Translated
and
adapted
from
Raffis
"Five
Meliks"
(Vienna,
1906.
)
After
the
disappearance
of
actual
royalty
there
still
existed
in
Armenia
a
group
of
independent
princes,
descendants
of
old
royal
houses,
who
were
called
governors,
governors
of
marches,
heads
of
provinces,
and
so
on.
In
time
these
also
disappeared
in
their
turn,
and
in
the
16th
and
17th
centuries
there
came
into
prominence
certain
men
of
noble
descent,
some
of
whom
already
possessed,
and
others,
who
were
new-comers,
who
acquired
territorial
rights
over
large
tracts
of
land
on
the
Karabagh
plateau,
eventually
becoming
the
rulers
or
chiefs
of
five
small
adjacent
provinces.
They
received
formal
recognition
at
the
hands
of
Shah
Abbas,
who
sanctioned
and
established
the
independent
rule
of
each
in
his
own
territories,
reviving
and
bestowing
on
them
the
old
title
of
Mielik,
or
Melik,
in
acknowledgment
of
the
great
services
rendered
by
them
to
him
in
his
wars
against
the
Osmanlis.
Their
provinces
in
geographical
order
were
as
follows.
GULISTAN, |
or
Thalish,
extending
from
the
river
Kiurak
(Kiurakchai)
to
the
river
Tharthar
(now
Ter-ter). |
CHRAPIERT, |
or
Charapierth,
from
the
Tharthar
to
the
river
Khachin. |
KHACHIN, |
from
the
river
of
the
same
name
to
the
river
Ballu. |
VARRANDA, |
from
the
river
Ballu
to
the
Thizaphaithi
mountain
belt. |
THIZAK, |
from
the
Thizaphaithi
hills
to
the
river
Ierask
(Araxes). |
The
succession
to
the
Melikdoms
was
generally
hereditary,
the
eldest
son
succeeding
under
the
title
of
Melik.
The
younger
sons
were
called
Beg.
The
ancestors
of
all
the
Meliks
had
possessed
the
title
of
Uzbashy
(centurion),
a
title
granted
to
men
who
owned
estates
and
lands,
and
who
had
the
right
of
keeping
armed
retainers.
The
rule
of
the
Meliks
was
autocratic
and
absolute,
each
governing
his
province
and
his
people
according
to
the
laws
and
customs
of
his
forefathers,
with
unlimited
authority
over
the
persons
of
his
subjects
or
dependents,
even
to
the
infliction
of
capital
punishment.
The
Meliks
re-constructed
and
fortified
the
ancient
strongholds
of
Aghvan
kings
and
princes.
(Their
provinces
had
formerly
formed
part
of
the
Aghvan
kingdom).
The
Melik
of
Gulistan
possessed
two
fortresses,
one
near
the
village
of
the
same
name,
at
the
summit
of
an
inaccessible
height,
and
another
at
the
small
town
of
Thalish,
opposite
the
Vank
of
Horiek.
The
fortress
of
the
Melik
of
Chrapierth
was
situated
opposite
the
Ieritsmankants
Vank,
by
the
river
Tharthar,
on
the
top
of
a
terrifically
precipitous
rocky
peninsula
formed
by
the
waters
of
the
rivers
Tharthar
and
Thurghin
furiously
rushing
on
either
side.
The
Khachin
Meliks
fort
was
near
the
Khachin
river,
opposite
the
celebrated
Vank
of
Gandtsasar,
on
the
summit
of
a
lofty
thickly-wooded
mountain
peak,
and
had
been
originally
constructed
by
the
Hassan-Djalalian
princes
against
Tartar
invasions.
Another
fortress
in
the
same
province,
on
a
pinnacle
high
up
amongst
the
clouds,
was
called
the
Magpies
Fort,
supposed
to
be
accessible
only
to
those
birds.
The
Varranda
Meliks
fort
was
at
Chanakhch,
a
"Gospel"
village
opposite
a
nunnery,
and
the
Melik
of
Thizak
occupied
a
fort
at
the
small
town
of
Thugh,
high
up
near
the
heavens.
THE
BEGLARIANS,
MELIKS
OF
GULISTAN.
The
Black
Centurion,
or
"Sev"
(Black)
Apov,
the
first
of
the
Beglarian
clan
to
settle
in
Karabagh,
came
there
in
an
impoverished
condition,
with
a
few
dependents
and
followers,
one
autumn
in
the
end
of
the
sixteenth,
or
beginning
of
the
seventeenth
century,
and
lived
with
his
people
in
tents
pitched
on
the
left
bank
of
the
river
Tharthar,
near
what
is
now
called
the
village
of
Thalish.
Apparently
some
calamity
had
driven
him
from
his
native
country
of
Nij
in
the
province
of
Uthi,
and
had
compelled
him
to
seek
an
asylum
elsewhere.
Shortly
after
his
coming
to
Karabagh,
a
raid
of
robbers
having
taken
place
on
the
neighbouring
lands
of
the
Khan
of
Barda,
"Sev"
Apov
went
out
with
some
of
his
young
men
in
pursuit
of
the
invaders,
returning
soon
after
with
the
stolen
property
and
cattle,
and
the
thieves
as
well,
having
caught
and
taken
them
prisoners.
Some
of
the
retainers
of
the
Khan
appeared
next
day,
saying
they
had
orders
to
arrest
the
thieves,
whom
they
took
away
and
brought
before
their
master
without
saying
to
whom
the
credit
of
the
capture
was
due,
in
order
to
claim
a
reward.
But
this
wounded
the
self-esteem
and
roused
the
indignation
of
the
captives,
who
had
surrendered
to
a
worthier
foe.
"Punish
us
as
thou
wilt,
"
said
they
to
the
khan,
"for
we
have
laid
waste
thy
lands,
but
dishonour
us
not
by
remunerating
the
unachieved
prowess
of
these
miserable
men,
as
if
they
had
been
our
victors!"
Whereupon
the
khan,
discovering
the
real
hero
of
the
adventure
to
be
the
Black
Centurion,
wanted
to
reward
him,
but,
like
a
brave
man,
he
refused
any
recompense,
saying,
"Grant
me
only
a
place
to
settle
in.
"
The
Khan
gave
him
the
village
of
Thalish,
or
Thalij,
near
the
Vank
of
Horiek.
On
his
tombstone
is
inscribed
one
line
only,
from
which
it
appears
that
he
died
in
the
year
1081
of
the
Armenian
era,
A.
D.
1632.
He
left
several
sons
and
was
succeeded
by
the
eldest,
Melik
Beglar,
who
resembled
his
father
in
wisdom
and
courage.
He
founded
and
consolidated
the
Melikdom
of
the
Beglar
family,
extending
his
rule
over
much
of
the
neighbouring
country,
including
the
fortress
of
Gulistan,
which
he
repaired
and
resided
in.
He
left
two
sons,
Apov
and
Thamraz.
The
former,
who
succeeded
him,
was
known
as
Kagh,
or
Lame,
Apov,
on
account
of
an
injury
to
one
of
his
legs.
His
life
of
pillage
and
plunder
enabled
him
to
gain
and
keep
power.
He
took
everything
by
force,
including
his
wife!
One
day,
having
gone
out
on
a
marauding
expedition
with
some
of
his
men,
he
chanced
on
the
obaner
of
Mamlath
Khan
in
the
mountains
above
the
village
of
Gedashen.
While
attacking
him
he
caught
sight
of
his
daughter,
and
was
so
attracted
by
her
beauty
that
he
entirely
forgot
his
plan
of
plundering
the
Khan
of
his
rich
flocks
and
herds
of
cattle,
carrying
off
his
daughter
instead,
to
his
fortress
of
Gulistan,
where
he
had
her
converted
and
baptised,
and
then
married
her.
This
abduction
brought
about
a
long
and
sanguinary
feud
between
Apov
and
the
Khan,
ending
in
the
defeat
of
the
latter,
and
for
many
years
the
Khans
anger
against
his
daughter
and
her
self-invited
bridegroom
was
unappeased.
Old
age
brought
reconciliation,
and,
having
no
successor,
he
left
his
daughter
all
his
villages,
so
that
Apov,
through
his
wife,
became
the
owner
of
a
large
tract
of
land.
He
died
in
1728,
and
his
son
Yusup
being
under
age,
the
government
of
the
country
was
given
to
his
brother
Thamraz,
and
Yusup
was
placed
in
his
guardianship.
But
Thamraz
carried
on
his
government
from
his
palace
near
the
Vank
of
Horiek
not
as
regent,
but
as
ruler,
treating
Yusup
with
cruelty
and
meditating
his
destruction.
Yusup
lived
in
the
fortress
of
Gulistan
with
his
mother,
the
beautiful
Ghamar-soltana,
in
an
unenviable
condition.
When
the
vizir
Mirza
Thahir,
tax
and
tribute-collector
to
Shah
Sultan
Hussein,
visited
Karabagh,
Melik
Thamraz,
wishing
to
ingratiate
himself
with
the
Persian
government,
received
him
in
his
house,
imposed
fresh
and
unjust
taxes
on
his
people,
and
hinted
to
the
vizir
that
his
brothers
gun,
in
the
possession
of
young
Yusup,
was
a
rare
fire-arm,
worthy
of
the
Shahs
treasury.
Yusup
was
told
to
bring
the
weapon,
and
the
vizir,
on
seeing
it,
took
it
away,
saying
"This
fire-piece
is
more
suitable
for
the
treasury
of
the
Shah
than
for
you.
"
Yusup
returned
to
his
mother
with
tears
in
his
eyes
and
without
the
only
relic
she
possessed
of
her
husbands
brave
deeds.
"Unworthy
son
of
a
brave
father,
"
cried
she,
"rather
would
I
that
thy
dead
body
had
been
brought
to
me,
for
then
men
would
have
said
that
thou
hadst
lost
thy
life
sooner
than
lose
this
relic
of
thy
father,
"
Stung
by
her
reproaches
-
"I
will
recover
it,
"
exclaimed
the
boy,
and
asked
for
money
to
buy
arms.
His
mother
gave
him
the
few
gold
ornaments
she
wore
on
her
head.
The
vizir,
having
collected
all
that
he
could,
set
out
with
his
servants
and
mules
laden
with
tribute.
