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267:. Their documents, including purchase deeds, are part of the Armenian annotations detailing estates and property bestowed to the monastery by residents who left Agulis. The document in question was issued by Nader Shah in response to their petition and is one of approximately 100 Persian documents associated with these merchants, offering extensive insights into their lives and activities both in Agulis and beyond.
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pressure on the administration to maximize revenue from all subjects undermined the effectiveness of these decrees, resulting in disorder and violence from Nader Shah's officials. This environment of exploitation and instability led to significant despair among merchants, prompting many to leave Iran.
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strained his empire's finances. To address the financial shortfall, Nader Shah ordered governors in 1742–1743 to levy taxes and collect arrears, even from those previously exempt. This led to widespread tax extortion and fines imposed on the population by Nader Shah's officials. The empire's economic
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script. The decree addresses the taxes imposed on these merchants and the abuses and extortions carried out by Nader Shah's officials. Additionally, it provides a brief review of the historical context, particularly the economic conditions in Nader's empire, including Agulis. The decree was issued in
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This decree sheds light on the economic policies under Nader Shah's regime and the tactics employed to extract money and impose additional taxes on merchants. Although Nader Shah's orders were intended to address these issues, they ultimately did not alleviate the merchants' plight. The relentless
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The wealthy
Armenian merchants from Agulis, who had extensive trade connections within the Ottoman Empire and the eastern South Caucasus, were the recipients of the decree. This decree sought to curb the illegal actions and extortion perpetrated by officials against these merchants, reflecting a
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in
Eastern Transcaucasia. Various documents indicate that Khvajeh Hovhannes had administrative responsibilities, including overseeing the levy of state taxes from Agulis and over ten villages in Nakhchivan to shield them from tax extortion. The brothers owned land in Agulis, Terunis,
243:. The severe treatment of merchants and the resulting economic hardships led many to leave Iran for countries where they had established trade networks. This migration exacerbated the economic decline in Nader Shah's empire and prompted the exodus of Armenian merchants from the
196:, was renowned for its handicraft production and extensive trade connections in the 17th–18th centuries. During this period, it was predominantly inhabited by Armenian merchants. In 1735, Nakhchivan was conquered by
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Hovhannes and
Martiros were brothers, sons of Srapion (or Srafion), identified in family records from 1699 and 1725/6 as a recipient of property. Srapion held significant titles such as
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prevalent issue of the era. It reiterated the stipulations of several previous decrees requested by Julfan merchants, highlighting the recurring nature of these problems.
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crisis forced the government to demand large sums from inhabitants of various settlements, including wealthy merchants who faced heavy fines and additional taxes.
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Historical sources document Nader Shah's harsh treatment of merchants from the beginning of his rule. The
Armenian historian
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Kostikyan, Kristine; Margaryan, Gor (2024). "Nādir Šāh's Decree Issued at the
Request of the Armenian Merchants of Agulis".
287:, denoting wealthy merchants who often occupied administrative roles. They conducted trade along routes passing through
263:) were merchants from Agulis who departed the town in the mid-eighteenth century, transferring their property to the
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response to a petition by
Armenian merchants Hovhannes (Ovānis in Persian) and Martiros (Mardīrūs in Persian).
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415:
From the Indian Ocean to the
Mediterranean: The Global Trade Networks of Armenian Merchants from New Julfa
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and incorporated into his empire. Between 1741 and early 1743, Nader Shah's costly and unsuccessful
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278:("chief of the Christians"), reflecting his prominent status among local Armenian merchants.
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in 1730. Further accounts of the negative impact on
Armenian merchants, particularly in
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Republic) between
December 1742 and January 1743, it is written in
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recorded the mistreatment of
Christian merchants in
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478:History of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
139:) stored in the Catholicosate Archive of the
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281:Both Hovhannes and Martiros bore the title
120:2014 by Kristine Kostikyan and H. Gevorgyan
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417:. University of California Press.
295:in Ottoman territory, and through
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127:Matenadaran, folio 1g, doc. 1288
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22:Matenadaran, folio 1g, doc. 1288
221:military campaigns in Daghestan
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397:Kostikyan & Margaryan 2024
382:Kostikyan & Margaryan 2024
353:Kostikyan & Margaryan 2024
274:("head of the merchants") and
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162:1736–1747) at the request of
70:December 1742 – Januari 1743
473:Persian-language literature
241:Chronicle of the Carmelites
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446:10.1163/1573384X-02802004
413:Aslanian, Sebouh (2011).
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468:18th-century manuscripts
211:1736–1747) following a
251:Hovhannes and Martiros
434:Iran and the Caucasus
265:St. Tovmas Monastery
355:, pp. 170–171.
239:, are noted in the
229:Abraham Yerevantsi
177:Shekasteh Nastaliq
110:Shekasteh Nastaliq
213:series of battles
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166:merchants from
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75:Place of origin
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215:against the
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170:(now in the
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463:Matenadaran
255:Hovhannes (
141:Matenadaran
85:Language(s)
28:Matenadaran
457:Categories
333:References
324:Conclusion
202:Nader Shah
194:Nakhchivan
185:Background
172:Azerbaijan
153:Nader Shah
117:Discovered
99:Nader Shah
237:New Julfa
261:Mardīrūs
217:Ottomans
164:Armenian
133:decree (
488:Decrees
407:Sources
289:Bayazed
284:khvajeh
233:Hamadan
209:
198:Iranian
160:
149:Iranian
145:Armenia
131:Persian
89:Persian
40:Armenia
421:
310:Vanand
305:Qabala
303:, and
293:Aleppo
257:Ovānis
200:ruler
190:Agulis
168:Agulis
151:ruler
136:farman
105:Script
95:Patron
60:Farman
37:
301:Shaki
297:Ganja
129:is a
419:ISBN
291:and
67:Date
55:Type
442:doi
143:in
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438:28
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389:^
372:^
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207:r.
158:r.
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204:(
155:(
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