Official site of the President of the NKR", Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, "General Assembly adopts resolution reaffirming territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, demanding withdrawal of all Armenian forces", Abbas-gulu Aga Bakikhanov. Communal Violence and Human Rights, The former Soviet Union. According to Abu Bakr Tihrani, during the period of Jahan Shah (1438–1468), the ruler of Kara Koyunlu, Piri bey Karamanli held the governorship of Karabakh. According to some sources, in 821, the Armenian[24] prince Sahl Smbatian revolted in Artsakh and established the House of Khachen, which ruled Artsakh as a principality until the early 19th century. [66][67][68][69] According to Armenia's former president, Levon Ter-Petrossian, the Karabakh leadership approach was maximalist and "they thought they could get more. Despite the ceasefire, fatalities due to armed conflicts between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers continued. Stalin was the acting Commissar of Nationalities for the Soviet Union during the early 1920s, the branch of the government under which the Kavburo was created. [citation needed] In the early 18th century, Iran's Nader Shah took Karabakh out of control of the Ganja khans in punishment for their support of the Safavids, and placed it under his own control[41][42] In the mid-18th century, as internal conflicts between the meliks led to their weakening, the Karabakh Khanate was formed. Such words are not used in the Armenian name, but appeared in the region's official name during the Soviet era as Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. [56] In 1921, Armenia and Georgia were also taken over by the Bolsheviks who, in order to attract public support, promised they would allot Karabakh to Armenia, along with Nakhchivan and Zangezur (the strip of land separating Nakhchivan from Karabakh). Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as the Republic of Artsakh, is an unrecognised republic in the Caucasus. [citation needed] In 1989, Nagorno-Karabakh had a population of 192,000. This unprecedented action by a regional soviet brought out tens of thousands of demonstrations both in Stepanakert and Yerevan, but Moscow rejected the Armenians' demands. [53] Later, Ottoman troops entered Karabakh, meeting armed resistance by Armenians. [5][6], The prefix Nagorno- derives from the Russian attributive adjective nagorny (нагорный), which means "highland." Mostly populated by Armenians (80%), the country declared its … Our vocation is to inform users about the World and the people who live there, through synthetic country profiles sheets, various statistics, thematic maps and news, ad hoc articles, all in various fields related to humanity and our planet. Other flatter valleys exist around the Sarsang reservoir, Hadrut, and the south. The resulting district ensured an Armenian majority. [22][23] The only comprehensive history of Caucasian Albania was written in Armenian, by the historian Movses Kaghankatvatsi.[23]. [90] The Armenian Defense Ministry alleged that Azerbaijan launched an offensive to seize territory in the region. [13] While formally having the status of a province (nahang), Artsakh possibly formed a principality on its own — like Armenia's province of Syunik. 23.09.2020. [20] In the same 7th century, Armenian[21] poet Davtak Kertogh writes his Elegy on the Death of Grand Prince Juansher, where each passage begins with a letter of Armenian script in alphabetical order. Hewsen, Robert H. "The Kingdom of Artsakh", in T. Samuelian & M. Stone, eds. Artsakh one of the Armenian ProvincesArtsakh’s Medieval Cultural HeritageArtsakh MiniaturesArtsakh’s (Karabakh’s) Autonomous Status within PersiaKarabakh – A Part of the Russian EmpireThe Status of Karabakh after the Collapse of the Russian EmpireThe Annexing of Karabakh to Soviet AzerbaijanThe Oppression of Armenians in Azerbaijan and the Fight for Self-DeterminationThe Republic of Artsakh Today, Brief History of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Precis de l’Histoire d’Artsakh (Haut-Karabakh), Kurze Geschichte von Artsakh (Bergkarabach), Breve Storia dell’Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Краткая история Арцаха (Нагорного Карабаха), Breve Historia de Artsaj (Nagorno-Karabagh). This book briefly reveals the history of Artsakh since the ancient times until the present days. [37] These five principalities[38][39] in Karabakh were ruled by Armenian families who had received the title Melik (prince) and were the following: From 1501 to 1736, during the existence of the Safavid Empire, the province of Karabakh was governed by Ziyadoglu Gajar's dynasty. It is not recognized by the international community (with the exception of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria, themselves not recognized by the international community, as well as some regions in various countries). Karabakh (including modern-day Nagorno-Karabakh), became a protectorate of the Russian