Yusup,
with
a
band
of
his
young
comrades,
lay
in
wait
for
him
and
fell
upon
the
cavalcade
at
the
narrow
pass
of
the
river
Tharthar,
where
Yusup
with
his
own
hand
cut
off
the
vizirs
head
and
recovered
his
fathers
gun.
They
killed
some
of
the
followers
and
some
escaped,
while
Yusup
and
his
brave
boys
carried
off
all
the
gold
to
his
fortress.
This
deed
went
unpunished,
for
about
that
time
the
Shah
was
deposed
and
the
Afghans
came
and
took
possession
of
Ispahan.
Yusups
power
having
increased,
he
began
to
think
of
revenging
himself
on
his
uncle
and
of
regaining
his
rightful
inheritance.
He
formed
an
alliance
with
Atham
of
Chrapierth,
whose
relations
with
Thamraz
were
not
very
friendly,
and
the
two
together
besieged
Thamraz
in
his
fortress,
which
they
took
after
some
severe
fighting,
and
Thamraz
was
hanged
on
an
elm-tree,
which
Raffi
says
was
still
standing
in
1881,
on
the
boundary
between
Gulistan
and
Chrapierth,
and
was
known
as
the
"Bloody
Chenar".
Yusups
mother,
Ghamar-soltana,
who
by
her
wise
counsels
had
greatly
helped
her
son
to
rise
to
his
rightful
position,
died
in
the
year
1753,
and
was
buried
in
the
family
burial
ground
of
the
Melik
Beglarians,
opposite
the
Vank
of
Horiek.
THE
ISRAELIANS,
MELIKS
OF
CHRAPIERTH.
In
1687
Melik
Iesaï,
of
the
Israelian
family,
with
a
number
of
followers
and
dependents,
came
to
Karabagh
with
the
intention
of
killing
the
principal
Khan
of
Siunik,
who
had
had
immoral
relations
with
his
(Melik
Iesaïs)
sister.
The
Khans
men
attacked
him,
but
he
defeated
them
in
the
valley
of
the
Arav
Mountain,
putting
them
to
flight
and
killing
seven
of
the
Khans
sons.
He
took
possession
of
the
mountain,
the
hill
tribes
and
nomads
who
dwelt
thereon
gradually
coming
under
his
rule,
and
then
he
occupied
neighbouring
territory
as
far
as
the
village
of
Thiuthakan,
now
known
as
Kathughkasar.
He
was
succeeded
by
his
brothers,
during
whose
suzerainty
many
other
places
were
added
to
their
Melikdom,
including
Chrapierth,
the
name
of
this
fortress
giving
them
their
territorial
designation
of
Meliks
of
Chrapierth.
THE
HASSAN-DJALALIANS,
MELIKS
OF
KHACHIN.
Of
the
five
Meliks
of
Karabagh
the
Meliks
of
Khachin
were
the
only
clan
originally
belonging
to
Karabagh.
Their
family,
that
of
the
Hassan-Djalalian
princes,
was
a
very
ancient
one,
the
members
of
which
in
course
of
time
increased
so
greatly
in
numbers
that
the
whole
of
the
small
province
of
Khachin
was
split
up
and
divided
amongst
them,
the
resultant
weakening
of
their
authority
leading
to
the
final
extinction
of
their
rule
in
Karabagh.
[To
this
family
belonged
the
Catholicos
Johannes
of
Gandtsasar,
who
showed
hospitality
to
Emin
at
his
monastery.
He
fell
a
victim
to
Ibrahim
Khan
in
the
end,
and
his
brother
Bishop
Sarkies
became
Catholicos
of
Gandtsasar,
dying
in
1828.
]
THE
SHAHNAZARIANS,
MELIKS
OF
VARRANDA.
The
historian
Arakiel
relates
that
when
Shah
Abbas
the
Great
journeyed
from
Tiflis
to
Kiegham,
he
took
up
his
abode
in
the
small
town
or
village
of
Mazra,
in
the
house
of
Melik
Shahnazar,
an
Armenian,
and
a
powerful
noble,
who
showed
the
Shah
hospitality
and
became
his
intimate
and
honoured
friend.
The
Shah
gave
him
the
title
of
Melik
and
bestowed
several
villages
and
tracts
of
land
on
him
and
on
his
brothers.
In
1682
Shahnazars
son
Hussein,
and
his
brothers
son
Melik
Baghi,
went
to
Karabagh
and
settled
at
Chanakhch
in
the
province
of
Varranda,
built
churches
and
monasteries
and
fortified
the
place.
In
1721,
when
Caucasian
mountaineers
overran
the
country,
Baghi
resisted
them
and
saved
his
lands
from
their
inroads,
after
which
more
territory
came
under
his
rule.
In
1733,
when,
under
the
leadership
of
Melik
Avankhan
of
Thizak,
the
Armenians
rose
against
the
Osmanlis
and
cleared
them
out
of
Karabagh,
the
heroic
wife
of
Melik
Hussein
of
Varranda,
Anna-khatoon,
sister
of
Melik
Avan,
led
the
attack
at
the
"Gospel"
village
of
Chanakhch.
Suleiman-beg,
commanding
the
Osmanlis
in
that
neighbourhood,
had
cast
his
eyes
on
Gaianè,
the
beautiful
daughter
of
the
Melik,
but,
not
daring
to
carry
her
off,
had
proposed
to
marry
her,
and
the
parents
had,
with
various
excuses,
put
him
off
till
the
day
planned
for
the
rising.
When
fighting
broke
out
Suleiman-beg
tried
to
save
himself
by
taking
refuge
in
the
house
of
the
Melik,
who
had
gone
to
another
part
of
his
province,
the
command
of
the
"Gospel"
village
being
in
the
hands
of
his
wife.
Gaianè,
standing
armed
at
the
door
of
the
house,
seeing
her
hated
bridegroom
rush
in,
drew
her
scimitar
and
thrust
it
into
his
heart,
killing
him.
After
this
shedding
of
blood
she
gave
up
her
life
to
religion,
entering
the
nunnery
at
Chanakhch,
where,
in
1881,
Raffi
was
shown
a
beautiful
manuscript
of
the
Gospels
which
had
been
written
by
Gaianè.
Melik
Hussein
died
in
1736
and
was
succeeded
by
Melik
Mirza-beg,
his
brothers
son,
who
was
beheaded,
having
greatly
offended
the
Shah,
and
Melik
Husseins
eldest
son
Hovsep
became
Melik
by
command
of
the
Shah.
His
step-brother
Shahnazar
was
a
most
immoral
man,
adopting
in
his
private
life
the
polygamous
customs
of
the
Persians,
whereby
he
greatly
shocked
and
revolted
the
religious
feelings
of
the
people,
and
incurred
the
hatred
of
all
the
other
Meliks.
He
also
committed
a
terrible
crime.
Although
his
brother
had
become
Melik
by
command
of
the
Shah,
he
could
not
endure
the
thought
of
his
possessing
the
suzerainty,
and
one
evening
he
went
to
Hovseps
house,
killed
him
with
his
own
hands,
and
had
his
whole
family
put
to
death.
One
child
only,
Sahi
Beg,
was
saved
by
his
nurse
escaping
with
him
to
the
house
of
his
uncle,
Melik
Allah-verdi
of
the
Hassan-Djalalians,
in
Khachin.
This
crime
had
very
far-reaching
consequences,
for
Shahnazar
now
became
the
ruler
of
the
province
of
Varranda,
and
eventually,
by
reason
of
his
alliance
with
Panah-khan,
the
cause
of
the
downfall
of
Armenian
rule
in
Karabagh.
He
was
half
Turkman,
his
mother
having
been
the
daughter
of
the
Khan
of
Nakhichevan,
and
captured
by
Melik
Hussein,
who,
later,
married
her.
THE
AVANIANS,
MELIKS
OF
THIZAK.
Melik
Avan
belonged
to
the
family
of
the
Loris
Meliks,
who,
in
the
16th
century,
were
very
powerful
in
the
province
of
Lori.
On
account
of
a
dispute
with
his
relative
Elizbar,
who
had
seized
his
paternal
inheritance,
Avan
quitted
Lori
and
came
to
Karabagh,
settling
at
the
village
of
Thugh
in
the
province
of
Thizak.
Avan
fortified
the
place
and
built
a
fine
church
there.
Later,
when
some
of
his
descendants
came
under
the
dominion
of
Ibrahim
Khan,
they
turned
Mohamedan,
but
Avans
memory
is
still
cherished
amongst
them
with
great
pride,
his
grave
is
regularly
blessed,
and
the
Easter-Day
services
in
the
church
are
performed
at
their
expense.
About
the
end
of
the
second
decade
of
the
18th
century
the
greater
part
of
Persia
was
overrun
by
the
Afghans,
another
portion
was
in
the
hands
of
the
Russians,
while
Persian
Armenia
and
Georgia
were
occupied
by
the
Osmanlis
(Turks),
who
by
the
year
1723
had
penetrated
to
Tiflis
and
Gandtsak
(Ganja,
now
Elisavetpol),
and
had
reached
Karabagh.
The
Armenian
Meliks,
too
few
in
numbers
to
resist
the
invasion
alone,
had
appealed
to
Russia
for
help,
which
was
not
granted
to
them.
However,
the
conquests
of
Nadir
Shah,
who
cleared
out
the
Afghans,
invaded
India,
and
then
turned
his
sword
against
the
Osmanlis,
inspired
the
Meliks
with
courage
to
rise
against
the
invaders,
whose
commander,
Sari
Moustafa,
had
established
himself
at
Gandtsak,
quartering
his
troops
all
over
Karabagh,
in
the
very
houses
of
the
Armenians.
Under
the
leadership
of
Avan
of
Thizak,
the
chief,
and
the
most
powerful
of
the
five
Meliks,
a
rising
was
planned
for
the
night
of
St.
Bartholomew,
1733.
At
the
given
signal
all
the
Armenians
rose
as
one
man
against
their
unwelcome
guests
and
slew
them,
cleansing
Karabagh
in
one
night
of
their
hated
presence,
Sari
Moustafa
barely
escaping
with
his
life
to
Erivan.
At
the
time
of
his
coronation
Nadir
Shah
assembled
all
the
great
nobles
of
his
kingdom,
and
bestowed
various
honours
and
titles
upon
them,
and
also
upon
the
Armenian
Meliks,
in
return
for
the
assistance
they
had
rendered
him
against
the
Osmanlis.
