Erivansky Uyezd


The Erivansky Uyezd was a county of the Erivan Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the governorate's Echmiadzinsky and Surmalinsky Uyezds to the west, the Novobayazetsky Uyezd to the east, the Sharur-Daralagezsky Uyezd to the south, and Persia to the southwest. It included most of the Ararat Province and southern parts of the Kotayk Province of present-day central Armenia, the Sadarak District of the Nakhichevan exclave of present-day Azerbaijan, and the Aras corridor of the Aralık District of the Iğdır Province of present-day Turkey. Its administrative center was Erivan.

Geography

The northeastern part of the uyezd was mountainous and rocky while the southwestern part consisted of steppes and plains. The southwestern part was watered by the Aras River with the lowest altitude of on the border with Sharur-Daralagezsky Uyezd. Erivan lied at above sea level, which was the highest point of the uyezd. Among the rivers discharging into the Aras were the Zanga, the Garni-chay, and the Vedi-chay, which usually dried out during the summers and became active in the winters.

History

The territory of the uyezd had been a part of Persia's Erivan Khanate until 1828, when according to the Treaty of Turkmenchay, it was annexed to the Russian Empire. It was administered as part of the Armenian Oblast from 1828 to 1840. In 1844, the Caucasus Viceroyalty was re-established, in which the territory of the Erivansky Uyezd formed part of the Tiflis Governorate. In 1849, the Erivan Governorate was established, separate from the Tiflis Governorate. In 1918, the uyezd became part of the First Republic of Armenia. After the establishment of Soviet rule in 1920, most of the territories of the uyezd became part of the Armenian SSR and Erivan became its capital. The southernmost parts of the uyezd became the northern part of the Nakhichevan ASSR of the Azerbaijan SSR and the southwestern part of the uyezd, the Aras corridor, was ceded to Turkey in accordance with the treaties of Moscow and Kars.

Demographics

According to the census of 1897 Russian Empire Census, the population of the uyezd was 150,879, of which 77,491 were Tatars, 58,148 were Armenians, 8,195 Kurds, 3,713 East Slavs, and 2,288 Assyrians. The largest city in the district was Erivan, which had a total population of 29,006, of which 12,523 were Armenians, 12,359 Tatars, and 3,171 East Slavs. The population was engaged primarily in agricultural farming, gardening, and winemaking. Approximately 50% of the wine in the Erivan Governorate was produced in the Erivansky Uyezd. According to statistical data, there were 129,120 great cattle in the uyezd, which made up 11% of the cattle in the whole governorate.