Iranian Armenia (1502–1828)

Iranian Armenia (also referred to as Persian Armenia or Eastern Armenia), describes the period of Armenian history when Eastern Armenia was under the rule of successive Iranian empires. These empires included the Safavid dynasty (1502–1736), the Afsharid dynasty (1736–1796), the Zand dynasty (1751–1794), and the Qajar dynasty (1794–1925). The region encompassed the Armenian highlands roughly corresponding to the present-day Republic of Armenia, southern parts of Georgia, parts of Nakhchivan, and the Iğdır Province of modern-day Turkey.

Prior to this period, most of Armenia had been part of Greater Armenia, ruled by various Armenian dynasties and intermittently controlled by other regional powers. The Ottoman Empire and Iran became major rivals for control of the region, leading to numerous wars and shifting boundaries. The Safavids decisively established their control over Eastern Armenia in the early 17th century after the Ottoman–Safavid War (1603–1618). Shah Abbas I forcibly relocated a significant portion of the Armenian population from the Armenian Highlands to the Iranian interior, particularly to New Julfa, a suburb of Isfahan, aiming to weaken the region and bolster the Iranian economy with their skills in trade and craftsmanship.

Under Iranian rule, Eastern Armenia was governed through administrative divisions known as khanates. These khanates, such as Yerevan, Nakhchivan, and Karabakh, were largely autonomous, ruled by khans often of Turkic or Kurdish origin, who were vassals of the Iranian Shah. Armenian meliks (princes) retained a degree of autonomy within these khanates, particularly in the mountainous regions like Karabakh.

Throughout this period, Armenian culture and identity persisted, albeit influenced by the Persian environment. The Armenian Apostolic Church remained a crucial institution, maintaining religious and cultural life.

The Russo-Persian War (1804–1813) and the subsequent Russo-Persian War (1826–1828) resulted in significant territorial losses for Iran to the expanding Russian Empire. The Treaty of Gulistan (1813) ceded parts of the Caucasus to Russia, and the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828) formally transferred the Yerevan and Nakhchivan khanates to Russian control, marking the end of Iranian rule over Eastern Armenia and the beginning of the era of Russian Armenia. This led to significant demographic shifts as Armenians were encouraged to immigrate to the newly acquired territories from Persia and the Ottoman Empire.