Yazidis Participation in the Russian Revolution of 1917

2021/06/01-1623312240.jpg
Read: 1800     12:00     10 Июнь 2021    

In 1917, the Yazidis were divided into two groups – some were in favor of the establishment of Soviet power, while others, under the leadership of the tribal nobility (Agha, Begi) and the clergy, did not want the establishment of Soviet power, seeing this as a threat to the traditional way of life of the Yazidis. Moreover, the Dashnak authorities in Armenia had previously annulled it.

The position of the tsarist government from 1869 and restored the rights of the agha and begs over the Yazidi population. Some Yezidis were given high officer ranks, and the head of the Yezidis of Transcaucasia, Usub-beg Teymurov, was elected a member of the Armenian parliament for the first time in history.

Despite the different attitudes towards the Bolsheviks, there were no clashes among the Yazidis on this ground, and the opponents of the establishment of Soviet power did not take special measures for armed confrontation with the Bolsheviks, which allowed the latter to freely conduct their agitation in the Yazidi villages aimed at overthrowing the Dashnak power. Thus, the "Peasant Union", created by the Bolsheviks of Alexandropol and Kavtarli district, was known for its active work in the Yezidi villages in 1919. And the revkom of the Kavtarli district launched its activities among the Yezidis of the villages of Kondakhsaz, B. Jamushlu and others, which were under the rule of the Dashnaks. The result of this work was the neutrality of the Yazidis, who did not take part in the work of the institutions and organizations of the Dashnaks, and were greeted with glee by the units of the XI Red Army. Subsequently, activists emerged from these villages, who advocated the strengthening of Soviet power in the Yezidi villages. A member of the revolutionary movement was the Arab Shamoevich Shamilov, who came from a family of Yezidi sheikhs.

In 1917-1920 A. Sh. Shamilov in the North Caucasus-a fighter of the Red Guard and the red partisan, then he fought in the ranks of the Red Army. In May 1918, he joined the Bolshevik Party. An active fight against the Dashnaks was led by a cavalry squadron under the leadership of Teymurov Shamil . He enjoyed great authority among the Red Army and also fought on the Zangezur front. As the guard chief of the regiment in the Dashnak army, he helped arm the workers from the warehouse of this regiment.

Thus, despite the fact that the Red Army included Yazidis who fought for the establishment of Soviet power, yet the majority of the population remained loyal to their agha, begs and clergy. An important role in this was played by tribal relations, which were preserved with the arrival of the Bolsheviks. Observing the successes of the Red Army, the Yezidi tribal nobility had no doubt that the Bolsheviks would establish their power throughout the former Russian Empire. Probably for this reason, the aga and Begi for the most part did not enter into a confrontation with the Bolsheviks and at the initial stage even tried to interact with them. Initially, the Bolsheviks saw them as exploiters of the Yazidi workers and the main obstacle to the integration of the Yazidi population into Soviet society. However, despite the Bolsheviks ' unfriendly attitude towards the ancestral nobility, they were still forced to cooperate with it at first, as they understood that it had a huge influence within the community. This allowed the new government to prevent the deepening of the national conflict in this region and to reconcile the Yazidis with the Soviet government, which was finally established here in Transcaucasia in 1921.

Author-R. V. Rzgoyan





Tags:



Yazidis Participation in the Russian Revolution of 1917

2021/06/01-1623312240.jpg
Read: 1801     12:00     10 Июнь 2021    

In 1917, the Yazidis were divided into two groups – some were in favor of the establishment of Soviet power, while others, under the leadership of the tribal nobility (Agha, Begi) and the clergy, did not want the establishment of Soviet power, seeing this as a threat to the traditional way of life of the Yazidis. Moreover, the Dashnak authorities in Armenia had previously annulled it.

The position of the tsarist government from 1869 and restored the rights of the agha and begs over the Yazidi population. Some Yezidis were given high officer ranks, and the head of the Yezidis of Transcaucasia, Usub-beg Teymurov, was elected a member of the Armenian parliament for the first time in history.

Despite the different attitudes towards the Bolsheviks, there were no clashes among the Yazidis on this ground, and the opponents of the establishment of Soviet power did not take special measures for armed confrontation with the Bolsheviks, which allowed the latter to freely conduct their agitation in the Yazidi villages aimed at overthrowing the Dashnak power. Thus, the "Peasant Union", created by the Bolsheviks of Alexandropol and Kavtarli district, was known for its active work in the Yezidi villages in 1919. And the revkom of the Kavtarli district launched its activities among the Yezidis of the villages of Kondakhsaz, B. Jamushlu and others, which were under the rule of the Dashnaks. The result of this work was the neutrality of the Yazidis, who did not take part in the work of the institutions and organizations of the Dashnaks, and were greeted with glee by the units of the XI Red Army. Subsequently, activists emerged from these villages, who advocated the strengthening of Soviet power in the Yezidi villages. A member of the revolutionary movement was the Arab Shamoevich Shamilov, who came from a family of Yezidi sheikhs.

In 1917-1920 A. Sh. Shamilov in the North Caucasus-a fighter of the Red Guard and the red partisan, then he fought in the ranks of the Red Army. In May 1918, he joined the Bolshevik Party. An active fight against the Dashnaks was led by a cavalry squadron under the leadership of Teymurov Shamil . He enjoyed great authority among the Red Army and also fought on the Zangezur front. As the guard chief of the regiment in the Dashnak army, he helped arm the workers from the warehouse of this regiment.

Thus, despite the fact that the Red Army included Yazidis who fought for the establishment of Soviet power, yet the majority of the population remained loyal to their agha, begs and clergy. An important role in this was played by tribal relations, which were preserved with the arrival of the Bolsheviks. Observing the successes of the Red Army, the Yezidi tribal nobility had no doubt that the Bolsheviks would establish their power throughout the former Russian Empire. Probably for this reason, the aga and Begi for the most part did not enter into a confrontation with the Bolsheviks and at the initial stage even tried to interact with them. Initially, the Bolsheviks saw them as exploiters of the Yazidi workers and the main obstacle to the integration of the Yazidi population into Soviet society. However, despite the Bolsheviks ' unfriendly attitude towards the ancestral nobility, they were still forced to cooperate with it at first, as they understood that it had a huge influence within the community. This allowed the new government to prevent the deepening of the national conflict in this region and to reconcile the Yazidis with the Soviet government, which was finally established here in Transcaucasia in 1921.

Author-R. V. Rzgoyan





Tags: