Древний край азербайджана shusha old azerbaijan land

THE POPULATION OF OLD SHUSHA CITY

Shusha town – which is under Armenian occupation at present, takes specific place in Azerbaijan’s history. Foundation of the city is connected with Panahali khan’s name, the founder of Karabakh khanate (1748-1763). Political disorder rose in South Caucasia after Nadir shah’s murder in 1747 made Panahali khan to build strongly defended castle in order to ensure his security. For this purpose Bayat castle was built in 1748 and Shahbulag castle in 1752. But none of these castles was able to ensure khanate’s security during continuously fighting wars. Panahali khan decided to cause to build more solid castle inaccessible for enemies’ attack: “We should build such an eternal and unconquerable castle within mountains in solid and impassible place that even powerful enemy couldn’t surround it” (6, p 112). Mountain plateau located 1300-1600m high from sea-level and surrounded with precipitous cliffs was completely meeting these requirements. Panahali khan realizing favorable military-strategic situation of chosen place ordered to launch building of a new castle in 1754. After all necessary work was finished for secure living in 1756, capital of Karabakh khanate was removed there. The new castle was called Panahabad after its founder’s name but afterwards changed for Shusha.

Armenians occupied Azerbaijan’s very beautiful corners as Karabakh, as well as Shusha tries to conceal their aggressive policy falsifying historical facts. They try to show Shusha as “cradle of Armenian culture”, but historical facts proves that Armenian “specialists” lie. In order to be sure it’s enough to look at the names of streets and districts, which reflect history of town’s establishment and development, as well as national structure of population.

Analyses of available materials show three stages in the formation of Shusha as a town. The most ancient district of the town “Tabrizly” was build up during the first stage concurring Panahali khan’s authority. The district, famous with that name until the destruction of Karabakh khanate, was later called “lower district” (Ashagi mahalla) in accordance with the town’s relief. This first district of Shusha included the following streets: Chuxur (hollow), Gurdlar (worm), Julfa Seyidli, Haji Yusifli, Dordlar gurdu, Dord Chinar (Four planes) and Chol gala (2, p 277).

The second stage of the formation of Shusha as a town concurred to Ibrahimkhalil khan’s authority (1763-1806). The second district named “Upper district” (Yukhari mahalla) was built up. Unlike “lower district” favorable for town building, territory of this district was mountainous and covered with thick forest. For that reason as requirement raised forests were cut down and streets took their place. 8 new streets were built up in “Upper district” created during 40 years. Those streets were the followings: Khanate, Saatli, Kocharli, Mamayi, Khoja Marjanli, Damirchi, Hamam gabagi and Taza.

Building up of the third district named “Gazanchali” began in 1805 after Karabakh khanate was occupied by Russia and continued during whole XIX century. This district included 12 streets was the most populated one in Shusha. Mirza Yusif Karabakhli enumerated names of this district’s streets as Mehrili, Gazanchali, Jilabord, Dara, Baglar and etc. (7, p 38)

Only 162 families were living in Shusha when it was newly built up. According to archive documents made up by Russian officials at the beginning of XIX century it becomes evident that all those families were Azerbaijanis (10, p 4-5). It means that Shusha was founded by Azerbaijanis and only Azerbaijanis were living there in the first period. Later, on the account of people coming from different parts of Karabakh khanate, density of population raised in the town. Shusha from one hand having very favorable situation, on the other hand turning to the center of Karabakh khanate was very attractive for those who lived in the outskirts. According to information available over two thousand families were living there at the end of XVIII and the beginning of XVIII century (3, p 50). If we suppose every family consisted of 5 persons on average, we would define that over 10 thousand people were living in Shusha during that period. People moved from Damirchihasanli, Kabirli, Dizag, Javanshir, Otuziki (thirty two), Iyirmidord (twenty four) and Khachin districts of Karabakh khanate formed main part of this population.

