The history of the Iravan Khanate is an integral part of the history of the rich material and spiritual culture created by the Azerbaijani people over thousands of years. The Iravan Khanate was one of the Azerbaijani states - khanates that arose after the fall of the empire of Nadir Shah in the middle of the 18th century. The current territory of the Republic of Armenia was the territory of the Iravan Khanate, which in the recent past - the beginning of the 19th century was the state of Azerbaijan. The most ancient local population of these lands - the indigenous owners were the Azerbaijani Turks. The territory on which the Iravan Khanate was founded is the oldest Turkish land. In this region, especially in the lands around Lake Goycha, lived the Hurrians, Cimmerians, Scythians, Sakas, Huns and many other Oghuz and Kipchak Turks, who took a direct part in the formation of the Azerbaijani people, and left a rich historical and cultural mark. Many important historical events and processes described in the epic “Kitabi-Dade Gorgud” of the Azerbaijani people and other Turkic peoples took place in this region of Azerbaijan, on the territory of the Iravan Khanate. In “Oguznam”, written by order of the great Azerbaijani ruler Uzun Hasan (1468-1478) - in “Kitabi-Diyarbakriye” by Abu Bakr Tehran, it is mentioned that there lived an Oghuz-Khaga, who is the ancestor of the Oghuz Turks. here - in the lands around the Goychin Sea, here he died and here he was buried. Khanlar Khan Bayandur Kagan and many other Oghuz-Turkish commanders also worked on this land, which is their ancestral home, where they died and were buried.
The territory of the Iravan Khanate has always, since ancient times, been part of the Azerbaijani states, with the exception of the periods of rule of individual aggressive empires. These lands were also one of the regions where Azerbaijani-Turkic tribes lived more than fifty and most densely. Before the Russian invasion at the beginning of the 19th century, the absolute majority of the population of the Iravan Khanate were Azerbaijani Turks. It should be noted that before the transfer of the center of Armenian Catholicism to the Yerevan (Chukhursad) region in 1441, there was not a single village or land that belonged to the Armenians. Even the village of Uchkilsa (Valarshabad), where the Armenian Catholic Church is located, was seized piece by piece by the Armenians from the Azerbaijani Turks starting in 1443. The Iravan Khanate, which is the state of Azerbaijan, was ruled by khans from the Turkic dynasty known as the Qajars, who played an important role in the history of government in Azerbaijan. The entire administrative system of the Khanate, socio-political, cultural and economic life, and the everyday culture of the peoples living here were an integral part of the general historical system of development of Azerbaijan, which lasted for thousands of years. The Iravan Khanate, in terms of the features of its development, was no different from other Azerbaijani khanates that existed at that time. Throughout history, numerous settlements that belonged to the Azerbaijani people were built on the territory of the Iravan Khanate - villages, cities, thousands of historical monuments, castles, mosques, minarets, caravanserais, baths. All place names in the region belonged to the Azerbaijani people. Even Armenian sources confirm this undeniable truth. There were countless ancient Oguz-Turkic cemeteries on the territory of the Khanate, and in these cemeteries there were a large number of ram statues and tombstones belonging to the Azerbaijani people. All these were imprints of the material culture of the Azerbaijani people... However, at the beginning of the 19th century, a period of bloody tragedies began in the history of the South Caucasus. The Russian Empire, trying to seize the region, launched wars against the Azerbaijani khanates. Soon the South Caucasus became the scene of bloody wars of the Russian Empire against Qajar Iran and the Ottoman Empire.
The capture of the Iravan Khanate, located on the border with the Ottoman state and Qajar Iran, was an important part of the invasion plans of the Russian Empire. In 1804-1813, during the First Russian-Iranian War, which was fought for the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, the Iravan Khanate was attacked twice by Russian troops (July 2-September 3, 1804; October 3-November 30, 1808). . However, the Iravan Khanate did not surrender to Russia and was able to maintain its independence. The population of the Khanate, under the leadership of wise and brave statesmen Muhammad Huseyn Khan Qajar (1784-1805) and Huseyngulu Khan Qajar (1806-1827), rose to defend their homeland and heroically resisted the tsarist troops. The ruling circles of the Russian Empire, having suffered huge losses, resorted to tempting means to seize the Iravan Khanate. General Gudovich, the commander-in-chief of the Russian armed forces in the South Caucasus, promised on behalf of the Russian emperor that Hasan Khan, the brother of the Iravan military leader (Huseingulu Khan Qajar - ed.), would release him and appoint him as the ruler of the entire khanate, except for the Iravan fortress and city , if he voluntarily surrenders the fortress. Hasan Khan Qajar, on behalf of the Russian emperor, rejected this proposal.