By
a
special
firman
he
re-affirmed
and
re-established
their
authority
in
their
dominions,
particularly
favouring
Melik
Avan,
and
bestowing
on
him
the
title
of
Khan.
To
Allah-ghouli
of
the
Israelians
he
gave
the
title
of
Soltan,
or
Sultan,
which
in
Persia
was
a
title
given
to
generals,
and
in
the
reign
of
Nadir
was
a
distinction
bestowed
on
the
heads
of
provinces.
Melik
Avan
once
during
a
whole
year
provided
at
his
own
expense
all
the
food
required
by
the
Shahs
soldiers,
and
Nadir
was
very
friendly
with
him,
visiting
him
in
his
house
and
frequently
dining
there.
The
Melik
was
noted
for
keeping
a
sumptuous
table,
at
which
every
procurable
luxury
was
to
be
found.
One
day
the
Shah,
somewhat
abashed
at
the
lavish
hospitality
offered
him,
asked
that
a
dish
of
fresh
mushrooms
should
be
served
to
him.
The
Melik
promised
that
his
wish
should
be
gratified,
but
whether
it
happened
to
be
during
the
winter,
or
whether
mushrooms
were
not
to
be
found
in
the
fields
of
Karabagh
at
that
season,
when
the
moment
arrived
for
the
desired
dainty
to
be
set
before
the
king,
the
Meliks
retainers
placed
before
the
royal
guest
a
dish
heaped
up
with
gold!
"But
I
asked
for
fresh
mushrooms,
"
protested
the
bewildered
Shah.
"We
can
satisfy
our
hunger
without
mushrooms,
"
was
his
hosts
cool
reply
-
"But
your
warriors
are
in
need
of
gold
in
order
to
defeat
your
enemies.
"
And
the
Shah,
pleased
at
the
answer,
accepted
the
gold
instead
of
the
mushrooms!
[Melik
Avans
visits
to
Petersburgh
and
the
honours
bestowed
on
him
by
Russian
royalties,
referred
to
by
Emin,
are
lengthily
related
by
Raffi.
]
Avan
died
in
1744,
and
was
buried
in
the
porch
of
his
church
at
Thugh.
His
eldest
son
succeeded
him,
but
reigned
for
one
year
only,
and
was
succeeded
by
his
younger
brother
Melik
Iesaï,
treacherously
killed
by
Ibrahim-khan
in
1781.
Most
of
Avans
descendants
perished
by
treachery,
and
on
account
of
this
his
wife
Gohar-Khanum
quitted
Thizak
and
went
to
live
at
Astrakhan
and
then
at
Uzlar.
Melik
Iesaïs
whole
life
was
passed
in
warfare.
He
was
the
first
of
the
Meliks
to
train
and
arm
his
men,
forming
them
into
bodies
of
regular
troops
for
the
defence
of
his
territory,
for
his
province,
bordering
on
Persia,
was
exposed
to
continual
attack
and
invasion.
THE
RISE
OF
PANAH-KHAN.
During
the
reign
of
Nadir
Shah
a
number
of
nomad
Turkman
robber
tribes
called
Jevanshir,
whose
occupations
were
sheep-tending
and
brigandage,
were
inhabiting
the
regions
on
the
right
bank
of
the
river
Kur.
For
the
sake
of
the
preservation
of
peace
in
the
interior
of
Persia
the
Shah
commanded
these
turbulent
half-savage
peoples
to
settle
at
Sarkhas,
in
Khorassan.
A
man
belonging
to
one
of
their
tribes,
named
Panah,
having
somehow
contrived
to
find
favour
with
the
Shah,
was
appointed
to
an
insignificant
post
in
the
Shahs
dominions
-
the
only
necessary
qualification
for
which
was
the
possession
of
a
stentorian
voice,
in
order
to
go
up
and
down
the
country
loudly
proclaiming
the
Shahs
commands.
"Sharji"
(town-crier)
Panah
performed
this
duty
for
a
considerable
period
of
time,
but
for
some
misdemeanour
or
another
he
was
condemned
to
lose
his
head,
whereupon
he
fled
to
his
native
regions,
roaming
about
in
Karabagh,
a
fugitive
vagabond,
till
Allah-ghouli-soltan,
Melik
of
Chrapierth,
took
pity
on
him
and
made
him
his
tax-collector.
From
time
to
time
stringent
orders
came
from
Persia
that
Panah
should
be
seized
and
sent
back
to
suffer
his
sentence,
but
under
Allah-ghouli-soltans
powerful
protection
he
was
safe.
In
1747,
after
Nadir
Shah
was
assassinated
in
his
sleep
one
night
in
Khorassan
by
the
bodyguardsman
on
duty
at
the
door
of
his
tent,
terrible
rebellions
broke
out
in
Persia,
Shah
succeeding
Shah.
The
Jevan-shirs
took
the
opportunity
of
returning
to
their
native
desert
regions
on
the
banks
of
the
Kur,
while
"Sharji"
Panah
no
longer
went
in
fear
of
losing
his
head.
He
resigned
his
post
as
tax-collector
and
rejoined
his
tribesmen
as
an
ordinary
shepherd,
and
later
on,
after
having
acquired
some
influence
over
them,
incited
them
to
rebel
against
their
employer,
when
he
himself
became
their
employer.
Thus
in
a
short
time
he
had
contrived
to
get
them
into
his
power.
At
that
time
the
Persians
were
selling
political
posts,
honours,
and
titles.
"Sharji"
Panah,
through
the
influence
of
Amir
Aslam
Khan,
who
was
sent
to
the
districts
near
Karabagh
as
governor
by
Atil
Shah,
purchased
the
title
of
Khan
and
became
Panah
Khan.
But
the
ambition
of
this
low-born
tribesman,
this
far-sighted
son
of
the
desert,
soared
much
higher
than
the
acquisition
of
a
title.
What
he
aspired
to
was
the
absolute
rule
of
an
Ishkhan,
or
prince,
and
for
him
-
a
shepherd
-
it
was
not
easy
to
attain
to
that
height.
His
tribesmen
were
herdsmen,
cave-dwellers
in
winter,
and
in
summer
needing
pasturage
and
water
for
their
flocks.
The
entire
plateau
of
Karabagh
belonged
to
the
Meliks,
to
whom
they
had
to
pay
tithes
as
grazing
fees.
Panah
wanted
to
secure
a
central
place
for
himself
on
the
plateau.
He
first
went
to
Bayat
and
tried
to
construct
a
fort
there.
But
there
came
Yusup
of
the
Beglarians,
Melik
of
Gulistan,
and
Allah-ghouli-soltan
of
the
Israelians,
Melik
of
Chrapierth,
and
with
them
came
Hadji
Chelepy,
governor
of
Shirwan,
and
pulled
it
all
down.
Then
he
went
to
Tikranakierth
and
fortified
a
place
there.
But
again
came
the
two
Meliks,
and
also
Allah-verdi
of
the
Hassan-Djalalians,
for
it
was
on
his
boundaries,
and
they
razed
it
to
the
ground.
Panah,
seeing
that
their
league
was
too
strong
for
him,
desisted
for
a
time.
Irritated
at
the
impositions
of
the
Persian
authorities
after
Nadir
Shahs
death,
Melik
Iesaï
of
Thizak
ceased
to
pay
tribute
to
the
Persian
government.
Panah
betrayed
him
to
Atil
Shah,
who
sent
Kasim
Khan,
governor
of
Karadagh,
with
his
troops
to
punish
Melik
Iesaï.
Panah
joined
him
with
a
few
thousand
men,
and
they
besieged
the
Melik
in
his
fortress
of
Thugh,
but
it
was
too
strongly
fortified
for
them
to
succeed
in
taking
it.
Finding
themselves
between
two
fires
-
part
of
the
Meliks
troops
being
ambushed
on
the
thickly
wooded
mountain
slopes
and
part
being
in
the
fort
-
they
retreated,
came
back
the
following
year,
and
were
again
obliged
to
retire.
Thereafter,
for
seven
long
years,
Panah
fought
with
Melik
Iesaï.
Then,
seeing
that
he
could
not
defeat
him,
the
cunning
fellow
made
peace,
and
adopted
other
tactics.
After
Melik
Shahnazar
had
committed
the
terrible
crime
of
fratricide,
the
four
other
Meliks,
who
had
unanimously
vowed
vengeance
upon
him,
invaded
Varranda
with
their
troops,
and
Shahnazar
retreated
to
his
-
"Avietharanuots"
fort
of
Chanakhch.
The
siege
lasted
many
days,
winter
overtook
them,
and,
after
sacking
and
destroying
the
greater
part
of
the
village
of
Varranda,
the
Meliks
went
away,
intending
to
return
in
the
spring.
Now
came
Panahs
opportunity.
Shahnazar
needed
an
ally,
and
he
found
one
ready
to
his
hand
in
the
Jevanshir.
Panah
advised
him
to
build
another
fort
for
greater
security,
choosing
the
site
on
Shahnazars
private
property,
and
the
two
constructed
a
fort
on
the
banks
of
the
river
Karkar
as
quickly
as
they
could
in
the
intervals
of
fighting
the
four
Meliks.
Shahnazar
laid
the
foundation
stone,
and
the
fortress
was
completed
in
1752,
the
people
of
the
village
of
Shoshi
were
brought
to
live
there,
and
it
was
named
Shoshi
or
Shushi
fortress.
Panah
had
now
succeeded
in
establishing
himself
in
the
heart
of
Karabagh,
to
carry
out
his
infamous
plots
for
breaking
up
the
league
of
the
Meliks,
with
the
aid
of
his
ally,
the
traitor
and
villain,
Shahnazar
of
Varranda.
Sahi
Beg,
the
rightful
heir,
son
of
Shahnazars
murdered
elder
brother,
had
now
grown
up,
and
with
the
help
of
his
uncle,
Melik
Allah-verdi
of
Khachin,
desired
to
avenge
the
death
of
his
father
and
regain
his
inheritance.
Shahnazar
now
planned
to
kill
the
boy
as
well
as
his
uncle,
while
Panah,
on
the
other
hand,
wanted
to
place
someone
in
Khachin
as
his
tool,
to
impose
his
will
on
the
whole
of
the
province.
