The
five
mahals
of
Takht-e
Qapu,
with
Christian
population
werecalled
Khamsa,
which
means
"five"
in
Arabic.
[The
districts]
were
the
following:
The
first
was
the
district
of
Dizak.
It
extended
from
the
river
ofHagari
and
Mal-tape
down
to
Giul-tape
and
from
the
river
of
Arax
to
mount
Khorhat.
It
wasa
fertile
region,
where
cotton,
rice,
silk,
grain
and
other
cereals
grew.
It
had
severaltowns
on
the
bank
of
Arax,
which
are
now
destroyed,
but
their
ruins
remain.
Its
meliks
hadcome
from
Ottoman
Turkey
(Rum)
in
ancient
times.
At
the
times
of
Nadir
Shah
there
was
amelik
named
Egan,
who
was
very
respectable.
Nadir
Shah
treated
him
with
a
specialbenevolence.
He
was
called
"Shah's
babalՏq".
The
following
extract
is
anevidence
of
it.
Once,
in
winter
Nadir
Shah's
army
stopped
in
Mughan.
Melik
Eganintroduced
himself
to
shah.
The
latter
tempted
him
to
bring
field
mushrooms.
Melik
Egan
said,
-
At
Your
service,
-
and
departed.
His
officials
and
village
elders
said
to
him:
"Why
did
you
agreeto
fulfil
such
a
hard
request?"
"This
is
none
of
your
business.
I
have
to
give
his
answer":
he
answered.
A
few
days
later
he
came
to
H.
M's
presence
(78a)
and
explained:
"We
sent
a
man
to
the
highlands,
but
the
places
where
the
field-mushrooms
grow,
werecovered
with
snow.
So
the
order
couldn't
be
done".
Nadir
Shah
was
very
pleased
with
his
obedience
and
willingness
toserve.
He
said:
-Father,
I
do
know
that
there
are
no
field-mushrooms
in
this
frost,
butI
was
trying
to
figure
out
how
loyal
and
wise
you
are!
This
is
why
he
was
addressed
as
"Shah's
babaliq".
DuringShah
Nadir's
reign
he
became
the
most
respectable
and
the
eldest
among
the
meliks
ofKarabagh.
Often
he
had
the
authority
of
province
governor
for
his
fairness
and
justice.
They
say:
"One
day
Melik
Egan's
wife
was
asked
to
be
theguest
of
Nadir
Shah's
harem.
When
she
went
there,
various
foods
and
refreshments
werebrought
from
the
royal
kitchen
to
treat
the
respectable
guest.
But
she
refused
saying:
"Today
is
a
Lenten
day
and
I
can't
eat".
Nadir
Shah
was
pleased
with
her
piety
and
ordered
to
make
her
presents.
The
second
was
the
district
of
Varanda,
which
extended
from
mount
Kirsdown
to
the
valley
of
Ali
Bali,
and
from
Khorhat
mountain
up
to
the
rivers
ofShushikend
and
Khalifalu.
It
was
also
a
fertile
region,
of
cereals
grain
and
otherleguminous
plants
were
common
there.
Its
meliks
were
descendants
of
the
noblemen
ofGegharkuni
(Giokcha)
district
and
the
village
Zeiva,
who
came
and
settled
down
in
thevillage
of
Avetaranots.
They
held
the
post
of
the
meliks
of
Varanda
District
in
the
main.
They
were
renowned
as
Melik-Shahnazarians
(Shahnazarovs).
However
disagreements
andconflicts
between
their
descendents
were
inevitable.
Once
Nadir
Shah
prescribed
a
crimeupon
one
of
these
meliks
and
choked
him,
saying:
"He
is
from
the
generation
ofShirue".
For
a
time
the
post
of
meliks
was
held
by
others,
then,
again,
thedescendants
of
Melik
Shahnazar
got
it.
Melik
Shahnazar,
being
very
wealthy,
servedKarabagh
khans
during
their
rule
and
gained
much
respect.
