Storming of Lankaran
| Storming of Lankaran | |||||||
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 Russian troops storming the Persian fortress of Lankaran, January 13th, 1813. Painted by Franz Roubaud. | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Russian Empire |
 Persian Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Pyotr Kotlyarevsky |
Sadiq Khan | ||||||
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The Storming of Lankaran took place on the 1st of January 1813 as part of the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813). It was noted for its bitterness.
After a five-days long Russian siege and shelling, which, thanks to the British erected fortifications on the Persian side, and also after the proud refusal of surrender by the Persian commander in power in Lankaran, commander Sadiq Khan, the Russian army led by general Pyotr Kotlyarevsky, despite numerical Persian superiority, stormed Lankaran's citadel. Despite suffering heavy losses there during which most of the officers and non-commissioned officers were killed, the Russians managed eventually in successfully besieging Lankaran's Qajar Persian fortress, ending the siege.
Of the besieging Russian 17th Jaeger regiment consisting of 296 people only 74 of them survived the battle.[1]
Lankaran's citadel
In the course of the ongoing Russo-Persian War (1804-1813), the British managed to build a strong fortress in Lankaran.
According to eyewitnesses she made a strong impression by high stone walls and rows of sharp teeth. Furthermore, the cital was surrounded by deep trenches. It had a shape of an irregular quadrilateral (80 fathoms width), with the left bank of the river Lankaranki, which is situated not far from the Caspian Sea, in the marshes nearby the citadel. Most of the southwest side stretched up for up to 130 meters long. The length of the northeast side, built in the shape of an irregular polygon, stretched up to 80 meters. The south-east side (along the river and towards the Caspian Sea) and from the northwest (from the front to the villages of Gamushevani were 100 meters long each. Besides that, on each corner were bastions located. The most imposing of them were the ones from the northeastern side. The ditch in front of the citadel was 4 meters deep and 10 meters in width.[2]
Background
After several years of stale combat in various regions of Transcaucasia, with neither parties making significant territorial gains, the Russians had gained the upper hand and by now had reached territories close to Persia's heartlands. On December 18, 1812 the marching military detachment of general Kotlyarevsky had crossed the Aras river and had passed the 80 miles[3] straight without water and roads through the Mughan plains through salt flats and swamps. After crossing swamps and marshes, the soldiers were then transferred to a weather of terrible snow and blizzard. By that time, his army had undergone a heavy need for resupplies especially drinking water and food.[4]
On December 20, Russian detachment came across Shahsevan which were made often to flee and partly captured. The Russians confiscated their cattle.[3]
By December 21, Kotlyarevsky's squad had reached the Talysh Khanate where they encountered 500 Persian horsemen, commanded by Abusalema. The horsemen and Abusalema evaded combat and retreated to Arkivan.[1] Subsequently, the Russian avant-garde met the cavalry sardar Pir-Quli-Khan and a detachment of 1000 Persian soldiers. After a brief exchange of fire, the retreating Persians were pursued by Cossacks.[3]
On December 22, Kotlyarevsky left Karayazı to cover the rear of the rear guard under the command of Major Dyachkova and the 200 infantrymen, 170 Cossacks, several horses from Karabakh, and one field gun, and went to Arkivan. With the rearguard also remained the freed Karabakh families and the Shahsevan prisoners taken captive several days earlier.[3]
The garrison of Arkivan (holding 1500 Persian soldiers and 400 Russian deserters who had joined the Persian ranks) under the command of Bala Khan and Asghar Khan left the town's its fortress, leaving behind two field guns, with all the artillery reserve provisions and forage. For the pursuit of the Persians, Kotlyarevsky sent 400 Jaegers and 300 Cossacks under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ushakov, who subsequently followed the Persians for 15 miles.
In the course of the pursuit, 50 of the 400 Russian deserters surrendered and up to 300 Persians were killed. The Russians subsequently seized more than 600 horses and a considerable baggage. The damage to the pursuing party amounted up to 1 dead and 5 wounded.[3] To protect Arkivani 100 Jaegers were left stationed, who were in greatest need of the rest.[5]
Mir Mustafa Khan, having learned about the movement of the Russian troops after the defeat of the Persian army at Aslanduz, quickly went to Gamushevan, in which in advance he rebuilt warm barracks, stables and barn for the horses and cattle, and filled it with all the other necessary provisions.
Having entered area administered by the Khan of the Talysh Khanate, Kotlyarevsky announced to its residents:
«Talysh people. The troops of the great and all-powerful, the troops of the Emperor of Russia, has come here to free you from the hands of the Persians - your destroyers. Stay in your houses and be sure that your property is inviolable. The Persians and the robbers will not: they will rob you. I demand from you, everyone who's able to carry a gun, turn it against your oppressors, the Persians, who will be punished soon by the troops of my gracious Emperor, and I demand that you finish off the remnants of fanatics when they cross the road to escape when they will be reached by our victorious arms. I will promise pardon and forgiveness for you that will deceit and for those who are involved to make the Persians surrender voluntarily. Those persons should come to me or to your rightful Khan, without fear of getting punished, because the Russian word is not the word of a Persian. Russian does not know deceit and has no need of deceit.»[4]
.
This statement by Kotlyarevsky influenced a part of the Talysh, who subsequently began to cut the forest of the Persian fugitives.
The taking of Lankaran
Siege
«I order all commanders and soldiers to be in their positions to help repel the evil enemy, who's intending to seize the fotress by storming, ignoring all dangers, without sparing our lifes. Those who love their homeland profoundly, we need to fiercely and stubbornly resist and fight to the death, trying by all means to keep the castle in our hands and show these thieves that we will be able to sacrifice ourselves for the salvation of our homeland. Attention, all of those of you who are ready to resist, because the enemy will climb and crawl to us like a rabid wolf. Let all take up arms, those who know how to wield it. In short, bravely defending to death rathen than surrendering to the infidels who won't have mercy for anyone and will not leave anyone alive, even children and women; and therefore, better to die a glorious death, fighting courageously and bravely for the motherland, rather than to be torn to pieces by fierce polar bears.».
- — From the office of Mir Mustafa Khan Talyshi[6]
«Having exhausted all means and funds to force the enemy to surrender the fortress, which has proved to be staunch, no longer remains no way to with this with our Russian arms as soon as the power of storming is implemented.
Hesitating to proceed with this last resort, I will give awareness to the troops, and I consider it necessary to anticipate that all the officers and soldiers that retreat will not. We must either take the fortress, or everyone will die, we are sent here for that.
I offered surrender twice to the enemy on the fortress, but he persists. So tell him, brave soldiers, that no one can resist the Russian bayonet. It took us Russians against such enemies as the Persians, but if we persevere and push ourselves till the very end, we will prevail.
It requires all:
first - obedience;
second - remember, the sooner we are going to storm and climb the ladder, the less damage; experienced soldiers know it, but the inexperienced only believe it.;
Third - do not rush to the enemy under the fear of death, it is absolutely not going to end the assault, for before it will result in the needless death of soldiers.
»[7]
Sadiq Khan was garrisoned in Lankaran's fortress with an army comprising 4000 men. Abbas Mirza, the Persian crown prince and commander-in-chief of the empire's army sent him a mandate:
I look forward and hope for your honesty and deep patriotism, as I'm quite certain that you will not change your allegiance, as well as having laid my trust on you that you will defend the fortress to death without departing like a coward before the enemy, even if all the mountains turns behind the enemy forces and will rebel fiercely against you and your brave soldiers, you will know that the fortress was protected and by that the key to the heart of Persia. So may great God help you in the implementation of our hope.[6]
This letter was read to all the officers and soldiers inside the Persian garrison. The garrison shouted unanimously in agreeance of the crown prince's words:
«I swear to God and the holy name of the Prophet, that we will rather die, but not surrender to the enemy, and we will fight till death.»[6]
Sadiq Khan also urged all residents to take up arms and take all necessary measures in order to protect the fortress. For approachments from the north and west squadrons were installed. Fearing a Russian surprise attack, Sadiq Khan ordered supervision of the young officers and soldiers, besides himself closely following the movements of the enemy.
| Name of division | Field officer | Chief officer | Non-commissioned officer | Musicians | Privates | Total: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14th Georgian Grenadier Regiment | 3 | 25 | 54 | 23 | 834 | 937 |
| 97th Livonia Infantry Regiment | 6 | 18 | 3 | 141 | 168 | |
| 17th Jaeger Regiment | 1 | 10 | 23 | 9 | 248 | 291 |
| Caspian Marine battalion and navy | 2 | 12 | 33 | 2 | 264 | 313 |
| Аrtillery | 4 | 3 | 43 | 50 | ||
| Total: | 6 | 57 | 131 | 37 | 1 530 | Altogether: 1 759 |
On December 27, Kotlyarevsky sent Sadiq Khan a letter with a proposal to surrender Lankaran:
In anticipation of peace and good answer I remain».
