VAGIF ARZUMANLI,
PROFESSOR,DOCTOR OF PHILOLOGY, DIRECTOR
OF THE INSTITUTE FOR THE NATIONAL RELATIONS OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC

There are many fated problems in the history of our nation. It is remarkable that since gaining the independence the serious attention is given to such problems. The subject of the today's agenda is related to the historical events that are less learned and less paid attention in the 70-80-s. I propose to consider the slaughter of March 1918 under two edges. The first, the event of 1918 should be studied in the complex shape. No any doubt, that the number of the murdered Azeris is indicated either 10,000 or 12,000 or 17,000 or 15,000. Probably, these facts ought to be verified. May be, even more Azeris are killed and more dangerous and tragedy events are happened. These all facts have to be studied as a whole. The second, let not object, that we have approached to such problems very abstractive. We must investigate consequently the happened and still on going forms of the deportation and genocide against our nation by activating our works in this direction.

In 1998, Mr. Heydar Aliyev, President of the Azerbaijan Republic, has signed two important Decrees regarding to the genocide against Azeris: "On the Deportation of the People of Azerbaijan from its Historic-Ethnic Lands from the Territory of the Armenian SSR in 1948-1953" and "On Genocide Against Azeris". Each of the said Decrees plays a very vital role relating to the historical and political estimation of the tragedy of the Azeri nation in the recent two and three centuries by informing the world basing on objective and scientific sounds of the historical truth.

The genocide and deportation policy against Azeris still continues at the Nagorny Karabakh at the end of XX century. Although this genocide policy against our nation has shown its dramatic dynamics in the recent millennium, its rootes has come from the long historical time. The tragedies occurred with Azeris are much in-depth. More that three hundred years this policy is conducted in the different style, but served for only one goal. The genocide policy in Caucasus is mostly connected with the following factors:

*the Russian occupation of the Northern lands of Azerbaijan (Darband, Guba, Baku, etc.);

*the strengthening of the control over the Caspian Sea by Russians;

*the occupation of the Caucasus by the Russian Empire;

*the immigration of Armenians from Iran and Turkey to the territory of Azerbaijan;

*the immigration of definite part of population from the Russia and the Ukraine to the territory of Azerbaijan;

*the support of Armenians by the Russian Empire in order to find its ally in the Caucasus;

*the influence of Russia and other countries on the geographical and political spheres in the neighboring Caucasian countries;

*the intensification of the Russian struggle with the large states in order to increase its role within the region.

The attack and conquer of the Russian Army from the Northern direction arc always resulted in large losses and ruins of Azerbaijan people. Yet in 1668, during the attack of the Don Kossack, Stepan Razin, to Azerbaijan, his ataman, Sergey Krivoy with its 2,000 troop has initially hostaged and murdered the major local population of Derbend and Baku. In general, Stepan Razin has mentioned to his ataman the following fact regarding to the tragedies in Baku and other settlement in the course of the battle of his total 6,000 troops:

"You are the criminal... You killed the entire population of the Caspian Seashore, several cities have been destroyed. You caused the slaughter between two kingdoms".

In reading the book "History of Azerbaijan" (Baku, 1994): "From the mid of the XVI century, the Volga-Caspian route, including the trade inland route through Azerbaijan, plays very important international significance". Some European countries are intended to use this route asking Russia to help them. Because, at the end of XVII centure, the Russian merchants possessed the mentioned route. The Russian State tried to be only one intermediary between the Sefevis (Azerbaijan king dynasty) and the Western Europe. This attempt was succeeded in 1667. For the purposes to transport the "Gizilbash'' brand raw silk from the Astrakhan to Moscow, then the Central and Western Europe, Russia has signed the agreement with the Armenian Company situated in the New Julfa town. Russians have got the right on the custom free trade in the time of the Sefevis. By the king's order, all local governers should have assisted to the Russian merchants and traders.

In 1707-1709-s Russian Ambassador in Iran, Iranian Armenian, Israel Ori and his escort Archimandrite Minas Vardapet have built the bridge in Niyazbad village within the area of the Guba Khan by sealing the Russian Herb. Armenians tried to use all possibilities for their benefits. If the small ranking Armenian 1 was included to any Russian delegation, the Armenians of the foreign country have intended to use him as a lobbier for their interests in Russia. In this respect there are hundreds of such historical facts and events existed since XVI century till now. During all periods Armenians used all means to form their own state. By using different ways they managed to appoint their representatives to different government structures of Turkey, Russia, Iran, Soviet Union, even Azerbaijan, especially in the military field. Either in the past and as well in the present. In 1721 after gaining the victory over the Sweden, Peter the First has sent his army and 274 ships to Derbend - on shore and see routes. On

July 15, 1722 being in Astrakhan, Peter the First has published his "Manifest". This Manifest written in Azeri has beared the special goal. About 200 years ago, Peter the First has issued the Decree on the migration of some part of the Armenian population to the territories of the Darband and Guba Khanates. This decree is titled by follows: » Rights of Darband and Mushkur Armenians for free and unimpeded movement". It is strange, but the Armenians have always been specially privileged by Iran and Russia. Let me draw your attention to some Decrees. In 1605 Abbas the First has issued the Decree on the allocation of special areas for the compact living of Armenians. In 1707 targeted to special demarche of Russia to Caucasus, the delegation consisting of 50 members headed by Israil Ori (he was awarded the colonel title in Russia) has arrived there. Based on the agreement signed on September 12, 1723 the Russian Tzar, Peter the First has issued the Decree on the Grant of Some Areas within Baku, Guba and Derbend to Migrate Armenians. On 22 February, 1726 Ekaterine the Second has issued the Decree on the Special Attitude, Respect and Support to Armenians. On April 17, 1728 the Russian Cabinet of Ministers has approved the Statute "On the Recruit of the Armenian and Georgian Special Cadet Corpus'.

On October 1, 1797 in accordance with the Russian Tzar Decree, 2,000 Iranian Armenians have got the studentship in Russia. On 3rd June 1799 the Russian Empirator Pavel the First has assigned to Tzar of Kartli-Kalhetia to assist in the location of Armenians within Gazakh region of Azerbaijan. It is very strange, but possible to notice that either during the wars between the Osmanlys and the Sefevis or during the wars between Russia and Iran and Russia and Turkey, all battles were proceeded to the benefits of Armenians by signing the relative decisions and agreements. Then, these factors were stimulated to the widen migration and special concessions of Armenians in Turkey, Iran and Russia. The migration of Armenians to the Caucasus especially to Azerbaijan, is resulted in large problems of the local population. They made crimes against of local Azeris since their arrival there. In 1519 since the first immigration of the Iranian Armenians to the area of Irevan, the Duke of the Revan has sent the letter to Tebriz saying that such immigration and further settlement have led to the tension among local people. He predicted everything correctly. On the 10th of February 1828 in Tukmenchay village on the mid of Tebriz-Tehran Road the agreement was signed between Russia and Iran. On March 20, the Russian Tzar Nikolay the First has approved this agreement and next day formed "administrative Armenian province" instead of Iravan and Nakhichevan Khanates. According to the Article 15, the Turkmenchay agreement provides the free migration of Armenians from Iran to Russia. All conditions were created in the favor of Armenian families to migrate to Azerbaijan. As a bright example we can give "The Remarks on the Migration of Armenians From Iran to Our Provinces" written by the famous Russian play writer, being that time the Russian Envoy in Iran, A. S. Griboyedov: "the settlement of Armenians on the territories of Muslims would have endanger us if the concessions and privileges are given to them. Though Azeris are victims they could be turned to refugees as well". A. S. Griboyedov could predict the negative impacts of such policy.

In 1828-1829-s after the war between Russia and the Osman Empires, Armenians had migrated from Turkey to the historical lands of Azerbaijan. Even in 1829 Russia set up a special committee aimed at the development of its general rules comprising of 12 Articles.

I would like to remind the fact that during recent three hundred years, the basic initiators of the genocide policy against Azeris were Armenians and their lobbies — dash-naks abroad. As a result of this process in 190-1906-s the slaughter is started in Baku and further went to the Western, Southern, Northern and Eastern Azerbaijan.

Just as the continuation of that process, in 1988-1990-s in Armenia for the purposes to achieve the idea of "Armenia without the Turks", the genocide of the local Azeri population was started. During all times we could observe mass slaughter of Azeris following to the previous deportation. Then genocide occurred. It seriously contributed to the tragedies of 1906, 1917-1918, 1988-1990.

It is true that not only Armenians but also her supporters are responsible for the genocide against Azeris. The history should present good lesson for everyone. If any nation wants to achieve its dreams and challenges, that nation should have to take practical lesson from its historical background.