Cilovluq genocide

The word Cilov comes from the word Jilu which is a district and an Assyrian tribe located south of Lake Van, in the modern Hakkari Province of Turkey.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=62 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }}{{Cite web |title=کشتار جیلولوق؛ جنایت فراموش‌نشدنی ارامنه در شمال غرب ایران |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/fa/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C/%DA%A9%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AC%DB%8C%D9%84%D9%88%D9%84%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4-%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%AF%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/1126461 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=www.aa.com.tr}} The Assyrian tribe of Jilu migrated to West Azerbaijan from Hakkari and terrorized the region with their Armenian allies, it is because of this that the Turkish name of the genocide Jilowlug came about.{{cn|date=June 2025}} After the outbreak of World War I, the Assyrians entered into an alliance with the Russian Empire and were therefore exiled from this region by the Ottoman Empire. After that, the majority of the Assyrians fled to Iran, mainly Iranian Azerbaijan. The Ottoman Empire and the Kurdish tribes allied with it, pursued them into western Iranian Azerbaijan.{{Cite web |last=Heydari |first=Ashgar |title=Holocaust-e Jiloluq dar Iran va Naqsh-e Engelis dar An ya Talash-e Engelis baraye Tashkil-e Jomhuri-ye Armanestan dar Khak-e Iran |url=https://mtq.ir/pdf/pw213183969.pdf}} In the midst of these events, the Assyrians made an alliance with the Armenians and, with support from Russia, England, and France, organized massacres against the Azerbaijani Turks and Kurds living in western Iranian Azerbaijan.

File:Nestorian archbishop and servants.jpg Although tensions between Armenian nationalists and Russia had been rising in the early 1900s, the outbreak of World War I and the Deportation of Armenians from the Ottoman Empire put these tensions on the back burner. Russia, an enemy of the Ottoman Empire, was naturally considered an ally of Armenian nationalists. The Russians attempted to establish a state for Armenians in the newly occupied territories around Lake Van in 1914–1915 . During the war, the Armenians supported Russia, which caused concern for the Ottomans.{{Cite book |last=Peimani |first=Hooman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5MOYzS3IDTQC&dq=The+political+conflict+ottoman+russia+world+war+I+armenian&pg=PA237 |title=Conflict and Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus |date=2009-07-08 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-59884-054-4 |pages=237 |language=en}}

In northwestern Iran, where the last remnants of the Ottoman army were fighting the Russians, the Christian Assyrians also faced difficult situations. Urmia had a community of Nestorian Assyrians, and this population was protected by the Russian forces fighting the Ottomans.{{Cite book |last=Gorder |first=Christian A. Van |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g1-bmFb-AkgC&dq=Pressure+ottoman++Christians+assyrian+russia&pg=PA71 |title=Christianity in Persia and the Status of Non-Muslims in Modern Iran |date=2010-01-05 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-0-7391-3611-9 |pages=71–72 |language=en}} In addition, with the encouragement of French and American missionary organizations in Urmia, a significant number of Assyrians from the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire had fled to the Western Azerbaijan region. Their number reached about 50,000.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=621–622 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }}

After the Russian Revolution, the Assyrians were left without protection. Although the Assyrians had significant armed forces, they still needed the support of a large force to resist the regular Ottoman army and the irregular Kurdish forces. Since the Assyrian army seriously threatened the northern flank of the Ottoman army, England took on the role of the Assyrian supporter. The British were ready to promise the establishment of an independent Assyrian state to attract the Assyrian to their cause.{{Cite web |title=Assyrian National Petition - United Nations, May 7, 1945 |url=https://www.atour.com/Assyrian_Nation.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250402201835/https://www.atour.com/Assyrian_Nation.shtml |archive-date=2025-04-02 |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=www.atour.com |url-status=live }}

