Charter of Catherine I Addressed to the Armenian Assembly

Charter of Catherine I Addressed to the Armenian Assembly, Personally to Catholicoses Esai and Nerses, the Armenian Meliks of Karabakh, and Elders

February 23, 1726

By the grace of God, We, Catherine, Empress and Autocrat of All Russia, etc., etc., etc.

To the most honorable Patriarchs Esai and Nerses, and to the most honorable Lord Yagan, the yuzbashi Avan, and to all other esteemed yuzbashis and administrators, and to the entire honorable Armenian people—Our imperial favor and greetings.

We announce to you through this benevolent charter that Kevga Chelebi, whom you sent, has arrived at Our court, and We have received your letter delivered through him. Regarding the matters you have raised and requested, We have commanded him to communicate everything to you verbally, and you shall give credence to his words. From his verbal proclamation, you shall recognize Our favor toward you, and We have no doubt that you will be satisfied with it. Furthermore, through this charter, We reassure you of Our imperial goodwill.

Given in Saint Petersburg, February 22, 1726.

Annotations: Written on Alexandrian parchment, with a copy composed by the Armenian Luka on similar parchment. Sealed with the great state seal in black wax, under custody, opened, without signature, and delivered to the Armenian Chelebi. The document has no official protocol, as its full contents were entered into the secret council’s records.

Source: Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (АВПР), Fond 100, 1725–1726, File 5, Leaf 32 and reverse. Copy. Published in: G. A. Ezov, Relations of Peter the Great with the Armenian People, St. Petersburg, 1898, Document No. 284.

Letter from One of the Leaders of the Armenian Liberation Movement, Commander Mkhitar, to the Russian Government Requesting Military Assistance for Armenians in Syunik and Artsakh

March 24, 1726

Translation of an Armenian letter written from the province of Kapan by its principal inhabitants and other Armenians on March 24, 1726.

By the grace of God, to the reigning Emperor, the great Christian and God-loving monarch.

And to His Imperial Majesty’s esteemed ministers, field marshals, and other high-ranking military officials.

We, the undersigned, in our most humble and devoted submission, report as follows:

Firstly, the accursed Lezgins have come to our Christian lands, wreaking great devastation upon the people. Most grievously, they have completely ruined our monasteries and sacred churches, slaughtered many individuals, and taken numerous Christians captive, bringing us to immense ruin.

Secondly, adding to our misfortune, the Persians also attacked our territories with great cavalry and infantry forces, causing devastation among our people. As a result, we, the ravaged Christians, withdrew gradually, assembling a considerable force in the mountainous regions and fortifying ourselves there, enduring without external assistance while placing our trust in divine protection. In an ensuing battle, our forces emerged victorious against the Persians, slaying many of their troops while suffering minimal losses ourselves. The defeated Persians, retreating in anger, further pillaged our monasteries, churches, and settlements, killing and enslaving many. However, during the battle, we managed to reclaim a number of previously captured Christian prisoners from the Lezgins.

Thirdly, soon after, the Turks arrived in great numbers—both cavalry and infantry—and utterly devastated our Christian settlements, including monasteries, churches, villages, and towns, without leaving anything intact. They mercilessly slaughtered Christians, young and old, and enslaved many, subjecting women—including both laywomen and nuns—to their barbaric violations.

After some time, those same Turks returned, surrounding our fortified positions from all directions, seeking to drive us out and destroy us utterly. But placing our trust in divine aid, we stood against the godless Turks and, by the grace of Your Imperial Majesty, drove them away, defeating many of them. We also rescued some of our enslaved Christian brethren. However, the Turks have regrouped in overwhelming numbers and now besiege us on all four sides, rendering resistance impossible due to our lack of strength.

Therefore, we, the most humble and devoted subjects of Your Imperial Majesty, implore You with the utmost submission to grant us aid in the name of Almighty God and His Holy Mother, for the sake of our Christian faith. We beseech You to extend Your merciful protection to us poor Christians and deliver us from these godless barbarians, lest we, along with our wives and children, be eternally enslaved or perish miserably at their hands.