Tsarist Russia used the help of Armenians and Armenian betrayal at the state level during the occupation of Azerbaijani lands. For example, a separate clause was included in the tsar’s decree issued at that time on this matter: “...I leave it to your discretion to attract the Armenians to your side with all sorts of affection.” Despite all this, during the First Russian-Iranian War, the Russian Empire was unable to occupy the Iravan and Nakhchivan khanates. Azerbaijani patriots, the local population of both khanates, waged a heroic struggle for the freedom of their homeland against the occupiers and the Armenians who helped them and won. Nicholas I, who did not abandon his intention to occupy the Iravan Khanate, took into account the military-strategic importance of capturing the fortresses of Iravan and Sardarabad, about which he often reminded General Ermolov. On October 21, 1826, the Russian emperor wrote to Ermolov: “If it is possible to capture Iravan either by force of arms, or by capturing the Iravan sardar with money, or by establishing secret relations with him, do not miss this opportunity. Second Russo-Iranian War (1826-1828) Tsar Nicholas I (1825-1855), who attached particular importance to the occupation of the Khanate of Iravan, in his decree of August 1, 1826, specifically instructed the invading general to: March. “Iravan Sardar is expecting the following answer from you soon: with God’s help, Sardar is no more, and the Iravan province is completely captured.” You and the 15,000-strong Russian army are enough for victory.
Huseyngulu Khan Qajar, leader of the Azerbaijani patriots, Irevan military commander Huseyngulu Khan Qajar, his brother Hasan Khan, bearing the title "Lion's Head", and his grandson Fatali Khan Qajar defended Yerevan from Russian invaders in 1827 (April 27, June 23; September 24, October 1) and the Sardarabad fortress (October 16-April 17; September 14-20) heroically defended it four times. Fatali Khan Qajar, the grandson of Hassan Khan, who refused the request of the tsarist General Benkendorf to surrender the Sardarabad fortress, gave the invaders a harsh and unambiguous answer: "It is better for me to die under its ruins than to surrender the fortress." At the last moment, the heroic defender of the Irevan fortress, Hasan Khan Qajar, put a burning fuse in the powder tower to blow up the fortress instead of surrendering it to the enemy. But Lieutenant Lemyakin noticed it in time and took the burning fuse with his hand. But the betrayal did its job. The Armenians contacted Paskevich, who was besieging the Irevan fortress, and informed the occupiers about the part of the fortress where the Azerbaijanis are and where to direct their artillery fire. Paskevich, the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops who captured the Yerevan fortress and occupied the khanate through Armenian treachery, received the count's title, the Order of George of the 2nd degree, a monetary reward of 1 million rubles and the title "Erivan" for the capture of the Yerevan fortress. The capture of the Yerevan fortress was celebrated in St. Petersburg, and a special official passage was organized on this occasion. In addition, special medals were established on the occasion of the capture of the Yerevan fortress. V. Potto wrote down the words of a living witness of this event about the destruction caused by the occupying Russian troops in Irevan and the damage they caused to the city.: "When I reached the southeast corner of the fortress, I was struck by the destruction of the walls and towers. It seems to me that the Russian siege artillery destroyed the city in four days. He couldn't have done what he's done in four centuries." After the Russian colonialists defeated Iran and Turkey, according to the Turkmenchay (1828) and Edirne (1829) treaties, the Armenians living in the territories of these states were massively resettled in Northern Azerbaijan in order to create a Christian landmark for the implementation of plans for the future invasion of the Hajars against Iran and the Ottoman Empire in the South Caucasus. to their lands, mainly to the territory of the Irevan, Nakhchivan, Karabakh khanates and to the areas of residence of Azerbaijanis in the current Republic of Georgia. General Paskevich, who occupied the Irevan and Nakhchivan khanates, also gave specific instructions on which Azerbaijani lands Armenians resettled from Iran should be transferred: it is necessary to send resettled Armenians to the provinces of Irevan and Nakhchivan in order to increase the maximum possible number of Christian population in these areas. Thus, from February 26 to June 11, 1828, i.e. within three and a half months, 8,249 Armenian families, that is, at least 40,000 Armenians, were resettled from Iran to Northern Azerbaijan - on the territory of Irevan, Nakhchivan and Karabakh. khanates. A little later, more than 90 thousand Armenians were resettled from the territory of the Ottoman state to the lands of Northern Azerbaijan. The resettlement of Armenians from Iran and Turkey to the lands of Northern Azerbaijan is an indisputable historical fact. This is clearly evidenced by numerous archival materials, especially official state documents-instructions regulating the process of resettlement of Armenians.
