Scientific disputes over the administrative affiliation of the capital of the present-day Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Azerbaijan). Naxcivan, Arabic.  / Nashava/, arm.  / Nakhichevan/, etc. - arm.  / Nakhchavan/) in the era of Arab power in Azerbaijan, Greater Armenia, and the South Caucasus (the second half of the seventh and first quarter of the tenth centuries), they do not stop. In this regard, we set out to once again analyze all the information available to the Orientalist-historian from Arab-Muslim written monuments regarding this city, located on the left bank of the Araks River, at the foot of the Biblical Mount Ararat.

Key words: Nakhichevan, Armenia, Arabs, Caucasian Albania.

These scientific disputes began in the 1960s, when the well-known Soviet orientalist Z. A. Korotkov began to discuss the subject. Buniyatov for the first time in his monograph "Azerbaijan in the VII-IX centuries" began to include this city in the Arab province of Azerbaijan (Arab. Azarbaijan), less often-in the Ar (r)ana (Albania) [Buniyatov, 1965, p. 143-144] ¹.

Meanwhile, Russian historical science has long established the fact that Caucasian Albania, which mainly occupied the territory of the modern Republic of Azerbaijan, together with the Armenian and Kartli (East Georgian) possessions of the Arab Caliphate, formed a single province called "Armenia" (Arab. Arminius) (see: [Essays..., 1958, pp. 486, 534]). We have once again seen this in our research. Moreover, we were able to find out that this province was finally formed in 701 [Shahinyan, 2003, p. 89-106], and administratively it was divided into three units-Arminiya I (Arminiya-Armenia), Arminiya II (Arran-Albania) and Arminiya III (Jurzan-Kartli) [Shahinyan, 2008 (2), pp. 68-85; Shahinyan, 2010, pp. 319-328]. As for the Arab province of Azarbaijan, it occupied the territory south of the Araks River, the territory of the historical Iranian-speaking country of Atropatena (in the north-west of the Iranian Highlands), which basically corresponds to two districts (provinces) of the modern Islamic Republic of Iran-East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan [Shahinyan, 2008 (2), with. 72]. So, in administrative terms, there was nothing in common between the province of Azarbaijan and the administrative unit of Arran-Albania during the period when the region was part of the Arab Caliphate. The reason for this is also that the historical Atropatene was conquered by the Muslims and included in the Arab Caliphate at the earliest stage of the conquest - in 642 [Bolshakov, 1993,

This work was funded by the grant of the President of the Russian Federation for state support of young Russian scientists-MD-1664.2012.6, project: "Early Medieval Geography of the South Caucasus (Transcaucasia) and the Armenian Highlands".

¹ There are a huge number of similar examples in this monograph. Similarly, the author sometimes included only the Arab province of Azarbaijan under the concept of "Azerbaijan", and sometimes also included the entire territory of neighboring Arran-Albania (for more details, see [Shahinyan, 2008 (2), pp. 68-85]).

p. 101-102], while in Albania, Armenia, and Kartli, semi-independent principalities continued to exist until the turn of the seventh and eighth centuries (Shahinyan, 2003, p. 89-106).

Z. Buniyatov justifies his point of view by referring to the article "Nashawa" from the geographical dictionary of the famous Arab scholar and traveler Yaqut al-Hamawi (1179-1229). In it we read: "Nashava is a city in Azerbaijan or, as some say, in Arran. It borders Arminia. It is popularly known as Nakhjuvan or Nakjuvan" (Yakut, 1983, p. 32).

However, we must not forget that Yaqut al-Hamawi lived and prepared his dictionary not during the period of Arab rule in Armenia, Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus, but several centuries later. We can explain the geographer's doubts by the fact that he never managed to visit the north of the Araks River and make sure for himself what kind of state formation this city was at that time (at the beginning of the XIII century). It is known for certain that on the eve and at the beginning of the Mongol conquests in the Near East (in the period between 1213 and 1229, when Yakut al-Hamawi was preparing his dictionary ²), Nakhchavan was already under the rule of the Turkic-speaking Ildegizid dynasty (1136-1225), which ruled not in the South Caucasus,but in neighboring Azerbaijan [Harutyunyan, 2004, pp. 78-79; Mutafian & Lauwe, 2001, p. 55]. We also do not dispute this fact.

