And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

Tabari (838-923 AD)
طبري
Full: Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir ibn Yazid ibn Khaled Amoli Tabari
ابوجعفر محمدبن جريربن يزيدبن خالد آملي طبري
Work: Tarikh
تاريخ

Perhaps the greatest Islamic historian of all times, the author of the monumental multi-volume work “History”, admired as the sage of his era by his successors, the Iranian historian Tabari (native of Tabaristan, present day Mazandaran) was born in 224 Hijri and died in 310, according to Ibn Nadim, author of al Fihrist (the List).

Many of sources cited by Tabari have not survived, which renders Tabari’s work even more important. His work which gives the accounts of events until 302 Hijri has been completed by Arib ibn Sa’ad Qurtubi which includes those until 320.

Regarding the Caucasus in times of Arab conquests and caliphate in the first couple of Hijri centuries, his Tarikh ar Resal wal Moluk (تاريخ الرسل و الملوک) is a trustworthy document. Most of the people whose tales are related by Tabari were present in the wars in the time of Arab invasions in the Caucasus.

Tabari’s report of the second caliph Omar’s order to Armenians and peoples living in “Armenia and Abwab” (Aghvank which was part of Armenia), where he gives them assurance that their lives will be spared if they obey him and his appointed ruler, concludes: “…in case of war, they have to participate… Whoever accepts to obey will pay the jizyah (tribute tax H.) except for those who join the army… whoever is not needed to participate can stay and pay the jizyah like the people of Azarbaijan (the real H.)” This shows that first, even Christians were allowed to join the military and be exempted from paying heavy taxes second, the people of the real Azarbaijan had already converted to Islam, obeyed Omar and were paying their taxes in the early years of Arab conquest whereas the people of Armenia and Aghvank had remained Christian. This also proves that Aghvank and Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) were two distinct regions and religiously unrelated.

Recounting the events of 145 Hijri, Tabari also reports the Khazar invasion into Armenia from Bab ul Abwab (Darband, Chor) and their occupation of lands north of the River Kur. This clearly shows that there was no doubt in Tabari’s mind that Aghvank was a part of Armenia. The Khazars repeated the intrusion two years later, pillaged Aghvank and returned to their land with booty and prisoners.

Again in 183 Hijri, using the pretext of his daughter’s death on the way to Aghvank to marry Fadhl ibn Yahya ibn Khalid Barmaki, the caliph appointed ruler of Armenia, Azarbaijan (the real) and Jebal (land of Medes = western part of Iran), the Khazar khan once again attacked Armenia from Darband and killed the Muslims and Dhimmis and took a hundred thousand slaves. “Such mayhem was never heard of before in Islamic era” Tabari confesses.

Tabari gives accounts of Yussof ibn abis Saj’s wars with Smbat Bagratuni from 295 Hijri (908 AD) and Saj’s appointment by al Muqtadir as the representative of the caliph in Armenia and Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan). ●


Ibn Faqih (late 9th-early 10th centuries AD)
ابن فقيه
Full: Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Faqih Hamadani
ابي عبدالله احمد بن محمد بن اسحاق ابن فقيه همداني
Work: Mokhtasar al Buldan (Concise Book of Lands)
مختصر البلدان

Ibn Faqih wrote his geographic work in about 290 Hijri. According to Ibn Faqih, Armenia consisted of four parts what he calls first, second, third and fourth Armenia. Aran (Aghvank) and Sisjan (Sisakan) were a part of first Armenia (Medz Hyke, Armenia Maior). It should be noted that in another part of his work he places them in fourth Armenia. He names several cities in Aghvank among others: Bardhae (Partaw, Պարտաւ), Beylakan (Pytakaran, Փայտակարան), Qabalah (Kabalak, Կապաղակ), Shirvan, Shabran, Sheki (Shakeh, Շաքէ), Shamkhor, Bilasjan.

According to Ibn Faqih, the region north of the Arax and south of the Kur is part of Armenia and the Arax is the border between Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) and Armenia. Regarding Neshwi (Nakhijevan), Ibn Faqih places it in the third Armenia.

Concerning the origin of the name of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan), Ibn Faqih says: “Azarbaijan is (related to) Azarbad ibn Iran… or Azarbad ibn Biurasp.” ●


Massoudi (c. 896-956 AD)
مسعودي
Full: Abul Hassan Ali ibn Hussein Massoudi
ابوالحسن علي بن حسين مسعودي
Work: Muruj udh Dhahb wa Ma’aden ul Jowhar (The Meadows of Gold and the Mines of Gems), At Tanbih wal Ashraf, etc.
مروج الذهب و معادن الجوهر, التنبيه و الاشراف

The great Islamic scientist and historian native of Maghreb, Massoudi, died 344 Hijri according to ibn Nadim, is the author of many works some of which historical and geographical. He traveled far and wide and recorded his observations and research in those lands. The two works cited above are considered an encyclopedia in the domain of historical geography. Massoudi’s work has an eminent place among Islamic works related to the Caucasus. “I spent quite some time in Armenia, Azarbaijan (the real H.), Aran (Aghvank) and Beylakan (Pytakaran H.)”, Massoudi explains. According to him “the realm of the Persians included the entire Medes and Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) until the vicinity of Armenia, Aran and Beylakan…” which confirms that Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) and Aghvank were different entities.

Massoudi considers the dialects of Pahlavi, Dari and Azari from the same origin, their vocabularies one and the same and calls all of them languages of the Farsi group. He is among the Islamic historians who have used the term Azari to describe the Persian dialect of the people of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan).

A noteworthy event also related by Massoudi is the uprising of Babak Khorramdin (from 820s AD) against the caliphate, to restore the ancient Iranian religion and to free Iran from the Arab rule. I mention this because not having any historical background the “Azeri” fakers have stolen every Iranian hero, poet, scientist, ruling dynasty, etc. along with the name of their counterfeit “state”, to fabricate their jumbled “history”. Twisting history beyond recognition, they regard Babak Khorramdin, native of the real Azarbaijan, as “their” greatest hero who fought to liberate “Turkish” Azarbaijanis from Iranian rule (!) whereas it’s hardly conceivable Babak knew any Turks in his lifetime let alone having been a Turk two full centuries before the Oghuz (Seljuk) invasions.

