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Firdovsiya Akhmadova Doctor of History ABOUT THE TOPONYM An Azerbaijani Historic Cultural Reserve

The nervous attitudes to the word combination North Azerbaijan which exists today should be explained in purely political terms: interested parties are using it during specific moments in order to artificially create a non-existent ‘problem’. What is the reason that specific powers perceive this definition as far from unambiguous? And what kind of powers are they? he phrase North Azerbaijan status in the first half of the 19th cen- 1804-1813 and 1828-1829, led to refers to a part of a whole tury, when the Khanates of North the provisional liquidation of the Tand logically presupposes the Azerbaijan were conquered by the Azerbaijani statehood which had existence of a South Azerbaijan. . From that time, existed before that time in the form Because the territory to which both the southern part of the country, of 20 independent Khanates. terms refer is not today within the which remained within the Iranian It is necessary to note that the structure of a single state ‘problems’ State, was named Iranian or Persian Gajar Shah dynasty of Turkic origin of different types arise. Azerbaijan and the northern part, (1779-1925), ruled during that period The definitions North which was included in the Russian in the Iranian State. From this time Azerbaijan and South Azerbaijan Empire, became known as Caucasian Azerbaijan was destined to exist in are not only used with geographi- or Russian Azerbaijan in different the form of different administrative cal but also very often with politi- sources, maps and documents. The territorial units within the structure cised historical meaning. Caucasian Gulustan and Turkmanchay Peace of two empires. South Azerbaijan, es- Azerbaijan and Persian Azerbaijan Treaties, signed between the Iranian pecially its capital Tabriz played, and are their analogues but with some State and the Russian Empire fol- continues to play, a quite important differences which received political lowing the Russian-Iranian wars of role in internal and foreign policy as

32 www.irs-az.com Map of Caucasian and Persian Azerbaijan, 1920 well as the economic life of the Iranian In 1977 a third Southern Azerbaijani of Azerbaijan: from Derbent in State. The official residence of the ostan was created – Zanjan, with its the north (now within the Russian heirs to the Gajar throne was located centre in the city of the same name. Federation) to Hamadan in the here. South Azerbaijan was consid- After the Khomeini Revolution of south (now within ) and from ered valiahd-nashin (the Residence 1979 further administrative territo- the in the east to Asia of the Heirs) and Tabriz was named rial subdivision took place: today Minor in the west. dar-us-saltane (the Royal Residence). South Azerbaijan is divided into The state of Atropatene (4th cen- Accordingly, Tabriz performed the Eastern and Western Azerbaijan, tury BC to 3rd century AD) existed role of a second capital of the Iranian the Ardabil, Zanjan, Hamadan and in the southern lands of Azerbaijan State and served for some time as host Gazvin Ostans and Save and Astara (south of the Araz River) (2) and to foreign diplomatic missions. Thus, magals (regions). The whole of the Albania (3rd century BC to 7th cen- after the signing of the Turkmanchay territory of South Azerbaijan is 280 tury AD) in the northern lands of Peace Treaty of 1828 the Ambassador thousand square kilometres and Azerbaijan (north of the Araz River). Plenipotentiary of the Russian Empire North Azerbaijan is 130 thousand (3) These independent states from to the Iranian State and also the resi- square kilometres. Thus, the area of time to time suffered invasions by dences of the Consulates General of historic Azerbaijan is 410 thousand different tribes and by the great the Russian and Ottoman Empires square kilometres.(1) powers of antiquity and the Early were found in this city. The modern sovereign Republic Middle Ages and at times formed Before 1938 South Azerbaijan of Azerbaijan corresponds to North part of them. Thus, in the 6th centu- was one of four provinces (ostans) of Azerbaijan and to a considerable ex- ry, when Azerbaijan was part of the the Iranian State. Later, as a result of tent with the territory of Caucasian Sassanid State (224-651), its head administrative reform it was divided Albania but it does not include Shahanshah Khosrov I Anushiravan into two ostans: Eastern Azerbaijan, all Azerbaijani lands. The historic (531-579) carried out administra- with its centre in Tabriz, and Western homeland of the , tive reforms which resulted in the Azerbaijan, with its centre in Urmiya. where they are native, is the whole creation of four vicariates or kusts www.irs-az.com 33 Property of history