For four years now, we have endured unbearable persecution and ruin at the hands of these heathens. We humbly and repeatedly request that the Russian ministers and principal generals inform Your Imperial Majesty of our dire circumstances so that, for the benefit of all Christendom, Your merciful assistance may be granted swiftly. We entrust ourselves to Your Imperial Majesty’s boundless protection.

Annotations: The original Armenian letter bears eight ink seals with names, including:

• Commander Mkhitar Bek
• Yuzbashi Elnazar
• Nizir-Elizar
• Autandil
• Papas
• Bandur
• Zurap
• Martiros**

Source: Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (АВПР), Fond 100, 1726, File 4, Leaves 3–7 reverse. Translation. Published in: Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Social Sciences, 1952, No. 3, pp. 96–98.

Note: A report from General M.A. Matyushkin accompanied this letter, detailing the reception of an Armenian envoy and further confirming the plea for military assistance.

Excerpt from the Report by Prince V. Dolgorukov on the Armenians of Karabakh Refusing to Relocate to Russia’s Newly Acquired Caspian Territories and Their Determination to Continue the Liberation Struggle Against the Turks in Their Homeland

November 30, 1726

[Prince Dolgorukov, reporting from Ryash on November 30, 1726, stated that] the Armenians urgently request to join forces with the Russian military and earnestly plead for at least a partial deployment of troops to their aid. However, he is unable to carry out this order to aggravate the Turks and reassures the Armenians to patiently wait for some time. Nevertheless, they see no benefit or hope, and as much as possible, they bravely and resolutely resist the Turks.

If at this fortunate moment the Russian army could unite with the Armenians, considering Turkish weakness, there would be great expectations of decisive military success. As for his instructions to persuade the Armenians to settle in the conquered Persian provinces wherever they wished, they outright refuse even to consider it—and rightly so. Firstly, it would mean abandoning their trade, and secondly, leaving their well-established and favorable lands to move to barren areas that provide no means of sustenance.

Source: G. A. Ezov, Relations of Peter the Great with the Armenian People, St. Petersburg, 1898, Document No. 289.

Excerpt from the Report by Prince V. Dolgorukov on the Request of Representatives from Armenian Fortified Settlements (Signakh) for Russian Military Assistance and Their Desire for the Entire Armenian Population to Become Subjects of the Russian Empire

February 28, 1727

[Prince Dolgorukov, reporting on February 28, 1727, stated that] before his departure from Ryash, envoys arrived from the Armenian assembly known as Signakh. The sent yuzbashis requested military assistance and pledged eternal allegiance to Her Imperial Majesty, submitting a petition in which they wrote:

The Armenian leaders—Yuzbashi Avan, Yuzbashi Tarkhan, Yuzbashi Baga, Yuzbashi Abram, Yuzbashi Ugan, Yuzbashi Alaverdi, Priest Muses, and Yuzbashi Sarkis—seek protection from Her Imperial Majesty. Due to relentless Turkish attacks, they remain in constant battle and find no peace or respite.

For the past four years, they have steadfastly resisted Turkish oppression, refusing to convert to Islam or submit to Turkish rule, enduring perpetual unrest and danger. They place their hopes for survival on Her Imperial Majesty and beg not to be abandoned, requesting imperial protection and formal subjugation to Russia.

To safeguard their lives, they implore Her Majesty to send military forces to unite with them. In return, they pledge absolute loyalty, readiness to sacrifice themselves, and promise to fully sustain the Russian troops, including provisions for horses and supplies at their own expense.

Source: G. A. Ezov, Relations of Peter the Great with the Armenian People, St. Petersburg, 1898, Document No. 290.

Testimony of British Traveler and Merchant Jonas Hanway Regarding Armenian Fortified Districts (Signakh)

Winter 1727

Winter [1727] passed without any noteworthy events, except for the fact that Savi Mustafa, who had abandoned Ganja—where he had been governor—dispersed the Armenians throughout the outskirts of Shemakha.

These people, given the circumstances, formed a sort of republic, which, as mentioned, distinguished itself by completely defeating an army of six thousand men sent against them by Abdullah Pasha in the summer of [1726]. Shortly before this, they had also retaliated against the governor of Ganja.