Another instance of anti-Armenian hate mongering by “Azeris” is their blaming the Armenians for Babak’s painful death, whose limbs were cut off by Afshin, al Mu’tasim’s general who fought Babak. After heavy battles with Afshin up to a thousand of his warriors were killed, his fortress gave in and he had to run north to Armenia. Crossing the Arax the ruler of Aghvank (north to Artsakh), Sahl ibn Smbat (Sahl Smbatian of Aranshah dynasty, Սահլ/Սահղ Սմբատեան), caught him and handed him over to Afshin. This shallow account of history will certainly confuse those who are uninformed of the fact of the matter but even in that case, are the actions of one historic figure reason enough to denounce an entire nation? A closer look at the fact of the matter proves the exact opposite.

In 821 Sahl Smbatian launched a surprise attack on Shikakar fortress and crushed the Arabs who had reduced the Amaras monastery to rubble and had enslaved about a thousand people. Later his participation played an instrumental role in the victory against a 12000 strong Arab army in Mughan plain in 837, the very same year he arrested Babak. Taking these events and Babak’s movement which was directed against the caliph into account, Sahl should have considered Babak a god sent ally but what the “Azeris” don’t want to say is that Babak would attack, harass, plunder and massacre the people of Artsakh and Siunik on regular basis, therefore it’s more because Babak had become a nuisance for people that Sahl handed him over to the Arabs and not out of treachery.

According to Massoudi, Sahl Smbatian hoped that the caliph would grant him the status of king of Aghvank but his wishes didn’t come true. He adds: “Afshin promoted Sahl and gave him gifts and noble attire and a crown. He provided him with guards and servants and exempted him from tax” but Mu’tasim did not make Sahl Smbatian the independent king of Aghvank and he remained only the ruler of Sheki (Shakeh).

In 854 Mu’tasim ordered the Turkish Buqa khan (against who Sahl had also fought) to arrest Sahl Smbatian along with a number of other Armenian rulers and sent them to exile and torture in Samara. He was never heard of afterwards...

This is like a double edge sword for the “Azeris”: if Sahl Smbatian is an Armenian king, then it proves that Aghvank was a part of Armenia. If “Azeris” are truly the descendants of the Aghvans as they absurdly claim, then it was an Aghvan ruler, i.e. an “Azeri” who betrayed Babak, the pretended greatest hero of the “Azeris”. ●

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

Istakhri (Estakhri, ?- 957 AD)
اصطخري
Full: Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al Farsi al Istakhri
ابواسحاق ابراهيم بن محمدبن فارسي الاصطخري
Work: Masalek wa Mamalek (Roads and Countries), Sovar al Aqalim (Maps of Lands)
مسالك و ممالك, صور الاقاليم

Istakhri (died 346 Hijri) was from Istakhr (Estakhr) in Fars and traveled in Islamic countries.

Istakhri’s geographic work presents separate maps of Armenia, Aran (Aghvank) and Azarbaijan and gives names of cities in Aran: Beylakan (Pytakaran, Փայտակարան), Varthan (Vartanakert), Shamakhi, Shirvan, Shabran, Abkhaz, Qabalah (Kabalak, Կապաղակ), Sheki (Shakeh, Շաքէ), Ganja (Gandzak, Գանձակ), etc. and Bardhae (Partaw, Պարտաւ) as its capital. He cites Ardebil, Maragha, Urmia, Mianeh, Khuneh, Ujan, Dakharghan (Dehkharghan), Salmas, Khoy, Marand, Tabriz, Barzand, Varthan (Vartanakert), Mughan, Oshneh (Oshno), etc. as cities in Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) and Ardebil as the capital of the same.

It’s interesting that Istkahri sometimes considers Neshwi (Nakhijevan) part of Azarbaijan (the real) and other times part of Armenia. This is because Nakhijevan would at times be assigned under the administration of real Azarbaijan. This fact can be abused by “Azeris” to claim Nakhijevan. This is misleading simply because at that time fake “Azerbaijan” did not exist and Aghvank and Azarbaijan (the real) were accounted for as separate entities, with Aghvank seen as part of Armenia. Istakhri’s account of the borders of Azarbaijan (the real) eliminates all doubts: “the limits of Azarbayegan are from Tarom to Zangan (Zanjan) to Dinvar (Dinawar) to Halvan up to the city Zur to Tigris and the borders of Armenia”. Note that according to Istakhri, real Azarbaijan has no borders with Aghvank.

Describing the language of the people of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) Istakhri says: “In these regions everyone speaks Arabic and Persian …the people of Ardebil speak Armenian. Around Bardha (Partaw) there’s a mountain and they have different languages”. About the language of the peoples of Aghvank he says: “Seventy and some groups live around that mountain (Darband H.) and each speaks a different language so that neighbors do not understand the language of one another”.

An interesting point in Istakhri’s book is that he also confirms: “the language of the Khazars is similar to Turkish and no other people speak this language”, a proof that not only in Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) and Armenia, but also in Aghvank not a single soul could understand a word of Turkish in those days. ●


Ibn Rosteh (mid 9th-early 10th centuries AD)
ابن رسته
Full: Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Omar ibn Rosteh
ابو علي احمدبن عمربن رسته
Work: Al A’laq an Nafiseh
الاعلاق النفيسه

Written around the end of the third century Hijri, the late third or early fourth century Hijri Isfahani geographer Ibn Rosteh confirms Aghvank as being a province (Khoras = province, from Greek) of Armenia.

He cites Aran (Aghvank), Jorzan (Georgia), Neshwi (Nakhijavan, Նախիջևան), Khlat, Dabil (Dvin, Դւին), Saghdbil, Seraj, Arjish (Arjesh), Bajonis, Sisjan (Sisakan) and Bab ul Abwab (Darband, Chor) as Khoras of Armenia.