At
the
beginning
of
his
rulePanah
Khan
was
greatly
in
need
of
money
and
Melik
Shahnazar
used
to
give
him
a
hand.
Heand
his
son
Jumshid
(Jamshid)
always
served
khans
and
were
honored.
He
even
gave
hisdaughter
Hurzad
Khanum
in
marriage
to
Ibrahim
Khan
and
established
blood-ties
with
him
toimprove
his
situation
and
strengthen
his
position.
They
say,
once,
(at
the
beginning
of
Panah
Khan's
rule)
MelikShahnazar
said
to
him:
-Why
are
you
so
concerned?
I
have
been
supplying
your
army
with
rye
forseven
years.
Later
under
Russian
rule
some
of
the
sons
of
Melik
Shahnazar
were
stillhonorable
men.
The
third
mahal
was
Khachen.
It
extended
from
the
river
ofGargar
down
to
the
river
of
Qabartu,
and
from
the
mountains
of
Qirkhqiz
and
Mikhtukian
upto
the
woods
of
Bayat.
Grain
was
abundant
there,
too
and
people
gathered
rich
harvest,
butno
to
such
an
extent
and
quality
as
in
Varanda.
Rice
was
cultivated
at
some
areas
here.
The
region
was
famous
for
its
woods
and
forests.
They
say,
(79a)
there
had
been
a
fortresscalled
Haterk
in
the
estate
of
Khachen,
which
has
become
a
small
village
now.
Its
meliks
are
the
descendants
of
Hasan-Jalalians
(Jalalovs).
At
the
times
of
Panah
Khan
aMirzakhan
from
Khnzirstan
after
their
murder
seized
the
post
of
meliks
in
return
of
hisloyal
services
and
assistance
to
the
khan.
His
[Mirzakhan's]
descendants
also
hadheld
the
post
of
meliks.
The
last
was
Qahraman
at
the
times
of
Russian
State's
rule.
The
fourth
district
was
Jraberd
(Chelebird),
which
stretched
fromQirkhqiz
down
to
the
woods
of
Bayat
and
Barda',
and
from
the
river
of
Khachen
and
thevalley
of
Qabartu
down
to
Tartar
river.
This
was
also
a
fertile
region
rich
in
corn
andother
cereals.
Its
meliks
came
from
Maqavuz.
Its
people
were
known
for
their
courage
andfortitude.
The
most
part
of
this
district
was
woodland
and
full
of
impregnable
places.
There
was
a
fortress
named
Jermuk
(Charmikh),
which
was
very
firm
and
inaccessible.
Melikshad
their
seat
there
always
performing
many
feats
of
valor.
One
of
them
Melik
Allah-qoliSoltan,
celebrated
for
his
courage,
accomplished
feats
of
valor
serving
to
Nadir
inthe
war
against
[Turkish]
commander
Koprulu
Oghli
pasha.
Nadir
Shah
ordered
to
confer
thetitle
of
"
soltan
"
on
him
instead
of
"
melik
"
andcall
him
Allah-qoli
Soltan.
They
were
from
an
old
noble
family,
very
respectable
inArmenia.
The
fifth
district
was
Talish,
which
extended
from
the
mountains
ofMrav
and
flowery
Gulistan
down
to
the
bank
of
Kur
and
from
Tartar
river
up
to
the
river
ofGeran.
This
was
also
a
fertile
region.
Corn
and
other
plants
were
cultivated
there.
Itsmeliks
came
from
Shirvan
and
settled
in
the
village
of
Talish.
They
were
called
MelikBeglarians
(Beglarovs).
After
some
generations
of
that
family
filling
the
post
of
meliks,
Melik
Hovsep
(Yusup)
the
Great
occupied
the
fortress
of
Gulistan
and
settled
down
there.
Later,
the
descendants
of
this
family
served
to
the
Russian
State
and
were
very
respected.
