Hakhveran :: ARMENIAN LOCATIONS

2 Monuments

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

Location

Hakhveran is situated 15.5 km south-west of Salmast City, at an altitude of 1,670 to 1,700 metres.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 287.

Name Origin

The toponym which is composed of the Arabic and Turkish words hakh and veran respectively is translated as The One who Gives Rights.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 287.

Historical Introduction

Unlike the majority of their compatriots living in the mountainous parts of Salmast District, the Armenians of Hakhveran did not immigrate to the Russian Empire after the termination of the Russo-Persian war of 1826 to 1828. Until at least 1892, it was actually a purely Armenian village, whereas in 1896, the local population already included 2 Kurdish and several Assyrian families, apart from the 46 Armenian ones.

Mshak, no. 121, 22 October 1892, p. 2.
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. 287.

The quotation that follows below describes the situation of the local Armenians in the early 1890s: “In order to put an end to the incessant Kurdish raids and protect themselves against night thieves, the inhabitants of Salmast’s Hakhveran Village all of whom are Armenians decided to hire a Kurdish bandit named Mustafa as a guard for their village. However, after working for some time, this Kurd disappeared from the village, kidnapping an engaged girl and stealing all the utensils of her house (the poor girl’s fiancé was in some other place for work).”

Mshak, no. 121, 22 October 1892, p. 2.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 287.

A letter dated 13 November 1895 provides more details about the Kurdish outrages: “The men of the Kurd Mame who have come to Salmast’s Armenian village of Hakhveran to spend the winter there have robbed the locals of everything possible. The vicar of the Armenian Prelacy of Salmast, the Very Reverend Archimandrite Arsen Vehuny, has submitted a protest to the proper bodies and an official is to come from Tabriz one of these days to drive the Kurds away from the village.”

Armenia, no. 41, 21 December 1895, p. 3.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 287.

In the summer of 1897, the acts of violence against Hakhveran Armenians aggravated to such an extent that most of them “were forced to run away from the village after having suffered 8 losses. Now they are in Hin Kaghak and will soon return if their protection is secured.”

Ararat, nos. 11-12 (1898), p. 505 (note).
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 287.

On 13 March 1906, Hakhveran became the scene of a fighting among different Kurdish tribes: “From morning until evening, the village of Hakhveran remained sieged by a huge multitude of Kurds of the tribes of Kardar, Mahmadi and Khederi who had come from the district of Soma—about 250 to 300 in number, part of them on horseback. Fierce shooting continued throughout the day. Those under siege were the members of the Avdo tribe constituting 13 to 14 houses. Only 9 of them were armed with rifles, but despite this, they won the fighting, killing 7 of the attackers.
“The Avdos did not allow the enemy to enter the village until sunset, after which they took advantage of the night darkness and fled to Hin Kaghak together with their families which found refuge in Imam Zade.... From among the Avdos, only a pregnant woman was killed by the enemy fire. The 3 united Kurdish tribes were able to enter Hakhveran only after the Avdos had left it. The village had formerly been inhabited by Armenians, and the Avdos had been living there for only a year. Wishing to revive the formerly thriving village, they had started negotiations with the Armenians once living there so that they moved back and started farming work in the spring.
“The reason for yesterday’s fighting was the following: on 11 March Mahmud, the son of Miro Javo, the leader of the Avdos of Hakhveran, went to the village of Tjara together with several of his men, broke into the house of Mustafa Khan, who had succeeded Jahvar Agha, and killed him together with his daughter and four of his men. Mahmud also robbed his house of all its expensive utensils and went back [to Hakhveran]. These murders were committed in revenge for Jahvar Agha as Mustafa Khan had dared to assume his post and take up residence in his house.”

Hovh., “A Letter from Persia,” Mshak, no. 68, 29 March 1906, p. 4.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 287.

Population

The records of the late 19th century contain the last references to the Armenian presence in Hakhveran, which leads us to the conclusion that afterwards the village was emptied of its native inhabitants.

Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 288.

Priests

In 1856 to 1857, the priest of Sarna served the Armenians of Hakhveran, apparently performing his duties in a praiseworthy manner: “Our priest died a long time ago and now our spiritual needs are met by Priest N... of Sarna Village. He comes to our village in winter and spends several weeks here, during which he gathers us together in a house and keeps telling us about our ancestors’ deeds, our Armenian identity and holy faith for long nights. He is so kind ... as a priest, he is unmatched throughout Salmast.”

Աֆթանդիլեանց Ա., Պատկերներ Րաֆֆիի կեանքից [A. Aftandiliants, “Episodes from Raffi’s Life”], «Մշակ» [Mshak], no. 56, 14 March 1903, p. 1.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 288.

In 1864 and 1875 Hakhveran had its own priest.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 429, list 1, file 100, p. 102.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 288.

Below follow the available statistical data of the second half of the 19th century regarding the Armenians of Hakhveran:

Dates	Armenian Houses	Armenians (Male)	Armenians (Female)	Total (Armenians)	Notes	Source
1860	23	96	82	178		Մխիթարեանց Ա., Ցուցակ որքանութեան ազգի հայոց ի վիճակին Ատրպատականի ի Պարսկաստան, ըստ տանց նոցին, ըստ արական և իգական սեռից յիւրաքանչիւր գաւառս [A. Mkhitariants, “A Statistical List of Armenians in the Prelacy of Atrpatakan, Persia, as per Houses, Males and Females in Every District”], «Համբաւաբեր Ռուսիոյ» [Hambavaber Rusio], no. 30, 20 September 1862, p. 2. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 288.
1875	35	137	100	237		Ararat, no. 3 (1876), p. 110. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 288.
1893	60					Ughevor, “Salmast,” Armenia, no. 31, 3 January 1894, p. 1. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 288.
1895	46			261		Ararat, no. 2 (1896), p. 94. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 288.
1896	46	151	160	311		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 (in the same year, the village had 45 migrant workers). Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 288.
1898	46	160	131	291		Ararat, nos. 11-12 (1898), p. 505. Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 288.