Mar Shimun notes that "the British government, in order to specifically encourage the Assyrian people to organize resistance against the Turks, promised, through Captain George F. Gracey (who operated under the supervision of the Intelligence Service), in a meeting organized in December 1917 or early 1918, to provide supplies and salaries for the Assyrian soldiers and to support the Assyrian people".{{Cite journal |last=Pestorian |first=Varham |date=2006 |title=ASSYRIANS IN IRAQ |url=http://www.aina.org/reports/assyriansiniraq.pdf |journal=Iran and the Caucasus |pages=113–148}} Yahya Dovlatabadi, a representative of the National Council of Iran at that time, writes:{{Cite web |title=پرتال جامع علوم انسانی - هولوکاست جیلولوق در ایران و نقش انگلستان در آن یا تلاش انگلستان برای تشکیل جمهوری ارمنستان در خاک ایران |url=http://www.ensani.ir/fa/content/231977/default.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501110501/http://www.ensani.ir/fa/content/231977/default.aspx |archive-date=2013-05-01 |access-date= |website=www.ensani.ir}}

For years, the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire, namely (the Dashnaktsutyun faction), have been active and working against the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire has opposed the mischief they have committed and prevented their actions. A few years ago, in the Battle of Van, the Ottoman army faced an attack by the Armenians. These attacks ended with the success of the Armenians, with the support of the Russians. After the Russians won this battle, they killed Muslims, plundered their lands, and violated their honor. The Ottoman army also captured and expelled the Armenians who collaborated with the Russians in order to avenge them.

The Turkish Assyrians and Armenians, joined forces with the Russians to attack the Ottoman government during World War I. After the Ottoman government became aware of this and suppressed the conflict, the remaining Assyrians and Armenians settled in the modern Western Azerbaijan province. After being settled in this region, they organized regular forces among themselves.

First, they formed an army of 10,000 people with the help of Great Britain after the Russian Empire's armies left Azerbaijani territory. This formed army took advantage of the weakness of Qajar Iran and captured the city of Urmia in Shamsi 1396.Sardari-Nia, Samad, Qatl-e 'Am-e Musalmanan dar Do Su-ye Aras, Nashr-e Akhtar, 1385. p.62Collection of Volumes of Islamic Heritage," edited by Rasul Ja'fariyan, Volume Ten, (Section on the History of Attacks and Crimes of the Armenians, Isma'il Simitqu, and Sardar Ma‘ki in Azerbaijan, authored by Mirza Abu al-Qasim Amin al-Shar‘ Khū’ī, edited by ʿAli Ṣadraaʾī Khūʾī), Qom, Library of Grand Ayatollah Marʿashī Najafī (Qom), pages 13 to 80. After the Russians established themselves in the region, the Christians of Urmia became close to them and began to harass Muslims in the cities and villages in response to the previous oppression they had suffered at the hands of the Kurds.

Although these events caused serious concern among the Muslims of the region, they were unable to raise the issue for fear of the Russians.Hashmat, Gulamkhan, Moyeh-ha-ye Shahr-e Gharib, Entešārāt-e Yāz, 1387. p. 9 Vasily Nikitin, the Russian consul in the city of Urmia, wrote in his book "Iran" about the arrival of Armenians and Gypsies from the Ottoman Empire:

The spiritual leader of the Assyrians was a man named Mar Shimon. He came at this time to see the Russian general, to join forces with him and to participate in the battles against the Turks. The spiritual leader of the Nestorian tribes is Mar Shimon. They live in the provinces of Sanjak, Gavar and Van. The Nestorians are not much different from their neighbors, the Kurds, in social terms. The only difference is that each tribe has a priest at its head and their government organizations are almost spiritual and they live in the form of tribes. Each tribe has its own chief, called a melik. These tribes have never been counted and have always wandered far from the Turkish authorities and lived in inaccessible parts of the mountains. Their number may be from 30 to 50 thousand people.

File:Pervaya Armyanskaya Drujina 1 battalion 1914.png.]]

