Shahumian (Armenie: Շահումյան) is a disputit region, umwhile a destrict o Azerbaijan SSR ootside o Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Afore the Nagorno-Karabakh War o the 1990s, the region haed a substantial Armenie population. The eastren pairt o the territory remains unner the control o Azerbaijan an is incorporatit intae Goranboy Rayon, but the aurie is claimit bi the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

Shahumian

Շահումյան
Location of Shahumian
CaipitalKalbajar (umwhile Shahumian)
Area
 • Total1830 km2 (710 sq mi)
Area rankRanked 3rd
Population
 (2005)
 • Total2,560
 • RankRanked 8th
 • Density1.4/km2 (3.6/sq mi)
Websitewww.karabakh.net

History eedit

 
The 9t-13t century Armenie monastery o Dadivank

In antiquity the territory wis a pairt o Artsakh; in the Middle Ages it wis pairt o the principality of Khachen; in the 17-18t centuries the territory formed part of Melik-Abovian dynasty's melikdom[1] o Gulistan, with its capital in the fortress o that name. Durin Soviet times in the aurie wis renamit efter the Armenie Bolshevik Stepan Shahumyan, its admeenistrative center takkin the same name.

Bi the 1990s the population o Shahumian destrict wis amaist exclusively Armenie bi leid an ethnicity, though the aurie wis no includit athin the boondaries o the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast bi the Soviet Union.

In the spring-simmer o 1991, Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev ordered Operation Ring[2] in which the Soviet Red Airmy surrounded some o the aurie's Armenie veelages (notably Getashen an Martunashen) an violently deportit their inhabitants tae Armenie.

Approximately 17,000 Armenies livin in Shahumian's twinty-three veelages wur deportit oot o the region.[3]

In December 1991 wi the Soviet Union implodin, Shahumian wis claimit bi the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic an became the focus for considerable fechtin. This reached a climax in simmer 1992 when maist o the aurie wis retaken bi the Azerbaijan airmy. Damage wis severe an the Armenie population fled.

The historical name o the toun o Shahumian, Aşağı Ağcakənd, wis restored in 1992 an it haes been pairtly re-populatit bi ethnic Azerbaijani refugees an internally displacit persons [4]

Freemit airtins eedit

References eedit

  1. Raffi. Melikdoms of Khamsa.
  2. Karabagh Massacres Chronicle
  3. Melkonian. My Brother's Road, p. 186
  4. Trailblazer "Azerbaijan with Excursions to Georgia", Hindhead, UK, 2004; p245

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