1145 



GEORGIA. 



GEORGIA. 



1H8' 



the important fortress of Sardar Abad, and the convent of Echmiadzin, 

 the residence of the Armenian patriarch and the head-quarters of the 

 Armenian Church. 



The province of Nakhichevan, which forms the south-eastern part 

 of Russian Armenia, is divided into two districts Nakhichevan and 

 Ordoobad. The climate of the hilly part of Nakhichevan is healthy, 

 but in the plains it is exceedingly hot and unwholesome. It contains 

 some valuable salt-mines. The town of Nakhichevan, situated in 

 38 59' N. lat., was in ancient times one of the most important cities 

 of the Armenian empire, and the Persian historians relate that it then 

 contained 40,000 houses. It has been many times captured and 

 sacked, yet when it was visited by Sir John Chardin, in the 17th 

 century, it contained 2000 houses, besides numerous caravanserais, 

 baths, and other public buildings. Extensive ruins attest the former 

 grandeur of that 'city, which has now less than 4000 inhabitants, 

 although the circumference of the town is about 4 English miles. 



Not far from Nakhichevan is the fortress of Abbasabad, constructed 

 on the left bank of the Araxes by some French engineers in the 

 Persian service. 



The district of Ordoobad contains about 6500 inhabitants, of whom 

 two-thirds are Mohammedans, and the rest Armenians. This district 

 being very fertile and enjoying a particularly healthy climate, has 

 been named ' the earthly paradise.' The chief place of the district is 

 Ordoobad, which contains about 600 houses. 



A large tract of land extending along the shores of the Caspian 

 uid containing the present provinces of Baku, Derbend, Shirvan 

 uaka), Kooba, Sheki, with the peninsula of Apsheran and the 

 islai. i of Salyan, once formed a part of Albania, which belonged to 

 tin 1 ,'owerful monarchy of Armenia till the 6th century, when being 

 conquered by the Sassanide monarch of Persia, Khosroo Nooshirvan, 

 it assumed the name of Shirvan. For some time afterwards it had 

 ite independen 1 sovereigns, who took the title of shah, but were 

 obliged, towards the end of the 9th century, to acknowledge the 

 supremacy of the kalifs. The rulers of Shirvan long continued 

 powerful, and had frequent wars with Persia. In the beginning of 

 the 15th century Emir Ibrahim of Shirvan conquered Azerbijan, 

 took Tauris, and even Ispahan, the capital of Persia. But the terrible 

 revolutions which agitated that country towards the end of the 15th 

 century, brought it under the dominion of Persia, and Shirvan never 

 recovered its independence. Divided among several rulers nominated 

 by the shah, it remained under the dominion of Persia until it was 

 gradually invaded and finally subjugated by Russia. Shirvan borders 

 on the province of Kooba on the north ; on the east on that of Baku 

 and the Caspian Sea ; on the south on a bay of the same sea, and the 

 provinces of Talish and Karabagh ; and on the west on the province 

 of Sheki The surface of the whole province, including the island of 

 Salyan, is about 8000 square miles : the population is about 140,000. 

 It contains many plains, and, except in the mountainous part, is 

 exceedingly fertile. 



The bulk of the population of Shirvan consists of the Tatar, or, to 

 speak more correctly, Turkish race, with some admixture of Arabs 

 and Persians. It may be divided into several classes ; as the begs and 

 agas or nobles, the clergy, the maafs, the maaf-nookers, and the 

 peasants. All these distinctions originated under the former native 

 governments, and are rather connived at than maintained by Russia. 

 The peasants are all free, and there are no serfs among the Moham- 

 medans of the Caucasian provinces. Besides the Mohammedans, who 

 form the mass of the population, there are many Armenians, some 

 Jews, and a few Gipsies. The prevalent language of. Shirvan 

 is what is there called Toorkee, or Turkish, which is also used in 

 Azerbijan. 



The principal products of Shirvan are rice, silk, wine, some cotton, 

 and tobacco. The climate, particularly of that part which is called 

 the Island of Salyan, and which is in fact the delta of the Kur, is so 

 warm and so fertile that it would produce in the greatest abundance 

 many tropical plants, but its natural advantages have hitherto been 

 turned to little account. This island has also rich fisheries. The 

 industry of Shirvan consists chiefly in the manufacture of silken 

 stuffs which are concentrated in the town of Chamaka and some 

 villages in its vicinity, and which occupy about 700 looms, each 

 requiring the co-operation of four individuals. There are alao some 

 cotton manufactures, as well as a few tanneries, in the same place. 

 The district of Laguish, which is situated in the mountains and in a 

 very cold and barren region, is inhabited by a population entirely 

 distinct from that of the rest of Shirvan, who are exclusively employed 

 in the fabrication of arms, copper vessels, and sundry metal wares, 

 from which they derive considerable profit, as is apparent from their 

 condition being superior to that of the rest of the inhabitants of 

 Shirvan. The commerce which is carried on with Persia by the 

 Caspian Sea, and with Astrakhan and Tiflis overland, is not 

 considerable. 



The chief place of the province is the town of Old Chamaka, or 

 Shamahkee, which was celebrated for its trade during the middle ages. 

 It continued to be an important city until the beginning of the 18th 

 century, when it was sacked (1717) in the most barbarous manner by 

 the highlanders of Daghestan. Since that time Chamaka has never 

 recovered its ancient splendour, and it has now only about 5000 

 inhabitants. 



The khanat of Talish, being situated between 38 81' and 39 31' 

 N. lat., is the most southern possession of Russia. On the north it 

 borders on the Steppe of Moghan, which makes part of Shirvan ; on 

 the east on the Caspian Sea ; and on the south and west it is inclosed 

 by the Persian dominions. This province is entirely mountainous, 

 with the exception of one great plain which runs between the moun- 

 tains and the sea. Its soil, with few exceptions, is a. black loam 

 capable of producing the most luxuriant vegetation. Its situation 

 along the sea-coast affords great facilities to its commerce. It has two 

 ports, or rather roadsteads : Lenkoran, which is so shallow that 

 vessels cannot approach the coast nearer than one mile, and are 

 frequently obliged to anchor even at a greater distance ; and Sara, 

 which is the best port in the Caspian Sea. Sara is situated on the 

 north-western side of a little island of the same name, and is about 

 24 English miles from the shore. Vessels drawing 14 feet of water 

 can come within 150 fathoms of the coast. It is the usual station of 

 the Russian war flotilla. The industry of the district is in a very 

 low state, and limited to the production of some silk, rice, honey, &c. 

 The manufactures supply a few silk and cotton stuffs. The chief and 

 only town of the province is Lenkoran, a wretched place with about 

 500 houses. 



The province of Karabagh, which is separated on the south by the 

 Araxes from the Persian dominions, and inclosed on all other sides 

 by the Russian provinces of Shirvan, Sheki, Elizabethpol, Nakhi- 

 chevan, and Erivan, has an area of about 7000 square miles, and a 

 population of about 60,000. From its extensive forests it has received 

 the name of Karabagh, which signifies, in the Turko-Tatar language, 

 ' a black garden.' Many parts are covered with hills ; the highest, 

 called Saree Dara, is 5000 feet above the level of the Caspian. These 

 hills are generally covered with wood or fine grass, and barren rocks 

 are very rare. There is a vast plain, which has a soil almost uni- 

 versally fertile. The climate in the high parts is rather cold. The 

 plains are hot and unhealthy. Besides the Kur and the Araxes, the 

 province is drained by numerous small rivers and mountain streams, 

 which afford great facilities for irrigation. The products of Karabagh, 

 owing to the hilly character of the country, are those of a moderate 

 rather than a warm climate, and the forest-trees are of the same 

 description as those of Europe, and supply timber of the best quality. 

 The mineral products consist of a small quantity of naphtha, copper, 

 and salt, collected from lakes. 



The population of Karabagh is very mixed, but consists principally 

 of Mohammedans, who mostly lead a nomadic life. There are also 

 numerous Armenian families, besides some Nestorian Christians and 

 Gipsies. The Armenians of Karabagh have a nobility, consisting of 

 some families to whom Shah Abbas the Great granted the title of 

 ' melihks,' or princes, which is enjoyed by their descendants. They 

 have a numerous clergy, comprising two archbishops, many bishops, 

 abbots, and several convents, besides the secular clergy. Both clergy 

 and laity are very ignorant, and their religious observances are much 

 relaxed. Many Mohammedan, and even Pagan, rites and customs are 

 intermingled with their religion. The Nestorians have emigrated 

 into Karabagh from Persia since the treaty of Toorkmanchay. 



The only town in Karabagh is Shooshee, population about 6000, 

 situated on a high rocky mountain, about 4000 feet above the level 

 of the Caspian. It is fortified by nature and a little by art. 



The province of Sheki is situated between 40 10' and 41 16' 

 N. lat., 45 56' and 48 7' E. long. On the north it borders on a 

 part of the Caucasian ridge called Salvat-dagh and Shak-dagh, by 

 which it is separated from several independent tribes of the Lesghis ; 

 east on the province of Shirvan, south on that of Karabagh, west on 

 the territory of the sultan of Elisooy and the district of Elizabethpol. 

 Its length from north to south is something more than 70 English 

 miles, and its breadth in the northern part about the same; but it 

 narrows towards the south. The population is about 100,000, of 

 whom about 80,000 are Mohammedans, 17,000 Armenians, and 1000 

 Jews. The country is generally mountainous, but there are also 

 some level tracts ; the climate is temperate, except during the few 

 summer months, when the heat becomes oppressive in the plains. 

 The products consist of different kinds of grain, which are cultivated 

 in the hilly part. Silk is produced to some extent in the plains, 

 where some cotton is also cultivated. Some silks of a good quality 

 are manufactured by the women in several villages. Great flocks of 

 sheep and cattle are reared in the province. 



Nookha, the chief place of the province, contains about 6000 

 inhabitants. It is in a valley, inclosed on all sides by mountains, a 

 circumstance which prevents a free circulation of air, and accounts for 

 the unhealthiness of the place. Sheki, which is now a small village, 

 must have been a considerable place, since it has given its name to 

 the whole province. Fit-dagh, a little fortress situated on a mountain 

 of the same name, has naturally a very strong position, and in former 

 times served as a place of refuge to the khan, when he was defeated 

 by his enemies. 



Baku is on the shores of the Caspian Sea, between 48 9' and 

 50 12' E. long. A great part of this province is formed by the 



Eeninsula of Apsheron, which juts into the Caspian Sea. The popu- 

 ition is about 30,000. The soil is generally poor, and the climate, 

 although hot, is not unhealthy. Among the natural productions of 

 the province, the most remarkable is naphtha or petroleum, which is 