(parts). The northern kust was been completely or partially in- named Azerbaijan. (4) It included cluded into the structure of a sin- all the historic lands of Azerbaijan. gle state. Among such states are (5) A text from the 6th century, writ- the ancient State of Manna (9-7th ten in Pahlavi (Medieval Persian) centuries BC) created by ances- survives on the walls of ancient tors of the Azerbaijanis, the me- Derbent, one of the most im- dieval Azerbaijani Atabey (1136- portant cities of Azerbaijan and 1225), Hulagid (1256-1353) and of Southern Dagestan: ‘Barznish, Agh-Goyunlu (1378-1508) States amargar (Financial supervisor of) and the most significant among Adurbadagan’. (6) This important them is the Safavid Empire (1501- source testifies to the fact that 1736), in the structure of which the when referring to Azerbaijan all Azerbaijani lands were included in the historical lands were meant. their entirety. (8) During that pe- In 9-10th century Arab sources riod Azerbaijan was divided into Azerbaijan is repeatedly referred to four administrative territorial units as an administrative territorial unit – Beylarbeyliy: Tabriz, Chuhur-Saad, in the Sassanid period. Thus, a map Garabagh and Shirvan. (9) From of the Caspian created by the 10th foreign states which possessed century Arab author Ibn Khaukal this land we will mention the names the coastal territory from Achamenid and Sassanid Empires, Derbent in the north to Gilan in the Arab Caliphate and the Seljuk the south as Azerbaijan. The Arab and Mongol powers. (10) Caliphate was divided into provinc- The creator and first ruler of es, one of which was also referred the Afsharid State, Nadir Shah to as Azerbaijan by the 12-13th cen- (1736-1747), changed the Safavid tury Arab writer Ibn al-Asir. administrative territorial division However, under the influence of Azerbaijan by joining the afore- of the current political situation mentioned beylarbeyliys and creat- some researchers ignore these ing the new unit Azerbaijan with its sources and even try to falsify centre in Tabriz. From the middle of them. Specifically, A. P. Novoseltsev, the 18th century to the first third of when translating the geographical the 19th century 20 independent names marked on the map by Ibn khanates existed on Azerbaijani Khaukal from Arabic into Russian, lands. This period is considered by for unknown reasons, did not the American scholar T. provide an explanation for these Svetohovski as one of the periods words ‘Azerbaijan, stretching from of Azerbaijani independence. (11) Derbent to Gilan’ which are given in It is appropriate to mention the Arabic text. (7) This map, pub- the following historical fact to lished on the cover of the book by those who today do not accept A. P. Novoseltsev, is a very impor- the term North Azerbaijan: in 1828 tant historical source which refutes the Russian Empire created the the conjectures of those who are Armenian region on the lands of the Pekhlevi inscriptions of Derbent against the use of the definition Azerbaijani Iravan and Nakhchivan Azerbaijan as referring to the terri- Khanates which it had liquidated. tory of all the historic lands. This is the same historic Azerbaijani It is known that both parts of lands as the Chuhur-Saad beylar- Azerbaijan have more than once beyliy. The Armenian region, creat-

