Armavir, Armenia

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A golden medallion found in Armavir, 2nd century BC.

Armavir (Armenian: Արմավիր, known as Hoktemberyan during the Soviet era up to 1992, and Sardarabad before 1932) is a city located in southwestern Armenia. The city has a total population of 45,100. It is the capital of the Armavir province (marz). The city of Armavir in Russia, founded by Armenians in the 19th century, was named after this town.

1 History

[edit] History

[edit] Antiquity

Armavir was inhabited from the 5th-6th millennium BC onwards. Various obsidian instruments, bronze objects and pottery have been found from that period. King Argishtis I of Urartu built a fortress in the area and named it Argishtikhinili. In 331 BC when Armenia reasserted its independence under the Orontid Dynasty from the Achaemenid Empire, Armavir was chosen as the capital of Armenia. Slabs of clay have been found from the Achaemenid period written in the Elamite language concerning episodes of the Gilgamesh epos. Various inscriptions in Hellenistic Greek carved around the 3rd century BC, include poetry from Hesiod, lines from Euripides, a list of Macedonian months, and names of Orontid Kings.

Armavir was bounded orderly to Seleucids, Parthians, Kingdom of Armenia, Roman Empire, Sassanids and Byzantine Empire before Arabic conquest in 645.

[edit] Medieval Armavir

Arabic sovereignity lasted until the first quarter of the 9th century. The Sajids managed this region in the 9th century. After that, the Bagrationi Dynasty managed this region. The Bagrationi dynasty was of Jewish origins and played an important role in Georgian and Armenian histories.

Byzantine Empire reconquered this region in 1045 but this region passed to Seljuk Turks in 1064. Seljuk renamed her as Serdarabad. This region was passed among Georgians, Azerbaijan Atabegs (Ildegizids) and Khwarezmid Empire after Seljuk's decline. Mongols were captured this region in 1239 and founded Ilkhanid state in 1256. This region was passed to Chupanids in 1353, Jalayirids in 1357 and Kara Koyunlu in 1388. Tamerlane captured this region in 1400. Qara Yusuf retook this region in 1407 from Timurid Empire. However Shah Rukh who was Timurid ruler captured this region in 1421 and in in 1429. Jahan Shah who was Kara Koyunlu ruler captured it in 1447.

[edit] Pre-Russian Armavir

Kara Koyunlu sovereignity was lasted until Uzun Hasan's conquest in 1468. Uzun Hasan was Ak Koyunlu who were main rival of Kara koyunlu, ruler. Ak Koyunlu sovereignity was lasted until 1501 when Ismail I's conquest. Ismail I was founder of Safavid Dynasty. This region temporarily occupied by Ottoman Empire in 1514, in 1534, in 1548 and in 1553. It was conquered by Ottoman Empire in 1585 but retaken by Abbas I of Persia who was Safavid ruler in 1603. It was occupied by Ottomans between 1635-1636 and 1724-1736. It was bounded to Erivan Khanate who was a Muslim principality mostly under the dominion of the Persian Empire, after death of Nader Shah in 1747.

[edit] Russian domination

Russo-Persian War (1826-1828) was started due to Persians' demand to reconquer the territories lost to Russia between 1804 and 1813. At first Persians pulsed Russians from Azerbaijan in 1826 but Ivan Paskevich who was Russian general, appointed to commander of Russian Army. He reconquered Azerbaijan and occupied territories of Erivan Khanate in 1827. This region passed from Persia to Russia after Treaty of Turkmanchai in 1828. Armavir became Serdarabad uzeyd of Armenian Oblast who was become Erivan guberniya in 1840. This situation was lasted February Revolution.

After the February Revolution, the region was under the authority of Special Transcaucasian Committee of the Russian Provisional Government and subsequently the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. When the TDFR was dissolved in May 1918 and this region passed to Democratic Republic of Armenia. She was important for Armenian history due to Battle of Sardarapat. Armenian army pulsed Ottoman Army who aimed occupying Revan, at here in Caucasus Campaign. However, Ottomans occupied most of Erivan Governorate, so that Armenians were signed Treaty of Batum in June 1918. Ottoman Army was retreated after signing Armistice of Mudros and she returned to Democratic Republic of Armenia in November 1918.

[edit] Soviet Armavir

Soviet Union invasion started the republic on the 29th of November 1920 by 11th Red Army. Soviets took Yerevan on 4th of December 1920 after signing of Treaty of Alexandropol. This treaty was replaced by Treaty of Kars. Soviets proclaimed Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic under under the leadership of Aleksandr Miasnikyan. It was to be included into the newly created Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic in 1922. Soviets replaces name of this city from Serdarabad to Hoktamberyam or Oktamberyan in 1935.

Transcausian SFSR was dissolved in 1936 and Armenian SSR was formed again.

Two years after Armenian declared her independence from USSR, in 1992 the name of this city from Oktamberyan to Armavir after the ancient Armenian capital located there.