In 1916, the Assyrians, living in the Hakkari region of the Ottoman Empire, revolted against their own state, relying on Russian support. However, they could not hold out against the Ottoman forces for long. With Russian support, tens of thousands of Assyrians (locally referred to as "Jilov") were resettled with their families to the Urmia and Salmas regions of Iranian Azerbaijan.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

After Britain and France realized that the Russians would not be able to stand up to the Ottoman and German empires in Iran, they began negotiations with the leader of the Assyrians, Mar Shimun, about forming groups that would include Iranian and Ottoman Armenians. For this purpose, they traveled to Urmia via Julfa. American missionaries in Urmia also assisted them in this work. The money that was at the disposal of the missionaries and sent for aid from the United States was directed to the formation of Assyrian and Armenian military groups.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=712 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }}

In September 1917, France sent a mobile ambulance to Russia to help treat the wounded in the war against the Ottomans. Initially stationed in Tiflis, this medical aid center was later sent to Urmia. After the Russian withdrawal from the region, this organization began to provide military and medical assistance to local Christian armed groups. The Lazarists, that is, missionaries of the French Catholic Church, were by nature staunch Catholics and were hostile to Protestants and secularists.{{Cite book |last=Zirinsky |first=Michael |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255683223 |title=American Presbyterian Missionaries at Urmia During the Great War |date=1997 |pages=4}}

Despite the secular nature of the French government, the state used Catholic missions to influence Iran. Dr. Shedd, head of the American mission and officially the American assistant consul in Urmia from January 1918, justified the use of religious aid resources for war needs by stating that these costs would later be covered by British military circles. At first, the British Foreign Office refused to pay these costs, but eventually paid them after evidence emerged of Captain Gracey's promises to the Armenian-Assyrian army.{{Cite book |last=Zirinsky |first=Michael |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255683223 |title=More than 130 thousand Azerbaijanis were subjected to genocide in the Urmia region in 1917-1918 |pages=4–16}}

As a result, Mar Shimun and other Assyrians began to hope that an independent Assyrian state could be established for themselves in the Urmia region.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=713 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }} Mar Shimun, Agha Petros, and other Assyrian leaders, together with Shedd and with the help of Nikiti, formed a military unit in the province of Haji Mostashar and began to recruit soldiers from the locals. In February (Bahmen), an Assyrian killed two Muslims and a Jew in the market, which led to a clash. As a result, four more people were killed.

After this, armed Assyrians began to attack villages around Urmia, resulting in hundreds of deaths. When two people tried to bury a man who had been killed and left lying around on the outskirts of the city, full-scale clashes broke out. The Christians began shooting everyone they encountered in the city, and the Assyrians bombarded the city. Finally, a delegation was sent to the Russian consulate to meet with Mar Shimun.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=714–725 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }} The Cossacks, under the command of a Russian officer in the city, raised a white flag, which emboldened the Assyrians even more. After that, the Cossack building was also attacked by the Assyrians. The Assyrians killed all the Cossacks they could find.

However, massacres were also carried out in the surrounding villages. Mar Shimun then turned his attention to Salmas, attempting to bring it under his control. Realizing that the Assyrians and Armenians were limited in number, he sought to ally himself with Simko.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=726 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }}

In 1917, the Russian Revolution broke out, and the situation for the Russian-backed forces in Iran suddenly deteriorated. Many Russian fighters stationed in Iran began to disobey their commanders' orders and began looting settlements. For example, on 14 Tir, a market was looted in Urmia. Three people were killed during the looting, and the market itself was burned down.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=685 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }} In the villages, the Assyrians not only plundered, but also began to commit massacres. In the middle of the month of Mordad, Armenians, stray Russian soldiers, and the Assyrians together began mass massacres in the Nazlıchay region. During this process, 8 or 9 villages were destroyed and mass massacres were carried out.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=686 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }} In the month of Aban, the Russians and Assyrians continued their activities. They even killed one person and burned five others to mock them during the Ashura ceremony.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=697 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }}