34 www.irs-az.com ed in an artificial way, was needed to tion Azerbaijan appeared in the about Iravan, Yelizavetpol and Baku form a mass organised resettlement beginning of the 20th century: it is Provinces and other uyezds and ok- of Armenians from the Ottoman and natural that all attempts at national rugs of .’ (17) Persian Empires in order to increase revival of this country, at that time Iran was very uneasy about the the Christian element of the popu- divided between and Iran, declaration on 28th of May 1918 lation here which could be relied met with opposition from them. The of the Independent Democratic on to carry out imperial policy. The period when ‘Azerbaijani autonomy Republic of Azerbaijan (DRA) which Republic of is located here entered the international scene for the first time in history turned the today and it covers 298000 square as an already formed political pro- toponym Azerbaijan into the official kilometres of Azerbaijani lands. gramme’ (M. A. Rasul-zade) coincid- name of the northern part of the It is would be useful also to ask ed with the collapse of the Russian country. (For information: after the those who zealously cares about Empire in 1917, during which circles collapse of Yugoslavia and the dec- correct usage of the names of states aiming for great power and also laration in 1992 of the Independent in accordance with their territorial hostile to the idea of Azerbaijani Republic of Macedonia Greece insis- and historical origin why they do autonomy joined closely together. tently objected to its official name, not object to the definition ‘Armenia The same position was taken by announcing that the definition in the Caucasus’. This toponym Iran who managed, with assistance Macedonia can only be attached never existed in this region be- from foreign powers, to suppress to a region of Greece.) There were fore the 19th century. 26 Armenias the national liberation movement serious apprehensions In Tehran are known beyond the Caucasus, in of Azerbaijanis in South Azerbaijan that South Azerbaijan may sepa- Asia Minor. (12) (1905-1911) and tried in every pos- rate from Iran with the support of Armenians laid claim to the terri- sible way to prevent the equivalent the Ottoman State. The signing of tory of , including movement in North Azerbaijan. the friendship treaty between the the former Karabagh Beylarbeyliy The opponents of the idea of and DRA strength- – later the Karabagh Khanate, after Azerbaijani autonomy presented its ened these fears even further. coming to the Caucasus in the first dissemination in South Azerbaijan In such conditions the govern- third of the 19th century. In accor- as interference in the internal affairs ment of the DRA considered it rea- dance with works by Armenian of Iran and even as an occupation sonable to use the term Caucasian scholars the resettlement of of South Azerbaijan. In these terms Azerbaijan in diplomatic corre- Armenians from their histori- the founder of the movement for spondence. (17) Then Iran brought cal motherland on the Balkan to autonomy, M. A. Rasul-zade, point- itself to establish friendly relations Asia Minor took place in the 8th ed out that people of both halves with Baku and was the first of them century BC and their arrival in of the country have a single origin to send an official delegation to the Caucasus is dated to the 19th and wrote: ‘In accordance with offi- the other. By doing this it recog- century AD. (13) From the antique cial geography before the universal nised the independence of North authors Herodotus and Strabo, who war (meaning the First World War – Azerbaijan. An Iranian-Azerbaijani never mentioned the Armenians as F.A) the definition Azerbaijan meant conference took place in Baku from belonging to the Caucasian tribes, Tabriz and its surroundings in north- the 5th of December 1919 to the to Russian Caucasus scholars of ern Iran. As for Azerbaijan, which 20th of March 1920, (19) as a result the beginning of the 20th century became the talk of the town after of which a friendship treaty, bilateral nobody considered the Armenian the war and the Great Revolution agreements on trade, post-and-tele- people indigenous to the Caucasus. of Russia, it represents a territory graph relations, consul relations and (14) The Russian Caucasus scholar G. in the southeast of the Caucasus implementation of legal decisions F. Tchursin wrote that the Armenians to the north of that Azerbaijan were signed. In accordance with the in the Caucasus are indeed indige- which was mentioned above (i.e. signed treaty the head of the Iranian nous Caucasians in the geographi- South Azerbaijan – F.A.) with its delegation made an official declara- cal meaning in the beginning of the capital in Baku.’ (16) In December tion about the de jure recognition 20th century. (15) 1917 he wrote: ‘Today, to speak of of the DRA by Iran. An Ambassador Jealous relations to the defini- Azerbaijani autonomy means to talk of the DRA was sent to Tehran and www.irs-az.com 35 Property of history