If one of the options proposed by Z. Buniyatov regarding the administrative affiliation of Nakhchavan in the era of Arab power corresponded to historical reality, then we should have found this ancient city in one of the numerous lists of cities in Adzarbajan, or Arran (Albania), which were conscientiously compiled by Arab and Persian geographers and travelers of the IX-X centuries.Istakhri (c. 850-934), Ibn Haukal (? -?), al-Muqaddasi (946/7-c. 1000), Ibn al-Faqih (? -?), Ibn Khurdadbih (c. 820-912/3), Qudama (d. 930/940s), Ibn Rusta (?- ?), al-Ya'qubi (d. 897), al-Mas'udi (d. 956/7), etc.

Ibn Khurdadbih, the author of the first geographical work in Muslim literature (The Book of Ways and Countries, dated to about 885), mentions Nashava (Nakhchavan) along with other Armenian place names: al-Busfurrajan (Vaspurakan), Dabil (Dvin), Siraj-Tair (Shirak and Taik) and Bagravand (Bagrevand). [Ibn Khurdadbih, 1889, p. 122]. We find this list in the same order in the compilatory geographical anthology prepared by Ibn al-Faqih around 290 AD (902/3) [Ibn al-Faqih, 1885, p. 287]. The latter even clarifies: "The limits of Azarbaijan are as far as ar-Ras (in the north - AS) "(Ibn al-Faqih, 1885, p. 285). Nakhchavan is located north of this river, on its left bank.

Kudama considers Nashawa to be the capital of al-Busfurrajan (Vaspurakan) [Kudama, 1889, p. 246]. It should be noted that in the geographical dictionary of Yakut al-Hamawi in the article "Basfurjan" Nashava (Nakhchavan) It is also listed as the main city of this region (Yaqut al-Hamawi, 1983, p. 21). Early Arab historians of the ninth century (Khalifa ibn Hayyat and al-Baladzuri) also place the city of Nashava (Nakhchavan) in the Armenian province of al-Busfurrajan (Vaspurakan) (see: [al-Baladzuri, 1866, p. 195; Khalifa, 1967, p. 290]).

It is assumed that the Vaspurakan region (with the exception of three districts located to the south of Araks) in the Arab province of Arminiya was its administrative unit Arminiya 1, i.e. Armenia (for details, see [Shahinyan, 2008 (2), pp. 68-85, Shahinyan, 2010, pp. 319-328]).

After the disbanding of the Arab province of Arminiya and the restoration of the Armenian and Albanian statehood by the Bagragids in 886, according to Arab and Persian geographers and travelers, Nashava (Nakhchavan) continued to be part of Armenia. Thus, in al-Istahri and Ibn Haukal, we find it among

² Buniyatov himself writes about this in detail in the preface to his own translation of extracts from Yakut's work (see [Buniyatov, 1983, p. 51]).

MAP COMPILED BY A. K. SHAHINYAN

cities of the Armenian Kingdom (886-1045) [Ibn Haukal, 1873, p. 245; al-Istakhri, 1870, p. 188]. In the anonymous author of "Persian Geography 372 AH (982)" in the section "cities of Arminiyya and Arran", after a certain list of cities, including Nakhchivan (Nakhchavan), we read: "All these towns that we have listed belong to Arminiyya" (Khudud al - ' Alam, 1930, p. 65, p. 33a). We are talking only about Armenia, since a single province under this name has not existed for almost a century. Moreover, an unknown Persian geographer begins the enumeration of the cities of Arran (Albania) immediately after this note.