Shortly after the October Revolution of 1917, the Assyrians in Urmia published a declaration entitled "Manifesto of the Unification and Alliance of the Free Assyrians of Urmia". The first chapter of the manifesto defined the territorial boundaries of an independent Assyrian national state as "Urmia, Mosul , Tur Abdin, Nusaybin, Cizre and Julamerk". The declaration demanded cooperation with a free Russia (i.e. post-Czarist Russia) in the economic, trade and, of course, military spheres, and expressed a desire for an alliance with Russia.{{Cite web |last=ZINDA |title=ZENDA - Sept. 27, 1999 |url=http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2000/zn020100.htm#BacktotheFuture |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010411025202/http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2000/zn020100.htm#BacktotheFuture |archive-date=2001-04-11 |access-date= |website=www.zindamagazine.com}}

File:Burying of the dead.jpg

They were aware of the small number of Christians who were trying to establish an independent state for themselves, and therefore decided to gain the support of the Kurds.{{Cite book |last1=Astourian |first1=Stephan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FJ3UDwAAQBAJ |title=Collective and State Violence in Turkey: The Construction of a National Identity from Empire to Nation-State |last2=Kévorkian |first2=Raymond |date=2020 |publisher=Berghahn Books |isbn=978-1-78920-451-3 |pages=79 |language=en}}

2–3 days after the massacres in Urmia, Mar Shimun announced that he wanted to withdraw, denouncing the massacres. In fact, he intended to go to Salmas, capture it, and meet Simko there in the Old City. Ahmed Kasravi notes that it is not known what Mar Shimun said during the meeting between the two, and what we know is from what Simko said. Simko recorded that Mar Shimon told him the following:{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=725 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }}

This land, now called Kurdistan, was our common homeland, but religious division separated us and brought us to this situation. Now we must join forces, take this land for ourselves, and live together. We have gathered an army, but we have no cavalry. You have many cavalry, and if you join us, we will go to Tabriz and capture it too.

At the end of this meeting, Simko and Mar Shimun came to an agreement, shook hands, and promised to help each other. However, Mar Shimun was shot by Simko, the driver of his carriage, and all the Assyrians with him were subsequently killed by the Kurds.{{Cite book |last=Koohi-Kamali |first=F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_it9DAAAQBAJ&dq=simko+assassinated+shimun&pg=PA77 |title=The Political Development of the Kurds in Iran: Pastoral Nationalism |date=2003-09-30 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-230-53572-5 |pages=77 |language=en}} Only 1–2 Assyrians out of approximately 140 Assyrians survived this meeting. Simko Later spoke of this incident with pride. He said that he had planned the murder of Mar Shimun in advance, but had not told anyone except his brother Ali Agha so that the Assyrians would not find out about it. At the same time, he complained that the Iranians did not appreciate it as they deserved.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=725–728 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }}

File:مسجد حاج خان اورمیه.jpg

The Assyrians, upon learning of the murder of their leader, were furious and attacked the Old City that night. They killed everyone they encountered in the city and burned it down. It is reported that over a thousand people were killed in the city. After the murder of Mar Shimon reached Urmia on March 17–18, the Armenians and Assyrians asked their leaders for permission to take revenge. After a 12-hour period, permission was then granted, and massacres began in the city of Urmia. It is reported that 10,000 Muslim Turks and Kurds were killed during these events.{{Cite book |last=Ghazvinian |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TkfCDwAAQBAJ |title=America and Iran A History, 1720 to the Present |date=2021 |publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-525-65932-7 |pages=83 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Kia |first=Mehrdad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wjzkEAAAQBAJ |title=The Clash of Empires and the Rise of Kurdish Proto-Nationalism, 1905–1926: Ismail Agha Simko and the Campaign for an Independent Kurdish State |date=2023 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-3-031-44973-4 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Heidari |first=Asghar |url=https://ensani.ir/file/download/article/20120329175901-8016-34.pdf |title=The geological holocaust in Iran and the role of England in it, or England's effort to establish an Armenian Republic on Iranian soil |date= |publisher= |pages=242 |language=persian}}{{Cite book |last=Gurock |first=Jeffrey S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6J15IwPA8UUC&q=urmia+&pg=PA226 |title=American Jewish History |date=1998 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-415-91922-7 |pages=11 |language=en}} Rahmatullah Tovfiq writes in his book:Tawfiq, Tarikh-e Orumiyeh: Yaddasht-ha-yi az Salha-yi Jang-e Avval-e Jahani va Ashub-ha-yi Ba'd az An, Rahmatullah, Shiraz: Shiraz Publishing House, 1389