Empire by the Kurekchay Treaty, signed between Ibrahim Khalil Khan of Karabakh and general Pavel Tsitsianov on behalf of Tsar Alexander I in 1805, according to which the Russian monarch recognized Ibrahim Khalil Khan and his descendants as the sole hereditary rulers of the region. The confrontation between the Azeris and the police near Askeran degenerated into the Askeran clash, which left two Azeris dead, one of them reportedly killed by an Azeri police officer, as well as 50 Armenian villagers and an unknown number of Azeris and police injured. A History of Qarabagh: An Annotated Translation of Mirza Jamal Javanshir Qarabaghi's Tarikh-e Qarabagh. The territory of modern Nagorno-Karabakh forms a portion of the historic region of Karabakh, which lies between the rivers Kura and Araxes, and the modern Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Here you can find both cultural and political aspects of Artsakh’s history. [73] As many as one thousand Afghan mujahideen participated in the fighting on Azerbaijan's side. [80] On 14 March of the same year the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution No. In 1822, 9 years after passing from Iranian to Russian control, the Karabakh Khanate was dissolved, and the area became part of the Elisabethpol Governorate within the Russian Empire. Mostly populated by Armenians (80%), the country declared its independence on 2 September 1991. [93] Approximately half of Nagorno-Karabakh terrain is over 950 metres (3,120 ft) above sea level. Artsakh is a self-proclaimed republic of Transcaucasia, called until early 2017 Nagorno-Karabakh. 7/34-P, considering the occupation of Azerbaijani territory as the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan and recognizing the actions against Azerbaijani civilians as a crime against humanity, and condemning the destruction of archaeological, cultural and religious monuments in the occupied territories. Informations, maps and statistics of the populations and countries of the World. Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, abolished the status of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Prague Process (Armenian–Azerbaijani negotiations), Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations, List of active separatist movements in Europe, "Official Statistics of the NKR. [19] The 7th-century Armenian linguist and grammarian Stephanos Syunetsi stated in his work that Armenians of Artsakh had their own dialect, and encouraged his readers to learn it. In 1823 the five districts corresponding roughly to modern-day Nagorno-Karabakh was 90.8% Armenian.[51][52]. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, British troops occupied Karabakh. Urartian inscriptions (9th–7th centuries BC) use the name Urtekhini for the region. 'mountainous Karabakh'; Armenian: Լեռնային Ղարաբաղ; Azerbaijani: Dağlıq Qarabağ), also known as Artsakh (Armenian: Արցախ), is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. [10] According to the prevailing western theory, these natives intermarried with Armenians who came to the region after its inclusion into Armenia in the 2nd or, possibly earlier, in 4th century BC. Hopes and Disappointments: Case Studies, "By Giving Karabakh Lands to Azerbaijan, Conflict Would Have Ended in '97, Says Ter-Petrosian", "Ter-Petrosyan on the BBC: Karabakh conflict could have been resolved by giving certain territories to Azerbaijan", "Первый президент Армении о распаде СССР и Карабахе", Azerbaijan closes last of emergency camps, No End in Sight to Fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, "Проект заявления по Нагорному Карабаху ожидает одобрения парламентских сил Армении", Resolutions on Political Issues Adopted by the Council of Foreign Ministers (Session of Shared Vision of a More Secure and Prosperous Islamic World) Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan 4–6 Jamadul Thani 1431H (18–20 May 2010), FM: Azerbaijan welcomes resolution 'Need for EU Strategy for South Caucasus' adopted by European Parliament, EU's Ashton Says Nagorno-Karabakh Elections Illegal, Bulgarian MEPs Urge EU to Be Proactive in South Caucasus, "Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water", "PACE Adopts Anti-Armenian Measure, Rejects Another", "Resolution: Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water", "A Dozen Dead in Heavy Fighting Reported in Nagorno-Karabakh", "Dozens killed in Nagorno-Karabakh clashes", Articles and Photography on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) from UK Photojournalist Russell Pollard, All UN Security Council resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh, courtesy U.S. State department, Nagorno-Karabakh Agreement of 2 November 2008, Article on the 10 December Referendum from Russia Profile, The conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference, Independence of Kosovo and the Nagorno-Karabakh Issue, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. For the de facto independent state formerly named Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, see, Parties involved shown in parentheses after each entry. [95] The major cities of the region are Stepanakert, which serves as the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, and Shusha, which lies partially in ruins. [85] On 26 January 2016, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted Resolution 2085, which deplored the fact that the occupation by Armenia of Nagorno-Karabakh and other adjacent areas of Azerbaijan creates humanitarian and environmental problems for the citizens of Azerbaijan, condemned alleged ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis and Assembly requested immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the region concerned. Congratulatory address of the Artsakh Republic President in connection with the 29th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia: 2020-09-19: The seat of the National Assembly will be moved to Shoushi. 18.09.2020. "[70][71][72], The struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after both Armenia and Azerbaijan attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. 22.09.2020. The (Tbilisi–Gyumri–)Yerevan–Nakhchivan–Horadiz–Şirvan(–Baku) main railway was also dismantled from the NKR between Ordubad and Horadiz, and a by-line from Mincivan to the Armenian city of Kapan. Six days later they were joined by mass marches in Yerevan. [94] The borders of Nagorno-Karabakh resemble a kidney bean with the indentation on the east side. Subsequently, it was ruled by local governors endorsed by the Caliphate. [61] Many survivors from the Azerbaijani side found shelter in 12 emergency camps set up in other parts of Azerbaijan to cope with the growing number of internally displaced people due to the Nagorno-Karabakh war.[74]. Golestan-i Iram. The former railway line between Kətəlparaq and Stepanakert has been almost completely destroyed. Viviano, Frank. The region is usually equated with the administrative borders of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, comprising 4,400 square kilometres (1,700 sq mi). The Karabakh khanate, one of the largest khanates under Iranian suzerainty,[43] was headed by Panah-Ali khan Javanshir. [64] The population at that time was 76 percent Armenian and 23 percent Azerbaijanis, with Russian and Kurdish minorities. The part near the indentation of the kidney bean itself is a relatively flat valley, with the two edges of the bean, the provinces of Martakert and Martuni, having flatlands as well. [76] On 25 January 2005, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted PACE Resolution 1416, which condemned alleged ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis. Artsakh is a self-proclaimed republic of Transcaucasia, called until early 2017 Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian–Armenian relations, 1700–1828. In 1261, after the daughter of the last king of Dizak married the king of Artsakh, Armenian[30] prince Hasan Jalal Dola, the two states merged into one[25] Armenian[31] Principality of Khachen. Mazda Publishers, 1994. [82] On 20 May of the same year, the European Parliament in Strasbourg adopted the resolution on "The need for an EU Strategy for the South Caucasus" on the basis of the report by Evgeni Kirilov, the Bulgarian member of the Parliament. [83][84] The resolution states in particular that "the occupied Azerbaijani regions around Nagorno-Karabakh must be cleared as soon as possible". By NGO “Against Xenophobia and Violence”. The oblast's borders were drawn to include Armenian villages and to exclude as much as possible Azerbaijani villages. Anatomy of Racism in Azerbaijan, MIA Publishers, 2013 Its capital and largest city is Stepanakert. By the end of 1993, the conflict had caused thousands of casualties and created hundreds of thousands of refugees on both sides. [64] On 26 November 1991 Azerbaijan abolished the status of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, rearranging the administrative division and bringing the territory under direct control of Azerbaijan. In February 1920, the Karabakh National Council preliminarily agreed to Azerbaijani jurisdiction, while Armenians elsewhere in Karabakh continued guerrilla fighting, never accepting the agreement. [75] At that stage, for the first time during the conflict, the Azerbaijani government recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as a third party in the war, and started direct negotiations with the Karabakh authorities. In the post-Soviet power vacuum, military action between Azerbaijan and Armenia was heavily influenced by the Russian military. Christopher Walker. Nagorno-Karabakh: Timeline Of The Long Road To Peace, USIP — Nagorno-Karabakh Searching for a Solution: Key points. : Robert H. Hewsen. After the Nagorno-Karabakh war and the abandonment of Ağdam, the line's service was cut back to service only between Yevlax and Kətəlparaq, without any present section at the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Human