-1350) the Artsakh rulers obeyed the Mongols and
participated with their armies in the military campaigns against the
Seljuk tribes, they successfully maintained their internal
independence. Khokhanaberd Fortress was the center of the Artsakh
Principality (near Gandzasar Monastery).
In the 1380s' Transcaucasus was attacked by the hordes of
Temur-Lenk (Lenk-Temur) from Central Asia, and before 1405 Artsakh, as
well as the entire region suffered from the consequences of the
disastrous attacks of Timurids who conquered basically the lowlands
and more fertile areas of the Armenian uplands. Hans Schiltberger
witnesses in his "Travel": "I also spent much time in Armenia. After
the death of Tamerlan I was brought to his son who reigned over two
kingdoms in Armenia. This son of his by the name of Shah-Roh was in
the habit of spending his winter in a large plateau called Karabag
which was notable for its good pastures. It is irrigated by the River
Kura which is also called Tigris, and the best silk is obtained from
the nearby areas of the river banks. Although the plateau is situated
in Armenia, it belongs to pagans to who the Armenian population is
obliged to pay taxes. The Armenians always treated me well, because I
was a German, and, in general, they are well disposed towards the
Germans or as they call as, the Nimitses. They taught me their
language and gave their "Pater noster" to me.
As opposed to several other regions of Armenia which were
under the rule of Turkey and Iran in the XVI-XVIII centuries and where
the feudal class was basically devoid of hereditary feudal rights, the Artsakh and Siunik meliks (princes) maintained their relative
independence and domains, especially in the mountainous regions, and
had their regular armies.
As the result of the feudal division of Artsakh Principality
in the XIV-XV centuries around ten Armenian principalities (melikdoms)
were formed in the region which were known by the names of their
domains in the XVI-XVIII centuries:
1. Giulistan Melikdom with its center situated in
Orekavan (Talish) and the fortress of Giulistan, stretched between the
rivers of Kurak and Tartar.
2. Jraberd Melikdom
3. Khachen Melikdom
4. Varanda Melikdom
5. Dizak Melikdom
6. Melikdom of Tsar (Karvachar-Kelbajar)
7. Kashatagh Melikdom.
In the XVI-XVII centuries the catholicos of Gandzasar was
the uniting link for the successive rulers-princes of Artsakh. He
often represented the meliks in the negotiations with the
neighbouring
states. Thus, according to the Georgian historian Parsadan
Gorgijanidze, in 1631, during the negotiations with the Georgian king
Teimuraz I the catholicos of Gandzasar was the first to offer the
40,000 Artsakh army for the joint military campaign against the
Persian supremacy.
This is not the only evidence of the significant role of the catholicii of Gandzasar. In 1672 the catholicos of Gandzasar Peter
who, despite the clerical traditions, called himself "the catholicos
of Armenia" (this title was the prerogative of the Echmiadzin
catholicos) for the mere purpose of emphasizing the ethnic origin of
his flock rather than challenging the existing hierarchy in the
Armenian church, requested the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich that
he should protect the Armenian people and support the Armenian
delegates who were on a visit to Moscow.
The negotiations on liberation of Armenia from the foreign
yoke initiated with the European countries were mainly based on the
military forces of the Armenian meliks of Artsakh and Siunik. Israel
Ori and Archimandrite Minas were the diplomatic representatives in
Germany and Russia (their portraits painted by the famous Italian
artist Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini are still preserved in Munich).
Yesai Hasan-Jalalian, the catholicos of Gandzasar, and
Nerses, the catholicos of the northern regions of Artsakh were also
actively involved in the written negotiations with the rulers of
foreign states. In particular, Yesai Hasan-Jalalian wrote appeals to
Peter I for several times.
Owing to the joint efforts of the Artsakh meliks attacks of
the Ottoman troops were successfully confronted during 1722-1730. It
was the period when Turkey took advantage over the weakened Sefevid
state and the occupation of Iran by the Afghan troops, intruded into
Transcaucasus and occupied Georgia, the Ararat Valley and the region
of Azerbaijan in Persia with the center Tebriz.
The regions around the Caspian Sea (Derbent, Baku, Gilian) were
occupied by Russia. The Armenian regions of Artsakh and Siunik fought
relentlessly for independence and more than once the Turkish troops
had to retreat from Artsakh incurring with major losses.
The occupation of Transcaucasus by the Turkish troops which lasted ten
years (1723-1732) was fatal for those A
rmenian-inhabited regions which
were not controlled by the forces of the Artsakh meliks. In his letter
to the Georgian King Vakhtang VI (dated February 5, 1725)
Archimandrite Martiros from Derbent gives the list of those
villages which were destroyed and forcefully turned into the Islamic
religion during the Turkish occupation. The situation deteriorated due
to the involvement of Ajhi Davud, a Turkish ally, in the political
issues. According to I.G. Herber, who described the existing situation
in 1728, "There lived more Armenians in Kabal than in the other
districts, and did not suffer from the assaults of the offenders since
they were rich and pay off big money to Khoja Davud and Surkhai. In
1727 the former khan in Shemakh appointed his son a satrap in Kabal
who treated the Armenians with cruelty and tried to turn them into
Mohammedan religion, and since they refused to disavow Christianity
and withstood all tortures, they were forcefully driven into the
mosque and cut. Then Khoja Davud ordered to announce that this was
done against his will, and those who come to him with gifts will be
free to confess their own religion. This is what the Armenians did and
were permitted by the Khan to obey to their laws. They continued going
to the church, but the Mohammedan clergy became angry with them and
imposed fines on them as the apostates and stripped them from
everything and again drove them to the mosques, and, thus, the
Armenians in Kabal have forcefully become Mohammedans". This fact is
confirmed in "The Description of the Locations Neighboring Georgia" by
the Georgian King Irakli II: "The Sheki Khan was known by the name of
Ajhi Chalab, and his father was an Armenian clergyman ( cf.: Abdul-Latif-Effendi,
"History of Sheki Khans", Original and Translation, translated from
the Turkish language by A. Dadashev, Baku, Publication of the Society
of Investigation and Study of Azerbaijan, 1926, p. 5), but Ajhi Chalab
confessed the Mohammedan religion and by some tricks became the ruler
of Sheki which formerly used to be under the control of the Kakheti
King, but was forcedly taken over by the Persian Shah Abaz I, and
today many of the residents of Sheki openly follow the Armenian law
and our Greek law with consternation".
In 1734-1735 Takhmasp-kuli Khan (later known as Shah Nadir)
was obliged to recognize the independence of the Artsakh meliks in
their domains in the view of their adamant confrontation, as well as
for the purpose of attracting allies. Thus, he acknowledged one of the
noble meliks, Yegan as a Beklarbek, the head of Khamsa (the five
Armenian melikdoms). Melik Yegan died in 1744 and Aram became his
successor. However, the latter ruled only for a one-year period. Melik
Aram was substituted by his brother Yesai who ruled for 33 years.
There is an inscription on the tombstone of Melik Yesai: "This is the
tomb of Melik Yesai, the son of the great melik Yegan. He was
appointed a prince by Shah Nadir. He ruled over the country of Dizak
for 33 years, accomplished many feats and had numerous victories over
the disbeliveers. He was more courageous and decent than any of his
ancestors. He died at the age of 61, in the summer of 1230 (according
to the Armenian calendar), (1781) on October 2...".
In his narrative about Karabakh in "Description" Irakli II
mentions: "Khamsa constitutes the dominion and the entire population
follows the Armenian rule. Also, it is the residence of the patriarch.
And when the Persian shah died, a person of the Mohammed religion
(i.e., Panah) of Jivanshir descent, took the power. There is an old
fortress in the domain of Khamsa which was taken with slyness, and
many times we had to fight against the people of Jivanshir, but with
the divine help we always defeated them. In the view of several
factors, presently a peace agreement has been concluded with them. The
Armenians have a large fortress, mountainous landscape covered with
forests, and, as a matter of fact, their fields are fertile. The
Jivanshir army consists of 2500 people, while the army of the
Armenians consists of 4500 ("Documents and other historical materials
of the XVIII century related to Georgia" Vol. I, from 1768 to 1774.
Edited by A. À. Tsagareli. St. Petersburg, 1891, pp. 434-435).
In 1783, following the conclusion of the Russian-Georgian
tractate, Irakli II presented to the Russian Tsar the list of the
domains existing in Georgia and the neighbouring areas and their coats
of arm.
"The coat of arms of Georgia - a mountain with two arrows.
The coat of arms of Kakhetia - Great Martyr Georgi on the
horseback.