Regarding Azarbaijan (the real) he names Ardebil, Marand, Bajrevan (Bagrevand, Բագրևանդ), Varthan (Vartanakert), Maragha as its provinces or cities (Khoras). ●

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

Ibn Hawqal (Haukal, ?-977 AD)
ابن حوقل
Full: Abulqassem Muhammad ibn Hawqal
ابوالقاسم محمدبن حوقل
Work: Sourat ul Ardh (The Map of the Earth)
صورﺓ الارض

Figure 32


Ibn Hawqal’s Map of Armenia, Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) and Aghvank (Ar Ran)

The fourth century Hijri geographer Ibn Hawqal Baghdadi (died 367 Hijri) who traveled in the region, continues the work of Istakhri. He has lived for a while in Armenia and Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan). He dedicates an important chapter of his work to Armenia, Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) and Aran (Aghvank) and presents the three regions separately on his map. Ibn Hawqal confirms that Aran is situated in the north of the Arax River whereas Azarbaijan is to the south of Arax.

He mentions different capitals: Bardha (Partaw) for Aran (Aghvank) and Ardebil for Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan).

Ibn Hawqal gives independent accounts of Armenia, Aran (Aghvank) and Azarbaijan. He also mentions Bardhae (Partaw, Պարտաւ), Jinzeh (Gandzak, Ganja, Գանձակ), Shamkhor, Shamakhieh, Shirvan, Shabran, Qabalah (Kabalak, Կապաղակ) and Sheki (Shakeh, Շաքէ) in Aran (Aghvank) and Ardebil, Tabriz, Salmas, Khoy, Urmia, Maragha, Oshno, Mianaj (Mianeh), Marand, etc. in Azarbaijan.

He uses the term Azari to define the dialect of the people of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) to distinguish it from other dialects of Persian, a simple fact that exposes the fallacy of applying the term Azari or “Azeri” to the Turkish dialect spoken in the region. He says people of Azarbaijan speak Farsi but the merchants and land owners also understand Arabic. About Armenia he confirms that the people speak different dialects of Armenian also in Dabil (Dvin) and Neshwi (Nakhijevan). The people of Aran speak Arani, also different infidel ethnicities speak their own languages according to Ibn Hawqal. Interesting enough, the language of the Aghvans had survived until Ibn Hawqal’s times and there’s still not an iota of evidence of any Turkish in the region. It should be noted that the people of Azarbaijan were already Muslim centuries before this, yet another fact that proves Azarbaijan and Aran were not a single entity.

According to Ibn Hawqal: “In ancient times Dabil (Dvin) was ruled by Snbat ibn Ashot (Smbat) king of Armenia and since the times of his forefathers, their notables held it until Abulghassem Yussof ibn abis Saj conquered that city...” in another place, describing the road from Partaw, capital of Aghvank to Dvin he adds: “the road from Bardha to Dabil in Armenia and all the cities and villages there were ruled by the Armenian king Snbat ibn Ashot until Yussof ibn abis Saj usurped it with treachery and cruelty against the orders of Allah and his prophet” (in 915 AD).

Ibn Hawqal reports that in his time Aran (Aghvank) and eastern parts of Armenia were all under the administration of the ruler of Azarbaijan (the real). This shows that Aran and Azarbaijan (the real) were not one country, what the “Azeris” try to make the world believe, rather, the administrative division of regions under Iranian rule changed from time to time, sometimes putting parts of Aran or Armenia under the administration of the ruler of Azarbaijan (the real). ●


Kharazmi (Khwarizmi, ?- 997 AD)
خوارزمي
Full: Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yussof Kharazmi
ابوعبدالله محمدبن احمدبن يوسف خوارزمي
Works: Mafatih ul Ulum (Keys to the Sciences)
مفاتيح العلوم

Kharazmi (died 387 Hijri, not to be mistaken with the great Iranian mathematician (lived 780-850 AD) whose name gave us the term algorithm), who lived in the fourth century Hijri (10th c. AD) gives the following explanation about Pahlavi Persian: “Fahlavieh (Pahlavi) belongs to the Iranian group of languages which was spoken by kings in their courts. This word is attributed to Pahleh and it’s the name that was given to the following five cities (lands): Isfahan, Rey, Hamadan, Mah Nahavand and Azarbijan (Azarbaijan the real H.)”. ●


Sohrab (Ibn Srabion)
سهراب
ابن سرابيون
Work: Ajayeb ul Aqalim… (Wonders of Places…)
عجائب الاقاليم السبعه الي نهايت العماره

A fourth century Hijri geographer of probably Iranian origin has dedicated an important chapter of his book to rivers. Sohrab mentions the River Kur as a river inside Armenia and the River Arax an external river of Armenia. This confirms that Aghvank was considered a part of Armenia in his days. ●


Anonymous
Work: Hodud ul A’alam min al Mashreq ilal Maghreb
حدود العالم من المشرق الي المغرب

The author of this valuable geographic work from the fourth century Hijri is unknown. The book is written in Farsi and includes a description of Aghvank. “Khonan is a region on the banks of the River Kur which is the border between Armenia and Aran (Aghvank)” which places Aran to the north of the River Kur according to the anonymous author of Hodud ul A’alam. ●


Muqaddasi (Moghaddasi) (c. 942-c. end of 10th c.)
مقدسي
Full: Shamseddin abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn abu Bakr Bana’a Shami Muqaddasi
شمس الدين ابوعبدالله محمدبن احمدبن ابي بکر بناﺀ شامي مقدسي
Work: Ahsan at Taghasim fi Ma’rifat al Aqalim (The Best Divisions for Knowledge of the Regions)
احسن التقاسيم في معرفه الاقاليم

A well known geographer from the fourth century Hijri (born around 331 Hijri), Muqaddasi divides Iran into eight parts (اقاليم Aqalim =plural of اقليم iqlim = realm) and cites Azarbaijan (the real) and Aran (Aghvank) as separate iqlims (khoras).