Among those people who moved to Shusha at the end of XVIII and beginning of XIX century were population of Alban origin grigorianized and armenilized in Middle Ages under Armenian Church. Majority of them were those who came from Tativ, Khachin and Dizdag districts of Karabakh khanate. But according to calculations made on the basis of a document named “description of Karabakh district”, they formed only 27% of Shusha’s population (10, p 13-18).

Statistical information belonging to the beginning of XIX century shows that Christian population living not only in Shusha but in whole Karabakh khanate formed very few part of the population. According to the statistical information belonging to 1823, 15.729 families out of 20.035 living in Karabakh khanate were Azerbaijanis and 4.366 were Christians.

Apparently absolute majority of population living in Karabakh as well as in Shusha were Azerbaijanis at the beginning of XIX century. After Russia signed Turkmanchay treaty with Iran in 1828 and Adirna treaty with Ottoman Turkey in 1829, armenilization of Christian population of Alban origin was completed and Armenians increased in the region. Tsar Russia completing conquer of South Caucasia decided to use Armenians to strengthen its position in this region. According to terms of named treaties Armenians started to be moved from Iran and Ottoman Turkey to South Caucasia, mainly to historical Azerbaijani lands. According to official data just only in 1828-1830 Russia moved 40 thousand Armenians from Iran and 84 thousand from Turkey to South Caucasia (13, p 47).

Afterwards movement of Armenians to South Caucasia became firmer and gradually strengthened. Just as a result of this mass movement number of Armenians in South Caucasia increased nearly 4.5 times during 80 years after Turkmanchay treaty. Russian Caucasist, N.Shavrov wrote that 1 million out of 1.3 million Armenians living in South Caucasia were newcomers (13, p 64).

Russia’s annexationist and forcible Christianization policy in South Caucasia seriously influenced both administrative and demographic condition of Shusa town. After Karabakh khanate was abolished in 1822 it became a center of newly established Karabakh province but from 1840 of Shusha district.

Political stability arisen in Azerbaijan after the signature of Turkmanchay treaty resulted with the increase of population in Shusha as well. Establishment of factory and plant industry from the beginning of 70th of XIX century and requirement for labor force considerably intensified growth of population in the town.

In comparison with the beginning of XIX century, number of population increased 2.5 times in Shusha and became 25.881 people at the end of the century. But at the beginning of XX century this growth became much more intensified and number of town’s population reached 43.869 people in 1917 (12. p 49-50).

But this growth observed in Shusha hadn’t been at the expense of the town’s native inhabitants – Azerbaijanis. Movement policy fulfilled by Russian tsarism resulted with the disorder of ethnic balance in the region and rapid increase of Armenians. It will b0 just enough to show that although number of population in Shusha increased in 1897 from 25.881 people to 42.568 in 1913, actually number of Azerbaijanis remained invariable (10 thousand people). At the expense of displaced Armenians mechanical growth of population in the town prevailed over the natural growth several time at the end of XIX and the beginning of XX century. That is, 9.400 people out 23.929 growths – from 1870 till 1917, referred to natural population growth, but 15.524 to mechanical growth, actually to displaced Armenians.

Armenians achieving number superiority in Shusha with the patronage of Tsar Government began to oppress town’s native inhabitants – Azerbaijanis. Armenians armed to the teeth attacked Azerbaijanis on August 16, 1905. They committed great savageries against Azerbaijani population living in Kocharli and Khalfali districts. Russians were helping them that time. M.S.Ordubadi writes, “On one hand Kazak clusters and infantry Russian troop, on the other hand about 10 thousand Armenian soldiers gathered from surroundings and Armenian detachments and bandits kept in order in the town before the war, began attacks against Muslims. During 5 days all Muslim houses boundary with Armenian districts were burnt and destroyed with cannon thrust” (8, p 61).