Кавказская Албания (Caucasian Albania), Baku, 1993 4. Gasimova, S. U. Азербайджан в III-VII веках (Azerbaijan in the 3-7th Centuries), Baku, 1992, p. 43 5. Gasimova, S. U. ibid. p. 43 6. Pakhomov, E. A. Пехлевийские надписи Дербенда (The Pahlavi Inscriptions of Derbent) in Transactions of the Society of Research and Study of Azerbaijan, is- sue 5, no. 8, Baku, 1929; Neuberg G. S. Материалы по истолкованию пехлевийских надписей Дербенда (Materials on the Interpretation of the Pahlavi Inscriptions of Derbent) ibid; Gasimova. S. U. Среднеперсидская эпиграфика Кавказской Албании (Middle Ibn Khaukal’s Map on the cover of the book by A. P. Novoseltsev Persian Epigraphy of Caucasian Albania), Baku, 1994 in a number of cities of Iran, includ- er than the 6th century the toponym 7. Novseltsev, A. P. Хазарское ing South Azerbaijan, consuls of the Azerbaijan referred to all of the lands государство и его роль в DRA were established. (20) initially settled by the Azerbaijani истории Восточной Европы и Thus, Tehran, which had strongly people. These, as was mentioned Кавказа (The Khazar State and objected to the political geographic above, are lands stretching from Its Role in the History of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus), definition of Azerbaijan with regards Derbent in the north to Hamadan in Moscow, 1990 to the DRA, de jure recognised the ex- the south and from the Caspian Sea 8. Huseynov, R. A. Verdiyeva, H. istence of an independent Azerbaijani in the east to Asia Minor in the west. U. История Азербайджана State in the Caucasus and ended this (A History of Azerbaijan), Baku, problem. Even the Commander in Bibliography 2000 Chief of the Russian Voluntary Army, 9. Rahmani, A. N. Азербайджан General A. Denikin, who at first re- 1. Taghiyeva, S. Rahimli, A. в конце XVI и в XVII веке fused to recognise the independence Bayramzade, S. Cənubi (Azerbaijani at the End of the 16th th of the Caucasian republics and sup- Azərbaycan (South Azerbaijan), and in the 17 Centuries), Baku, ported a ‘single and indivisible Russia’, Baku, 2000, p. 66-68. 1981, p. 86-89 2. Aliyev, I. G. Очерк истории 10. Huseynov, R. A. Verdiyeva A. U. announced his recognition of them, Атропатены (Essay on the ibid. including the DRA. (21) History of Atropatene), Baku, 11. Svetokhovsky, T. Русский In conclusion we will note that 1989 Азербайджан: 1905-1920 the modern sovereign Republic of 3. Yampolsky, Z. I. Древняя (Russian Azerbaijan: 1905-1920), Azerbaijan, from the day of its declara- Албания (Ancient Albania), Baku, in Khazar Magazine, 1990, no. 1, tion in 1991, officially announced that 1962; Aliyev, K. G. Античная p. 83 it does not lay claim to any territories Кавказская Албания (Antique 12. Sarkisiyan, G. K. Khudaverdiyan, outside its state borders, including Caucasian Albania), Baku, 1992; K. S. Yuzbashiyan, K. N. the indigenous primordial Azerbaijani Trever, K. V. Очерки по истории Потомки Хайка (The lands which have until today re- и культуре Кавказской Descendants of Hayk), Yerevan, Албании (Essays on the History 1998, chapters I, IV, VI-VII, IX, mained within the Iranian State. and Culture of Caucasian XII, XIV; Arutyunova-Fidaniyan, Thus, both historical sources and Albania), Moscow, Leningrad, V. A. Повествование о делах special literature confirm that no lat- 1959; Mamedov, T. M. армянских (Narration About

36 www.irs-az.com Armenian Issues), Moscow, 1956 Азербайджанская Республика 2004, map of the flyleaf and in- 14. Herodotus, Book I: 180, 194; (The Azerbaijani Republic), Baku, dicator of geographical names Book III: 93; Book V: 49, 52; Book 1990, p. 12 13. Adonts, N. Армения//Новый VII: 73; Strabo, Book XI: 13/9, 17. Aзıq söz Newspaper, No. 635, 22 энциклопедический словарь 14/16; Velichko, V. L. Кавказ XII 1917 Брокгауза-Ефрона (Armenia in (Caucasus), The Library of St 18. Hasanov, J. Азербайджан в the Brockhaus and Efron New Petersburg, 1904, p. 65, 66, системе международных Encyclopaedic Dictionary) vol. 69, 81, 84, 154; Shavrov, N. N. отношений: 1918-1920 3, the Library of St Petersburg, Новая угроза русскому делу (Azerbaijan in the System of 1912; Adonts, N. История в Закавказье: предстоящая International Relations: 1918- армянского народа (A History распродажа Мугани инородцам 1920), Baku, 1993 of the Armenian People), (New Threat to the Russian Issue in 19. Азербайджанская Республика. Yerevan, 1980, p. 7; Abegiyan, Transcaucasia: The Forthcoming Документы и материалы M. История древнеармянской Sale of Mughan to Foreigners), the (Documents and Materials. The литературы (A History of Library of St Petersburg, 1911, p. Republic of Azerbaijan. 1918- Ancient Armenian Literature), 63-65, 68-69. 1920), Baku, 1998, p. 391-392 Yerevan, 1975, p. 12; 15. Tchursin, G. F. Кавказ.// Новый 20. ibid. p. 392; Азербайджанская Kapantsiyan, G. A. Историко- энциклопедический словарь Демократическая Республика лингвистические работы. К Брокгауза-Ефрона (Caucasus (1918-1920). Внешняя политика начальной истории армян. in the Brockhaus and Efron New (The Democratic Republic of Древняя Малая Азия (Historic Encyclopaedic Dictionary), vol. Azerbaijan (1918-1920). Foreign and Linguistic Works. To the 20, the Library of St Petersburg, Policy), Baku, 1998, p. 545 Earliest History of the Armenians. 1912, column 304 21. ibid. p. 545. Ancient Asia Minor), Yerevan, 16. Rasul-zade, M. A. .

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