It
is
known
that
the
land
of
Karabagh
belonged
to
Armeniankingdom.
The
territory
of
Karabagh
belonged
to.
Eqlim
and
in
ancient
timeswas
divided
into
four
regions:
-
Siwnik
(Sunestan,
Sisestan,
Sisian
or
Beyond
the
Mounts),
that
stretched
from
the
Lake
Sevan
(Giokcha)
to
Khoda-Aferin
bridge
[on
the
river
Arax]
and
from
Arax
River
down
to
the
mountains
of
Mrav
and
Ayrum.
This
region
is
now
called
Beyond
the
Mounts
or
Zangezur.
-
Artsakh,
now
Karabagh,
was
located
in
the
valley,
that
stretched
from
Kirs
mountain
to
the
Javad
district,
the
confluence
of
Arax
and
Kur
rivers,
and
from
the
bridge
of
Khoda-Aferin
down
to
Khachen
River.
-
Utik
(Udi,
Uti)
that
stretched
from
the
mount
Mrav
to
the
bank
of
the
Kur
River,
and
from
the
Khachen
River
to
the
Kurak
River
of
Ganje.
Its
biggest
town
was
Barda'.
-
Paitakaran
(Faidakaran)
was
an
area
between
the
rivers
of
Kur
and
Arax
and
stretched
up
to
the
Caspian
(Khazar)
Sea.
The
district
of
Ganje
formed
a
part
of
Arran.
These
districts
were
called
Armenia,
which
comes
from
Aram,
the
name
ofthe
fifth
son
of
Noah
(Nuh),
one
of
the
sons
of
Habeth.
The
denomination
of
Sisian
isconnected
with
the
name
Sis
or
Sisak
the
son
of
Gegam
from
the
generation
of
Noah.
Aghuank
or
Aghuanestan
was
called
because
the
same
Sisak
had
been
veryhandsome
and
pleasant,
which
means
Aghu
in
Armenian.
This
denomination
spread
all
over
the
countries
of
Karabagh,
Shamakhi,
Shaki,
etc.
Today,
the
western
side
of
Mount
Kirs
is
called
Zangezur
and
Capan(Qapanat)
whereas
the
northern
side
-
Karabagh.
Its
climate
is
a
little
humid.
Its
people,
though
stubborn,
are
renowned
for
their
courage
and
skill
in
all
handicrafts...
(76a)
There
were
several
big
towns
in
Karabagh:
Mehr,
Babi
andBarda'.
They
were
destroyed
during
the
invasions
of
foreign
armies.
Their
inhabitantsfearing
for
their
lives
escaped
to
the
mountainous
areas
and
settled
there.
(76b)
In
ancient
times
a
part
of
the
Moslem
people
of
Araq
andAzerbaijan
came
to
stay
in
Karabagh,
Shamakhi,
and
Shaki
up
to
Alazan
River.
During
theperiod
of
the
rule
of
Safavi
dynasty
a
part
of
the
Armenian
population
of
Jugha
(Julfa)was
deportated
to
a
neighboring
place
of
Isfahan,
which
is
now
called
New
Jugha.
Themajority
of
today's
Karabagh
inhabitants
living
in
highlands
have
been
city-dwellers,
who
could
not
endure
the
despotism
of
rulers
and
scattered
in
the
almost
inaccessibleplaces.
A
part
of
Karabagh's
inhabitants
is
from
the
town
of
Mehr,
today
termed
Mil,
and
Ahar,
a
town
in
Karadagh
(Karajadagh).
They
say,
there
was
a
big
Armenian
commune
inAhar,
consisted
of
mainly
wealthy
Armenians.
During
the
reign
of
shahs
from
Safavi
dynastythe
Moslem
inhabitants
[of
Ahar]
conspired
a
plot
against
them
and
appealed
to
shahaccusing
the
Armenians
as
if
they
had
become
very
rich
and
refused
to
be
Iranian
subjects.
They
accused
them
of
sending
gunpowder
and
bullets
to
Avan
Yuzbashi
aiming
atstrengthening
him:
this
will
enable
him
to
liberate
them
from
Iranian
rule.
Therefore
shahissued
an
order
either
to
massacre
the
Armenians
or
convert
them
to
the
Moslem
Religion.
This
resulted
in
slaughter
of
[Armenians],
conversion
of
some
of
them
to
Islam
and
themigration
of
the
others.
A
part
of
the
plain
inhabitants
migrated
to
Takhte
Qapu
and
highlands,
a
part
dispersed
to
Qizliar,
Astrakhan
(Hashtarkhan)
and
Russia.
So
some
regions
andvillages
are
now
ruined,
abandoned,
and
turned
to
waste
lands.
One
of
them
is
the
districtof
Zaruzabil
in
the
middle
of
Karabagh
and
Ganje,
the
trays
and
ruins
of
some
of
itsvillages
still
can
be
seen.
In
short,
fertile
lands
are
left
uncultivated
and
theirgreater
part
is
inhabited
by
the
nomadic
tribes.
During
the
reign
of
shahs
of
Safavidynasty,
the
taxes
[of
Karabagh]
were
paid
to
the
beglarbegies
of
Ganje.