He describes the three khoras of Rahab as Aran (Aghvank), Armenia and Azarbaijan (the real) as follows: “The first Aran, to the north of Aran Lake (the Caspian), the second Armenia and the third Azarbaijan.”

About Aghvank he writes: “Aran is like an island between the Lake (Caspian) and Arax, and the Malek (= king = Kur from Koorosh = Cyrus) River runs through it.” As cities in Aran he mentions Bardhae (Partaw, Պարտաւ), Tiflis (Tbilisi), Shamkhor, Ganja (Gandzak, Գանձակ), Shirvan, Bakooh (Baku), Shabran, Bab ul Abwab (Darband, Chor, Chol, Չող), Sheki (Shakeh, Շաքէ), Abkhaz among others.

Regarding Azarbaijan (the real) he writes: “Azarbaijan is a khora founded by Azarbad (Atropat, Atrpat) son of Biurasp. Its capital is Ardebil and its cities are Rasbah, Tabriz, Jabravan, Khunaj (Khooneh), Mianaj (Mianeh), Saraw (Sarab), Barwi, Varthan (Vartanakert), Mughan, Meimand and Barzand, Salmas, Urmia, Maragha and Marand… Zanjan is on the border of Azarbaijan (the real H.)”.

Muqaddasi calls the languages of these eight Aqalim (khoras) of Ajami (Iranian) origin “some of them Dari (one of the major branches of Persian close to the modern Farsi H.) and some complicated, but all of them Parsi …the language of the people of Azarbaijan (the real H.) isn’t as intelligible (influences of old Pahlavi dialect H.). In Armenia people speak Armenian and in Aran, Arani. Their Persian is intelligible and is similar to the dialects of Khorasan.” Not a single cloud patch of Turkish in the horizon. ●

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

Abu Reyhan Biruni (Raihan, Rayhan) (973-1048 AD)
ابوريحان بيروني
Full: Abu Reyhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad Biruni
ابوريحان محمدبن احمد بيروني
Work: Athar ul Baghieh, Al Jamahir, etc.
آثار الباقيه, الجماهير

The great Iranian scientist, physicist, mathematician, geographer, historian and literary figure Abu Reyhan Biruni (about 360s–440s Hijri) in his accounts of the region mentions Bardha (Partaw) a city in Aran (Aghvank) close to the River Kur, Beylakan (Pytakaran), Khlat, Arjish (Arjesh, Argishtiuni, Արճեշ, Արգիշտիունի), Shirvan and Bab ul Abwab (Darband, Chor). He explains that Bab ul Abwab is also known as Darband of Khazar and Bakooh (Baku) is the source of white naft (oil). Abureyhan considers all these regions part of Armenia until Vartan (Vartanakert) which according to him was under Azarbayegan’s (Azarbaijan the real) jurisdiction. ●


Abulfada (Abul Fida, ?- 1331 AD)
ابوالفداﺀ
Full: Emadeddin Ismail ibn Muhammad ibn Omar Abulfada
عمادالدین اسمعيل بن محمدبن عمر ابوالفداﺀ
Work: Taqwim al Buldan
البلدان تقويم

The seventh/eighth century Hijri historian and geographer Abulfada (died 732 Hijri) is a descendant of Salaheddin (Saladin) Ayyubi. His work deals mainly with Iran but it contains valuable information about Asia Minor as well. A chapter in his work is about Armenia, Aran (Aghvank) and Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) with detailed descriptions of their geographic features.

Abulfada says: “Armenia, Aran (Aghvank H.) and Azarbaijan (the real H.) are three large and separate realms that are represented together on maps by the experts”.

Describing the borders of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) he states: “it is limited by Deylam in the east and Iraq to the south… Aran’s (Aghvank H.) borders starts in Bab (Darband H.) to Tiflis (Tbilisi H.) until near Arax River in a place known as Hajeiran… And Azarbaijan (the real H.) begins in Hajeiran and stretches till Zanjan, Dinvar to Halvan and the city Zur and turns until it reaches near Tigris and the borders of Armenia” which clearly shows that an “Azerbaijan” north of the Arax is nothing but 20th century mythology. ●


Qudamah ibn Jafar Katib Baghdadi
قدامت بن جعفر کتيب بغدادي
Work: Kitab ul Kharaj
کتاب الخراج

Qudamah ibn Jafar mentions the khoras and considers Aran (Aghvank) a khora of Armenia. ●


Ibn Miskuyeh (?-1030 AD)
ابن مسکويه
Full: Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Miskuyeh Razi
ابو علي احمدبن محمدبن مسکويه رازي
Work: Tajarib al Umam (Experiences of Nations)
تجارب الامم

A famous Iranian historian, Ibn Miskuyeh (died 421 Hijri) served the rulers of Al Buyeh. In Tajarib al Umam he narrates the Russian invasion in Aghvank and the events of Yussof ibn abis Saj’s time, the caliph al Muqtadir appointed ruler of Azarbaijan (the real), Aghvank and Armenia. Abis Saj stops paying taxes to the caliph (299 Hijri). He treacherously obtains the rule of Qazvin, Rey, Zanjan and Abhar. ●


Bakri Qurtubi (?-c. 1094 AD)
البكري قرطبي
Full: Abu Ubeid Abdullah al Bakri Qurtubi (of Cordoba)
ابو عبید عبدالله البكري قرطبي
Work: Al Massalek wal Mamalek
المسالک و الممالک

Bakri Qurtubi (died around 487 Hijri) is a well known Arab geographer from Spain. Besides Al Massalek wal Mamalek, he compiled one of the earliest Islamic encyclopedias. Bakri considers Aran (Aghvank) a khora in Armenia. He explains: “Khoras of Armenia: Aran (Aghvank), Jorzan (Georgia), Neshwi (Nakhijevan), Khlat, Dabil (Dvin), Seraj, Jordbil, Arjish (Arjesh), Sisjan (Sisakan), the city of Bab ul Abwab (Darband, Chor) and Hey Darjan”. He confirms that Azarbaijan (the real) is a separate khora. ●


