From the Report of General Marquis Palluci to Alexander I

History

From the Report of General Marquis Palluci to Alexander I On the Betrayal of the Shusha Khan and His Brothers, Who Facilitated the Invasion of Persian Troops into Karabakh, the Prevention of the Abduction of Armenian Villagers, and the Measures Taken Against the Traitors March 27, 1812

Upon learning that three Armenian villages had been seized from Karabakh following the incursion of Abbas Mirza and were sheltering under Persian protection in fortified locations, yet had not been transported across the Aras River, Major General Kotlyarevsky immediately dispatched a strong detachment to reclaim them. Having successfully returned the villages, and finding no further scope for actions that might bring glory to Your Imperial Majesty’s forces due to the impossibility of crossing the Aras, the entire detachment withdrew to Karabakh on the 17th.

Thus, although an insurmountable enemy force deprived us of the dazzling success that should have accompanied our campaign—given that the Persians never suspected that the forces safeguarding Karabakh were capable of mounting an expedition across the Aras—the primary objective of this mission was achieved in full. Both external and internal adversaries have now realized that the military presence in Karabakh is formidable and capable of striking at those who threaten its peace. Four hundred families, who had fled or been taken captive, have been returned, and more than fifteen thousand head of livestock have been seized from the enemy. This operation has dealt a substantial blow to the Chelebin bandits who continually raided Karabakh, as well as to the Jebrail rebels who had sided with the traitor Jafar Kuli Agha and the enemy forces. The return of the village of Tug, which had fled to the enemy, made a significant impression on the populace, who had been shaken by its defection. Moreover, with its strategic location fortifying the region from Shusha to the Aras, its reclamation prevented the enemy from exploiting an open path into Karabakh.

Furthermore, from the original letters presented to me by Major General Kotlyarevsky—obtained during the troop movements toward the Aras—it became evident that, without the swift execution of this expedition, Karabakh might have lost a significant portion of its inhabitants. Among these letters, five were addressed to Colonel Khanlar Agha, brother of the current ruler of Karabakh, Mehti Kuli Khan. One was sent by the Persian minister Mirza Biryuk, and four others came from various Persian khans, inviting him to Persia and revealing that his mother had long intended to move, just as he himself was inclined to relocate to Erivan with his subordinates. Additionally, two intercepted Tatar documents found near the Aras contained orders from the fugitive traitor Jafar Kuli Agha to Aset Sultan, the leader of the Karachay bandits in Karabakh, and to Ismail, urging them to relocate with their people to Karadag and promising them wealth and privileges. Meanwhile, captured residents on the Aras informed Major General Kotlyarevsky that another brother of Mehti Kuli Khan, Magomed Kasim Agha, had been in contact with Karadag’s Haji Magomed Khan and was preparing to defect with his subjects. However, this unexpected and highly successful expedition shattered Persian expectations, disrupted the plans of those Karabakh residents who were ready to flee beyond the border, and ultimately prevented their escape.

Report of General Kotlyarevsky to the Governor-General of Georgia and the Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasian Line, General N. Rtishchev

No. 672, Camp at the Kura-Chay River, September 30, 1812

Upon Karabakh’s submission to Russian rule in 1805, inquiries indicated that the region had approximately 10,000 households. However, according to records compiled in 1808 and presented to Field Marshal Count Gudovich by Colonel Aseev, the number had decreased to 7,474. From this total, due to enemy actions and voluntary flight across the border, the following losses were recorded:

  • In 1806: 367 abducted by Persians, 84 fled
  • In 1809: 323 abducted, 412 fled
  • In 1810: 276 abducted, 248 fled
  • In 1811: 274 abducted, 707 fled
  • In 1812, during Abbas Mirza’s latest incursion aided by the treason of Jafar Kuli Khan: 977 abducted, 1,177 fled

In total, 4,845 households were lost due to abduction or voluntary emigration. Consequently, approximately 5,000 households should remain in Karabakh, but according to Colonel Aseev’s records, only 3,080 remain, with over 1,000 having relocated to Shusha during enemy invasions.

(Source: AKAK, Vol. V, Tiflis, 1873, p. 579)

Official Forms of Address to the Meliks of Karabakh in Charters, Rescripts, and Other Acts of Russian Sovereigns as International Recognition of Armenian Identity in the Region

Decree of Emperor Peter I

November 10, 1724 To the Most Honorable Patriarch Isaiah and the Most Honorable Yuzbash Awan and Mirza, and to all other Yuzbashes and governors, and to the entire honorable Armenian nation, our imperial grace and greetings… (Source: Armenian-Russian Relations in the First Third of the 18th Century, Yerevan, 1967, Vol. II, Part II, p. 208)

Charter of Empress Catherine I

February 22, 1726 To the Most Honorable Patriarchs Esai and Nerses, the Most Honorable Lord Yagan, and Yuzbash Awan, and to all other honorable Yuzbashes and governors, and to the entire honorable Armenian nation, our imperial grace and greetings… (Source: Ibid., p. 269)

Charter of Empress Catherine II

June 30, 1768 To the Most Honorable Patriarch Simeon and all other honorable Yuzbashes and governors, and to the entire honorable Armenian nation, our imperial grace and greetings… (Source: Collection of Acts Relating to the History of the Armenian People, Moscow, 1833, Part 1, pp. 174–175)

Address of Emperor Paul I to the Meliks of Karabakh

June 2, 1799 To the noble Meliks of the powerful and renowned Karabakh region—Jemshid Shahnazarov, ruler of Varanda, and Fridon Beglarov, ruler of Gulistan [modern Shaumyan district, which along with the NKAO joined the newly proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 1991]—and to all other ruling Meliks and Yuzbashes, and to their people, our imperial grace and goodwill… (Source: Ibid., p. 199)

Address of Emperor Alexander I to the Armenian People

September 15, 1813 To the entire loyal Armenian people and all their classes, our imperial grace… They have distinguished themselves through exemplary steadfastness and devotion, remaining firm and unwavering in their loyalty to us and our Throne, sacrificing their property, all resources, and even their very lives… Given at our headquarters in the city of Teplice, Bohemia. (Source: Ibid., pp. 258–259) 149

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

Artatsolum

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