Սղերդի և շրջակա գյուղերի հայ բնակչության գանգատ-խնդրագրերը քուրդ ցեղապետերի և շեյխերի հալածանքների վերաբերյալ

ՀՐԱՊԱՐԱԿՈՒՄՆԵՐ

Abstract

Arshak Safrastian was born on September 13, 1886 in Van. In 1904, at the age of 17, he joined the service in Baksh (Bitlis) as a translator in British Consulate and from 1907 to 1911 was appointed to the post of Vice-Ambassador. He bypassed the provinces of Bitlis, Van, Diarbekir and collected information about the unbearable conditions of Armenians and Armenian pogroms and massacres. Complaints of the Sgherdi people and nearby villages are presented in this publication, as well as their requests addressed to A. Safrastian to take any measure and defend them from endless violence and excesses of the Kurds (robbery, murder, seizure of property). In the second half of 19th century, the Ottoman authorities persistently populated Armenian lands with Kurds and other Muslim tribes. This policy led to a strong decrease of Armenian population in these regions. Being subjected to violence by the Kurds, Armenians were urged to leave their properties and homes and take the path of massive migration to different directions. Those Armenians who stayed paid high taxes for the safety of their lives, and those who did not pay were condemned to death.