AGULIS ON THE CROSSROADS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE THROUGH CAUCASUS IN 17TH-18TH CENTURIES

Abstract

Agulis was an Armenian old settlement in Naxiǰevan province, mentioned in sources since 11th century. The 17th-18th century history of Agulis is well attested in contemporary Armenian and foreign sources: travel-notes of European authors, Ottoman Turkish and Persian documents. Many issues of its history are considered within researches on the history of Armenia as well as Safavid and Afsharid states of Iran. Yet many problems of the 17th-18th century history of Agulis still need a careful investigation, which may be supplemented on the basis of the data contained in the unstudied archive documents of the Matenadaran. One of the problems researched in the article is the status of the settlement as a khāṣṣ estate during the rule of Qarā Quyūnlū Iskandar and later Safavid period. This status has been considered by the authors as a reason for the survival of the settlement during forced migrations of the people of Transcaucasus and Naxiǰevan organized by shah ‘Abbās I. The later growth of the settlement to a trade-economic centre and populous town in Naxiǰevan is discussed on the basis of historical sources, and with the consideration of existence of an Armenian kalāntar in late 17th century and the beginning of 18th century. The article considers the trade ties of local merchants with Ottoman, Russian and European states, and their importance for the economic development of the town. The existence of a major group of Armenian Catholics there and the state of the town’s Apostolic eparchy in Safavid period, the situation there during Nādir Shāh’s rule and its decline after the attacks of Āzād Khān Afghān in 1752-1754 are among the issues elucidated in the article.