pp. 23,33,42

Mirza Mammad Usuli, the mujtahid, requested that the dead be buried for the sake of Allah and by His will. I accepted wholeheartedly, and together with Dr. Shud's guards and 100 assistants, we removed the homeless dead from the houses and streets, dug a large hole in front of the Haji Khan Mosque, piled all the dead on top of each other, and buried them.

After these events, Agha Petros decided to attack Simko's headquarters in Chehrig with Russian cannons to avenge Mar Shimun. After Ismail Agha's escape, all the Kurds who remained in Chehrig were also killed. Simko's mother and the daughter of his brother Jafar Agha were captured. Agha Petros returned to Urmia victorious. However, due to the arming of the population in the Dilmagan region of Salmas and the arrival of help from Tabriz and Sharafkhana, the massacre did not occur. Then, additional Christian groups from Urmia arrived in Dilmagan. The increase in the number of Christians here caused concern for the Muslims. The Assyrians announced that there would be no massacre if no resistance was shown to the city. At this time, the local official Vatug al-Mamalik decided to surrender the city. At this time, part of the population fled, while part of them remained in their homes.

That night, the Christian military leader Samoon and an armed group consisting of Armenians entered the city and no looting took place. However, the next day, a group returning from Chehrig under the leadership of Aga Petros entered the city. With this, looting, theft, and breaking into houses began. Although people tried to escape, most died, and those who managed to survive were welcomed by the people of Khoy.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=728–733 |language=fa |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }}

File:Simko-kurds-missionaries.jpg

Later, the Assyrians claimed that Simko was killed by the order of the Azerbaijani governor of Tabriz , Mar Shimon .{{Cite web |title="DECLINE AND MURDER OF THE PATRIARCH 1900 - 1918 FROM PATRIARCH MAR RWEL SHIMUN UNTIL THE MURDER OF PATRIARCH MAR BENYAMIN SHIMUN" |url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/603/9/09_chapter3.pdf |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |website=shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in}} They wanted to connect this with the massacres against the population of Urmia. However, this claim is insufficient to explain how the Assyrians understood that Simko was acting on the orders of the Azerbaijani governor immediately after the murder.

Several Assyrians entered the house of Seyid Muhammad Pishnamaz and asked for weapons. He replied to the Assyrians:

Gentlemen, you yourselves know that I am a clergyman. I do not carry a weapon. I have no need for a weapon and I have no acquaintance with it. I am not a person of quarrels or war.

The Assyrians ignored his words and continued to beat him and insisted that he give up his weapon. Despite Seyid Muhammad swearing to Allah and the Quran that he had never had a weapon, the Assyrians did not back down in their demands. Finally, they cut off Seyid Muhammad's right arm with a sword. When Seyid Muhammad still refused to give up his weapon, his left hand, right leg, and left foot were also cut off in turn, and his body was cut into pieces. It is reported that during this process, the walls of the entire room were covered in blood. Alexander Manasiryan, who was appointed by the Armenians as the head of the city administration, went to Seyid Muhammad's house as a representative of the National Ashur Assembly to investigate the murder. After entering Seyid Muhammad's house, he saw the dismembered body, hands, and feet, and then returned to his headquarters and told his friends:Ābrūn, Moḥammad Reẓā, Moṣāḥebe az Bānū Maḥbūbeh Shahīdī, motewalled 1300 Sh, 'Aroos-e Shahīd Seyyed Moḥammad Pīshnamāz, az Ketāb: Ān Rūy-e Penhān-e 'Arab Bāghī az Lābeh Lāy-e Ketābhāyash Bāyad Shenākht, Qom, 1390. p. 756{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/1168260/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%B1-%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=اورمیه در گذر زمان |isbn=978-964-6614-07-9 |pages=372 |language=fa |last1=Anzalī |first1=Ḥasan |date=1999 |publisher=Anzalī }}Tawfiq, Tarikh-e Orumiyeh: Yaddasht-ha-yi az Salha-yi Jang-e Avval-e Jahani va Ashub-ha-yi Ba'd az An, Rahmatullah, Shiraz: Shiraz Publishing House, 1389 p. 43

Go and pray that there is no God in heaven or on earth. Otherwise, I have seen these killings and the scene you have created, and I am convinced that if there is a God, his anger and wrath for such crimes will not be directed at you or at all the Christians of the world.