The Armenians were resettled in the lands of Northern Azerbaijan for a special purpose, that is, with the intention of creating a permanent homeland for them. Armenian officers who served in the Russian army actively participated in the implementation of this ugly policy. The Armenian generals did not hesitate to openly declare their goals. Russian Colonel Gazaros Lazaryan (Lazarev), who personally led the direct implementation of this bloody policy, told the Armenians transferred from Iran to Northern Azerbaijan: "... There (that is, in Northern Azerbaijan — ed.) you will receive a new homeland inhabited by Christians... You will see that scattered Christians (i.e. Armenians) concentrated in one place. Soon Russian troops will leave Iran, and we will not be responsible for your safe evacuation, but V. in a short time you will achieve everything, and forever." This time, the Armenians, who are used to living a nomadic lifestyle and moving around, were told that "it is better to eat Russian grass than to eat Iranian bread." One of the interesting and irrefutable historical facts is that in 1828 the famous Russian artist V.I. Mashkov dedicated a separate painting to the resettlement of Armenians to the lands of Northern Azerbaijan. Despite the massive resettlement of Armenians, the tsarist authorities were unable to dramatically change the demographic situation in the territory of the Irevan Khanate. The Russian general Paskevich, who invaded the Irevan Khanate, admitted that three quarters of the population of the Irevan region were Azerbaijani Turks, even after the resettlement of Armenians. By the way. The occupation general had to come to terms with this fact, he dismissed and exiled to Bessarabia the Armenian Archbishop Nerses, a member of the Interim Administration of Yerevan, zealous for creating better conditions for the newcomers, who represent a small minority and grossly trample on the rights of local Azerbaijani Turks, who make up the majority in the region, and the head of the Interim Administration of Yerevan, General Krasovsky, was He was removed from office and returned to Russia. The famous Russian researcher N. Shavrov, having studied the process of resettlement of Armenians to the South Caucasus and the number of resettled Armenians, wrote in 1911: "Of the 1,300,000 Armenians currently living in the South Caucasus, more than 1 million are not the local population of this land. We (i.e. Russians) brought them here — ed.) copied and brought them." Starting in the 20-30s of the XIX century, Tsarist Russia forcibly changed the traditional ethnopolitical and religious landscape of this region that had developed since ancient times, resettling Armenians to the lands of Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus. A new Christian ethnic group, completely alien to the South Caucasus, has settled on the lands bordering Iran and Turkey in Northern Azerbaijan. The Russian colonialists immediately began to implement administrative and territorial reforms in order to destroy the historical state traditions and the independent consciousness of the Azerbaijani people. On March 21, 1828, on one of the days of the Novruz holiday of the Azerbaijani people, by decree of Emperor Nicholas I, the Irevan and Nakhchivan khanates of Azerbaijan were abolished, and the so-called "Armenian Province" was established on the territory of Azerbaijan. the territory of these khanates is for Armenians resettled from Iran and Turkey.
Thus, the first step was taken towards the creation of an Armenian state on the lands of Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus, or rather, on the territory of the Irevan Khanate. By the way, in 1828, after the completion of the Armenian resettlement campaign, only Azerbaijani Turks lived in 1111 of the 1125 villages of the "Armenian province".
In 1840, another step was taken to destroy the ancient traditions of statehood and consciousness of the independence of the Azerbaijani people: the "Armenian region" was abolished, and several counties were created on its territory: Yerevan, Novo-Bayazid, Gyumri, Surmisky, etc. In 1849, a new administrative-territorial unit, the Yerevan province, was created on the same Azerbaijani lands. The creation of the Yerevan Governorate was, in fact, the next step towards the creation of a state for Armenians on the territory of Western Azerbaijan. After that, the process of resettlement of Armenians from Iran and Turkey to the territory of Yerevan province, as well as to other Azerbaijani lands, was even more accelerated.
