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Index

Armenia

The Urartu Civilisation

Victory for Independence

Artashisian Dynasty on the Armenian Throne

Armenia caught between Rome and the Arsacids

The Acceptance of Christianity

Defending Christianity

Armenia Under the Bagratouni Dynasty

Cilicia - the New Armenia

Armenia Under Turanian Rule

The Renaissance or the Resurrection of Armenia

The Eastern Question

Russia in the Caucasus

The Armenian Question

Battle on Two Fronts

Tsarist Russia Against the Armenians

The Revolution of the Young Turks and the Armenian People on the Eve of World War I

The First World War

The Resurrection of Armenia

Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

- Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

Eastern Armenia

Western Armenia

"The Fateful Years" (1914-1917)

"Hopes and Emotions" (March-October, 1917)

The Bolshevik Revolution and Armenia

Transcaucasia Adrift (November, 1917

Dilemmas (March-April, 1918)

War and Independence (April-May, 1918)

The Republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia

The Suppliants (June-October, 1918)

In conclusion

Soviet Armenia

The Second Independent Republic of Armenia

Epilogue

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Armenia and Persia

Let us elucidate the history of Persia year 641, when the Sasanid Empire was defeated by the Arabs.

In the 11th century, Persia fell under foreign rule, initially Arab, although after the battle at Merv the land was divided into several smaller states or principalities ruled by the Seljuk Turks.

During the 13th and the 14th centuries, Persia formed the setting for Mongol plundering, massacre, and destruction as they took control of the country. During the 15th century Persia was once more subject to another Mongol plundering, led by Timur Lenk.

Finally, during the 15th century, Persia regained its independence as the Turanian power waned. 32 The great leader Esmail Safavi, defeated the Turkmen and founded the new Safavi dynasty. During his reign he managed to retake the eastern part of Armenia (Yerevan, Nakhichevan and Karabakh).

These recurring wars between the Ottoman Empire and Persia, which mostly took place on Armenian soil, are of major historical significance, recently brought to light by an English historian. By drawing the attention of the Ottoman Empire, Persia lessened the pressure of the Turks on Europe. 33 It is conceivable that by forcing the Ottoman Turks to wage war on two fronts, Persia prevented the Turanians from sweeping over the whole of Europe, bestowing on the continent a valuable period of recuperation. 34

At the same time, these Turkish-Persian wars, which took place on Armenian soil, put that land to ruin, especially during the long campaign of Shah Abbas I. This king, who raised Persia to the peak of its power and effectively organized the military forces of the country, tried to drive the Turks out of Armenia during the long war of 1602-1620. Facing the Turkish counter-offensive, Abbas I was forced to retreat, but employed the strategy of transforming the land into desert, by forcing the majority of the Armenians in the region to follow the Persian army and thus emptying this part of Armenia of its native inhabitants. This was a cruel fate for the 150 000 Armenians who were forced to abandon their homes and nearly half of them died of famine on the way. Shah Abbas relocated the surviving Armenians in the vicinity of the city of Isfahan and named the location New Joulfa, to the memory of the Armenian city of Joulfa, by the Araxes River, where he had received a warm welcome from the local Armenians. 35

During the first decades of the 18th century, Armenia was once more avaged by the continuous wars between Persia and the Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless, under Persian rule, at least to begin with, Yerevan (including the city of Etchmiadzin, the seat of the Armenian Catholicos), Nakhichevan and Karabakh experienced was more liberally governed in comparison to the part of Armenia under Turkish rule. However, this situation was worsened due to the weakening of Persia during the 18th century.

Let us turn to the special Persian rule which applied to Karabakh.