It is reported that the people of Urmia city, after hearing about this tragedy, forgot about their dead and mourned their fate.

File:مسجد سردار.jpg

Azimus-Saltane Sardar, Aga Khan's son was one of the most distinguished people in Urmia. His ancestors had the Abdussamadkhan Mosque built at the beginning of the Gulamkhan village in Urmia. This mosque was considered the second largest mosque in the city of Urmia.

Later, Azimus-Saltane Sardar renovated it, and it became famous as the Sardar Mosque. Sardar was the ruler of the city of Urmia during the Cilovluq period, and this appointment and election was supported by the Christians themselves. In a book written by Rahmatullah Tofiq, he refers to the terror that Sardar was subjected to:

At the end of the month of Shaban (1336 AH), a Christian named Farhad went to Darul-Hokume in broad daylight with the subjects of the village of Vazirabad. When Sardar and Mirza Aliaga Muayyadulislam left the room and went inside the building, they were both shot in the middle corridor, and both died at that moment. The killer was an unknown Christian. He left Sardar's house with a gun in his hand and walked away...

All the villages of the Urmia region, as well as Urmia itself, were severely affected by these events. After plundering many villages and killing their inhabitants, the Assyrians attacked the villages of Dag Askerabad and Qahramanli. Since these villages had strong fortresses, they fell into the hands of the Assyrians after fierce resistance. As a result, the villages and their inhabitants suffered great losses.

The village of Askerabad is one of the villages located in the Urmia region. Since the village was surrounded by a large wall and fortifications, its population was able to resist the attacks of the Armenians and Assyrians. Nevertheless, the Assyrians and Armenians stormed the main gate of the village on 21 Shaban 1336 (1918) and committed a great massacre. According to reports, about 200 children, women and men managed to take refuge in the village mosque, but all of them were killed without mercy. According to those who survived this incident, due to the large number of dead inside the mosque, the blood of the dead flowed from inside the mosque to the surroundings.{{Cite book |url=https://www.iranketab.ir/book/50725-orumieh-dar-moharebeye-alam-sooz |title=Orumiyeh dar Moharebeh-ye Alam Sooz |pages=138}}

The villagers organize a defense to protect their lives and property from the attacking Assyrians. Therefore, the Assyrians are forced to bring in additional forces and artillery. The Assyrian groups manage to enter the village through the gaps created after the castle wall is bombarded. After the villagers run out of bullets, the attacking groups kill all the elderly, old people and men in the village. The village itself is also looted.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

Mar Shimun was accompanied by 12,000 Assyrian families from the Ottoman Empire. Approximately 20,000 Armenian and Assyrian families from Urmia, salmas, Suldoze and surrounding areas were also assigned to them. Approximately 5,000–6,000 Armenian families from Yerevan, Van and Nakhchivan also migrated and joined them. Their combined army consisted of 20,000 soldiers, 800 Russians and 72 French officers. The army also had 25 cannons and 100 machine guns.{{Cite book |url=https://www.gisoom.com/book/11009875/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/ |title=تاریخ هیجده ساله آذربایجان بازمانده تاریخ مشروطه ایران |isbn=978-964-00-0352-7 |pages=735–736 |language=fa |archive-url= |archive-date= |last1=احمد |first1=كسروي |date=1997 |publisher=مؤسسۀ انتشارات امىر کبىر، }}

On the 15th of Tir, 1335, the market of Urmia began to burn. Despite the efforts of the people around, a large part of the goods in the market were burned. Only the lower part of the market and some of the shops in the middle were saved.