This is evidenced by synchronous Armenian sources ("The History of the House of Artsruni" by Archimandrite Tovma Artsruni (late 9th century) and his anonymous successor (early 10th century)," The History of Armenia " by Catholicos Yovkhannes Draskhanakertzi (898-929), and many others, which clearly define the city of Nakhchavan as belonging to the Kingdom of Greater Armenia restored by the Bagratids after 886. Moreover, according to their testimony, the Bagratid kings of Armenia took Nakhchavan from the Artsrunid princes of Vaspurakan and handed it over to their other Sunid vassals (Draskhanakertzi, 1996, p. 212, 213; Tovma, 1985, p. 390, 391).

To explain the facts about Nakhchavan's existence in Armenia under the Arab regime and after its liquidation, academician Z. Buniyatov will write in his new monograph "The State of the Atabeks of Azerbaijan": "...the activities of the (Armenian. - A. Sh.) princes of Bagratuni, Artsruni and others should be described in the future, bearing in mind that this city is Nakhchivan... It is located near Kagyzman, the administrative center of the eponymous district of the Kars vilayet" (Buniyatov, 1978, p. 196).

In the "Armenian Geography of the seventh century", among the districts of Vaspurakan in the vicinity of Nakhchavan, we find "Goltn, rich in wine" [Ashkharatsuyts, 2003, p. 2172, 2188], which was located on the left bank of the Araks River [Dictionary of Toponyms, vol.1, 1986, p. 935]. In connection with the tragic events of the end of 705 ³ Armenian authors mention Ned-

³ By order of the Caliph's governor, an Arab Emir named Qasim burned alive 1,200 Armenian nobles in the churches of Nakhchavan and the neighboring village of the Temple.

leko is the locality of Khram located near Nakhchavan (see: [Shahinyan, 2008 (1), p. 141]), which was located on the right bank of the Araks River, opposite Nakhchavan [Dictionary of Toponyms, vol. 2, 1988, p. 809]. We know that even the Iraqi historian Khalifa ibn Hayat wrote: "... the burning (of the Armenian nobility - A. Sh.) took place in Nashawa, in al-Busfurrajan" [Khalifa, 1967, p.291]. There are similar examples in the Armenian and Arabic primary sources, which prove that the activities of Bagratids, Artsrunids and other Armenian princes are connected with Nakhchavan on the Arax, that in the Great Armenian region of Vaspurakan, at the foot of Ararat, there is a huge number.

This version, which was far-fetched and not confirmed by Z. Buniyatov, was strongly criticized by the authoritative Soviet academicians A. Ganalanyan and L. Khachikyan in 1978 (for details, see: [Ganalanyan, Khachikyan, Ter-Gevondyan, 2003, pp. 407 - 408], and after them in 1986, another, no less important one a well-known Arabist, N. Velikhanov, in the introduction to his translation of the work of Ibn Khordadbeh (Khurdadbeh) writes: "It should be noted that Ibn Khordadbeh twice gives the name of Nashawa: 1) in connection with the Marand-Dabil road, which refers to Nakhchivan on the Araks, 2) in connection with the third Arminia, when talking about Nakhchivan [Nashav] in the Kars vilayet. The existence of two Nakhchivans at the same time caused great confusion in some sources, the authors of which made mistakes when specifying the location of these two cities of the same name" [Velikhanov, 1986, pp. 50-51].

Special confusion, in our opinion, in this issue is caused by some modern researchers, including these. The only written monument in Arabic that mentions the existence of two Nakhchavans is the famous geographical dictionary of Iakut al-Hamawi. There are two articles in it - the above-cited "Nashava" and "Nakhjuvan". The last one says: "Nakhdzhuvan, or, as some say, Nakdzhuvan, is a small town in the extreme borders of Azerbaijan..." [Yakut, 1983, pp. 31-32]. Therefore, we do not question the existence of two Nakhchavans and agree with N. Velikhanov that in the article" Nashava " Iakut al-Hamawi refers to the ancient city of Nakhchivan (Nakhchavan) on Arax, at the foot of Ararat. Regarding " Nakhjuvan/It should be said that Iakut al-Hamawi could not possibly have considered the village of Nakhchavan (known since the fifth century), located in the Kars vilayet of the modern Turkish Republic, as a "town in the extreme borders of Azerbaijan".