Idrissi (1100-1163 AD)
ادريسي
Full:Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Muhammad Sharif Idrissi
ابوعبدالله محمدبن محمد الادريسي
Work:Nuzhat ul Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq al Afaq (The Delight for Who Desires to Journey through Different Horizons)
نزهة المشتاق في الاختراق الافاق

The sixth century (493–around 560) Hijri Andalusian geographer Sharif Idrissi studied mathematics, history and geography in Cordoba and visited Asia Minor among other destinations. From 1138 he lived at the court of the Sicilian king Roger II, who ordered him to draw the map of the world. In his manuscript he has drawn the maps of Armenia, Aran (Aghvank) and Azarbaijan as three separate entities. ●


Toosi (Tusi)
طوسي
Full: Muhammad ibn Mahmood ibn Ahmad Toosi
محمدبن محمودبن احمد طوسي
Work: Aja’eb ul Makhluqat (Marvels of Creatures)
عجائب المخلوقات

The Iranian geographer, Toosi lived in the sixth century Hijri and dedicated his work to Tughril ibn Arslan ibn Tughril, a Seljuk ruler of Iraq. He says: “Bardha (Partaw H.) …is a city on the border of Armenia to the Caucasus Mountain.” Note that this is already in the times after the Seljuk invasions. Not a single sign of “Azeri” or “Azerbaijan” in the region north of the Arax is yet to be discerned. ●

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

Ibn Athir (1160-1233 AD)
ابن اثير
Full: Izzeddin Ali ibn Athir
عزالدين علي بن اثير
Work: Al Kamel fit Tarikh (Complete History)
الکامل في التاريخ

An important and well known historian of the sixth and seventh Hijri centuries, Ibn Athir (555 – 630 Hijri), continues Tabari’s work and recounts the events of the centuries after Tabari. He presents valuable facts concerning the Mongol and Tatar invasions in Aran (Aghvank) and Shirvan. He has always mentioned Aghvank distinct from Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) throughout his book. For instance, regarding the Seljuk sultan Mahmood he writes: “The vast realm of Mahmood consisted of Rey and its districts, the city (land) of Jebal, Isfahan, Fars, Khuzestan, Iraq, Azarbaijan (the real H.), Aran (Aghvank H.), Armenia, Diarbekr, Jazira (Mesopotamia), Mosul, Sham (Syria H.) and other places.”

He narrates the events of 430 Hijri and informs that tens of thousands of Turks “raided Muslim (conquered H.) lands around Kashghar and Blasghun, pillaged and plundered, then converted to Islam and beheaded twenty thousand sheep on the day of Eed Qurban… Before that, these tribes had to stay together to defend themselves from the Muslims but after accepting Islam, they dispersed and were scattered throughout Muslim lands…”

Relating the events of 440 Hijri Ibn Athir says: “In this year, a huge number of Oghuz Turks (Seljuks H.) came to Ibrahim Yenal (half sibling of Tughril and the ruler of Rey and Hamadan). He told them: my land does not have the capacity of housing and feeding you. You’d better go to Rum (Asia Minor), fight the infidels in the Cause of Allah.”

In 440s Hijri (1054 AD), Tughril invaded Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) and headed towards Tabriz. Amir Wahsoodan ibn Muhammad Ravvadi the ruler of that land offered his submission to Tughril… Later out of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan), Tughril took the direction of Aran (Aghvank) and raided Ganja (Gandzak), the capital of Aran (Aghvank). Abul Aswar the ruler of Ganja submitted as well. Tughril took some hostages from local rulers but allowed them to govern their land according to Ibn Athir.

The sad events of 457 Hijri (1065 AD) are also mentioned by Ibn Athir (he cites 456 Hijri as the date of this event). On this ill day befell the tragedy of the rape of Ani by the bloodthirsty Alp Arslan, the Seljuk bandit “king”. On Turkish websites, the Seljuk calamity is presented as the salvation of Armenians from the Byzantines. The Turkish disinformation has the easy job of twisting historical facts 180 degrees and spamming the lies all over the internet to increase the credibility of their falsifications. ●


Yaqut Hamawi (1179-1229 AD)
ياقوت حموي
Full: Abu Abdullah Yaqut ibn Abdullah Hamawi
ابوعبدالله ياقوت بن عبداله حموي
Work: Mo’jam al Buldan (Book of Countries)
معجم البلدان

The sixth/Seventh centuries Hijri geographer Yaqut Hamawi is the author of the well known geographic encyclopedia Mo’jam al Buldan.

Yaqut believes that Aran is an Iranian name. According to him, “Between Aran (Aghvank H.) and Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan H.) there’s a river called Aras (Arax H.). Aran is situated to the north of Aras and Azarbaijan lies to the south of this river”. Still no “Azerbaijan” north of the Arax! He also cites Deylam, Gilan and Tarom as the internal eastern limits of Azarbaijan (the real). Yaqut mentions Tabriz “the largest city of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan H.). Its other cities are Maragha, Khoy, Salmas, Urmia, Ardebil, Marand, etc.”

The Mughan plain in southeast of present day fake “Azerbaijan” is the land of origin of a people known as Mokk in Armenian and reported by Herodotus as Mycians (Miks, Muxoi, Mukhoi). In Islamic texts they are referred to as the Mughan. Yaqut Hamawi relates the mythological origins of Gilan (north of Iran, near the Caspian, Mazandaran and Azarbaijan the real) and Mughan and believes they are proper names. He says: “Mughan and his brother Gilan were sons of Kashaj ibn Japheth ibn Nuh (Noah H.) and they lived in Tabaristan (Mazandaran H.).” This story reveals that the peoples of Gilan and Mughan are related from ancient times and are of Iranian origin.

Describing the language of the people of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) Yaqut Hamawi pulverizes the myth of Azari having anything to do with Turkish: “they speak a language which is called Azari and nobody understands it besides themselves”. ●


Zachariah Qazvini (Ghazvini) (1203-1283 AD)
زكريا قزويني
Full: Zachariah Emadeddin ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmood Qazvini
زكريا عمادالدين بن محمدبن محمود قزويني
Works: Athar al Bilad wa Akhbar al Ibad (Vestiges of Countries and Information on Men), Aja’eb ul Makhluqat wa Ghara’eb ul Mawjudat (Marvels of Creature and Strange Beings)
آثارالبلاد واخبارالعباد
عجائب المخلوقات و غرائب الموجودات

In Zachariah Qazvini’s geographical work about Aghvank we read: “Aran (Aghvank H.) is a land near Azarbaijan (the real H.), Armenia and Abkhazia where there are many cities. The provinces of Aran are Ganja (Gandzak H.), Shirvan and Beylakan (Pytakaran H.) …The River Kur runs between Armenia and Aran …Mughan is a vast province in Azarbaijan (the real H.).” ●


Hamdollah Qazvini (Ghazvini) (1281-1349 AD)
حمدالله قزويني
Full: Zineddin Ibn Hamdollah Mostowfi Qazvini
زين الدين بن حمدالله مستوفي قزويني
Work: Nuzhat ul Qulub (The Delight of Hearts)
نزهت القلوب

Hamdollah Qazvini (seventh/eighth centuries Hijri) cites the cities of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan), among others: “Tabriz, Oujan, Ardebil, Khalkhal, Shahrood, Meshkin, Anar, Ahar, Nowzar, Khoy, Salmas, Urmia, Sarab, Miana, Maragha, Marand, Zanjan…” where not a single one of them has anything to do with Aghvank.

Writing about the language of the people of Maragha in real Azarbaijan he confirms: “they speak a modified dialect of Pahlavi”. This shows that as late as the eighth century Hijri (14th century AD), the darkest days of the Mongol rule, the people of Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan) still spoke their original Iranian language and not Turkish. ●


Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)
ابن خلدون
Full: Abu Zayd Abdurrahman ibn Muhammad ibn Khaldun
ابو زيد عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون

An internationally respected scholar, Ibn Khaldun was born in 732 Hijri in Tunis and died in 808 Hijri. He met Teimur (Timberline) in Damascus when Teimur held it under siege. Writing about lands under Islamic rule, he considers Aran (Aghvank) of its fifth part and a land neighboring Armenia and Azarbaijan (Atrpatakan). He reports the Mongol invasion of Aran in 618 Hijri and their pillage of Beylakan (Pytakaran) and also the attack of the Georgians, who he mistakenly considers Turks (!), in 619 Hijri. ●

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

Armenian Historians

In 1924 Bartold delivered a series of lectures at a university in Baku. Once he was asked “aren’t the Aghvans and the Armenians the same people? It’s hard to imagine that a nation who had a writing system and a translation of the Bible suddenly lost their language and disappeared from the scene of history.”

While Bartold responded by citing examples of other ethnicities with a similar fate, nevertheless, this question itself confirms that the Armenians are the closest nation to the Aghvans culturally, historically, religiously, racially and geographically, and it is not surprising that the records of Armenian historians dealing with Aghvank throughout centuries are the most exhaustive of all.

Especially after Mesrop Mashtots’ invention of the Armenian alphabet at the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth century AD, the Golden Age of the Armenian literature brought forth numerous authors who recorded the historic accounts of their time and translated those of their predecessors into Armenian. Among these are Movses Khorenatsi, Pavstos Buzand, Agathangelos, Sebeos and Ghazar Parpetsi, who have also chronicled the events pertaining to the Aghvans.

Keeping in mind the limitless rancor and hate propaganda against the Armenians that has intensified after their miserable defeat from the Armenians in their self-perpetrated war on Artsakh, the ugly manifestations of this hatred in the barbaric slaughter of Gurgen Markarian on February 19, 2004 by the “Azeri” monster Ramil Safarov, the savage destruction of the ancient Jugha cemetery in December 2005 in front of the eyes of an indifferent civilized world, the endless warmongering rhetoric from the highest “Azeri” authorities, to name but a few, it is certain that the mention of the word Armenian throws the “Azeris” into a hysterical frenzy rejecting everything coming from Armenian sources, ancient or modern. It is as if the fifth century Armenian historians who never saw a Turk in their lives had supernatural prophetic powers to foresee that Turks would ravage the civilizations west of the Caspian starting six hundred years after their time and a fake “Azerbaijan” would be counterfeited on the soil of their homeland fifteen centuries later. Whatever the Turks want to believe and make believe, at least one Armenian historian can in no way be neglected when talking about the Aghvans: Movses Kaghankatouatsi, a historian who is also abused by the “Azeris” who misquote him in their baloney history inventions and attribute him to themselves.

Movses Kaghankatouatsi

Without any doubt, the most complete historical record of Aghvank, History of Aghvank, comes from the seventh century Armenian historian, Movses Kaghankatouatsi, himself a citizen of Kaghankatooik (Kalankatu) a village in the Utik province near the River Tartar in the Aghvank of the day.

It should be noted that another Armenian historian with the same first name, Movses Daskhorantsi, added additional chapters to this work in the 10th century. This has confused some researchers who do not read Armenian and have had to consult second hand sources, to express fallacious ideas about Kaghankatouatsi’s era and have mistakenly put him in the 10th century.

Relating the accounts of war between Khossrow II Parviz (591-628 AD) and Heraclius I (610-641 AD), he writes: “In the winter, the Roman emperor captured 50,000 prisoners from Atrpatakan and moved to the lands north of the Arax, especially Aghvank that had warmer winters and after settling in Aghvank, wrote letters to the Kings of Aghvank, Iberia (Georgia H.), and Armenia to aid the Romans in the war against Iranians”.

