Page 42 - DIVA_1_2013

River in the Magizborda Fortress. Sardarinia stresses that, from an Russian commander seized Echmia-
During the meeting, at the order of architectural point of view, the Yere- dzin in Armenia, Mahammad Khan
Gara Bey of Magizborda, a Kurdish van Fortress was considered to be refused to surrender the Yerevan
horseman, dressed in a local robe, one of the important Turkic cultural Fortress. Faced with food shortages
killed Amin Pasha by shooting him centres settlements in the East. He and attacks by the enemy, the Rus-
into his head with a pistol. The pa- states that the city's historical mo- sians gave up the siege and withdrew
sha's soldiers turned back (Sardina- numents, including the Khan Sarayi (McNeil, 1836, P. 56-57).
ria, 1380/2002, P. 75). (Khan's Palace) and Goy Masjid (The
Blue Mosque), among the unique McNeil mistakenly calls Yerevan --
It was only on 1 October 1827 that and precious architectural pearls of the ancient land of the Azerbaijani
the Yerevan fortress fell due to the the eighteenth century, made a big people -- as Armenia, and he does it
complicity of a small group of Ar- impression on travellers. The author without reference to any sources. In
menians in the fortress. Nobody also mentions that in addition to that the fifth chapter, the author tries to
managed to capture the 80-year there were seven other mosques, se- analyse, to some extent, the political
old Huseyngulu Khan who fled to veral two- and three-storied houses, issues, stressing that the South Cau-
Turkey and disappeared. According a number of karavansarays and other casus becoming a protectorate under
to the author, after the city of Yere- buildings, and also the Gurju, Julfa, Russian rule after 1827 was a big
van was occupied by the Russians, Serdar, Tagli, Sulu, Susuz, Hajali ka- threat to the Ottoman Empire and
most of the buildings in the city ravansarays, each with a shop inside Persia. He states that certain parts
were destroyed. Pashkevich12 orde- it (Sardinaria, 1380/2002, ibid.). of Georgia, Smeretia, Mingrelia,
red one of the city's mosques to be Derbend, Baku, Persian Dagestan,
converted into a church (Sardinaria, The author affirms that the Blue Shirvan, Shaki, Ganja, Qarabagh,
1380/2002, ibid.). Mosque was built by Huseynali Mughan and Talish all fell under
Khan. To build it, craftsmen were Russian influence. McNeil affirms
The resistance of Huseyngulu and invited from Tabriz. Concerning the that in the first three aforementio-
the Hasan Khans of Yerevan, as well construction of the mosque, the au- ned geographical locations and in
as Karim Khan, the former ruler of thor tells us: "After the foundations Karabagh, the number of resident
Nakhchivan, made Nicholas I very of the mosque were laid, all of the Christians was negligible, whereas,
angry. Because of this, Article 12 craftsmen disappeared. Even though as a whole, Muslims occupied the
of the Turkmenchay Treaty, which Huseynali Khan invited other crafts- other territories. He confirms the
granted a three-year period to per- men to complete the construction, dominance of Muslims in these pro-
sons who had estates on the nor- nobody wanted to undertake this vinces.
thern bank of the Araz River to sell responsibility. After some time, the
or exchange their estates, was not craftsmen from Tabriz returned The author explains that the govern-
applied to these persons. The author and explained the reason for their ment system of khanates was similar
affirms that Huseyngulu Khan died sudden disappearance -- the foun- to the government system applied by
in 1828 at the age of 88 (Sardinaria, dations needed one year in order a feudal baron in Western Europe.
1380/2002, P. 76). to settle. Since they did not believe He mentions numerous drawbacks
that the khan would agree to give in the civil administration system.
The author also gives information them such a long vacation, they left As Russian rule strengthened, the
about the massacre carried out without permission" (Sardinaria, Russians were at first seen as a
against the Muslims of Yerevan, and 1380/2002, P. 56). Thus, the work more progressive nation. Ultimately,
the families who survived this geno- of Sardarinia, Yerevan was a Muslim however, the Russian ruled with un-
cide. Land, contributes valuable historical believable severity. They even ma-
and reveals new facts that could not naged to stop the religious ceremo-
In a special chapter entitled "The be found elsewhere. nies of the Muslims; mosques were
Economic Outlook for Yerevan on turned into stables and canteens;
the Eve of the Nineteenth Centu- We also come across information the influence of the mullahs was
ry", the author, referring to Charles about the history of the Yerevan curtailed; forms of government that
Isavy, gives information about the khanate in works by historians from contradicted the interests of the
economic situation of Yerevan and Western European countries. Muslims were introduced.
describes the relationship between
masters and apprentices. The num- In 1836 Sir John McNeil wrote a Thus, in his book Russia's Progress
ber of cobblers, potters, blacksmiths, book entitled Russia's Progress and and Current Position in the East
tailors, shoemakers, silversmiths, Current Position on the East, which dating from 1836, Sir John McNeil
iron workers, carpenters, wood mas- contained seven chapters and a stresses that after the Russian
ters, saddlers and others are indi- concluding section. McNeil had been conquest Muslims were oppressed
cated. It is mentioned that in some appointed to Tehran as an ambassa- in all khanates; their religious be-
trades (e.g. bakers), workers were dor in 1800. liefs were demeaned; furthermore,
used instead of the apprentices. All Muslims in Crimea were completely
in all, it is mentioned that 722 mas- The author, who describes the begin- oppressed, and there was a danger of
ters and 667 apprentices worked in ning of the First Russo-Persian war, this process spreading to the South
Yerevan (Sardinaria, 1380/2002, states that in 1804 Fatali Shah Qajar Caucasus.
p. 63-65). sent his army against Mahammad
Khan of Yerevan to punish him for
Taking into account the fact that cot- disobedience. Having asked Gene-
ton-growing was developed in Yere- ral Tsitsianov, the commander of
van, cotton was exported. Since the the Russian troops in the Caucasus,
city also stood on the ancient Silk for assistance, Mahammad Khan
Road, many visitors and merchants promised to allow a Russian garri-
frequently visited the city. Thus, we son to be stationed in the fortress
know that the capital of the khanate (McNeil, 1836, P. 56). Taking ad-
was an important centre for trade vantage of this situation, Tsitsianov
(Sardinaria, 1380/2002, p. 69). attacked Yerevan. Even though the

40 History
1