In our opinion, under the town of "Nakhchuvan/Nakjuvan" is a small settlement located on the western shore of Lake Urmia4 and is the administrative center of the Trabi district of the historical region of Persoarmenia. Under the conditions of Arab rule, this historical Great Armenian region was part of the province of Azarbaijan (see [Shahinyan, 2008, p. 71]) and could well be considered its "extreme limit"!

Thus, the information available to us from Arab and Persian historians, geographers and travelers - the founders of the Arab-Muslim historiographical and geographical school-indicates that the current capital of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of the same name was located within the administrative unit of Arminiya I (i.e., Armenia) during its stay in the Arab Caliphate, and after it was founded, the capital of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic disbanding in 886 - within the newly created Kingdom of Great Armenia.

under the pretext of being put on the payroll list. The responses of these events were reflected in Byzantine, Syriac, and even Muslim authors [Shahinyan, 2008 (1), p. 141].

⁴ In the" Dictionary of Toponyms of Armenia and adjacent regions "we read:" Nakhchavan, Nakhijevan, Nakhijevantapa, Nakhchevantepe, Nakhchvantapa, Nakhjevantepe is a village, a settlement in Persoarmenia, in the Urmia region, 20 km northeast of the city of Urmia, on the shore of Lake Baikal. Urmia..."[Dictionary of Toponyms, vol. 3, 1991, p. 955].

list of literature

Bolshakov O. Istoriya khalifata [History of the Caliphate], T. P. Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1993.

Буниятов З. Azerbaijan in the VII-IX centuries. Baku: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR, 1965.

Буниятов З. The Atabeg State of Azerbaijan (1136-1225). Baku: Elm, 1978.

Буниятов З. Introduction: "Yaqut al-Hamawi. Mu ' jam al-Buldan (Information about Azerbaijan) ". Baku: Elm Publ., 1983.

Velikhanov N. Introduction to the study of the monument: "Ibn Khordadbeh. The Book of Ways and Countries ". Baku: Elm Publ., 1986.

Ganalanyan A., Khachikyan L., Ter-Gsvondyan A. About the next "reflections" of Z. M. Buniyatov / / Ter-Ghevondian A. Collected Articles. Yerevan: Yerevan State University Publishing House, 2003.

[Yakut] Yaqut al-Hamawi. Mu'jam al-Buldan (Information about Azerbaijan) / Translated by Z. Buniyatov and P. Zhuse. Baku: Elm Publishing House, 1983.

Essays on the history of the USSR. The crisis of the slave-owning system and the emergence of feudalism on the territory of the USSR (II-IX centuries). Moscow: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1958.

Shaginyan A. Armenia on the Eve of the Arab Conquest, St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg University Press, 2003.

Shaginyan A. Armenia and Arminia as part of the Umayyad Caliphate / / Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Ser. 2. Vyp. 1. Istoriya. 2008(1).

Shaginyan A. Sistema administrativnogo deleniya i upravleniya Arabskogo khalifata v Armenii i Arminiyi [The system of administrative division and management of the Arab Caliphate in Armenia and Arminia]. VMU. Ser. 13. Vostokovedenie. N 3.2008 (2).

Mutafian C. & Lauwe E. van. Atlas historique de l'Armenie. Proehe-Orient et Sud-Caucase du VIII^e Steele av. J. -C. au XXI^e siecle. ("A la veille de l'invasion mungole au Proche-Orient"). P.: Editions Autrement - Collection Atlas/Memoires, 2001.

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