In the year of 1795, Nachicevan was captured by the Iran forces as a result of their attack to Azerbaijan under the command of Aga Muhammed Shah. At the same time, Russians who were in a great struggle with Iran for influence and power in this region started to approach to the region in the following year. Taking courage from this progress, Kelb Ali Khan was in favour of Russia. Under these circumstances, Ağa Muhammed Khan entered into Nachicevan for the second time. The Khanate forces were routed and defeated against the superior Iran forces. Pursuant to this victory, the Shah punished and imprisoned Kelb Ali Khan who had relied upon the Russians willing to turn away from his domination. He had some of Nachicevan people to migrate to Iran. Instead of the Khan who was dethroned and imprisoned, he enthroned Abbas Kulu Khan Kengerli to Nachicevan. Pursuant to the death of Aga Muhammed Shah, Kelb Ali Khan escaped from Iran and came to the lands of Kengerli Khanate at first. Then, the khan and his accompaniments met the Russian forces that had come to the region. They did not have any hesitation while accompanying the Russian forces that attacked to Revan in the year of 1804. Rulers of Iran ruler who were disturbed and irritated by his stance tried to influence the khan, but they could not succeed in to influence him. The purpose of the Khan was to achieve the support of the Russian forces and to re-establish his own khanate in Nachicevan.
Pursuant to the Gulistan Agreement concluded between Russia and Iran (1813), Nachicevan was again under the domination of Iran. Muhammed Bagır Khan was appointed to the position of khanate. Pursuant to the invasion of the Iran forces to Azerbaijan again in the year of 1826, Kerim Khan was enthroned to the Khanate of Nachicevan. But the Tsarist Russia wanted that İhsan Khan or Sheikh Ali Khan, the ruler of Ordubad would reign this khanate. In the last struggle of influence and power on Azerbaijan that occurred between Russia and Iran during the years of 1826-1828, Iran lost the absolute superiority and was defeated by Russia. Nachicevan was occupied by Russians on the date of 7th June 1827. Iran had to accept and obey the heavy conditions of Turkmencayi agreement concluded between the two countries in the year of 1828. According to this agreement, Iran would leave all the lands of Northern Azerbaijan to Russia including Nachicevan and totally withdraw from these lands. With this agreement, the Armenians living in Iran was granted with the right to immigrate to the Turkish lands that were occupied by Russians. Thus, thousands of Armenians started to settle down in Erevan, Karabag and Nachicevan even though there was not any Armenian population in these places.
Having occupied all the lands of the Northern Azerbaijan as per the Turkmecayı Agreement, the Russians established their own administrations in these places after a short while. After the year of 1828, the general governors appointed to the Southern Causasus by the Russian Tsars inspired great fear and dread of terror against the Muslim-Turk people in Daghestan and Azerbaijan. Pursuant to the assignation of Voronsov to Caucasus in the year of 1844, the people of the Caucasus basis were merely divided into two classes. First class was composed of the Christian people and particularly the Armenians who were content of all sorts of opportunities under the protection of the Russian government; on the other hand, the second class was comprised of the Turks and Muslim sections that were suffering from all sorts of insults directed by the Russian soldiers and officers. In parallel to these insults, oppression and cruelties, the Russian government had tried to change the spontaneous balance of population in the favour of Christians and Armenians in accordance with the human conditions in the region through the policy of housing and settlement applied. This general stance that we have tried to explain was applied in all parts of Azerbaijan. However, the policy of housing and settlement that was applied by the Russian government affected the provinces of Karabag, Erevan (Revan) and Nachicevan the most.