Melik
Allah-verdi
lived
in
his
own
fortress,
called
the
Ulu-papi
fort,
near
the
river
Khachin
at
the
village
of
Karamech,
or
Orakhach,
called
by
the
Turkmans
the
Ballu-Kaya
fort.
Panah
and
Shahnazar
besieged
him
there
with
their
Armenian
and
Turkman
troops,
but
they
received
such
a
terrible
battering
from
the
Melik,
who
was
renowned
as
an
invincible
warrior,
that
they
fled
for
their
lives,
and
shut
themselves
up
in
their
fortress
at
Shushi.
Panah
and
Shahnazar
then
plotted
secretly
with
Mirza-khan,
Melik
Allah-verdis
overseer
at
the
village
of
Khanziristan,
promising
to
make
him
Melik
of
Khachin
if
he
would
betray
his
master
into
their
hands.
Mirza-khan
went
to
Allah-verdi
and
told
him
that
Panah
and
Shahnazar
were
preparing
to
attack
him
with
overwhelming
forces,
which
the
Melik
would
not
be
strong
enough
to
withstand
in
his
own
fortress,
advising
him
to
retreat
to
the
impregnable
Magpies
Fort
and
provision
it
against
a
siege,
he,
Mirza-khan,
as
his
faithful
servant,
rendering
him
all
possible
help
in
making
the
necessary
preparations,
to
carry
out
which
he
invited
Allah-verdi
to
his
own
house,
whence
they
could
visit
the
fort,
which
was
not
far
from
the
village
of
Khanziristan.
The
unsuspecting
Melik
accepted
the
invitation.
But
at
supper-time,
Mirza-khan,
Judas-like,
left
the
room.
He
locked
the
door
behind
him,
and
Panahs
and
Shahnazars
men,
who
were
lying
concealed
in
the
house,
rushed
in
and
overpowered
the
Melik.
By
Panahs
orders
he
was
beheaded
and
all
his
family
killed,
while
Shahnazar
killed
young
Sahi
Beg.
The
fratricides
hands
were
steeped
in
the
blood
of
his
brothers
son.
Panah
kept
his
promise.
Mirza-khan
became
Melik
of
Khachin
(1755),
he
and
his
successors
faithfully
served
the
Khan
of
Shushi,
and
the
Hassan-djalalians
almost
disappeared
from
Khachin.
Infinite
harm
was
thus
wrought
to
Armenian
rule
in
Karabagh.
The
Meliks
still
opposing
Panah
did
not
lose
heart,
but
with
their
whole
united
strength
fought
against
Panah
and
his
Armenian
allies,
for
years
carrying
on
a
terrible
bloody
warfare
which
did
great
injury
to
their
country.
Then
Panah,
seeing
no
other
way
of
ending
it,
proposed
a
truce
and
a
conference,
either
at
Shushi
or
the
Vank
of
Amarassa.
To
this
latter
place
the
Meliks
sent
Allah-ghouli-soltan,
Melik
of
Chrapierth,
as
their
representative.
Thither
went
Panah
with
his
faithful
Shahnazar,
and
thither
also,
in
order
to
visit
Panah,
went
a
khan
from
Nakhichevan,
who,
seeing
a
gigantic
magnificently
dressed
man
(Allah-ghouli)
seated
near
Panah,
mistook
him
for
the
latter,
saluting
him
with
great
humility
and
respect.
Later,
on
discovering
his
mistake,
the
khan
reminded
Panah
of
the
saying
of
the
celebrated
Persian
poet
Saati,
-
"Ten
dervishes
can
lie
on
a
torn
rug,
but
two
kings
cannot
agree
in
one
country.
"
This
made
Panah
think
that
his
rule
could
never
be
firmly
established
while
Karabagh
held
so
splendid
a
chief.
Breaking
the
truce,
he
treacherously
entrapped
Allah-ghouli,
and
took
him
to
Shushi,
where
he
imprisoned,
and
shortly
after,
beheaded
him.
Thus
did
the
low-born
shepherd
of
the
Jevanshirs
show
his
gratitude
to
his
former
master,
the
man
to
whose
powerful
protection
he
owed
his
life
when
fleeing
from
the
hands
of
Nadir
Shahs
executioner.
To
this
day
(1881)
there
may
be
heard
from
the
country
folk
the
song
that
the
captive
giant
sang
in
his
prison,
calling
on
his
brave
brother
Atham,
and
on
his
invincible
spearman
Thali
Mahrassa,
to
come
to
his
aid,
to
surround
Shushi
and
reduce
it
to
dust
and
blood-soaked
ashes,
and
set
him
free.
His
call
for
help
reached
the
ears
of
the
favourite
beauty
in
Panahs
harem.
Smitten
with
pity,
she
sent
him
at
supper-time,
concealed
in
a
dish
of
pilaf,
the
keys
both
of
the
fetters
on
his
feet
and
of
the
doors
of
his
prison,
that
he
might
unlock
them
and
escape.
To
her
came
back
the
proud
reply,
"Armenias
noble
fleeth
not!
But,
had
that
been
my
desire,
I
have
no
need
of
keys!"
And
with
his
powerful
hands
he
crushed
and
broke
his
fetters,
and
filling
up
the
dish
with
the
pieces,
sent
it
back
to
her,
saying,
"Treachery
will
meet
with
its
reward.
My
blood
will
not
be
unavenged.
"
After
despoiling
Chrapierth
of
its
sovereign
lord,
Panah,
thinking
that
the
resistance
of
the
league
of
Meliks
was
broken
down,
sent
an
insolent
letter
to
Yusup
of
the
Beglarians,
Melik
of
Gulistan,
commanding
him
to
come
and
do
him
homage.
But
Yusups
son
would
not
allow
his
father
to
reply,
saying
he
would
answer
Panah
himself
-
which
he
did
after
his
own
fashion.
Holding
his
naked
sword
over
the
head
of
Panahs
messenger,
he
compelled
him
to
swallow
down
the
whole
of
the
letter,
and
when
the
wretched
man,
in
fear
and
trembling,
had
accomplished
this
to
the
last
morsel
-
"Now
go,
"
said
he.
"What
thou
hast
swallowed
here,
that
is
the
answer
to
Panah-Khan.
"
Panah
was
infuriated
at
this,
and
the
fighting
between
him
and
his
allies
and
the
three
Meliks
grew
fiercer
and
fiercer,
but
he
could
not
prevail
against
the
latter,
who
kept
him
in
a
state
of
continual
siege
inside
his
fort
of
Shushi.
[Yusup
evidently
had
another
son
besides
Beglar
(who
was
shot
by
his
wife
Amarnani,
the
daughter
of
Shahnazar
of
Varranda),
and
Apov,
who
are
mentioned
by
my
ancestor.
In
"The
Astronomer
of
Karabagh,
"
a
historical
tale
written
by
the
Russian
author
Platon
Zupov,
published
at
Moscow
in
1834,
the
Armenian
translation
of
which
by
Raffi
was
printed
at
Vienna
in
1906,
the
incident
of
Panahs
letter
to
Yusup
is
described,
and
the
sons
name
is
given
as
Hussein,
and
there
is
also
related
a
violent
scene
which
took
place
between
Panah
and
Hussein.
The
scene
ends
by
Panah
arrogantly
boasting
to
Hussein
that
he
knew
how
to
bring
Hussein
and
all
the
people
of
Thalish
into
subjection
to
him.
"What?"
cried
Hussein
in
a
fury
-
"Repeat
those
words!"
"And
doth
that
seem
so
marvellous
a
thing
to
thee?"
sneered
Panah.
Like
lightning
Hussein
drew
his
scimitar
and
attacked
Panah,
crying,
"Die,
evildoer!"
But
the
cunning
Khan
had
foreseen
the
thrust
and
evaded
it,
then
called
on
his
bodyguardsman
to
seize
the
young
Melik.
Hussein,
not
caring
to
survive
and
witness
with
his
own
eyes
the
downfall
of
his
rule
and
the
subjection
of
his
people,
plunged
his
weapon
into
his
own
breast
and
fell
to
the
ground.
Panah
stood
amazed
at
the
act.
"Now
all
is
thine,
Panah
Khan,
"
gasped
his
victim.
"And
may
God
grant
-
that
the
people
of
Karabagh
-
may
not
suffer.
"
With
these
words
he
breathed
his
last.
]
ALLAH-GHOULI-SOLTANS
INVINCIBLE
SPEARMAN,
THALI-
MAHRASSA.
Thali-Mahrassa
in
the
Turkman
language
signifies
"Mad
Friar.
"
This
was
the
nickname
given
by
the
country
people
to
the
Monk
(Varthapiet)
Avak
of
the
monastery
of
Elisha
the
apostle
in
Chrapierth.
The
tall
watch-tower
on
which
the
"Mad"
one
dwelt
in
solitude
may
still
be
seen
by
visitors
to
this
Vank.
When
this
militant
monk
charged
on
the
field
of
battle,
mounted
on
his
famous
ash-coloured
charger,
his
awful
voice
of
thunder
was
alone
sufficient
to
terrify
his
enemies.
Ecclesiastical
fanaticism
eventually
punished
him
for
the
shedding
of
blood,
and
he
was
taken
to
Etchmiatsin
and
imprisoned
in
the
ice-house
to
do
penance.
One
day,
on
inquiring
the
cause
of
a
disturbance
in
the
Vank,
he
was
told
that
the
Kurds
of
Jalal
had
carried
off
all
the
cattle
belonging
to
the
holy
fathers.
"Can
you
give
me
a
horse,
and
a
few
weapons?"
said
the
(im)penitent.
When
his
request
was
granted
he
mounted
and
followed
the
Kurds,
returning
a
few
hours
afterwards
with
all
the
plundered
booty.
For
this
service
to
the
monastery
he
received
his
freedom
on
condition
that
he
would
not
again
take
life,
but
this
promise
was
not
kept,
for
he
considered
it
no
sin
to
kill
the
enemies
of
the
fatherland,
and
he
continued
to
join
in
all
the
warfare
waged
by
the
Meliks.
One
day,
while
fighting
the
Lezguis
near
Gandtsak,
night
overtook
him,
and
as
he
sat
resting
on
a
tombstone
surrounded
by
the
bodies
of
those
he
had
slain,
one
of
the
wounded
Lezguis
raised
his
pistol
and
shot
him
dead.
He
was
buried
in
the
porch
of
the
cathedral
of
Gandtsak.
"THIULI"
ARZUMAN.
"Thiuli"
is
the
Turkman
for
robber
-
highway
or
countryside
daylight
robber.
Arzuman
was
the
son
of
a
shepherd
in
Chrapierth,
later
becoming
one
of
Melik
Athams
most
intrepid
warriors.
Panah
Khan
was
so
harassed
by
him
that
he
craftily
seized
his
father
Sarkies,
and
carried
him
to
Shushi
as
a
hostage.
One
day
he
said
to
the
old
man,
"Reprimand
thy
son
Arzuman,
that
he
should
cease
from
his
evil-doings,
he
is
devastating
the
country.
"
"I
have
no
son
of
the
name
of
Arzuman,
"
returned
the
old
man,
icily.
"What
sayest
thou?"
demanded
Panah,
waxing
furious.
"How
is
it
possible
that
that
blood-thirsty
Arzuman,
who
lays
waste
my
lands,
who
sets
fire
to
the
houses
of
my
peasantry,
who
gives
me
no
peace
for
a
single
day
-
how
sayest
thou
that
he
is
not
thy
son?"
"Yes,
I
say,
he
is
not
my
son,
"
answered
the
old
man.
"Had
he
been
My
son,
thou
wouldst
not
have
been
alive
this
day,
and
the
ruins
of
thy
fort
would
have
become
thy
tomb!"
There
and
then
Panah
gave
orders
that
the
proud
old
mans
head
should
be
cut
off.
In
1761,
Fataly
Khan,
favourite
general
of
Nadir,
the
late
Shah,
came
towards
Karabagh,
and
Yusup
of
Gulistan
and
Atham
of
Chrapierfh,
allying
themselves
with
him,
laid
siege
to
Panah
at
Shushi.
Panah
and
Shahnazar
fought
bravely
for
a
time,
then
abandoned
the
fort.
The
two
Meliks
had
made
an
agreement
with
Fataly
that
he
should
take
all
that
was
in
the
fort,
and
that
Panah
should
be
handed
over
to
them.
But
Panah
escaped
by
bribing
Fataly
with
a
thousand
tumans,
and
giving
him
as
a
hostage
his
son
Ibrahim,
whom
Fataly
took
with
him
to
Persia.
Panahs
defeat
rankled
in
his
heart,
and
fighting
soon
broke
out
afresh.
Yusup
and
Atham
then
applied
to
Thamraz
of
Georgia
(father
of
Heraclius),
promising
him,
in
return
for
his
aid
in
subduing
Panah,
to
assist
him
whenever
he
needed
help.
Thamraz
agreeing,
the
Meliks
and
Thamraz,
with
his
troops,
fought
Panah
and
his
allies
at
Askaran,
on
the
banks
of
the
Karkar.
Panahs
men
were
all
killed,
and
he
tried
to
escape
by
running
away
to
Persia,
but
the
two
redoutable
men,
Thali
Mahrassa
and
Thiuli
Arzuman,
went
in
pursuit
of
him
and
brought
him
back.
Shahnazar
and
Mirza-khan
having
fled
to
their
"Gospel"
fort
in
the
village
of
Chanakhch,
the
Armenians
and
Georgians
surrounded
the
place,
took
them
prisoners,
and
destroyed
the
fort.
Now
Yusup
and
Atham
had
made
exactly
the
same
agreement
with
Thamraz
as
with
Fataly
-
namely,
that
he
should
take
the
contents
of
the
fort
and
that
Panah
and
Shahnazar
should
be
delivered
up
to
them.
And
Thamraz
played
them
false
in
the
same
way
as
Fataly
had
done.
With
various
excuses
he
put
off
doing
anything
till
he
reached
the
boundaries
of
Karabagh,
when,
the
Meliks
becoming
aware
of
his
treachery,
they
cut
off
all
communications
with
him
and
called
upon
their
old
ally,
Hadji
Chelepy
of
Shirwan
(the
first
to
help
them
against
Panah
at
Bayat),
to
come
to
their
assistance.
It
took
time,
however,
for
Chelepy
to
reach
Karabagh,
and
meanwhile
Thamrazs
men,
passing
near
Gandtsak,
were
looting
and
destroying
all
that
came
in
their
way,
and
Shahverdi
Khan,
ruler
of
the
district,
came
out
to
protect
the
people.
In
the
fight
that
followed
Shahverdi
was
taken
prisoner.
But
now
the
Meliks
and
Hadji
Chelepy,
coming
up
with
their
men,
attacked
Thamraz
and
defeated
him,
rescuing
Shahverdi.
They
could
not,
however,
succeed
in
their
main
object,
that
of
securing
Panah
and
the
two
traitors
Shahnazar
and
Mirza-khan,
for
Panah
again
slipped
through
their
grasp
by
bribing
Thamraz,
who
allowed
the
three
to
escape.
The
friendship
between
Shahverdi
and
the
Meliks
was
of
old
standing.
When
Shahverdis
father
died,
his
brother
Mamlath
Khan
tried
to
kill
him
in
order
to
possess
himself
of
the
khanate.
Shahverdi
fled
for
his
life
to
Atham
of
Chrapierth,
who
with
his
troops
attacked
Mamlath
Khan
and
killed
him,
upon
which
Shahverdi
succeeded
to
his
inheritance,
and
never
forgot
the
service
Atham
had
rendered
him.
Yusup
was
connected
with
Shahverdi
through
his
mother,
wife
of
"
Kagh
"
Apov
and
daughter
of
Mamlath
Khan,
converted
to
Christianity.
Shahverdi
was
a
Persian,
and
was
favourably
inclined
towards
Christians,
unlike
the
savage
Mongolian
Turkmans.
He
was
greatly
respected
amongst
the
surrounding
khanates,
where
he
was
known
as
Beg-lar-beg
(chief
of
chiefs).
With
the
help
of
Shahverdi
the
Meliks
now
opened
negociations
with
Panah.
Thirteen
years
of
incessant
warfare
had
exhausted
both
sides
and
had
ruined
their
lands,
and
the
people,
weary
of
fighting,
needed
peace.
A
treaty
was
made
binding
down
Panah
to
cease
from
interfering
with
the
Meliks
people,
and
forbidding
his
encroaching
on
their
territories,
while
leaving
him
lord
of
Shushi.
If
any
quarrel
arose,
it
was
to
be
settled
by
arbitration.
Panah
observed
the
terms
of
the
treaty
while
he
lived,
but
the
end
of
his
career
of
cunning
and
treachery
was
approaching.
After
Fataly-Khans
return
to
Persia
he
battled
with
and
killed
Askarkhan,
whose
brother
Kherim
then
went
from
Shiraz
and
laid
siege
to
Fataly
in
his
fort
at
Urmi
in
1762,
and
took
him
prisoner
to
Shiraz,
together
with
his
hostage
Ibrahim,
son
of
Panah,
who,
hearing
of
this,
journeyed
to
Shiraz
with
presents
for
Kherim,
to
induce
him
to
release
his
son.
Panah
stayed
two
years
in
Shiraz
without
succeeding
in
freeing
his
son
or
in
getting
away
himself,
for
Kherim,
who
at
that
time
was
looked
upon
as
the
ruler
of
Persia,
did
not
desire
Panahs
return
to
Karabagh,
for
the
sake
of
preserving
the
peace
of
that
district.
So
Panah,
once
too
often,
had
recourse
to
the
innate
cunning
treachery
that
had
served
him
so
well
hitherto.
Feigning
death,
he
placed
himself
in
a
coffin,
and
his
men
approached
Kherim
with
the
request
that
they
should
be
allowed
to
fulfil
the
last
wish
of
the
departed
by
carrying
his
body
away
to
be
interred
in
his
native
country.
But
this
time
Panah
had
met
his
match.
Kherims
suspicions
were
aroused.
"I
must
give
him
a
grand
funeral
escort,
"
said
he.
"The
body
may
decompose
on
the
journey.
He
must
be
embalmed!
"
Kherim
ordered
his
executioners
to
cut
open
the
(living)
corpse,
and
to
take
out
the
intestines
in
order
to
embalm
the
body.
This
was
done.
He
then
delivered
the
corpse
to
Panahs
men,
saying
that
they
could
now
take
it
away,
which
they
accordingly
did.
Such
was
the
gruesome
end
of
Panah
Khan
in
the
year
1763.
IBRAHIM
KHAN.
Kherim,
thinking
the
son
might
serve
him
better
than
the
father,
gave
Ibrahim
the
title
of
Khan,
and
sent
him
to
Karabagh
as
governor.
At
first
Ibrahim
observed
the
treaty
made
between
his
father
and
the
Meliks,
but
as
soon
as,
with
the
support
of
Shahnazar,
he
had
firmly
established
himself
in
Karabagh,
he
began
to
tyrannise
over
them.
Shahnazar,
the
traitor
to
his
country,
who
had
given
his
fortress
of
Shushi
to
Panah,
who
by
his
alliance
with
the
lowborn
Jevanshir
herdsman
had
so
exalted
him
as
to
bring
about
through
him
the
downfall
of
Armenian
rule
in
Karabagh
-
this
same
Shahnazar,
after
the
death
of
Panah,
to
maintain
with
the
son
the
friendship
he
had
formerly
with
the
father,
committed
a
most
shameful
act.
He
gave
his
daughter,
the
beautiful
Hurizad,
to
Ibrahim
as
his
wife.
This
deeply
offended
the
Meliks,
more
especially
Iesaï
of
Thizak,
for
Hurizads
mother
was
his
own
daughter,
and
Shahnazars
lawful
wife.
There
resulted
severe
fighting
between
Iesaï
and
Shahnazar,
who,
with
Mirza-khan,
besieged
Iesaï
in
his
fortress
of
Thugh
in
the
year
1775.
Mirza-khan
was
taken
prisoner
with
his
men,
and
Melik
Iesaï,
holding
his
naked
sword
over
the
traitors
head,
delivered
himself
of
the
following
-
"Thou,
Mirza-khan,
dost
greatly
resemble
another
traitor
named
Mierhujan.
He
renounced
our
faith,
he
became
a
tool
of
the
Persians,
and
he
brought
desolation
to
our
fatherland.
To
him,
as
the
reward
for
his
wicked
achievements,
was
promised
the
crown
of
Armenia.
And
with
his
troops,
like
unto
thee,
did
he
fall
into
the
hands
of
Armenians.
For
him
an
iron
spit
was
made
redhot
in
flames
and
bent
into
the
shape
of
a
diadem,
by
the
command
of
the
Armenian
general,
Amrath
Bagrathun,
who,
setting
it
on
the
head
of
the
traitor,
said,
"It
was
thy
desire
to
become
king
of
Armenia.
Behold
me
now,
knight
and
king-maker,
thus
do
I
crown
thee!"
-
But
thou,
Mirza-khan,
canst
not
contain
the
measure
of
glory
that
was
meted
out
to
Mierhujan!
Thou
art
nought
but
a
vile
base
traitor,
who,
for
the
sake
of
a
miserable
passing
advantage,
didst
serve
the
Turkman
Khan
and
Melik
Shahnazar
in
all
the
evil
that
they
wrought!
Thou
shalt
be
dealt
with
even
as
one
dealeth
with
a
rabid
dog,
which
is
slain
lest
it
spread
its
poison
amongst
other
creatures.
"
And
with
the
last
words
down
came
his
sword!
Ibrahim
appointed
Mirza-khans
son
Allah
verdi,
Melik
of
Khachin,
and
the
son
was
as
faithful
to
the
Turkman
Khan
as
his
father
had
been.
As
Hurizad,
Ibrahims
wife
and
Melik
Iesaïs
granddaughter,
had
been
the
original
cause
of
the
feud
between
Iesaï
and
Shahnazar,
Ibrahim
himself
now
joined
the
enemies
of
Iesaï,
and
the
latter
had
to
fight
the
three
alone,
for
both
Apov
(son
of
Yusuf)
of
Gulistan,
and
Mechlum
of
Chrapierth
(son
of
Atham,
who
had
died
in
1780),
were
unable
to
help
him,
being
occupied
with
the
affairs
of
their
provinces,
and
the
provinces
of
Khachin
and
Varranda
lay
between
them
and
him.
In
1781
Ibrahim
and
his
allies,
Shahnazar
and
Allah-verdi,
besieged
Iesaï
at
Thugh,
where
he
defended
himself
bravely
for
a
long
while.
Then
the
Khan
and
Shahnazar
craftily
sent
two
men,
one
of
them
a
priest,
swearing
on
Cross
and
Gospel
that
they
had
come
to
treat
with
Iesaï,
thus
to
inveigle
him
out
of
his
fort.
He
believed
them
and
came
out,
but
he
was
betrayed!
Treachery
again
triumphed
over
valour.
Ibrahim
had
him
seized,
imprisoned,
and
put
to
death.
Iesaï
was
succeeded
by
his
nephew,
Bakhtham.
Yusup
died
in
1775
and
was
succeeded
by
his
eldest
son
Beglar,
a
warlike
young
man
who
had
been
of
great
assistance
to
his
father
in
fighting.
But
his
reign
was
short.
One
day,
when
he
was
starting
on
an
expedition
against
the
tribe
of
Lezguis,
who
had
invaded
his
lands,
his
mother
came
to
him
in
tears,
beseeching
him
to
keep
himself
aloof
from
bloodshed
on
that
day
at
least,
for
she
had
had
a
bad
dream,
and
her
heart
was
full
of
sad
forebodings.
Her
cruel
son
repulsed
her
so
roughly
as
to
throw
her
down,
and
mounted
his
horse
to
ride
away.
To
this
day
the
traveller
in
Gulistan,
after
leaving
the
village
of
Kharkhaput,
is
shown
on
the
right
hand
an
old
deserted
garden,
over-grown
with
trees
and
shrubs,
known
as
the
garden
of
Melik
Beglar.
There,
amidst
the
thick
undergrowth,
may
be
seen
the
ruins
of
what
was
once
a
beautiful
summer
residence,
built
by
the
Melik
for
his
mistress
Bala.
But
his
wife,
Amarnani,
was
the
daughter
of
Shahnazar
of
Varranda!
No
scruples
would
deter
her
from
avenging
herself
on
her
rival!
On
the
night
before
the
expedition
against
the
Lazguis,
when
her
husband
was
busy
with
his
preparations
for
the
fight,
she
bribed
one
of
her
servants
to
go
to
Balas
house
and
kill
her.
No
weapon
was
needed,
for
the
lovely
womans
hair
was
so
long
that
her
murderers
wound
her
tresses
round
her
slender
throat
and
strangled
her,
throwing
the
poor
body
into
a
well.
At
the
very
moment
that
Beglar
roughly
pushed
his
mother
aside
and
mounted
his
horse,
the
tidings
of
Balas
death
were
brought
to
him.
"When
I
return
from
the
battle,
"
said
he,
"I
know
what
I
shall
do
to
the
murderers,
"
and
rode
away
-
to
follow
his
love
to
another
world,
for
his
mothers
forebodings
were
fulfilled.
Amarnani,
knowing
well
what
awaited
her
from
a
man
of
her
husbands
merciless
character,
disguised
herself
as
one
of
his
bodyguard,
followed
him
to
the
fight,
and
in
the
thick
of
the
conflict
shot
him
dead
from
behind
some
bushes,
escaping
detection,
for
in
the
confusion
who
could
know
whether
the
bullet
that
killed
the
Melik
was
aimed
by
the
Lezguis,
or
by
one
of
his
own,
men.
Beglars
son
Freytoun,
or
Feridone,
being
under
age,
the
government
of
the
province
was
carried
on
by
Beglars
brother
Apov.
Panah,
in
comparison
with
Ibrahim,
was
in
certain
things
preferable
to
his
son,
for
he
had
preserved
something
of
his
tribal
simplicity,
and
was
free
from
the
fanatic
mollahism
that
Ibrahim
had
imbibed
during
his
residence
in
Persia.
Ibrahim
not
only
persecuted
Christians,
but
forced
a
large
number
to
embrace
the
Mahomedan
faith.
In
revenge
for
this,
Thiuli
Arzuman,
the
brave
captain
of
the
province
of
Chrapierth,
turned
missionary
after
his
own
fashion,
and
forced
all
the
Mahomedans
who
fell
into
his
hands
to
confess
the
truth
of
Christianity
and
the
falseness
of
their
own
religion.
One
day
he
met
a
Mollah
of
high
degree,
who
was
on
his
way
to
Shushi
with
his
train
of
servants.
Laying
hold
of
him,
Arzuman
insisted,
with
the
edge
of
his
sword
to
the
Mollahs
neck,
"Confess
that
Christ
is
God,
else
I
slay
thee!"
The
Mollah
confessed!
After
making
him
repeat
the
confession
three
times
Arzuman
let
him
go.
Ibrahim,
hearing
of
this,
sent
for
the
Mollah,
demanding
of
him
angrily,
"Is
it
possible
that
thou
hast
confessed
that
Christ
is
God?"
"Yes,
I
did
confess,
"
asserted
the
Mollah,
adding,
with
withering
conviction,
"But
if
thou,
most
exalted
Khan,
wert
to
fall
into
the
hands
of
Arzuman,
thou
wouldest
say,
not
only
that
Christ
is
God,
but
that
thou,
Arzuman,
art
the
god
of
gods!"
After
some
years
in
Gandsak,
Melik
Apov
went
with
his
followers
to
Bolnis
and
settled
there,
but
in
1795
he
returned
to
his
territory
in
Gulistan,
having
come
to
some
understanding
with
Ibrahim.
About
1797
he
again
left
Karabagh
for
Georgia.
In
1791
died
Shahnazar
of
Varranda,
leaving
four
soils,
the
eldest
of
whom,
Jamshed,
should
rightfully
have
succeeded
him.
But
Ibrahim,
influenced
by
Hurizad,
appointed
his
brother
Hussein
Melik
instead
of
Jamshed.
After
the
death
of
Shahnazar
Ibrahims
power
declined,
for
Jamshed
was
not
of
the
same
way
of
thinking
as
his
father,
and
desired
to
renew
the
old
alliance
with
the
Armenian
Meliks.
In
the
three
provinces
of
Gulistan,
Chrapierth,
and
Thizak,
the
rulers
were
now
all
hot-blooded
young
men,
the
older
experienced
ones
having
passed
away.
Of
these
Ibrahim
was
most
in
fear
of
Mechlum
of
Chrapierth,
who
was
as
deadly
and
implacable
an
enemy
of
the
Turkman
khan
as
his
father
had
been.
Ibrahim
laid
a
plot
to
assassinate
him,
but
failed.
Then,
about
1785-86,
he
invited
the
three
in
a
friendly
way
to
come
to
Shushi
and
discuss
matters
relating
to
their
different
territories,
but
once
there,
he
imprisoned
Apov
and
Mechlum,
and
sent
Bakhtham
away
to
Persia,
where
he
was
confined
in
the
fortress
of
Artavil,
and
his
territory
of
Thizak
fell
into
Persian
hands.
Ibrahim
then
sent
horsemen
to
plunder
and
pillage
the
wealthy
monastery
of
Gandtsasar,
seized
the
Catholicos
Johannes
and
five
of
his
seven
brothers,
and
imprisoned
them
at
Shushi,
inflicting
various
tortures
on
them.
The
Catholicos
was
poisoned
in
prison
(1786),
Bishop
Sarkies,
who
afterwards
became
Catholicos
of
Gandtsasar,
was
put
in
the
stocks
for
several
hours.
After
nine
months
in
prison
he
and
his
brothers
were
liberated,
Ibrahim
first
imposing
a
heavy
fine
on
the
monastery.
Mechlum
and
Apov
were
soon
at
liberty
again,
for
Mechlums
brave
captain
Arzuman
went
at
night,
broke
open
the
doors
of
the
prison,
and
set
them
free.
In
1787
Russian
troops
under
General
Purnashov,
with
Heraclius
of
Georgia,
were
approaching
Gandsak,
and
Mechlum
and
Apov
joined
them,
hoping
for
their
aid,
which
was
promised
them,
against
Ibrahim,
but
simultaneously
war
broke
out
for
the
second
time
between
the
Russians
and
the
Osmanlis,
and,
the
troops
returning
to
Russia,
the
two
Meliks
went
to
Tiflis
with
them.
Ibrahim
immediately
imprisoned
their
relatives
at
Shushi
as
hostages,
and
gave
their
lands
to
others.
Some
time
after
this
Mechlum
and
Apov
reminded
Heraclius
of
his
promise
to
help
them,
but
he
asked
for
delay.
Ibrahim
now
wrote
to
Heraclius
to
seize
and
send
them
to
him
in
return
for
some
3000
Turkmans,
formerly
Georgian
subjects,
who
had
settled
in
Karabagh.
Heraclius
treacherously
agreed,
but
the
Meliks,
slipping
out
of
his
hands,
escaped
to
Gandsak,
where
Zavath
Khan,
son
of
Shaverdi
Khan,
gladly
received
and
protected
them,
in
spite
of
Ibrahim
continually
sending
him
messages
to
deliver
them
up
to
him.
Zavath
Khan
was
possessed
of
a
greater
soul
than
the
treacherous
Georgian
prince,
and
took
no
notice.
The
story
told
of
their
escape
from
Tiflis
was,
that
Heraclius
had
invited
them
to
a
feast
in
a
garden,
intending
to
make
them
drink,
and
then
overpower
them
at
his
table.
The
Meliks,
coming
to
know
of
his
treacherous
intention,
mounted
their
horses,
saying
they
were
going
hunting
to
provide
something
for
the
feast,
and
did
not
return.
Meeting
some
carters
on
the
way,
Mechlum
sent
word
to
Heraclius,
telling
them
to
go
and
inform
their
prince
that
Melik
Mechlum
would
never
forget
his
hospitality.
But
neither
did
Heraclius
and
Ibrahim
forget
that
Mechlum
had
got
the
better
of
them.
Several
years
later,
in
1796,
they
besieged
Zavath-khan
and
Melik
Mechlum
at
Gandsak,
and
the
Melik
met
his
death
in
quelling
a
mutiny
in
the
fort
caused
by
an
old
man
who
treacherously
incited
the
garrison
to
open
the
gates
to
the
enemy.
After
the
death
of
Catherine
II.,
when
the
Emperor
Paul
I.
succeeded,
Russian
policy
towards
the
Christians
of
Caucasia
changed.
Peter
the
Greats
intentions
with
respect
to
the
Christians
were
forgotten,
and
Georgia,
after
the
death
of
Heraclius
in
1798,
became
a
Russian
province.
Jamshed
of
Varranda,
son
of
Shalmazar,
with
Freytoun,
son
of
Beglar
and
nephew
of
Apov
of
Gulistan,
wanted
to
establish
themselves
permanently
in
Georgia,
where
the
Armenians
had
first
of
all
been
well
received,
but
then
forced
to
become
serfs
and
to
sell
their
children.
Therefore,
to
keep
their
freedom,
these
two
Meliks
went
to
Petersburgh
to
represent
their
condition
to
the
Czar,
who
passed
an
edict
giving
them
a
district
where
they
could
settle
with
the
same
rights
over
their
people
as
they
possessed
in
Karabagh.
They
were
decorated
and
given
regular
pensions,
and
the
Russian
minister
in
Georgia,
Kovalensky,
was
informed
by
letter.
"The
Armenian
Meliks
Jamshed
and
Feridone
at
present
here
in
Petersburgh,
and
others
of
their
nationality
in
Georgia
and
in
Persia,
have
applied
to
the
Imperial
Majesty
and
have
received
a
most
gracious
permission
to
reside
in
Georgia
on
condition
that
the
King,
George
XII.,
should
give
them
lands
for
their
own
and
their
subjects
sustenance,
and
also
for
such
inhabitants
of
Persia
as
may
desire
to
leave
Persia.
The
King-Emperor
desiring
that
such
Christian
communities
should
thrive
in
Georgia
for
the
good
of
the
country,
you,
Kovalensky,
must
bring
about
that
Georgia
should
make
concessions
of
lands
that
may
be
most
advantageous
to
these
Meliks.
And,
since
such
a
community
cannot
permanently
settle
and
prosper
unless
their
customs
and
goverment,
which
from
olden
times
have
been
peculiar
to
them,
are
safeguarded,
for
that
reason
it
is
desirable
that
the
Armenian
community
should
be
quite
independent
of
Georgia,
except
in
respect
of
paying
a
small
tribute
to
the
King,
and
sharing
all
that
is
necessary
for
the
defence
of
the
country
as
regards
expenses
or
men.
"
The
Georgian
King
was
then
in
difficulties
and
he
agreed
to
these
conditions.
Feridone,
or
Freytoun,
took
part
of
the
district
of
Vorchalov
and
Aghjagala,
and
his
uncle
Apov
took
Bolniss
and
its
surroundings.
Feridone
received
a
pension
of
1000
roubles,
Jamshed
1200,
and
his
son
600.
In
1804
Russian
troops
under
Prince
Tsitsianoff,
marching
on
Erivan,
halted
near
Etchmiatsin,
while
numerous
Persian
troops,
commanded
by
Abbas
Mirza,
the
Persian
heir-apparent,
hastening
to
the
relief
of
Erivan,
took
the
Russians
by
surprise,
surrounding
them
and
cutting
off
their
communications.
Tsitsianoff,
who
had
been
intending
to
lay
siege
to
Erivan,
found
himself
in
a
state
of
siege
instead.
Rustom
Beg,
son
of
Apov
of
Gulistan,
at
the
head
of
500
Russians,
with
great
gallantry
passed
through
the
Persian
forces
twice,
and
brought
Tsitsianoff
ammunition
and
supplies.
On
the
third
occasion
he
encountered
800
Persians
in
the
valley
of
Phambak,
and
a
Georgian
prince,
Alexander,
joined
the
Persians
with
3000
men,
but
in
spite
of
their
overwhelming
numbers,
the
enemy
stood
stationary,
facing
Rustoms
little
force,
for
three
hours
before
attacking.
When
at
last
fighting
began,
Rustom
hurled
his
Russians
forward
with
great
valour,
but
he
was
fighting
against
tremendous
odds,
his
horse
was
shot
under
him,
and
at
his
third
wound
he
fell
to
the
ground
and
was
taken
prisoner.
The
Russians
were
annihilated,
Rustom
was
taken
to
Abbas
Mirzas
camp
by
the
orders
of
Alexander,
who,
resenting
the
former
refusal
of
Apov,
father
of
Rustom,
to
join
him
against
the
Russians,
thus
revenged
himself
upon
the
son,
who,
while
leading
Russian
troops,
had
fallen
into
his
hands.
Abbas
Mirza
imprisoned
him
at
Tabriz,
where
he
was
later
on
beheaded,
when
Abbas
Mirza
retreated
to
Tabriz
after
being
defeated
by
the
Russians.
The
Armenians
of
Tabriz
buried
him
in
the
porch
of
their
grave-yard,
and
taught
their
children
the
song
composed
by
the
hero
in
his
captivity,
for
he
was
poet
as
well
as
soldier.
(Raffi
here
quotes
the
touching
words
of
this
song.
)
In
1805
Melik
Jamshed
of
Varranda
(son
of
Shahnazar),
with
great
difficulty,
contrived
to
make
Ibrahim
recognise
the
Russian
government.
But
in
1806,
Prince
Tsitsianoff,
the
Russian
commander,
was
assassinated
at
Baku,
the
Mohamedan
population
of
Transcaucasia
was
thrown
into
a
ferment
of
excitement,
insurrections
broke
out
everywhere,
and
Ibrahim,
notwithstanding
the
fact
of
his
having
sworn
allegiance
to
the
Russian
government,
secretly
sent
his
son
Mamath
Hussein
Aga
to
Abbas
Mirza
(who,
in
command
of
Persian
troops,
was
at
that
time
occupying
a
district
on
the
right
bank
of
the
Ierask,
or
Araxes),
disclosing
to
him
the
whereabouts
of
Russian
troops,
inviting
him
to
cross
the
Ierask,
and
promising
him
his
(Ibrahims)
assistance
in
guiding
him
to
where
the
Russians
were
encamped
in
order
to
annihilate
them.
Abbas
Mirza,
with
an
overwhelming
number
of
Persian
troops,
crossed
the
Ierask,
and
approached
Shushi.
Inside
the
fort
were
quartered
a
few
hundred
Russian
soldiery
under
Colonel
Lisanievitch.
Jamshed
was
also
quartered
in
the
fort
at
that
time
with
some
cavalry.
Abbas
Mirza
encamped
near
the
village
of
Shushi
on
a
high
hill
whence
he
could
bombard
the
fort,
and
Ibrahim,
with
his
family,
stole
out
quietly
at
night
with
the
intention
of
going
to
the
camp
of
Abbas
Mirza.
But
Jamshed
instantly
informing
the
Russian
colonel,
the
two,
with
a
few
horsemen,
followed
Ibrahim
and
came
up
with
him
on
the
road.
They
spared
the
women
and
some
others,
but
Ibrahim
and
his
relatives
were
cut
to
pieces.
The
enemy
of
Karabagh
was
slain!
Jamshed
had
avenged
hot
only
his
own
wrongs,
but
the
wrongs
of
all
the
other
Meliks.
While
his
father,
Shahnazar,
in
exalting
this
savage
wild
beast,
had
earned
the
curses
and
opprobrium
of
the
whole
of
Karabagh,
now
the
exemplary
son
had
atoned
for
the
evil
the
vile
father
had
wrought,
but
it
was
too
late!
The
death
of
Ibrahim
could
not
heal
the
wounds
inflicted
by
the
Khans
of
Shushi
on
the
Meliks
of
Karabagh.
Apov,
Melik
of
Gulistan,
son
of
Yusup,
died
in
1808.
He
was
not
on
good
terms
with
the
Georgian
princes;
the
story
goes
that
he
was
invited
to
Tiflis
and
that
he
was
poisoned
there,
for
soon
after
he
fell
ill
and
died,
as
well
as
his
secretary,
who
had
accompanied
him.
His
surviving
sons
were
minors,
and
he
was
succeeded
by
his
nephew
Feridone,
the
son
of
Beglar
the
second,
who
had
been
chosen
in
1799
to
represent
the
Meliks
of
Karabagh
when
a
deputation
had
been
sent
to
the
Czar
Paul
I.
