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appointed one of his relatives as the The most unforgiveable thing is the city of Urmia (modern Orumiyeh in
ruler of Yerevan. support given to the representa- Iran) (Sardinaria, 1380/2002, ibid.).
tives of this nation, and the fact that
Another frequent error in the text- (either knowingly or unknowingly) In the chapter entitled "Yerevan
books is connected with the attack of they have become participants and during the Rule of Agha Mahammad
Irakly II on the Yerevan khanate in victims in political games. Qajar" it is emphasized that, after a
September 1779. It is stated that the thirty-five-day siege, the fortress of
khan of Yerevan had asked Irakly II In the book of the Iranian historian Yerevan fell under the rule of Agha
to forgive him, and the Tsar, having Samad Sardarinia, devoted to the Mahammad Khan. The author points
accepted the khan's request about history of the Yerevan khanate entit- out that there is evidence for the de-
the incident in Kartly, quickly retur- led Yerevan was a Muslim Land (Sar- pendence of Mahammad Khan. Qa-
ned to Tiflis.6 However, according darinia, 1380/2002), the history of jar withdrew power from him for his
to known events, the Yerevanis led Yerevan is described from ancient to secret connections with the Ottoman
by Mahammad Khan had strongly modern times. The author writes in Sultan, and appointed Aligulu Than
resisted the Georgian troops and did the preface: "The city which is now instead.io After the assassination
not surrender (The History of Geor- the capital of the Armenian Republic of Agha Mahammad Than, Aligulu
gia, 1946, P. 437).7 and known as the city of Yerevan, the Than was ousted from Yerevan (Sar-
population of which consists of the dinaria, 1380/2002, p. 6o-61).
The temporary dependence of the Armenians, was for centuries one
Yerevan khanate on the Kartli-Ka- of many regular provinces of Iran In the chapter titled "Yerevan during
khetia kingdom is wrongly repre- [using the geographical name used the Russo-Persia Wars", the author
sented in textbooks. since 19351, and a land of Muslim writes: "During both stages of the
residents, as well as a strong fortress Russo-Persia wars, the Muslim po-
Certain aspects of the history of the standing on the way of foreign inva- pulation of Yerevan, faced with the
Yerevan khanate are researched in ders" (Sardinaria, 1380/2002, P. 3). aggressive forces of Tsarist Rus-
the work of the Georgian-Soviet his- sia, had demonstrated such bravery
torian G. Kikodze entitled Irakly II In the chapter entitled "Chukhur- and patriotism that their resistance
(1948). This book examines the life zad", the author gives detailed in- and courage wrote a golden page in
and achievements of the Kartli-Ka- formation about the creation of the the modern history of Iran [South
khetia king Irakly II and his dea- Chukhurzad province (beylerbey- Azerbaijan - Z.H.]" (Sardinaria,
lings with the Yerevani khanate. The liyi), its borders, administrative 1380/2002, p. 67). The author's af-
author considers the territory of the divisions, the origin of its name, firmation that the Yerevan khanate
Yerevani khanate to be the territory stressing the fact that the population was a golden page of Iranian history
of Armenia (Kikodze, 1948, P. 58). of the province consisted mainly of is not strictly correct. The credit he
Kikodze stresses the impact of the Azerbaijani Turks, and the power in gives to the brave resistance of the
defeat of the Georgian kings by Haji the province belonged to the Sadly Yerevanis is correct. Nevertheless, at
Chelebi of Shaki on the peoples of tribe, which was a member of the that time the Muslim population of
Dagestan and Azerbaijan, and the Qaraqoyunlu tribal confederation. the Yerevan khanate consisted only
growing movement in Ganja, Ire- Thereafter, the author presents his- of Azeri Turks, and therefore only
van, Qazakh and Borchaly to sepa- torical details about the city of Yere- they can be proud of these lines writ-
rate from Georgia (Kikodze, 1948, van dating back to the period of the ten in the historical record.
p. 62).9 Like the other Georgian Safavids.
researchers, the author distorts the The author is wrong in considering
facts connected with the fighting There is a separate chapter in the the Azerbaijani lands to the north of
between the commander of Nadir work entitled "Yerevan during the the Araz River, which were annexed
Shah, Azad Khan, and Irakly II on Khanate Period". Sardarinia gives by Russia under the Gulustan Trea-
the territory of the Yerevan khanate. information about the creation of ty, as the territory of Iran.
the Yerevan khanate, that the kha-
The work of G. Paychadze, The Geor- nate was divided into twelve mahals The author, who states that the brave
gievsk Treaty (1983), is dedicated to (districts) (Sardinaria, 1380/2002, resistance of the Yerevanis really
the 1783 treaty signed between Rus- P. 53) and writes mistakenly that the annoyed Tsar Nicholas I, draws this
sia and Kartli-Kakhetia. The author first Yerevani khan was Huseynali information from the French wri-
also examines relations between Ye- Than Qajar (Sardinaria, 1380/2002, ter Jean Younir. He conveys to the
revan and Kartli-Kakhetia, expres- P. 54). He affirms that Huseynali reader those details which cannot
sing contradictory and wrong as- Than died in 1793 and Mahammad be found in other sources: "When
sumptions (Paychadze, 1983, P. 57). Than ascended to power. Tsitsianov moved on Yerevan in
He states that the Yerevan khanate 1804, the Russian commander Dalov
was founded by Shah Abbas I on It is mentioned that in the spring managed to penetrate into the wes-
the territory of "East Armenia" in Of 1751, Fatali Khan Afshar, with tern part of Yerevan. The Muslims
1604, that the Yerevani khanate a large part of his army, moved to- who became angry with this action,
was an Armenian state (Paychadze, wards Yerevan and besieged the city, revenged by praying (reading azan),
1983, ibid.). The main cause of these but due to the fact that the ruler of and after that, with the help of the
wrong assumptions by Russian and Kartli, Irakly II, sent aid to the Ye- Quran, sent by Abbas Mirza, they
Georgian historians comes from the revanis, the Urmian troops gave up managed to force out the invaders
negative policies of Tsarist Russia the siege of Yerevan and attacked from of the city."
and the Soviet authorities towards Kartli instead -- the Urmianis won
Azerbaijan. The study of numerous this battle (Sardinaria, 1380/2002, In order to withstand the attacks of
sources indicates that for centuries P. 55). the Russians, Amin Pasha of Erzu-
Armenians have been employed in rum tried to reach an agreement
important positions in organizations This book relates the fact that the with the Yerevanis on a joint struggle
where historical facts could be mani- Yerevani Huseynali Khan, along against their common enemy. Hu-
pulated, i.e. in archives, libraries, with other Azerbaijani khans, was seyngulu Than of Yerevanii and
museums, printing houses, trans- deceived and taken to Shiraz, while Amin Pasha met on 30 August 1811,
lation centres and news agencies. Karim Khan Zad was attacking the on the right bank of the Arpachay

History 39