— P. С. Kotlyarevsky, 27 December 1812, Lankaran[4]The same day, Sadiq Khan responded:
Having received your peace offer, I consider it my duty to express you some caustic and bitter words that might generate for you the most unpleasant experience by this honesty, as I'm rejecting your proposal.
You write: „I came to liberate the Talysh Khanate from the hands of the Persians“, allow me, general, not to believe your lying words, for you, I will say frankly and directly, as you came here to enslave and oppress the Talysh people. While Mir Mustafa Khan is alive, your government will have to protect the Khan his rights, by treating him personally and with due care; but once he will die his heirs will lose its independance and autonomy, turning in speechless and unfortunate slaves, the fault of the mad and visionary would degenerate Mir Mustafa Khan, the same who pursue only their personal goals in order to meet their lust for power, being a heartless and hardened egoist, as they're not thinking about the sad and desolate future of their offspring, who will betray him to anathema, because they will invite you here and handing the fate of their homeland to unfaithful strangers — rapists turning his people into meaningless plebeians. The groans and screams of the dead people involved in this network of selfish schemer — Mir Mustafa Khan will form an eternal curse upon it, as long as the Talysh Mountains stand firm, the bitter mourning the unfortunate fate of the Talysh people.
You did not come to liberate the Talysh Khanate „from the hands of the Persians“, you came to expand your territory at the expense of someone else's land. Do you live close to this greatest state in the world that you are now looking for space and territory? Distinguished by your insatiable greed emperors set out to subjugate the power of all the weak kingdoms, especially Muslim ones, taking advantage of their lack of preparedness for war. These foreign people, living at a distance of two thousand miles from you, is it not better to save and relieve the peasants under the opression and the shackles of your own landlord?
You are asking me to „voluntarily surrender the fortress; otherwise you will be corrected in front of God and humanity“. What a beautiful and humane sentence? Do you believe in God? I doubt that you believe in Him and that love humanity, if you would, then you wouldn't lead his unfortunate soldiers right here to a senseless slaughter, and to certain death, and you would have spared them, their wifes and chilren, and made them to live quietly at home instead of having led them such a distance because of the pernicious whims of your king.
You write: „in order to avoid unecessary bloodshed“. Who is the cause of this bloodshed? We or you? Leaving you country, in spite of its enormous magnitude, you are robbers that broke into our territory, plundering and killing us mercilessly. We have never thought of doing such things to you, but you have invaded our land, astonishing us with this murderous diabolical countenance, making us stubbornly resist, not for us to lose our independance and autonomy, trying to keep our golden will and freedom in our hands.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Аносов Н. С. Утверждение Русского владычества на Кавказе // в 4 томах / ред. В. А. Потто — Тифлис: Тип. Я. И. Либермана, 1902. — Т. 2, Часть 1. — С. 479—492. — 573 с.
- ↑
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Акты, собранные Кавказской археографической комиссией // в 12 томах / ред. А. П. Берже — Тифлис: Тип. Гл. Упр. Наместника Кавказского, 1873. — Т. 5. — С. 697—698, № 851. — 1170 с.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Соллогуб В. А. Биография генерала Котляревского / ред. В. Бекетова — 2-е изд. — СПб., 1955. — С. 138—156, 230—233 (приложения). — 234 с.
- ↑ Шабанов Д. Ф. Часть 1. От сформирования полка до его прибытия на Манглис. 1642—1825 // История 13-го Лейб-гренадерского Эриванского Его Величества полка // в 3 частях — Тифлис: Тип. окружного штаба кавказского военного округа, 1871. — С. 125—133. — 165 с.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Байрам-Алибеков Т. (1885). "История талышского ханства". Ленкорань. Unknown parameter
|издательство=ignored (help) - ↑ Потто В. А. За Кавказом. Глава 21. Котляревский // Кавказская война в отдельных очерках, эпизодах, легендах и биографиях // в 5 томах — 2-е изд. — СПб.: Тип. Е. Евдокимова, 1887. — Т. 1 — От древнейших времен до Ермолова. Вып. 3. — С. 479—482. — 737 с.