== Return of the Ottoman Empire to Iranian Azerbaijan ==

After the Arab revolt and the entry of the United States into the war, the Ottoman Empire decided to take control of the Turkish-inhabited areas south and north of the Aras (Azerbaijan) to avenge defeats in Iraq and elsewhere. The Turks in these areas were also at war with Armenians, Georgians, and Assyrians at that time. The Young Turks, who led the Pan-Turkism movement, aimed to expand their territory at the expense of the Russian Empire after losing much of their European lands. Their goal was to expand eastward and unite the Caucasus and Central Asia, where Turks lived. During this time, Armenians and Assyrians living in the Ottoman Empire were exiled by the empire after failed uprisings.Bloxham, Donald (2009). The Great Game of Genocide. p. 3.

Before the arrival of the Ottoman army in Iranian Azerbaijan, virtually no settlements remained in Salmas. Ordinary people were either killed or scattered. Although some people still lived in Urmia, each day passed with news of killings or looting. During this time, the British General Dunsterville settled in Hamadan and Qazvin. In the first half of June, a part of the Ottoman army passed through Khoy and arrived in Salmas, defeating the Christians under the command of Agha Petros. The movement of Christians from Salmas to Urmia triggered further clashes and destruction. At that time, Andranik Ozanian, commander of the Armenian volunteer corps, attacked Khoy, forcing the Ottoman army to retreat from around Urmia. The Dashnaks who founded the Republic of Armenia considered the unification of Van, Nakhchivan, and Yerevan essential, and the attack on Khoy took place in this context.Bayāt, Fereydoun (1388). p. 3.Sərdari-Nia, Kaveh (1385). p. 90. In the battle at Heyvaoglu, the Ottoman army was defeated.Kəsrəvi, Əhməd (1393). pp. 751–753. After the religious leaders of Khoy issued fatwas,Riyāhī, Mehrdād (1372). pp. 501–508.Bābā'ī, H. (1389). p. 290. the local population began aiding the Ottoman Empire and resisted the Armenians until reinforcements arrived. As a result, the Armenians were defeated. Consequently, the Ottoman army annihilated all Armenians in Khoy and its surroundings.Kəsrəvi, Əhməd (1393). p. 755.

File:Ismailsimitqu.jpg.]]

After these failures, the Assyrians increased the violence in Urmia, prompting the local population to invite the Ottoman army to intervene. The Assyrians did not hesitate to kill even the most respected citizens of Urmia. Among such individuals was the revered Sayyid Agha Mir Mohammad Pishnamaz Khalkhali, who was dismembered and killed.Kəsrəvi, Əhməd (1393). p. 756.Ābrūn, H. (1390). p. 756.Anzalī, R. (1384). p. 372.Tovfiq, M. (1389). p. 43.

At that time, all telegraph lines were cut, the local population was scattered, and the region's connection with the outside world became impossible. The Assyrians were increasingly anxious because they feared the approaching Ottoman army and were unaware of the whereabouts of the Allies. On the 16th of Tir, a plane belonging to Dunsterville's army, which had orders to advance toward Baku, arrived in Urmia. Its mission was to recruit Assyrians for the British army, use them to cut the Ottoman army's supply lines in the Hamadan–Urmia direction, capture Tabriz, and take the Caucasus from the Ottomans. After this event, a violent clash occurred between the Ottoman army and the Assyrians near Mianeh, and the Ottomans retreated.

