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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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The Armenian Principalities of Karabakhn

Within the region of Armenia that the Persians had occupied was the mountainous area of Karabakh (in present, commonly called as Nagorno Karabakh), which is roughly situated between Yerevan and Baku, and was populated with warrior Armenians. These Armenians, due in part to the geographical circumstances of their realm, had managed to sustain their independence even during the periods when the rest of Armenia had fallen into the hands of the Turks.

The Persians recognised this people's strong affection for their princes and their freedom, and realised that it would not be easy to submit them to Persian control. They wisely refrained from direct rule, instead pursuing a policy of self-governance in allowing the rule of the national leaders to continue.

Thus, the Armenian principalities, which were the last havens of freedom and independence in Armenia, survived right up until the 18th century.

It was at the beginning of the 18th century that Armenian influence in Persia was at its strongest. This was true both under the rule of the Afghans and even more so during the reign of Nader Shah Afshar, when the Turks and the Afghans were driven out of Persia, and the Persian realm experienced its final era of glory, stretching from Tbilisi to Delhi. It was during this dominion that the Armenians enjoyed the complete protection of the ruling power. Indeed, it was an Armenian priest who, at the coronation of this Persian king in 1736 by the council of elders, fastened the sword around the new regent's waist. 36 This was probably precipitated due to the fact that the council of elders consisted of Sunnites, while the people were Shiites. The advantageous position of the Armenians at this time stemmed from their mediating position between the two Muslim factions.

These five principalities in Karabakh were ruled by Armenian families who had received the title Melik (prince) and were the following: the principality of Gulistan, under the leadership of the Melik Biglarian family, the principality of Djrabert under the leadership of the Melik Israelian family, the principality of Khatchen, under the leadership of the Hassan Djalalian family, the principality of Varanda, under the leadership of the Melik Shahnazarian and finally, the principality of Tizk, under the leadership of the Melik Avanian family. 37

Karabakh became the focus-point for Armenian existence and survival. Nevertheless, its existence was threatened, partly by the tenstions between the Armenian principalities and neighbouring Muslims, and partly due to the short-sighted policy of the Tehran government.

At the beginning of the 18th century, during the long war between the Ottoman Empire and Persia, the Armenians of Karabakh managed to regain their total independence for eight years (1722-1730). The Armenians of Karabakh, who were facing attacks from the Turks, put up a strong resistance under the leadership of their national hero, Davit Beg; nevertheless Karabakh eventually fell into Turkish hands.

However, when the great Persian leader, Nader Shah (Tahmaseb Gholikhan), took power in Persia and drove the Turks out of their occupied territories in 1735, Karabakh regained its old ruling system.