Qarabaq senedlerde | Karabakh in Documents | Карабах в документах

A mountain river, as usual, overflows in spring. As well, destruction of the huge empire called as the sixth part acted as a spring making to overflow and run over banks of river of cares and attentions flowing through channel of nations and national relations. Significant and heavy works devoted to topic of liberty and futurity as well as national renaissance and development and, national self-knowledge and junction to native sources and, treatment to neighboring people and mutual relations in languages of the nations inhabiting in the former Soviet Union in the crucial period of the history i.e. the last decade of the 20^th century.

However, the water of the river flowing in spring is muddy. In some works created in the new period and devoted to the national relations this muddiness causes the sense of national discord and abhorrence as well as occurrence of national distinction and swagger and self-glorification. For instance, the works titled “Between two fires”, “The Catastrophe” and “The Hearth” written by Zory Balayan, considering as “the national ideologist” in the neighboring republic obviously summon for inpatient abhorrence, obvious revenge, cruel crimes, terror and war against the Azerbaijani people, Turkish commonwealth and the Moslem world. Namely such authors (only if they’re worthy to be named so) comment and submit the historical facts in order to approve the unkind policy profitable for themselves. It causes difficulties in differing those right and wrong and, just factors get commented as unjust and contrary.

As against such kind of authors, works, approaching methods and the principles turned into end in itself the knowledge collection titled “The historical geography of the Azerbaijanians of Armenia” submitted to readers’ attention and discussion is prepared in accordance with the principle of the objective approach method, irreversibility of the history with that conflicts and wars get waged not by people but fighting circles and ruling levels. Hereby the naïve expressions regarding exaltation of antiquity and fairness of one nation and simultaneously, the lower level, aggressiveness and cruelty of another one are ignored. On the contrary, the idea of people existing in all periods of the history is taken and developed as a majestic and supreme idea. Even while speaking about the concrete facts of inconceivable hatred of Armenians to the Azerbaijanian people the authors remained faithful to the sense of public respect and, criticized only the ruling circles and the organizers of hatred and revenge propagandizing and instilling into international discord inspiring its executors.

The first and main feature of this knowledge collection namely is its faith to the common sense and fairness principle as well as human feelings. We’re liable to not in the first term that the civilization and violence are incompatible factors. The Azerbaijanians from Armenia had proved during a lot of historical peripetias that nonviolence is not a blind obedience to destiny but a moral power able to transform the native land and, liability of applying against any conflict the method rejecting revenge and aggression. And they, notwithstanding the risk and danger to life were full of resolution to establish liberty and fairness in the native land. But replying to the bitter tears of the Azerbaijani children and old people grieving for brotherhood, fairness and peaceful life the Armenian rulers starred own killers armed to the teeth and angry dogs and, not avoiding murders cruelly killed young people trying to protect own civil rights. Over hundreds of mosques were exploded and burnt because those called Azerbaijanies hid there.

It’s doubtless that this work will be of interest not only of historians, geographers, ethnographers, sociologists and politicians all over the world but also of wide range of readers because of containing a lot of information stimulating cognitive interest to the historical destiny of Azerbaijanians.

In second, this collection submits to the readers the demographic, ethnic and factual materials regarding Azerbaijanians and turks-Azerbaijanianes of Armenia.

The authors of the collection are scientists directly and closely acquainted with the life of Armenia and aware of the history of national relations. It’s worthy to note the work of one of them, journalist Sabir Asadov, the candidate of philosophic sciences. Namely he initiated regulating the data and their submission as a collection. He had great efforts in preparation of the work for publication. All data regarding the names of the administrative and territorial divisions and their historical and geographical situation as well as the inhabitants, their economic, cultural and spiritual life, their dealings and at last, their fates are clarified and scientifically analyzed by him in comparative and consecutive (particularly with the Armenian sources) form, and the precise and incontrovertible evidences are submitted to readers. Accurate selection of the authors of the collection closely acquainted with the problem as well as approach to the topic from objective position is the features increasing value and significance of the collection.