Establishment of Soviet authority in Azerbaijan in 1920 didn’t give peace to Karabakh, as well as Shusha. Armenians holding leading posts in Nagorno-Karabakh with the patronage of higher ranked soviet leadership were fulfilling their crafty policy under the name of “class struggle” and were actually pursuing genocide and deportation policy against Azerbaijani population of the region. In 1920-1922 hundreds of Azerbaijani inhabitants were arrested, shot and persecuted in Shusha with the instigation of Armenians. Many beys of the town were shot in front of the population. For many Azerbaijani families the only way of avoiding Armenian persecution was to leave Shusha for Iran and Turkey. These repressions resulted with the diminishing of Azerbaijanis in the town more (4, p 64-66).

Administrative status of Shusha underwent changes several times during Soviet authority. Under the decision of Central Committee’s Caucasus bureau dated July 5, 1921 Shusha was defined as a center of a newly established Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Republic. But when this decision was implementing on July 7, 1923 a center of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Republic was chosen not Shusha but Khankendy. Probably Armenians realizing that it wouldn’t be easy to fulfill their crafty plans against Azerbaijanis from Susha took this step. And according to the special decision of the Central Committee’s meeting dated July 16, 1923, Shusha was included in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Republic. The town turned to a center of the same district and Malibeyli volost consisted of 12 villages. So Shusha was deprived of a status of a center of whole Nagorno-Karabakh it fulfilled over 170 years (5, p 48-51).

Depriving Shusha from the status of the administrative center seriously influenced Shusha’s life. As a result of indifferent relation by a leadership of the Republic and the district the town began to lose its previous view and fame. Not only was any building-construction work, quite the contrary, several historical-architectural monuments were savagely destroyed. Iron and frames of the complex built according to the instruction of Idrahimkhalil khan in “treasury order” which included a castle, harem, stable, bath and shelter for troop, were extracted during World War II, but buildings were gradually destroyed and became useless. Destruction of historical-architectural monuments of Shusha continued following years as well.

The biggest strike to Shusha was, despite it was for a short time, depriving it from the status of district center. At the beginning of 60th of XX century Armenian leadership of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Republic used an implementation of the policy about enlarging districts initiated by N.S.Khurushov against Shusha. On January 4, 1963 Shusha district was abolished and included in Stepanakert region. Only after N.S. Khurushov was removed from authority, on January 6, 1965 status of Shusha region was restored again (5, p 69-70).

Strange relation to Shusha during Soviet authority seriously influenced number and national structure of the city. During 50 years number of population in Shusha, formerly being one of the biggest and prosperous towns of Azerbaijan was diminished over thrice. So, despite 43.869 people were living there in 1917, their number arranged just 13.664 persons in 1970. National structure of population living in Shusha underwent serious changes during Soviet authority as well. As a result of deprivation of Shusha of a status being a center of Karabakh and strange relation to the town for years, Armenians - settled there during Tsar Authority’s removal policy, gradually left there. Only 3577 out of 13.664 people living in the town were Armenians in 1970. This tendency strengthened next years much more. In 1989 just only 1.377 out of 20.579 people living in Shusha were Armenians (2, p 210).

Revival of Shusha again was possible only in 1969, when H.Aliyev was appointed a leader of Azerbaijan. A new leader of the Republic firstly took measures to prevent destruction of historical-architectural monuments. Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR passed a law with his initiative about “declaring historical part of Shusha town as a historical-architectural reservation” in 1977. Many measures were taken to revive socio-economic and cultural life of the town. Oriental National Musical Instruments’ Factory producing tar, kamancha, ud, nagara and other musical instruments was given to use.

Memorial houses of coryphaeus of Azerbaijani culture and art, U.Hajibeyov, Kh.Natavan, Bulbul and M.M.Navvab were arranged with the imitative of H.Aliyev. Mausoleum of M.P.Vagif was opened in January, 1982. This beautiful work of art with 20m height was ornamented with delicate and carved frames and local marble with reddish tinge.

But these peaceful constructive works started in Shusha didn’t continue for a long time. The town was destroyed by Armenian vandals when it was occupied by them in 1992. Shusha impatiently waits for getting liberated from Armenian occupation now.

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INFORMATION ON HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTS OF OLD SHUSHA

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NAME OF THE ABOVEMENTIONED DISTRICTS: