A Truthful History

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PRINCE PASKEVICH'S INVASION OF IRAN, HIS BATTLE AGAINST ABBAS MIRZA AND THE CONQUEST OF THE ABASABAD, EREVAN AND OTHER FORTRESSES

In the March of 1827 H. Ex. Count Paskevich Erevanskii was appointed tothe post of the Administrator-in-Chief of Caucasian province and the Commander-in-Chief ofCaucasian army corps. He settled the affairs in the regions under his rule: put them ingood order, dismissed the previous officials and appointed new ones. Soon after that, headvanced towards Iran with his victorious troops. Thus, he picked his way with a numerousarmy (141b) towards Erevan. Hearing of this Hoseyn Khan Sardar, the beglarbeg of Erevan ordered all the tribes of his country to migrate. He entrusted his brother HasanKhan with the task of defending the fortresses of Sardarabad and Erevan and startedroaming in his country. Crown prince Abbas Mirza also made military preparations andcame with his sarbaz, cavalry troops, and artillery to assist Hoseyn and Hasankhans. He encamped at Karaziaddin near to the Arax and the Kejlar Mountain.

Meanwhile, Major General Mahdi-qoli Khan of Karabagh was in the valleyof Daralagiaz (Dare-al-Gas) in Nakhichevan and sent a messenger to the Commander-in-Chiefand expressed his will about rendering his loyalty to the Eternal State of Russia. ByCommander-in-Chief's order Prince Abkhazov and General Pankratev with two infantrydetachments were sent for the Khan and accompanied him and his subjects to Karabagh. Theywere given an area for him and his subjects to settle down. This was theCommander-in-Chief's first venture.

Ehsan Khan of Nakhichevan, who was the Commander-in-Chief ofNakhichevan troops, a far-sighted and enlightened person, was entrusted with the task ofdefending the fortress of Abasabad. Anticipating the signs of decline ofQizilbashs' state, he sent a secret messenger to the Commander-in-Chief and informedhim, that (142a) he would surrender the fortress of Abasabad as soon as Paskevichmoved with his forces towards his estate . When the Commander-in-Chief receivedthe news he set out with his army to Nakhichevan.

The Qizilbash government learned about [Ehsan Khan's] intentionsand sent Muhammad Amin Khan, a high-rank official and an army commander, also, FathAli Shah's son-in-law, and a few others with a regiment of four thousand andthe Bakhtiari infantry troop to defend the fortress of Abasabad. H. Ex. Commander-in-Chief Paskevich laid a siege to the fortress of Abasabad and attackedit from both sides of the Arax.