Zangazur area
After the establishment of independent republics in the South Caucasus (1918), the territorial claims of Armenians against Zangazur began to be observed with genocides in May-August. The report of Mikhailov, a member of the Extraordinary Investigation Commission of Azerbaijan, stated that Armenians had destroyed 115 villages and about 10 new buildings in Zangazur district. As a result of the savagery of Andronicus and other Armenian-Dashnak bandits, 10,068 people were killed or injured in Zangazur district.
In order to protect the local civilians, on January 13, 1919, the Karabakh Governor-General’s Office was established, which included Javanshir, Shusha and Jabrayil districts, as well as Zangazur district. Despite all defensive measures, the genocide of Armenians against the Azerbaijani population of Zangazur district continued in 1919-20.
After the collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the nefarious enemy became more active in the Soviet period in the policy of tearing Zangazur from Azerbaijan, and a large part of the lands of the area was annexed to Armenia. During the zoning policy implemented in the lands of ancient Azerbaijan since the late 1920s, Gafan, Gorus, Mehri and Sisiyan districts were established in those territories, and Zangazur was abolished as a historical province.
Source: Encyclopedia of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. In two volumes, Volume II, Baku, 2005, p.459-460