In third, this collection is particularly significant in filling the futility existing in investigation of the history and geography of Azerbaijan and the historical roots of the Azerbaijani people. It’s known that there’s a severe disadvantage in our historiography needing in correction. This disadvantage is that preference is always of the territorial principle during investigation of our history. According to this principle the main point was not the investigation of the history of the Azerbaijani people but only the history of the Azerbaijanians inhabiting in the territory of the modern Azerbaijan and consequently, the history and destinies of the Azerbaijanians inhabiting out o Azerbaijan were ignored and remained uninvestigated (however, the neighboring people investigate not the history of the geographical territory but of the entire nation and people). Thus, the history, life, origin and fate of the Azerbaijanians of Armenia were completely forgotten in all publications since academic ones till schoolbooks. The first effort in direction of correction of this disadvantage unable to be vindicated was had by G. Geybullayev’s work titled “the ancient turks and Armenia” (1992) where it’s soundly proved on the base of the historical documents that the ethnoses of Turkish origin commenced to live in the territory of the present Armenia since 8^th – 7^th centuries B.C., that some big counties like Geuycha and Zangazur historically were Albanian lands and that the Irevan khanate[1] having own place among the Azerbaijani khanates due to its power and position were the Azerbaijani lands since ancient times. This work describes the history of its establishment and further destiny. The facts and figures specified in the collection are very interesting and convincing. Historically Azerbaijanianes inhabited in the three quarters of the present Armenia. Upon turning of the Irevan khanate into the Russian colony and later in seven uyezds[2] of Armenia on the present administrative and territorial division about 1500 Azerbaijani villages existed in 32 regions. Separate articles regarding each of 1200 villages of this amount are given in encyclopedic principle. This piece of our lost and forgotten history presently gets restored.

In forth, as a result of the fact that in the modern stage of the historical development the Armenian-Azerbaijanian events gained keen character, in response to the efforts of removal of traces of Azerbaijanian turks in Irevan khanate the collection contains in chronological consequence the evidences proving moral terror, obvious genocide and ethnic purification as well as skillfully realized strategy of “Armenia without turks” realized by Armenians in relation to Azerbaijani people. The collection includes precise and checked data regarding the Azerbaijani scientists, Honored teachers, artificial and cultural workers as well as other famous personages grown in each village, region and town of the Armenian land and representing the Azerbaijani people. The collection briefly describes the monuments of material culture evidencing the historical past of our Azerbaijani people.

In fifth, at last, it’s necessary to note the feature of the collection increasing its significance and scientific value as concrete and proving interpretation of the reasons and results of the malicious policy of “Armenia without turks” commenced at the end of the past century and continued since 1988-1989. Readers can hereby gain detailed information regarding the fact that since 1828 the Azerbaijanian turks were partially resettled from own lands by means o policy and diplomacy as well as moral and spiritual terror and under violence of weapons (only within the last hundred years the number of Azerbaijanians resettled from native lands reached two million people and, in bloody battles in 1905 and within 1918-1920 five hundred thousand Azerbaijanians were destroyed in the territory of Armenia.)

We express our gratitude to the initiator and publisher and authors of this collection as well as management and employees of the “Gandjlik” Publication Office submitting to each of us the detailed and repeatedly checked evidences of lives of the Azerbaijanian turks residing in Armenia.

This knowledge collection created owing to intensive works and uninterrupted searches is devoted to the serious theme actual for requirements of the newest period of the historical development i.e. the bitter destiny of the Azerbaijanian turks inhabiting in the territory of the present Armenia during several centuries. Indeed investigation of this topic significantly widely covering events is the first effort towards creation of detailed chronicle of a great vivid reality. Considering the large amount materials collected owing to this initiative and restricted publishing opportunities the preference is of encyclopedic and factographic style in the interpretation of the text for the purpose of submission of more detailed information to readers and the interested circles. The matter not conforming to this style e.g. repetition of the names of the administrative divisions or their specification without any abridgement particularly is connected to transfer in free style i.e. as a separate and independent material of all collected knowledge, information and statistical data regarding each uyezd, county, region, town and village. It promotes readers to achieve detailed information regarding administrative division without any difficulty and waste of time as well as lightens inclusion of description of all above-mentioned to the new encyclopedia of the Azerbaijan Republic.