After the resettlement of the Armenians, the South Caucasus entered a period of bloody strife. Armed and comprehensively protected by Russian colonialists, Armenian bandit detachments began their Genocides against the Azerbaijani people, as well as against the Turkish-Muslim population of the South Caucasus as a whole. The great powers used the Armenians as a tool to implement their geopolitical plans for the South Caucasus, and in return provided them with all possible assistance in creating a state on the historical Azerbaijani lands — on the territory of the former Irevan and Nakhchivan khanates. Finally, on May 29, 1918, the government of the newly proclaimed Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, contrary to the will of its people, under pressure from the great powers, gathered about 9,5 thousand people around the ancient Azerbaijani city of Yerevan. kv.km Together with the Land, he made concessions to the Armenians. In other words, the enemy was given a share of the land of his homeland. And an Armenian state was created on those northern Azerbaijani lands that were given a share - on the territory of the former Irevan Khanate. May 29, 1918! - This date is the Day of the creation of the first Armenian state in the history on the territory of Northern Azerbaijan and in the South Caucasus in general. It is a well-known historical fact that there had never been an Armenian state in the South Caucasus before. Immediately after the creation of the Armenian region on the territory of the Irevan and Nakhchivan khanates in the Azerbaijani land occupied by tsarist Russia, the ruthless falsification of the history of Azerbaijan began. Armenian nationalists began to create a fake Armenian history with the close participation and help of their patrons, the Russian occupiers. All archival documents were falsified, even the names and texts of the treaties of the Russian Empire with the Azerbaijani khanates, Iran and Turkey. Armenians, who occupied important positions in the top leadership of Russia and the Soviet Union, in state and government structures, easily achieved their goals. As a result, starting in the 20-30s of the XIX century, the arrived Armenians, who were massively resettled by Russia to the South Caucasus, began to be designated as the "oldest indigenous population" of this region, and the local Azerbaijanis, whose ancestral lands were selected and distributed to the Armenians, as "newcomers", "nomadic predators". Armenian nationalists have been steadily spreading false and deliberately distorted information about Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis around the world.
Армяне 23 декабря 1947 года председатель Совета Министров СССР И.Они добились подписания Сталиным постановления о депортации азербайджанцев со своих исторических-этнических земель – родовых земель на территории Армянской Советской Социалистической Республики. В результате в 1948-1950 годах более 100 000 азербайджанцев были депортированы со своих исконных земель-земель с горно-пастбищным климатом - на теплую Муганскую равнину Азербайджанской ССР. I.Процесс переселения азербайджанцев продолжался до 1953 года и далее, когда еще десятки тысяч аборигенов были лишены своей родины, в то время как в подписанном Сталиным постановлении сроки переселения были определены в 1948-1950 годах.
Таким образом, почти все предшественники армян, ныне проживающие на территории бывшего Иреванского ханства (ныне Республика Армения), в свое время были армянами-переселенцами из Ирана и Турции, а в последнее время-из других зарубежных стран, в основном из Сирии, Греции, Ливана, Болгарии и Румынии. А азербайджанцы, пережившие депортацию 1948-1950 годов и не покинувшие родные места, оставшиеся на территории Армении, в 1988 году-накануне распада Советского Союза, подверглись массовому геноциду со стороны армянских вооруженных формирований и были изгнаны со своих исторических земель. Таким образом, армяне, сумевшие в 1918 году создать свое государство на территории бывшего Иреванского ханства на северо-западе Азербайджана и составлявшие здесь этническое меньшинство, спустя 70 лет - в 1988 году превратили Армению в одноэтническую страну. Тем самым азербайджанцы, 70 лет назад предоставившие армянам землю для создания государства на своей Родине-на территории Иреванского ханства, лишились своей многотысячелетней Родины! Вслед за этим вооруженные силы Армении вторглись вглубь страны, нарушив признанные мировым сообществом границы Азербайджана.
Таким образом, территория, на которой сегодня расположена Республика Армения, 180 лет назад была азербайджанской землей. Аборигенным населением этой земли были азербайджанцы. А армяне-это этнос, приехавший на Южный Кавказ или, точнее, привезенный. Территория под названием "Республика Армения", где проживает этот этнос, является азербайджанской землей. Пока живет азербайджанский народ, будет жить и эта истина.
Заслуженный деятель науки,
Член-корреспондент НАНА,
доктор исторических наук, профессор
Якуба Махмудова
Из книги "Иреванское ханство"