Rights Developments, Sovereignty after Empire. Furthermore, both the Armenian and Azerbaijani military employed a large number of mercenaries from Ukraine and Russia. Consultations between the Foreign Ministries of the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia . Needing to placate Turkey, the Soviet Union agreed to a division under which Zangezur would fall under the control of Armenia, while Karabakh and Nakhchivan would be under the control of Azerbaijan. [61] There were also fighters from Chechnya fighting on the side of Azerbaijan, as well heavy artillery and tanks provided to Armenia by Russia. Other languages apply their own wording for mountainous, upper, or highland; for example, the official name used by the Nagorno-Karabakh Repu… [62], On 29 November 1989, direct rule in Nagorno-Karabakh was ended and the region was returned to Azerbaijani administration. Subsequently, Artsakh continued to exist as a de facto independent principality. [86][87][88], Several[quantify] world leaders have met with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan over the years, but efforts to maintain the ceasefire have failed. Case Studies: Nagorno-Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh (/nəˈɡɔːrnoʊ kɑːrəˈbɑːk/ nə-GOR-noh kar-ə-BAHK;[3] Russian: Нагорный Карабах, lit. Nagorno-Karabakh in its modern borders is part of the larger region of Upper Karabakh. «Дионисий Фракийский и армянские толкователи», Пг., 1915, 181—219, The Oxford History of Historical Writing: 400–1400 / Edited by Sarah Foot, Chase F. Robinson. A Soviet proposal for enhanced autonomy for Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan satisfied neither side and a full-scale war subsequently erupted between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, with the latter receiving support from Armenia. [25] According to other sources, Sahl i Smbatean "was of the Zamirhakan family of kings," and in the year 837–838, he acquired sovereignty over Armenia, Georgia, and Albania. Vineyards, orchards, and mulberry groves for silkworms are developed in the valleys. This website is the result of a passion: Humans and the Earth. Their lands were often referred to as the Country of Khamsa (five in Arabic). In the resolution, OIC member states condemned the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenian forces and Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, alleged ethnic cleansing against the Azeri population, and charged Armenia with the "destruction of cultural monuments in the occupied Azerbaijani territories". [59], On 13 February 1988, Karabakh Armenians began demonstrating in their capital, Stepanakert, in favour of unification with the Armenian republic. Agop Jack Hacikyan, Gabriel Basmajian, Edward S. Franchuk. [14] Tigran the Great, King of Armenia, (ruled from 95–55 BC), founded in Artsakh one of four cities named "Tigranakert" after himself. [54] The decision was opposed by Karabakh Armenians. The Armenian meliks were granted supreme command over neighbouring Armenian principalities and Muslim khans in the Caucasus by the Iranian king Nader Shah, in return for the meliks' victories over the invading Ottoman Turks in the 1720s. On 22 February 1988, the first direct confrontation of the conflict occurred as a large group of Azeris marched from Agdam against the Armenian populated town of Askeran, "wreaking destruction en route". Self-Determination Movements in the Former Soviet Union. [34] However, according to Robert H. Hewsen, the Turkoman lord Jahan Shah (1437–67) assigned the governorship of upper Karabakh to local Armenian princes, allowing a native Armenian leadership to emerge consisting of five noble families led by princes who held the titles of meliks. Azerbaijan has not exercised political authority over the region since the advent of the Karabakh movement in 1988. In 387 AD, after the partition of Armenia between the Roman Empire and Sassanid Persia, two Armenian provinces Artsakh and Utik became part of the Sassanid satrapy of Caucasian Albania, which, in turn, came under strong Armenian religious and cultural influence. [51][52] The population of the former Armenian principalities accounted for approximately 8.4% of the population of the whole of Karabakh.