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

Turks according to Kaghankatouatsi

“In the 38th year of the rule of Khossrow (Khossrow Parviz, the Sassanid king of the time. H.) which was a year of tribulation and affliction …the [Turkish] Jebu (Jebqu/Jabghu) Khan arrived with his son. No one could count their army. When this horrific news came to Aghvank, Hyshak, the ruler of Aghvank who had been appointed to his post by Khossrow, decided to protect our land from the [Turkish] invaders and gather the people in the Partaw fortress... He thought he could resist with the aid of the notables. While he was worryingly anticipating the events, he heard news of the calamity visited upon the fortress of Chor (Darband/Derbend. H.) and its defenders...

Indeed, in the time of the universal misfortune which was in front of us all, first they slammed it against the waves of the immense sea and razed the fortress to the ground. Seeing the malevolent, imminent danger from the evil, monstrous ugly horde with brazen wide, eyelash-less countenances and long hair scattered over their faces like women, Hyshak, shook with fear especially when he saw the arrows that poured upon them like a violent hailstorm from the strung bows of their archers.

In the manner of bloodthirsty wolves and without a grain of shame and decency they attacked the people of the city and ruthlessly slaughtered them in the streets. There was no sign of any mercy in the eyes of these butchers regarding the beautiful, young women either. They massacred the boys and girls as well.

They did not even pity the harmless beings and the disabled and elderly who were unable to fight. Neither they spared the children nor the young, nor would their hearts soften regarding suckling and babies. These innocent infants were lying on the torn apart cadavers of their mothers and were sucking blood from their teats instead of milk. The moment they entered a house, like fire in a haystack, they would burn every place to cinders and they would reduce everything to rubble. The moment they would leave a house they had broken into, they paved the way for the beasts of prey and scavengers from sky and the ground...”

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

The ancestral tree of Aghvans according to Kaghankatouatsi

A most significant record in History of Aghvank is Movses Kaghankatouatsi’s presentation of the ancestral tree of the Aghvans. As it appears, at his time, the Aghvans were seen to be of the same origin as the Armenians, namely the descendants of Hyke, the forefather of the Armenians according to their mythology.

Hyke is no fantastic creature endowed with supernatural powers or unnatural anatomical growths but a mere mortal yet a skilled archer who liberates his people by defeating their tyrannical oppressor, Bel, who he kills, thus, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed on both sides, of fighting soldiers. This is also a reflection of the worldview of the Armenians who even in their mythology disdain senseless loss of human life, albeit in the context of war.

Whether Hyke existed or not is less relevant to our subject, rather the fact that the Aghvans and Armenians were thought to be from the same origin long before the Turks devastated the region, gains importance in the light of the shameless historical fabrications of the “Azeris” to somehow convince the world that they are not the leftovers of hordes of nomadic, Ural-Altaic, Mongolo-Tatar, Oghuz-Turkmen, cattle-herder, prowling invaders that only appeared this side of the Caspian from the 11th century onward, but they are descendants of settled, civilized, Christian Aghvans who had already disappeared from the scene of human history, mainly having assimilated with the Armenians. Besides, the Turks consider a gray wolf, which, according to their oral accounts copulated with a bleeding, mutilated youth, as the origin of the Turks.

Table 6

It’s obvious that Movses Kaghankatouatsi has used the fifth century Armenian historian, Movses Khorenatsi’s History of Armenia as his source for the ancestral tree of the Aghvans from Noah to Tigran Yervanduni. Again, whether some of these names belong to the realm of mythology or not is irrelevant, the tree reflects the fact that the Armenians and the Aghvans regarded each other descendants of the same ancestors none of which have anything to do with the Turks, stronger even, after the first couple of names, with any other nation!

It is worth mentioning that Movses Khorenatsi also cites the names of the ancestors of the Hebrews and the Chaldeans in two additional columns parallel to the Armenians.

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

19th and 20th Century Historians

Ever since the fabrication of fake “Azerbaijan” in 1918 and the fertile Soviet ground for producing fiction for consumption as history, the long disappeared nation (in fact multitude of ethnicities) known as the Aghvans, Aluanians or Caucasus Albanians has become a controversial item despite or thanks to their status of being extinct. Any quote from Armenian or Iranian scholars is vehemently labeled by the “Azeris” as chauvinistic while the farcical distortions of history, a natural consequence of forcing a sham state to be regarded as an ancient civilization mainly through the efforts of the arch-falsifier Ziya Bunyatov (Buniyatov) and his followers, can simply not be taken seriously by anybody, not even by a rather pro-Turkish author.

As it is outside the scope of the present essay to mention or quote every scholar from whatever nationality who has written about Aghvank (Aran, Caucasus Albania) in modern times and keeping in mind the political climate of the period or the country where these were produced, a number of more or less impartial authors are presented below leaving the enthusiasts to do their own research into modern historians related to our subject.


Vasili Vladimirovich Bartold (1869-1930)

The renowned Russian academician Bartold has mainly researched and written about the Turks and the inhabitants of Central Asia. He has this to say about the origin of the name Azarbaijan: “Before Alexander’s incursion Iranian Azarbaijan (the real H.) was an inseparable part of Media and didn’t have an independent administration. In the battle of Gaugamela Atropat was the satrap of entire Media… After Alexander, a part of Media that was called the Lesser Media remained under Atropat’s rule. Later on Atropat’s name was added to the name of this land. The Greeks called it Atropatena and the Armenians called it Atrpatakan. This is where the name of Azarbaijan originated.” (Emphasis is mine H.)

Bartold describes “the Arax River which at present separates Iran and the Caucasus” as “a distinct ethnic and racial border between Iranian lands of the Medes and Albania (the usual but confusing term used in Soviet and most western sources for Aghvank H.) in ancient times where the ethnicities were of Japhethite origin according to N. Marr”.

Though there are several fallacies in the above quote, mainly in considering the north of Arax the beginning of the Caucasus whereas its southernmost part is the River Kur, we must be reminded of the political situation of the time where the whole of fake “Azerbaijan” was being treated as the exact geographic situation of Aghvank (Aran, Caucasus Albania). Yet we know that the northeastern part of this fabricated state was once part of Sarmatia the ancestors of today’s Ossets or Alans, also the land of Massagets, Artsakh has sometimes been considered an administrative region of Aghvank under the Sassanids.

