“GEGHARD”
SCIENTIFIC ANALYTICAL
FOUNDATION
2025
2025
2025-01-21
The Mshak public-political and literary newspaper held a significant place in the history of the Armenian press. Besides publishing news, its mission was also to disseminate new knowledge and provide informative details about various Armenian settlements. One of the many articles and reports dedicated to Gandzak was published in the 14th issue of the newspaper in 1875 (author Mijak, February 1873), which also holds bibliographic significance.
In the summary of the article “Letter from Gandzak,” it is mentioned: “The Armenian villages surrounding Gandzak are as follows: On the Kurak River—situated in the warm plains stretching eastward from the city—are the villages called Qaradaghlu and Jargalar, also known as Sarpetsik.”
1) On the higher banks of a larger tributary of the same river, in a valley, lies Getashen. From there, moving westward, along the southern heights of the city, these villages follow: Bagchik, Suluk, Ablah, Murut, Voske-anapat, Prajur, Mirzik, Banants.
2)Khacharak, Karhat,
3) Krants, Shadagh, Chovdar, Nudgar,
4)Pip,
5) Garnaker, Barsum, Gulambar, Jagir, and Chardakhlu.
The population of Gandzak is not diverse. Only Armenians and Turks live there, with a very small number of Russians and Georgians, who, residing there by chance, are not even considered local residents. The Armenian population numbers up to 1,200, who are closely connected to their native language, though they are also have a good command of the language of the neighbours. The people are very loyal to their church and zealous about any of its traditions, being fervent and generous towards any national charitable cause.
The number of Turkish residents, reaching 1,800, is higher but not their significance. They represent the typical type common to all Asian peoples of this ethnicity. Their way of life is typical for Asian tribes. It is unnecessary to evaluate their social worldview, but it is worth noting that the situation with education among them is extremely bad. Their only educational institution is their mosque, where every sokhtay (meaning “student, literate person”), mirza, or a mullah gathers a few children and continuously recites in a jumbled voice at certain times of the year.
They are educated, but in what? In very dreadful qualities... Their higher and noble class sends its children to royal schools, where they are randomly fed with an unstable and shaky idea, unwilling to benefit from the education generally provided there. They leave, bringing with them a distorted Russian language, and proudly wish to display their remarkable knowledge to everyone.
In trade, the Turks are generally inferior, with most of them being fruit sellers. Only several Armenians established substantial trade, obtaining goods from Turkey, Persia, and various cities in Russia—Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod’s market, Tiflis, and Baku. There are very few Turkish craftsmen: only a few horse farriers, a carpenter, and even they are inferior in skill to others…”
This article not only refutes the Azerbaijani “historians” who distort the history of Armenian Gandzak but also provides informative insights about the local Turkic population.