[97]. In around 180 BC, Artsakh became one of the 15 provinces of the Armenian Kingdom and remained so until the 4th century. Society of Armenian Studies, N4, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1984, p 37. [40] The Armenian meliks maintained full control over the region until the mid-18th century. Ziyadoglu Gajar's dynasty ruled the province of Karabakh until Nader Shah took over Karabakh from their rule. Comment by the Information and Public Relations Department of the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh. [63] The Soviet policy backfired, however, when a joint session of the Armenian Supreme Soviet and the National Council, the legislative body of Nagorno-Karabakh, proclaimed the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. [18] St. Mesrop was very active in preaching Gospel in Artsakh and Utik. Nagorno-Karabakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh, is a country in the Caucasus. During that time, Otuziki, Javanshir, Kebirli, and other Turkic tribes constituted the majority of the overall population. [10], Armenian culture and civilization flourished in the early medieval Nagorno-Karabakh. Over the next two years (1918–1920), there were a series of short wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan over several regions, including Karabakh. Such words are not used in the Armenian name, but appeared in the region's official name during the Soviet era as Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. The ancient population of the region consisted of various autochthonous local and migrant tribes who were mostly non-Indo-Europeans. The prefix Nagorno- derives from the Russian attributive adjective nagorny (нагорный), which means "highland." It has tall mountain ridges along the northern edge and along the west and mountainous south. In the census of 2015, Artsakh had a population of 145,053, consisting of 144,683 Armenians and 238 Russians, and others. Countries and Territories of the World (Population), Artsakh (Haut-Karabakh) – occupation militaire, Artsakh (Haut-Karabakh) – situation (2012), Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) – administrative, Coronavirus: 100,000+ people infected worldwide, The United Kingdom leaves the European Union, Discover the Most Beautiful Spots of the World, Share the Most Beautiful Architecture Pictures, Share the Most Beautiful Pictures of the World. [11] Other scholars suggest that the Armenians settled in the region as early as in the 7th century BC.[12]. —. [94] Notable peaks include the border mountain Murovdag and the Great Kirs mountain chain in the junction of Shusha Rayon and Hadrut. The region is mostly mountainous and forested. Had Turkey not been an issue, Stalin would likely have left Karabakh under Armenian control. [15] The ruins of the ancient Tigranakert, located 50 km (30 mi) north-east of Stepanakert, are being studied by a group of international scholars. "The Meliks of Eastern Armenia: A Preliminary Study". Law on Abolishment of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Administrative divisions of the Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nagorno-Karabakh&oldid=980685417, Articles with Russian-language sources (ru), Articles containing Russian-language text, Wikipedia extended-confirmed-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Armenian-language text, Articles containing Azerbaijani-language text, Articles containing Urartian-language text, Articles containing Ancient Greek-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2007, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2008, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 27 September 2020, at 21:33. The region possesses numerous mineral springs and deposits of zinc, coal, lead, gold, marble, and limestone. The present-day conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has its roots in the decisions made by Joseph Stalin and the Caucasian Bureau (Kavburo) during the Sovietization of Transcaucasia. [29] Initially Dizak, in southern Artsakh, formed also a kingdom ruled by the ancient House of Aranshahik, descended of the earliest Kings of Caucasian Albania. Since the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994, representatives of the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group on the region's disputed status. The Ordubad–Horadiz section has been demolished, leaving the NKR with no intact, active railway line in their territory. Novelist. Ancient Greek sources called the area Orkhistene.[7]. Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed territory, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan,[4] but mostly governed by the Republic of Artsakh (formerly named Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), a de facto independent state with an Armenian ethnic majority established on the basis of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. 5:20. Nagorno-Karabakh's environment vary from steppe on the Kura lowland through dense forests of oak, hornbeam, and beech on the lower mountain slopes to birchwood and alpine meadows higher up. Currently, the Azerbaijani trains only travel to Horadiz. In the 15th century, the territory of Karabakh was part of the states ruled subsequently by the Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu Turkic tribal confederations. [81] On 18–20 May 2010, the 37th session of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Dushanbe adopted another resolution condemning the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, recognizing the actions against Azerbaijani civilians as a crime against humanity and condemning the destruction of archaeological, cultural, and religious monuments in occupied territories.