Aslanik :: ARMENIAN LOCATIONS

4 Monuments

Iran (Country) / Western Atrpatakan (Province) / Salmast (District) / Aslanik (Village)

Location

Aslanik is situated 17.9 km south-east of Salmast City, in the small, shallow gorge of a south-eastern stream, at an altitude of 1,700 to 1,740 metres.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.

Historical Introduction

Aslanik, which was inhabited by Armenians from times immemorial, shared the fate of the other Armenian villages of Salmast District, being largely emptied of its Armenian population in the aftermath of the emigration that started immediately after the Russo-Persian war of 1826 to 1828.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.

Most of them moved to present-day Vernashen Village in Vayots Dzor Region of the Republic of Armenia, while a small part continued living in their native village until the late 19th century.

Քաջբերունի /Գաբրիել Տեր-Հովհաննիսյան/, Ճանապարհորդական նկատողություններ [Kajberuny /Gabriel Ter-Hovhannissian/, Travel Notes] (Yerevan, 2003), p. 398. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.

Already emptied of its Armenian population, Aslanik seriously suffered because of the 1906 clashes between different Kurdish tribes: “In consequence of the raids that have been continuing for already two months, all the Kurdish villages located along the Persian borderline have been reduced to ruins, the losses of both sides amounting to about eighty. The heaviest and bloodiest battle took place near the formerly Armenian-inhabited village of Aslanik (now destroyed), within only some 3 or 4 hours’ distance of the [district] centre, Salmast. The battle intensified to such an extent that the infuriated sides changed to a hand-to-hand fighting. The Mamadies suffered more than 30 losses, while the Avdos only 4 or 5.”

Ասօ, Նամակ պարսկա-թրքական սահմանագլխից [Aso, “A Letter from the Persian-Turkish Borderline”], «Հնչակ» [Hnchak], no. 5, May 1906, p. 45. According to Darzi Avet, who visited the monastery of Derik on 15 August 1932, “quite long ago, the neighbourhood of Derik Monastery was occupied by a number of prospering villages which were mostly populated by Armenians. The monastery was like an axis around which the [local] Armenian population centred. Instigated by Turkey, the Kurdish tribes which lived on both sides of the borderline, such as the Avdos, Shamsketsies, Somayetsies, Mazriks and Alvandtsies, violated their centuries-long peaceful co-existence with their Armenian neighbours and started plundering and killing [the Armenians], infringing on the sacred values of the Armenian families. In this way, the Armenian villages were forsaken ... one of the last ones to be emptied of its population being Aslanak” (Կոսոյեան Հ., Սալմաստում եւ Դերիկում [H. Kosoyan, “In Salmast and Derik”], «Ալիք» [Alik], no. 203, 14 September 1964, p. 2). Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.

Population

In 1890 Aslanik’s Armenian population lived side by side with the Kurdish resettlers3 (the latter formed 21 houses in 1896).

Գորոյեանց Ն., Պարսկաստանի հայերը [N. Goroyants, The Armenians of Persia] (Tehran, 1968), p. 178. Պալունի, Վիճակագրական տեղեկութիւն Սալմաստ գաւառի հայ ազգաբնակութեան [Palouny, “Statistical Data Regarding the Armenian Population in Salmast District”], «Նոր-Դար» [Nor-Dar], no. 216, 10 December 1896, p. 3. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.

Apparently, the native Armenians’ co-existence with the Kurds who had a robbing and killing lifestyle did not last long and the former were eventually driven away from the village.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.

In 1930 Aslanik was a purely Kurdish village of 110 inhabitants. The earthquake that struck Salmast on 6 May of the same year reduced it to ruins, killing or injuring 21 people.

J. Tchalenko, M. Berberian, “The Salmas (Iran) Earthquake of May 6th, 1930,” Annals of Geophysics, vol. 27, nos. 1-2 (1974), p. 156. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.

In 2017 Aslanik had a Kurdish population of 120 houses belonging to the Shikak tribe.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.

Name Origin

The name of the village comes from the Turkish word aslan, which is translated as lion. It has also been mentioned as Aslanak.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.

Direction From the north-east
Author Sasun Danielian
Date 2017 y․

The available statistical records regarding the Armenian population of Aslanik represent the following picture:

Dates	Armenian Houses	Armenians (Male)	Armenians (Female)	Total (Armenians)	Notes	Source
1875	5	28	22	50		Ararat, no. 3 (1876), p. 110. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.
1890	8					Գորոյեանց Ն., Պարսկաստանի հայերը [N. Goroyants, The Armenians of Persia] (Tehran, 1968), p. 178. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 110.
1893	10					Ughevor, “Salmast,” Armenia, no. 31, 3 January 1894, p. 1. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.
1895	14	45	47	92		Ararat, no. 2 (1896), p. 94. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108:
1896	14	49	44	93		Պալունի, Վիճակագրական տեղեկութիւն Սալմաստ գաւառի հայ ազգաբնակութեան [Palouny, “Statistical Data Regarding the Armenian Population in Salmast District”], «Նոր-Դար» [Nor-Dar], no. 216, 10 December 1896, p. 3. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.
1898	14	49	44	93		Ararat, nos. 11-12 (1898), p. 505. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 108.