Bartold has noted further that the River Kur had become the southern border of Aghvank in the time of the Caliph Marwan. Bartold goes on: “in the historic periods a strong racial and ethnic border has always divided the Iranian Medes from the peoples living in [Caucasus] Albania …the ethnic and racial differences between Azarbaijan (the real H.) and Albania (Aghvank H.) did not disappear even in the Islamic era. The language of the people of Azarbaijan (the real H.) differed from that of the people of Albania (Aghvank H.)”.

Explaining the reason why the name “Azerbaijan” was plagiarized by the Tatars for their fabricated state Bartold opines: “The name Azerbaijan was chosen because it was believed that by creating the Republic of “Azerbaijan” it would eventually be one with the Azarbaijan of Iran. If a proper name could be applied to the present day Republic of “Azerbaijan”, the name Aran would be the correct choice”. ●

[Hellektor]

And the Fraud Had a Name, Azerbaijan: the Real, the Fake and the Absurd

Vladimir Minorsky (1877-1966)
Works: Studies in Caucasian History, Articles about p an-Turkism, Atropatena, etc.

Concerning Turkish history fabrication methods Minorsky remarks: “where there’s an unsolved question regarding ancient civilizations of the near east, Turks will immediately put their hands on it”.

Minorsky’s works also deal with the peoples of the region. He notes the strategic importance of Aghvank for the Sassanids and mentions the Iranian element present which accounts for the Iranian place names in the region such as Lizan (from Lahijan in northern Iran), Shirvan, etc. The Lahij were an Iranian ethnicity who immigrated to Shirvan from Gilan. Today the Lahij are known as Tats who live mainly south of Dagestan and around the Caspian in fake “Azerbaijan”.

From his history of Aran and Shirvan it’s interesting to point out that the region’s fall into the hands of Seljuk bandit king Alp Arslan’s general Savotekin was the result of it’s ruler, Fazl ibn Shavoor’s rebel son Fazloon’s deduction that he couldn’t beat the Seljuks and ceded it without fighting to the Turkish invaders, thus bringing about the end of the Shaddadian dynasty… This clearly shows that Aghvan’s usurpation from another usurper was a mere piece of cake for the ancestors of the Tatars of the Caucasus who chose the name “Azerbaijani” (later “Azeri”) for their artificially concocted “nation” at the end of 1930s. ●


Joseph Markwart (Marquart)
Works: Die Chronologie der alttürkischen Inschriften, Leipzig, 1898
Eranshahr nach der Geographie des ps. Moses Xorenatsi, Berlin, 1901

Marquart who is famous for his study of Iranian history believes: “The language of Atropatena (Atrpatakan) is the real Pahlavi language… The written Pahlavi is the same as that of Atropatena and is derived from Parthian (Ashkani) Pahlavi”.

Concerning the northern limit of Azarbaijan (the real) in times of the Sassanids when the Zintha fortress had been decided upon as the border between Atropatenean Media (Atrpatakan, real Azarbaijan) and Armenia in 298 AD, Markwart affirms that “as of 363 AD this border had remained unchanged. It was later in the Sassanid era when Atropatena (Atrpatakan, real Azarbaijan) expanded southeastward until the shores of Lake Urmia. Later still its borders widened and incorporated 12 regions of Pytakaran (Beylakan)”. As confirmed by Markwart, these regions were originally part of Armenia, thus, even what is known as Azarbaijan (the real) includes parts of historic Armenian territory.

It is important to note that unlike the pan-Turkist “Azeris” who stole the name of real Azarbaijan for a later annexation of the same to their fabricated state, an aim that to this day is apparent in all their falsified publications dealing with history, taught at their schools and “academic” establishments, no Armenian claims a square meter of present day Iranian territory. The points stated above are meant to show not only fake “Azerbaijan” that has usurped Armenian land to contrive their extension of Turkey has no legitimate right of demanding land from Armenia, its appetite for the real Azarbaijan is equally absurd in the light of these facts. ●


Kamilla Vasilyevna Trever (1892-1974)
Works: Ocherki po istorii i kulture Kavkazkoi Albanii,… Moscow – Leningrad 1959

Reported by Josephus Flavius and other historians, the Alan invasion of the Caucasus and Iran in 72 AD and the massacres, destruction and plunder they inflicted, especially hit Armenia and Atrpatakan. According to Trever, the Caucasus Albanians (Aghvans) remained neutral, opened the way and allowed the Alans to pass through Aghvank. This is really bad for the “Azeris” who claim they are descendents of the Aghvans and that Aghvank and Atrpatakan were one and the same country, the homeland since the conception of the universe of the “Azeri” Turks, a “nation” that had to wait more than a thousand years before they aped the Alans and about two millennia before they were artificially created.

Trever asserts that the annexation of Pytakaran to Aghvank occurred after the peace treaty of Sassanid Persia and Rome in 387 when the two empires divided Armenia between them. Pavstos Buzand has also reported that after this division the Sassanids separated provinces from the already chopped up Armenia to weaken it further. It is doubtless that this treaty was the heaviest blow to Armenia after which she has not been able to recover to this day.

Explaining the disappearance of the Aghvans Trever writes: “as a result of the dispute between the Monophysite Armenian Church and Diophysite Chalcedonian Georgian Church in the seventh century, the Aghvans who followed the former started to use the Armenian alphabet and the followers of the latter employed the Georgian writing”, to the detriment and certain abandon of the Aghvan alphabet which was only created in the fifth century by the inventor of all of the three, Mesrop Mashtots.

That it was not because of cultural backwardness that the Aghvans failed to go on is confirmed by Trever who claims that the Iberians (Georgians) were not culturally superior to the Aghvans; on the contrary, they were probably behind them in certain branches. ●