Feridones
reign
was
very
short.
He
had
excited
the
jealousy
of
his
younger
brother
Sham,
who
was
a
very
savage
ferocious
man,
hated
in
his
family.
In
an
access
of
rage
he
rushed
at
Feridone
and
wounded
him
so
severely
with
his
scimitar
that
he
died
there
and
then.
Feridone
was
succeeded
by
Apovs
son
Minas
Beg.
Feridone
had
six
sons,
Hovsep,
Shamir
Khan,
David
(who
went
to
India),
Thalish,
Themuraz,
and
Beglar
the
third.
After
the
deaths
of
Apov
and
Feridone
their
descendants
and
followers
left
Georgia
and
returned
to
Karabagh.
Their
lands,
villages,
and
property
had
fallen
into
the
hands
of
Ibrahim
Khan,
but
after
their
return
they
regained
all
their
possessions.
At
the
end
of
his
book
Raffi
gives
a
list
of
the
authorities
-
histories
and
chronicles
by
monks,
Varthapiets,
and
others,
from
whose
writings
he
gathered
materials
for
his
history
of
the
Five
Meliks,
and
relates
how
he
spent
two
months
in
1881
visiting
the
five
provinces
and
collecting
all
the
information
he
could
locally
from
the
old
inhabitants.
From
Gandsak
he
went
to
Gulistan,
where
he
spent
a
week
with
the
descendants
of
the
Beglarians,
Sergei
and
Alexander
Begs,
visited
their
family
burial-ground,
deciphering
the
almost
illegible
inscriptions,
and
saw
their
half-ruined
fortress
of
Gulistan,
and
the
village
churches
with
their
wall-inscriptions.
Thence
to
Chrapierth,
where
he
saw
in
the
church
at
Gedashen
(where
Yusup
and
Emin
fought
their
famous
battle
against
the
son
of
Shaverdi
Khan,
when
Yusup
wanted
to
run
away
and
Emin
shamed
him
into
standing
fast,
p.
296)
a
beautiful
MS.
of
the
Gospels,
at
the
end
of
which
Melik
Atham
had
written
records
of
his
family;
and
visited
Athams
half-ruined
palace
on
the
right
bank
of
the
river
Tharthar,
with
historical
inscriptions
over
the
doors.
At
the
village
of
Marthakierth
he
found
an
old
man,
over
a
hundred
years
of
age,
who
knew
Armenian,
Persian,
Arabic,
and
Turkman,
and
who
had
been
interpreter
to
the
last
khans
of
Shushi,
Ibrahim
and
Methi-khan
(and
later,
in
the
same
village,
was
a
short
time
in
the
service
of
a
German
missionary).
Raffi
passed
two
whole
days
in
taking
down
from
his
lips
all
that
he
could
relate
about
the
Khans
of
Shushi.
In
the
province
of
Khachin
he
visited
the
splendid
Vank
of
Gandtsasar,
where,
on
the
walls,
he
found
a
long
inscription
about
the
Melik-Beglarians.
In
the
same
province
he
saw
the
Magpies
Fort,
and
visited
Mirza-khans
village
of
Khanziristan,
where,
he
says,
he
was
so
shockingly
badly
received
that
he
only
stayed
there
one
hour!
At
Shushi,
to
his
disappointment,
he
found
that
important
documents
from
which
he
could
have
gained
much
information
had
been
stolen
by
different
persons.
At
Varranda
he
visited
Shahnazars
"Gospel"
village
of
Chanakhch;
from
Varranda
he
went
to
Thizak,
where
he
saw
the
burial
ground
of
the
Avanian
Meliks,
and
found
their
old
palace
occupied
by
a
Mahomedan
Beg,
for
one
branch
of
the
descendants
of
Avan
had
embraced
the
faith
of
Islam.
Of
the
five
Meliks
the
Beglarians
are
the
only
line
who
up
to
the
present
time
managed
to
preserve
some
portion
of
their
territories,
owning
18
villages,
all
inhabited
by
Armenians,
extending
over
large
tracts
of
land.
In
July,
1813,
there
arrived
in
Calcutta
Archbishop
Phillippos,
envoy
from
the
Catholicos
of
Etchmiatsin,
which
place
he
had
quitted
in
1812,
accompanied
by
a
servant
and
a
young
deacon,
eighteen
years
of
age,
who
was
gifted
with
a
very
beautiful
voice,
and,
who
acted
as
chorister
to
the
archbishop.
(Bishops
generally
travel
with
a
chorister
in
attendance,
to
ensure
the
rendering
to
their
own
satisfaction
of
certain
rather
elaborate
hymns
included
in
the
liturgy
when
a
bishop
is
celebrant.
)
The
archbishops
stay
in
Calcutta
was
tragically
short.
Within
the
space
of
two
months
his
servant
died,
and
was
buried
in
the
southern
portion
of
the
churchyard
of
the
Armenian
Church,
under
a
stone
inscribed,
This
is
the
tomb
of
Nierses
(the
servant
of
His
Grace
Archbishop
Phillippos,
Envoy
of
Holy
Etchmiatsin),
who
died
on
the
16th
Nadar
(September),
1813,
in
Calcutta.
A
few
weeks
later
the
archbishop
himself
succumbed,
and
was
buried
in
the
place
of
honour
under
the
porch.
On
his
stone
is
inscribed,
This
is
the
tomb
of
Archbishop
Phillippos,
who
departed
this
life
in
Calcutta
on
the
18th
Thira
(October),
1813.
But
the
third
member
of
the
little
party
was
evidently
of
tougher
stuff,
for
he
survived
his
companions
for
no
less
than
seventy-one
years.
He
was
David,
the
son
of
Melik
Feridone
of
the
Beglarians,
and
grandson
of
Beglar
the
second
and
Amarnani,
daughter
of
Shahnazar
of
Varranda,
the
ally
of
Panah
Khan.
He
had
taken
semi-monastic
orders
as
a
deacon,
but
these
were
set
aside
a
few
years
later.
At
that
period
it
was
the
custom
of
the
authorities
at
the
Armenian
church
in
Calcutta
to
issue
an
annual
publication
recording
all
the
events,
domestic
or
otherwise,
concerning
the
community
which
had
occurred
during
the
previous
twelve
months,
together
with
an
ecclesiastical
calendar
of
the
current
year.
These
publications
formed
a
very
valuable
record,
and
it
is
to
be
regretted
that
they
only
appeared
for
a
few
years,
and
were
then
discontinued.
In
one
of
them
there
is
the
following
entry,
1822.
On
February
26
David
M.
Fredonian
married
Mrs.
Nazloom
Carapiet
Sarkisian.
This
was
a
lady
of
some
means
who
had
been
fascinated
by
the
young
deacons
beautiful
voice,
and
at
her
death
some
years
later
left
him
money,
which
he
afterwards
lost
in
litigation.
He
lived
on
in
India
at
Dacca,
and
then
at
Chinsurah
in
Bengal,
in
spite
of
all
the
efforts
made
by
his
relatives
in
Armenia
to
induce
him
to
return
to
his
native
land.
They
even
went
to
the
length
of
writing
to
the
Governor-General
of
the
time,
requesting
that
David
Beglar
should
be
sent
back,
but
it
was
of
no
avail.
He
could
not
be
prevailed
upon
to
go.
His
descendants
by
another,
and
non-Armenian,
union
are
still
living
near
Chinsurah,
where
he
died
in
1884,
at
the
age
of
89.
On
his
tombstone
in
the
portico
of
the
Armenian
Church
at
Chinsurah
there
is
the
following
inscription,
first
in
Armenian,
then
in
English.
In
loving
memory
of
our
beloved
father
David
son
of
the
late
Freedone
Melik
Beglaroff,
last
independent
Prince
of
Karabagh
in
the
Province
of
Tiflis,
Caucasus.
Born
on
the
1st
May
1795
And
died
in
Chinsurah
on
22nd
September
1884.
I
am
the
resurrection
and
the
life.
This
inscription,
with
others
from
the
graves
of
David
Beglars
descendants,
was
published
in
Bengal
Past
and
Present,
vol.
x.,
p.
121,
in
an
article
by
the
Rev.
Father
Hosten,
S.
J.,
entitled
"The
Princely
Beglaroffs.
"
The
addition
of
"off"
to
the
name
of
Beglar
is
an
error,
caused
by
the
son
of
David
considering
himself
a
Russian
subject.
It
is
not
an
Armenian
termination,
and
his
correct
designation
was
David
(Melik)-Freytoun
Beglarian
(the
termination
ian
signifying
"of
the
family
of").
But
David
was
not
an
eldest
son,
and
it
was
only
the
ruling
chief
and
his
eldest
son
who
had
the
right
to
call
themselves
Melik,
the
younger
sons
were
called
Beg.
As
to
his
right
to
be
called
the
"last
independent
Prince
of
Karabagh,
"
that
is
a
title
applicable
to
his
father
Freytoun
or
Feridone,
but
scarcely
to
David
himself.
Karabagh
was
undoubtedly
the
last
home
of
Armenian
independence
-
that
independence
for
which
Emin
fruitlessly
struggled
and
suffered
for
so
long.
Had
it
not
been
for
the
sundering
of
the
Meliks
league
of
unity
by
the
treachery
of
Shahnazar
of
Varranda,
Emin
might
perhaps
have
succeeded
in
his
endeavours
in
some
measure,
at
any
rate
for
a
time.
GEOGRAPHICAL
NAMES.
IN
NARRATIVE
AND
IN
NOTE
ON
KARABAGH. |
IN
MAP. |
Arav
Mt. |
Murov
Dagh. |
Charrabert. |
Chrapierth. |
Cur,
Cura,
Kiurak. |
Kura-chai
(river). |
Dizah,
Dizok. |
Thizak. |
Gandja,
Ganja,
Gandsak. |
Elisavetopol. |
Ierask. |
Aras
Su,
Araxes
(river) |
Maghry. |
Migry. |
Orduvar. |
Ordubad. |
Shameor. |
Shamkor? |
Shashec,
Shushec,
Shushi. |
Shusha. |
Trashatzy,
Threshetzy. |
Thalish,
Thalich. |
Thar-thar. |
Ter-ter. |
Thugh. |
Tug. |
