Armenia and Imperial Decline: The Yerevan Province, 1900-1914 / Edition 1

by George Bournoutian

Overview

This book seeks, for the first time, to examine the demography and the social and economic conditions in the Yerevan Province during the first decade of the twentieth century, before the great changes that occurred during World War I and the seven decades of Soviet rule. Unlike in Tiflis and Baku, the Armenian inhabitants of the Yerevan Province were overwhelmingly peasants. They did not play a major role in the political, intellectual or economic life of the South Caucasus.

The aim of the book is to prove conclusively that the Armenians of the Yerevan Province not only benefited from living under the umbrella of imperial security, but, as junior and senior officials, they also acquired important administrative and professional skills. The social and economic changes of the last decade of Russian rule enabled the local Armenians to advance and, following the collapse of the Russian Empire, to occupy posts previously held by Russians. Thus, despite the absence of their most talented individuals and the lack of experienced political leaders, as well as the loss of half their territory to Turkish attacks in 1918, the local Armenian administration, in the face of terrible conditions and great odds, provided the foundation which allowed the Armenian Republic to maintain its independence until December of 1920. In fact, some of the survivors would assist in the modernization and nation building of Soviet Armenia.

Providing a detailed overview of the history of the Yerevan Province in the late imperial age, this book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars interested in the History of Armenia, the Russian Empire and the Caucasus.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138480575
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/23/2018
Series:	Routledge Advances in Armenian Studies
Pages:	412
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

George Bournoutian holds a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a senior Professor of History at Iona College in New York. His numerous books and articles focus on the modern history of Russia, Iran, Armenia and the rest of the South Caucasus.

Table of Contents

Foreword Part I Introduction 1. Historical Setting 2. The Land 3. The People 4. The Administrative Structure 5. Land Tenure and Agriculture 6. The Economy 7. Taxes and Revenue Concluding Remarks Part II 1. Population, Land Tenure and Revenues of the Yerevan District 2. Population, Land Tenure and Revenues of the Echmiadzin District 3. Population, Land Tenure and Revenues of the Surmalu District 4. Population, Land Tenure and Revenues of the Sharur-Daralagez District 5. Population, Land Tenure and Revenues of the Nakhichevan District 6. Population, Land Tenure and Revenues of the Alexandropol District 7. Population, Land Tenure and Revenues of the Novo-Bayazet District