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N. Shirakuni, the inspector of the two-class school in the village of Khndzoresk (Хинзырак), provided interesting information about the Zangezur district of the Elizavetpol governorate. [1] According to the author, the Zangezur district bordered on the east and southeast Shushi and Jabrayil distrcits, on the north Jivanshir district, on the west and southwest the Nakhijevan and Sharur-Daralagyaz districts of the Yerevan province, and on the south and southeast the Araks River, which also served as the state border between Russia and Persia.
N. Shirakuni, who presented several popular stories about the origin of the district’s name, wrote that the word “Zangezur” derives from the distorted Armenian version of “Tsakeri dzor” (Gorge of holes). According to another tale, it comes from the phrase “Zang zoravor” (Strong bell). It is said that a large bell once existed in a monastery located about three kilometers from Goris, whose sound could be heard in villages tens of kilometers away. For this reason, the population called it “Zang zoravor.” Others claim that Zangezur originated from the word “Tsaghkadzor” (Gorge of flowers).
The author, describing the landscape of the Zangezur district, noted that the local population had given special names to many rocks and preserved legends about them.
N. Shirakuni wrоте that the population of the district was engaged in agriculture, which was in a disastrous state due to many young people leaving for Baku in hopes of earning money, only to return incapable of work. As evidence, he cited the example of Khndzoresk, the largest village in the district. According to the 1886 family lists, the village had 620 households[2], but by 1904, 987 males and 305 females from the village were in Baku.
Speaking about the population of Zangezur, the author noted that it consisted of Armenians and Tatar-Shiites. The latter led a semi-nomadic life, with many not being settled, lacking their own households, and scattered across various villages in the district. Due to this, they often resorted to banditry and looting.
The advancement of education in the Zangezur district began in 1894. By 1904, the district had 40 schools. Before the opening of state schools, Armenian parish schools existed in the Zangezur district. The author described ancient monastic complexes in Zangezur, such as Tsitsernavank, located about 25 km north of Khndzoresk, Vorotnavank, which had Armenian inscriptions on their walls.
Writing about the Armenian meliks, N. Shirakuni noted that although the Zangezur district was under Persian dominance, it was nevertheless governed hereditary by Armenian meliks, who were responsible for the internal administration of the district. Among the meliks of Zangezur, the author highlighted Melik Barkhudar, who lived in the village of Tegh in the first half of the 18th century and was known for his bravery.
Thus, the arguments presented in the mentioned article—such as the Armenian origin of the name Zangezur, the absence of other alternative versions at that time, the existence of Armenian spiritual centers dating back to the 4th century, and the governance of the district by Armenian meliks—indicate that the region belonged to Armenians, who were influential in the area.
[1] Collection of Materials for the Description of Localities and Tribes of the Caucasus), volume 34, published in Tiflis in 1904, section I, pages 182-217.
[2] The village had 613 households, with a population of 4,219 people, of which 2,344 were men and 1,875 were women. This information can be found in the Summary of Statistical Data on the Population of the Transcaucasian Region, extracted from the Family Lists of 1886, published in Tiflis in 1893, page 249.