As the Ottoman army advanced toward Salmas, further massacres took place. At the same time, they themselves were subjected to retaliatory attacks by Kurds, Azerbaijani Turks, and the Ottoman army. Even Christians hiding in their neighbors' homes could not escape the punitive actions of the Ottoman army.{{cite web |author= |date= |title=Bringing the solidarity of the Pope. Interview with Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Francis' Personal Envoy to Iraq |url=http://www.osservatoreromano.va/en/news/bringing-solidarity-pope |archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate= |publisher=www.osservatoreromano.va |language=}}Kəsrəvi, Əhməd (1393). p. 761. With the arrival of the Ottoman army, the Assyrians and Armenians began to flee while committing massacres. During these events, one of the leaders known for his hostility toward Muslims, Dr. Israel, was also executed by the Ottoman army. Around 50,000 Assyrians managed to reach Sayinqala and met with Dunsterville there. The British general ordered their relocation to Baqubah. Historian Ahmad Kasravi believes that 120,000 Muslims were killed during these events, and the Christians also suffered heavy losses. After these events, the population of the Salmas and Urmia regions became so depleted that agricultural products in rural areas were left untouched. The Ottoman forces forced people to move to the villages to collect the crops and bring them to the cities.Kəsrəvi, Əhməd (1393). p. 763.

File:تحولات غرب آذربایجان 1.jpg

== Fate of those involved in the events ==

Simko was defeated by Iranian government forces in 1930, failed to gather support, and was killed. The American missionary Dr. William Shedd, who organized massacres against Azerbaijanis in Urmia, died at the telegraph center in Sayinqala and was buried there. Later, his body was exhumed by his wife and buried in the Christian cemetery of Tabriz.{{cite web |author=William |first=Ambrose Shedd |date= |title=The Life of John Haskell Shedd |url=http://www.mazdapublishers.com/book/the-life-of-john-haskell-shedd |archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate= |publisher=www.mazdapublishers.com |language=}}

Among the Assyrians settled in Baqubah by the British was Agha Petros, who later expressed his support for Turkey at the Lausanne Conference. He promised that Assyrians would remain loyal to Turkey if allowed to resettle in the Hakkari district, but this offer was rejected.{{Cite web |title=1923: Agha Petros and the Lausanne Telegraphs |url=http://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20040306a.html |access-date= |website=www.atour.com}} The remaining Assyrians stayed in Iraq. Agha Petros, who became involved in financial mismanagement of an orphanage in Canada, fled to the Vatican to avoid arrest and promised to convert the Assyrians to Catholicism. In return, he managed to receive two medals from the Vatican.Wigram, W.A. (1922). The Cradle of Mankind. p. 218. He eventually died of heart failure in the city of Toulouse at the age of 52.

Andranik Ozanian also died in the state of California, USA. It is believed that his defeat at Khoy may have contributed to his death.Bloxham, Donald (2005). The Great Game of Genocide. pp. 103–105.Bayāt, Fereydoun (1388). p. 93.

Dr. Harry P. Packard, who was the second most senior figure at the American missionary center in Urmia after Dr. Shedd, served as police chief during the Assyrian occupation of the city.Zirinsky, Michael (1997). "A Pan-Islamic Polemic: The Career and Death of Dr. William A. Shedd", p. 4–16. After the conflict ended, he returned to Urmia. Locals witnessed his financial dealings with Kurdish tribal chiefs and saw that his guards were Kurds, which led to suspicion. After Simko's failed attack on Urmia, the local population attacked the American missionary center, and of the 900 Christians there, 270 were killed. However, thanks to the intervention of the Iranian government, Packard and his family were saved and taken to Tehran on May 28, 1919.

Historian Ahmad Kasravi reports that 60 people were killed in this incident.Kəsrəvi, Əhməd (1393). p. 838. In 1923, Packard tried to return again. However, then, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh rejected the request, stating: “Dr. Packard was previously involved in revolutionary activities, and his return would revive old problems.”Zirinsky, Michael (1993). "The Rise and Fall of Dr. Packard in Iran". p. 341. Professor Zirinsky believed that Packard's attempt to return to Urmia was an unwise move, as his reappearance, along with his known ties to the Kurds, sparked a legitimate fear among the population that the British were trying to detach Urmia from the rest of the country.Zirinsky, Michael (1993). p. 341.

{{reflist}}

{{notelist}}

Category:1918 in Azerbaijan

Category:Massacres of Muslims

Category:20th-century massacres

Category:Genocide of indigenous peoples in Asia

Category:Massacres in Azerbaijan

Category:Persecution of Muslims