THE ANCIENT INHABITANTS OF WESTERN AZERBAIJAN (PRESENT-DAY ARMENIA)
Azerbaijani Turks, with their centuries-old history and rich culture, are the indigenous people of Western Azerbaijan. Famous for its magnificent architectural works built in the Middle Ages, Azerbaijan has a glorious history in ancient and medieval times. Significant historical insights about Azerbaijan, as well as the broader South Caucasus region, have been chronicled by a range of notable sources spanning centuries. These include renowned figures such as the ancient Greek historian Herodotus from the 5th century BC, the geographer and historian Strabo from the 1st century BC and 1st century AD, the 17th-century German traveler Adam Oleari, Ottoman traveler Evliya Chelebi, French traveler J. Chardin, Russian researcher I.N. Shavrov, among others.
The earliest comprehensive insights into the territory of Azerbaijan and its ancient inhabitants are preserved in the work ‘History’ (4, p. 7), authored by the renowned ancient Greek historian Herodotus, often hailed as the ‘Father of History.’ According to historical accounts, the ancient Turkic tribes lived in Azerbaijan between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC, confirming that the indigenous and ancient population of Azerbaijan comprised Turkic tribes. Caliph Muawiya (661-680), the first ruler of the Umayyad dynasty (661-750), inquired about the Turkic tribes’ association with Azerbaijan, to which his vizier responded, ‘Azerbaijan has been a land inhabited by Turkic tribes since ancient times.’ Historical records confirm that the indigenous and ancient population of Western Azerbaijan consisted of Azerbaijani Turks, while Armenians arrived in these territories under the initiative of Tsarist Russia at different points in history.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Armenians were relocated by the Russian Empire from Iran and Türkiye, and during the 20th century, they were also moved from Greece, Syria, France, and other regions to the territories of Iravan, Karabakh, and other areas. The Russian researcher I.N. Shavrov documented: “Between 1828 and 1830, over 40,000 Armenians from Iran and 84,600 Armenians from Türkiye were relocated to Transcaucasia. They were settled in the fertile lands of the Yelizavetpol (Ganja) governorate (which included the Karabakh region) as well as the Iravan governorate, where the Armenian population was sparse. Furthermore, from 1896 to 1908, another 400,000 Armenians were brought to Transcaucasia, including the Karabakh region.
Armenian historian M.G. Nersesyan documented:
“… at the end of the 1920s, more than 40,000 Armenians from Iran and 90,000 Armenians from Türkiye were moved to these regions, Eastern Armenia.”
In 1830, 45,000 Armenians moved from the regions of Erzurum and Beyazid in Türkiye and settled in the Goycha district.
Then, in 1915, approximately 200,000 Armenians, who arrived with the Russian army from Türkiye, established communities in various regions of the South Caucasus, including the Iravan governorate. Archive materials from 1831 indicate that there were 50,000 Azerbaijanis and 45,200 Armenian immigrants residing in the Iravan province. Despite the growing Armenian population in Western Azerbaijan’s villages, it’s important to note that during the second half of the 19th century, more than 1,500 out of the existing 2,310 villages in Armenia were Azerbaijani (5, p. 66). In 1918, Armenia’s population stood at 1,510,000 people, with 795,000 being Armenians, 575,000 Muslims, and 140,000 from other ethnicities (8, p. 14). In the Soviet era, Armenia witnessed an influx of Armenian immigrants. In 1946, 50,900 Armenians arrived from Syria, Greece, Lebanon, Iran, Bulgaria, and Russia, followed by 35,400 Armenians from Palestine, Syria, France, the USA, Greece, Egypt, Iran, and Lebanon in 1947.
In his work “Ancient Turks and Armenia,” the renowned historian, ethnographer, and toponymist G. A. Qeybullayev discussed the Armenians as immigrants in the Iravan region:
“In the 8th-7th centuries BC, the ancestors of the Azerbaijani people resided in the territory of Armenia, while Armenians inhabited Asia Minor. Because Armenians are immigrants to the present-day Armenian territory, there are no ancient toponyms recorded in the Armenian language. Consequently, during the 19th century, the names of villages with predominantly Armenian populations and those where Armenians and Azerbaijanis coexisted were also in Azerbaijani. Let’s look the names of some of these toponyms: Babakishi, Karvansaray (Garniyarig), Taycharig, Yayjı, Aghadak, Pashali, Aghamzal, Varmazyar, Jannatli, Zohrabli, Imamshali, Gulamali, Tazakend, Tamamli, Shirabad, Birali (Pirali), Shahab, Aghjagala, Alibeyli, Armudlu, Hajigara, Kocharli, Jafarabad, Zeyva, Korpali, Molla Bayazid, Molla Dursun, Sardarabad, Tapadibi, Uzunoba, Khatunarkh, Chubukhchu, (Kamalabad), Boyuk Shahriyar, Kichik Shahriyar, Boyuk Korpu, Haji Baghir, Gozlu, Gulluja, Dadali, Ilanchalan, Gulabli, Molla Gasim, Sachli, Damjili, Alatli, Alijan, Ali-Gizil, Dashburun, Gazigishlag, Najafli, Khalfali, Abasgol, Molla Kamar, Aghbulaq, Alikhan, Arig Vali, Bandovan, Bash-Goy, Boz-Abdal, Bazikend, Boz-Yokhush, Gullu-bulag, Darband, Daragoy, Garagishlag, Ganlija, Gachagli, Goygulu, Duzkend, Gurdlubulag, Mahmudjug, Nalband, Palidli, Taknali, Tapadolag, Toy-Kharaba, Hajigar, Hajinazgulu, Shishtapa and etc.”
The aforementioned place names serve as evidence that Armenians settled in these villages at a later date, as these locales did not originally possess Armenian names.
In a broader context, toponyms of ancient Turkic origin within the Armenian territory were initially documented in Urartian sources dating back to the 8th-7th centuries BC.
The presence of Turkic-origin toponyms in the Azerbaijani Turkish language, which historically thrived in the Iravan province of Western Azerbaijan during ancient and medieval times, serves as evidence of the Azerbaijani Turks’ ancient and indigenous roots in the region. To further underline this point, it’s important to note that during the khanate era in the 18th century, the Iravan khanate encompassed 15 districts, and the names (toponyms) of these districts, along with those of rivers, lakes, mountains, and more, were in Azerbaijani Turkish.
1. Girkhbulag district – 22 villages
2. Zangibasar district – 26 villages
3. Garnibasar district – 52 villages
4. Vedibasar district – 21 villages
5. Sharur district – 50 villages
6. Surmali district – 49 villages
7. Darakend-Parchenis district – 55 villages
8. Saadli district – 9 villages
9. Talin district – 20 villages
10. Seyidli-Akhsagli district – 20 villages
11. Sardarabad district – 22 villages
12. Karbibasar district – 40 villages
13. Aparan district – 39 villages
14. Darachichak district – 37 villages
15. Goycha district – 59 villages
There are several compelling pieces of evidence supporting the notion that the oldest and indigenous inhabitants of this area are Azerbaijani Turks: The historical presence of Azerbaijani Turks in the local population of Iravan; The historical fact that Armenians are an immigrant people who were resettled in these territories by Tsarist Russia; The existence of turkic-origin toponyms in the Azerbaijani Turkish language that were in use within the Iravan province of Western Azerbaijan.
It’s worth noting that during certain historical periods, Azerbaijani Turks were sometimes referred to as “Tatars.”
An interesting historical piece of evidence is the map of the Iravan province, created in 1886 under the editorship of E. Kondratenko, which features toponyms shown in the Azerbaijani Turkish language. For example: Sarvanlar, Arzu village, Sardarabad, Gulluja, Dashvurun, Gazi-Gishlag, Mehriban, Shirabad, Gamarli, Kamali, Molla-Goycha, Yagublu, Alagoz, Gozal dara, Gara khal, Kheyirbeyli, Ali Mammadli, Bash-abaran, Lake Goycha və s.
Reviewing the map of the Iravan governorate, the presence of toponyms in Azerbaijani Turkish language serves as confirmation that the ancient and indigenous inhabitants of Western Azerbaijan (present-day Armenia) were Azerbaijani Turks.
On the map of the Iravan governorate, alongside the population statistics and place names, references are made to the presence of seven distinct ethnic groups: Armenians, Tatars, Russians, Greeks, Aysors, Kurds, Mordovians (Azerbaijani Turks represented as “Tatars” on the map). Notably, the historical significance of this map lies in the observation that, despite the organized relocation of Armenians from Iran and Türkiye to the South Caucasus and Western Azerbaijan, Tatars (Azerbaijani Turks) in the city of Iravan and other locations outnumbered Armenians. For example:
7228-Tatar (Azerbaijani Turk), 7142-Armenian in Iravan city
In the uezds of Iravan governorate:
1. 52880-Tatar (Azerbaijani Turk), 36426-Armenian in Iravan uezd
2. 881 Tatars (Azerbaijani Turks) in the city of Alexandropol (Gyumru in the early and middle ages, Leninakan in the Soviet period), 4580 Tatars (Azerbaijani Turks) in the uezd of Alexandropol
3. 29523 Tatars (Azerbaijani Turks) in Novo-Bayazid (Kamo since 1959) uezd
4. 30203 Tatars (Azerbaijani Turk) in Echmiadzin uezd
5. 34351 Tatars (Azerbaijani-Turks) in Surmalinsky (Surmali) uezd
Another historically significant document affirming that the indigenous inhabitants of Western Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh are Azerbaijani Turks, and that the place names in these regions have Turkish origins, was published during the rule of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II (1896-1917). Upon examining the military topographical map of the Caucasus Military District from 1903 (published in 1914), it becomes evident that the place names in Western Azerbaijan and the toponyms in Karabakh are not in Armenian but rather in Turkish (Azerbaijani Turkish). For example: Alagoz Mountain, Goycha Lake, Bazar River, Gozaldara Mountain, Gamarli, Davali, Chardakhli, Garabulag, Karvansara, Dilijan, Darachichek, Gabigli, Madina, Chubuglu, etc. The aforementioned military map indicates the central city of Karabakh as “Khankendi.”
This military map displaying Azerbaijani Turkish toponyms across the Western Azerbaijan territory serves as evidence that the indigenous inhabitants of the Iravan region are Azerbaijani Turks. This, in turn, reaffirms the Azerbaijani Turkish heritage of the Iravan area and establishes the territory as historically belonging to the Azerbaijani Turks. Consequently, the aforementioned military map, produced in 1903, stands as a pivotal historical document supporting the Azerbaijani Turkish identity of the local population in the Iravan area.
Indeed, the “Administrative Territory and Ethnographic Atlas of the People of the USSR,” published in Moscow in 1928 (p. 49), further corroborates these facts by highlighting the Turkish origins of ancient toponyms in the Iravan region. This underscores the historical reality that the ancient and native inhabitants of these areas were Azerbaijani Turks.
For example:
Gazanchi, Uzunlar, Karvansara, Dilijan, Darachichak, Lake Goycha, Bazar river, Basar-kechar, Gamarli, Alagoz mountain and etc.
The research conclusively establishes that Armenians are immigrants to Iravan province and other areas of Western Azerbaijan. Consequently, the ancient place names in these regions are in Azerbaijani Turkish, which was the language of the indigenous population. Furthermore, additional historical evidence supporting the Azerbaijani Turkish heritage of the local residents in Western Azerbaijan is the existence of medieval Azerbaijani-Turkish architectural monuments in Iravan. These Azerbaijani-Turkish architectural monuments from the Middle Ages bear great historical significance in the context of Iravan’s history.
For instance, let us consider passages from the historical book titled ‘Erevan,’ authored by Armenian authors and published in Moscow in 1968. This book explores the history of Armenia: …. “The construction of Iravan Castle was commissioned by Farhad Pasha between 1582 and 1583. The Western Azerbaijan region boasts a rich array of medieval Azerbaijani architectural marvels, including: The impressive Goy Mosque, whose construction commenced in 1760 and was completed during the reign of Huseynali Khan (1764-1768). It stands as the largest mosque in Iravan, representing a pinnacle of Azerbaijani architectural artistry and leaving a lasting impression on travelers with its grandeur; The Novruzali Khan Mosque, dating back to 1687; The Rajab Pasha Mosque, established in 1725; The Abbas Mirza Mosque, which was erected at the beginning of the 18th century; The Zal-khan Mosque, situated adjacent to the Pagos-Petros Church; The Sardar Palace, built towards the end of the 18th century during the reign of Mahmud Khan (3, p. 18-55).”
During the khanate period, there is no historical record of any Armenian involvement in the establishment or governance of the Iravan Khanate. Azerbaijani khans held leadership positions in the Iravan Khanate. This fact is substantiated by the detailed list compiled by Priest Hovanes Shahkhatunyan, an Armenian by nationality, in which he chronologically named 49 Azerbaijani rulers who governed Iravan from 1441 to 1828. Furthermore, the book “Erevan” also does not mention any Armenian individuals among the khans who played roles in the administration of the Iravan Khanate.
The presented evidences substantiate the assertion that the native inhabitants of the Iravan region were Azerbaijani Turks, while historical documents clearly indicate that Armenians are immigrant communities in the area.
Despite the fact that the ancient and indigenous inhabitants of Western Azerbaijan are Azerbaijani Turks, the Armenians, who were settled in the region by the Russian Empire, utilized the support of the Russian Empire to forcibly displace Azerbaijani Turks from their homeland during the first and second halves of the 20th century. As a result, in alignment with Armenian interests, Soviet authorities carried out the forced deportation of over 150,000 Azerbaijanis from Western Azerbaijan (Armenian SSR) between 1948 and 1953. Additionally, more than one million Azerbaijanis were displaced from their ancestral lands in 1988-1994. These people settled in different areas of Azerbaijan as refugees. The predominant legal response to the violent acts committed by Armenians against Azerbaijani Turks in various years, particularly the forced deportation of Azerbaijanis from their homeland, was initiated by Heydar Aliyev, the National Leader of the Republic of Azerbaijan. On December 18, 1997, President Heydar Aliyev issued a decree titled “On the Mass Deportation of Azerbaijanis from Their Historical and Ethnic Lands in the Territory of the Armenian SSR in 1948-1953.” This decree aimed to investigate the period of forced relocation of Azerbaijanis from Western Azerbaijan and uncover historical facts. President Heydar Aliyev, an world-famous politician and esteemed statesman who provided a formal legal assessment of the aggressive actions committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis and actively pursued the peaceful liberation of Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, issued the following statement: “Our people must always be aware of the locations of our historical lands. They should have knowledge of which of our lands were occupied, the timing and reasons for these occupations. We must definitely regain these lands. If, for any reason, we are unable to secure the regain of our lands, it will be regained by our future generations.”
Historian Mirzali Taghiyev