Typically, a large number of Armenians gathered for Easter in a nearby lowland region. Upon receiving intelligence that the Turks, who had previously failed to reach them in mountainous terrain, planned an ambush, the Armenians took countermeasures—not only successfully defending themselves but also luring the Turks into the gorges where they swiftly crushed them.

Source: Jonas Hanway, A Historical Account of the British Trade Over the Caspian Sea with the Revolutions of Persia, London, 1754, Vol. III, Part VIII, p. 252.

Report by Prince V. Dolgorukov on Russia’s Inability to Provide Military Aid to the Armenians Due to Its Treaty Obligations with Turkey and the Recommended Measures to Prevent Armenians from Accepting Turkish Subjecthood

May 11, 1727

On the Armenians

Excerpt from the report of General Prince Vasily Vladimirovich Dolgorukov, sent from Derbent on May 11, 1727.

Regarding the request to enlist Armenian troops into the service of Your Majesty, a significant portion has been commanded to me, and I report the following:

Firstly, is this feasible given that their powerful adversary, Serasker Pasha Sari Mustafa, stands with his forces in close proximity to Sagnak and Ganja, continuously preparing an assault to devastate them and bring them under the eternal submission of the Ottoman Porte?

The Armenians, facing extreme destruction and ruin, in such dire circumstances might abandon their peril and choose service, but they have endured solely by divine protection, beyond human comprehension, resisting such a formidable enemy. They constantly seek the protection and defense of Your Majesty, recognizing their lack of strength, which they cannot overcome by any means.

Furthermore, Your Majesty has commanded patience in dealings with the Turks and maintaining amicable relations. However, accepting Armenians into service, when according to the treaty they belong to the Ottoman jurisdiction, risks violating the agreement. If the Turks attempted to enlist subjects residing within our territory, we would undoubtedly be concerned.

Would it not be more prudent to dissuade the Armenians by other means? In my humble opinion:

Firstly, instilling hope by demonstrating Turkish decline—that hour by hour, the Turks weaken, and Esref* struggles—providing them all possible moral support. Although we cannot yet break relations with the Turks, we should offer alternative prospects, showing that territorial delimitations between Russia and Turkey may soon allow us to send troops freely from the Kura River to the Araks, where we must establish a fortress. At that point, Armenians, should they desire, may securely enter Your Majesty’s domain. I have already explained this to them, and they seem inclined toward it.

Nevertheless, I do not fully trust them due to their inconsistent nature, and I see no other viable strategy to prevent them from accepting Turkish subjecthood.

Therefore, at their request, I have dispatched their elders—Yuzbashi Baga and Chelebi—from here. Chelebi had previously represented the Armenians and was sent to Saint Petersburg. These envoys could be reassured by the aforementioned strategies until a more favorable opportunity arises.

If, upon receipt of Your Majesty’s charter, I were to inform the Armenians that breaking amicable relations with the Ottoman Porte is impossible, they would return to Sagnak, discouraged and vulnerable, seeing no further hope in Russia. Consequently, they might soon be forced into submission to the Ottoman Empire.

Thus, in my humble judgment, it was necessary to send their petition to Your Majesty’s court for strategic purposes, and I have done so. I have also retained the other envoys—not merely for correspondence with the Armenians of Sagnak—but to prolong matters and adapt to shifting circumstances. While they remain with me and at court, those in Sagnak will await responses from Your Majesty, hoping for an outcome favorable to them. In the meantime, should conditions change to our advantage, we can pursue alternative measures accordingly.

Source: Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (АВПР), Fond 100, 1727, File 1, Leaves 9–10 reverse. Copy. Published in: G. A. Ezov, Relations of Peter the Great with the Armenian People, St. Petersburg, 1898, Document No. 292; Armenian-Russian Relations in the First Third of the 18th Century, Volume II, Part II, Yerevan, 1967, Document No. 355.

Note: Esref (Ashraf), nephew of Mir-Mahmud, ruled as Shah of Persia from 1725 to 1729.

Side Note: A marginal annotation states: “Proceed with the Armenians as previously initiated.”

Yuri Barsegov “Nagorno-Karabakh in International Law and Global Politics”

Artatsolum

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