Through this policy, the Russians established the proper infrastructure for the division of the single Azerbaijan against its natural, geographical and human conditions. Under the Russian administration, the Armenians got a high density of population from Erevan towards Zengezur in an artificial manner. Finally, the communication of Azerbaijan with Nachicevan was disconnected upon the extension to the Iran frontiers. In the year of 1850, the khanates of Nachicevan and Erevan (Revan, Jerivan) were abrogated. Gümrü, Yeni Beyazıt, Sheur, Dereleyez sub-districts and the Ordubad district was added and the Erevan Gubernatorial Administration (Governorship) was established. Besides some sorts of developments experienced in Nachicevan under the rule of Russians, the applications of high taxes and the injustice of land appropriation that were valid in whole Russia were also valid in this region.
The reactions against the oppression of the Tsardom that were felt in some places of different regions in Russia in the beginning of the century XX could not unfortunately be demonstrated in Nachicevan and in the other lands of Azerbaijan. Because the Turks in this region were obliged to struggle with the Armenians that were supported and provoked by The Russian administration. Nevertheless, the revolution of 1905 was the starting point of a great awakening in Azerbaijan like in other parts of Russia. This public movement turned into a great revolution in the year of 1917 and the Tsarist regime was abrogated in Russia and the Bolshevism seized the right of domination. The revolutions that were experienced in Russia the months of February and October in 1917 changed the balance of equilibrium in Caucasus.
The collapse of the Tsarist Russia provided an opportunity for the Ottoman State to invade again the lands that it had lost. Besides these developments, there were some sorts of military and political organisations appearing in Caucasus. Various nations in the region made a move for the declaration of their independency. However, the Azerbaijani Turks, the Georgians and the Armenians tried to combine together around a political organisation. But, on the other hand, they had started a cruel struggle and find among each other about the issue of sharing the inheritance in the Southern Caucasus.
Although they were rather few in terms of the number of population in the region, the Armenians got the support of the Russians and wanted to get the lion's share from the inheritance of land. They were playing the leading role in this bloody fight beyond any doubt. Like in the Eastern Anatolia, the Turkish people living in Sürmeli, Nachicevan, Erivan, Zengezur and Karabag were face to face with the Armenian gangs. At the same time, the Turkish Army started to move ahead towards the Caucasus. The Turkish villages, districts and the cities were rescued one by one and the frontier line determined in the year of 1828 was transgressed. Gümrü and Nachicevan were taken under the administration of Ottoman State according to the Batum Agreement concluded among Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia on the date of 4th June 1918.
Therefore, the region of Nachicevan that was the stage of bloodshed since the ends of the year 1917 was totally taken under control and the gangs such as Antranics that tried to exterminate the Turks were defused and hog-tied. Thus, the Ottoman administration was established that would continue until the beginning of the month of November in the year of 1918. They tried to establish a new administrative system and to eliminate the bloody traces of the past. Nachicevan was pleased enough to see the Turkish Army in their lands that it had frequently invited for the visit of the Turks. However, due to the unexpected results obtained in the other foreheads in which the Ottomans fought, the Ottoman State hoped to establish a state of peace with the Allied Forces. Therefore, the Ottomans decided to withdraw from the Azerbaijan, Daghestan and the places obtained in accordance with the Batum Agreement. Pursuant to the conclusion of the Mondros Armistice, the actions for the evacuation of the region were accelerated.
The news related with the withdrawal of the Turkish Army created a great effect over the people of Aras valley. Because they knew that they would be face to face with the Armenians that had relatively become a state with desires over the region. However, the Turks living in the Aras valley got rid of their anxiety and fears coiled over themselves and they began to establish organisations under the leadership of Turkish military authorities. On the date of 18th November 1918, Aras Turkish Government was founded that had a very significant role within the Turkish history in respect of its name and function. Especially a serious structural movement was initiated against the Armenian threat. But as a result of the Armenian attacks that started soon after the withdrawal of the Turkish Army, the Aras Turkish Government lost some of its regions such as Kamerli, Uluhanlı and Igdır. The members of the government retreated to Nachicevan. Bloody wars were waged with Armenians in the Straits of Dehne and in Sherur. As a result of the defeats, the Aras Turkish Government collapsed. Instead of this government, three governments were established one after another for survival until the month of May.
to be continued