The coat of arms of Yerevan - Mount Ararat with the Arch
The coat of arms of Gianja - a flame with three tongues
The coat of arms of Atabashi - a lake and a monastery
The coat of arms of Kazak - a hand with a spear
The coat of arms of Borchalu - a sward
The coat of arms of Shamshadil - weapon
The coat of arms of Shirvan - wolf
The coat of arms of Shakon - fox.
The original contains the signatory: IRAKLI".
Although the coats of arms of Karabakh Khanate and Armenian
meliks are not included in the list compiled by Irakli, other sources
testify that that the Armenian meliks also had their coats of arms.
The coat of arms of one of the meliks of Varanda contains Armenian
monograms. A cupola of church with a cross is pictured above the head
of the eagle. This is indicative of the fact that all of them had the
status of independent political formations.
In 1783 Russia had serious intentions to re-establish the
Armenian statehood on the basis of Artsakh Oblast and to dissolve
Karabakh khanate which was formed with the assistance of one of the
Armenian meliks about 30 years ago. The plan was reported to
Yekaterina II by Prince Grigori Potiomkin: "Without having the
approval of Your Majesty, I passed the resolution on Ibrahim Khan of
Shushi to Lieutenant General Potiomkin which calls for obedience. It
needs to be considered in order to pass his dominion which is
inhabited mainly by Armenians to national administration, and, thus,
re-establish a Christian state in Asia, as promised by Your Majesty to
the Armenian meliks though me".
Karabakh, like Georgia, incurred major losses in 1795 due to the
destructive military offence of the Persian troops under the
commandment of Agha Mamad Khan, …in the Karabakh domain there lived
about 40,000 Armenian households".
In 1805 Ibrahim Khan began the negotiations with Russia
under the pressure of the Armenian meliks and for the purpose of
keeping his power. As the result, he was obliged to become the subject
of Russia. However, in the following year he affiliated with Persia,
because his had serious concerns about losing the power and
guaranteeing future security for his family. For such action he was
killed in 1806. A. Bakikhanov wrote: "Ibrahim Khan of Karabakh, who
established friendly relations with the Persians, asked for assistance
in his attempts to get rid of the Russian supremacy. His son
Abiul-Fet-Khan moved with his troops from Kapan to Shusha. Abbas-Mirza
crossed the Khudaperi bridge (across the Arax). Major Lisanevich, the
commander of the Russian troops in Shushi at the midnight of June 2,
1221 (1806) charged against Ibrahim Khan who at that time resided with
his family and servants in his camp behind the fortress. The Russians
killed him and his wife, son, daughter, the sister of Selim Khan of
Sheki and many of his servants and followers".
In the official Russian Bulletin "Names and Provinces of
Five Armenian Meliks" the following situation is pictured as of the
moment before Artsakh was connected to Russia:
"Their whole domain is called Karabag.
The first melik is Jimshid, the son of melik Shahnazar whose
province is called Varand and the fortress is Shusha. His son and a
yuzbasha assist him.
The second melik is Abov, the son of melik Joseph whose
province is called Ikirmieort and the fortress is Giulistan. Abov
drove out the major part of his population from that province, seeking
for the mercy of His Majesty and settled them in Georgia under the
protection of the Georgian King whose nephew melik Piridon is here
together with the aforementioned melik Jimishid.
The third melik is Rostom, the vicegerent of melik Mechlum,
the son of melik Adam, and his province is called Charabert.
The fourth melik is Abas, the son of melik Bakhtam, and his
province is Duzag.
The fifth melik is Alla-verdi, the son of melik Mirzakhan,
and his province is called Khachen. The aforementioned meliks have
yuzbashes, i.e., generals, in their service. Some of these generals
receive this position by the right of succession while the others are
appointed by the meliks as a recognition of their outstanding
service".
In the 19th century
Shushi, the
center of Artsakh ( V. Potto, "First Volunteers of Karabakh During the
Period of Establishment of the Russian Dominion" (Melik-Vani and
Hakop-Yuzbashi Atabekovs), Tiflis, 1902; V. Potto, "Heroic Defense of
Shushi Fortress", Publication 2, St. Petersburg, 1903) became the
third largest town in Transcaucasus where the Armenian culture and
education flourished. Shushi had a major impact on the development of
culture of the entire Transcaucasus, including the Tatar (later
"Azerbaijani") culture.