The used literature is specified in each page as far as necessary and, totally at the end of the work. The most of the materials concerning to the topic are taken from the archive documentation and the travel notes of several travelers as well as the pages of the “Caucasian calendar” published in various years and, the works titled “the historical monuments and the state o the Armenian region in the epoch of its joining to the Russian empire” by I. Shopen, “Transcaucasia in 1803-1806” by N.Dubrovin, “Historical notes” (2^nd part) by A.Lalayan, “Inhabitants of the Soviet Armenia” (in Armenian language) by Z. Korkodyan, “Dictionary of toponymies of Armenia and neighboring counties” (in Armenian language) by Kh.Abovyan, S.Melikbashyan and Kh.Barsegyan, the volume 1-12 of the Armenian Soviet encyclopedia and other works existing in scientific circulation. Despite of huge positive features these works have a lot of disadvantages.

The actuality of the topic as well as the aim and content of the investigation and its theoretical and practical significance are grounded and briefly commented in the foreword. The brief historical essay narrates about the edifying way passed by Azerbaijanian turks inhabiting in the territory of present Armenia during centuries and the facts regarding their resettlement from own lands under violence in condition of “opportunities” of the period of “victory of democracy” and “reformation”.

The question “Did Azerbaijanians inhabit in Armenia?” presently sounding quite usual but previously strange is answered to with concrete facts specifying that the powerful Irevan khanate having insuperable castle and geographical position is one of the Azerbaijani khanates differing even by own independence in various periods. Upon turning into the Russian colony during 1828-1829 over 2,5 million of Azerbaijanians were partially resettled from the mentioned territory. The essay contains brief answers to questions regarding their historical position as well as the monuments of material and spiritual culture created by them and their last tragedies. The second section relatively to the historical and ethnic geography of Azerbaijanians in the territory is the basis of the investigation. Collection, analyzing and total introduction of this information into scientific circulation needed labor exceeding efforts of a separate scientific and researching institute and large encyclopedic team. In essence this section acts as unchangeable demographic, ethnographic and factographic collection of knowledge and encyclopedic guideline. It contains detailed and large-scale information regarding the historical view of all Armenian lands where Azerbaijanians used to inhabit as well as an ethnic map and the names of the Armenized county, uyezd, region, town and village of the Turkish origin located in this territory. Interpretation and location of the materials are based upon alphabetic consequence. All of the data regarding each village of all uyezd of the Irevan province where the Azerbaijanian turks inhabited are compared and defined, generalized and submitted to reader. A material regarding each administrative and territorial division is interpreted in such a consequence: history, rename of location, inhabitants and the last fate. In this aspect the reader may gain information regarding the historical destiny of about 1200 villages.

At the end the collection contains information about Azerbaijanian scientists, intellectuals and famous personages inhabiting in Armenia as well as the monuments of material and spiritual culture and, profound toponymies and the villages renamed within 1935-1989. There’s a list of literature as well as indices of personal and geographical names. Each recommendation and note of the respected reader will be treated to gratefully and considerably.

This book devoted to the Azerbaijanians of the Western Azerbaijan of present Armenia is a particular one; certainly not everybody but those selected are able to value it. For me, it has the smell of the Motherland. This is the voice coming out from the left Oghuz land, the presently forgotten and insulted country. Unfortunately, the future grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those Azerbaijanians will be unable to feel this divine and bewitching smell.

We express our gratitude to Mr. Akeef Mouradverdiyev, the Administrator of the President’s Machinery for his great aid in translation and republication of this book in Russian language.

[1] Khanate - Medieval social and political union of Turkish people. The Irevan khanate is one of the feudal states established in Transcaucasia in the middle of 18^th century

[2] Uyezd - Administrative territorial division


Начало \| БИблиотека \| Фото факты \| Картинная галерея \| Ссылки \| Форум \| Опрос \| Поиск в google \| AZAD QARABAĞ \|