EN
AZ
At the end of March and the beginning of April 1918, horrific massacres were committed in Baku by Bolshevik and Armenian Dashnak armed groups against peaceful Azerbaijani civilians solely because they were Turkic-Muslims. As a result, thousands of people were killed, injured, and subjected to humiliation and torture. This tragedy, which entered history as the March Genocide, soon spread beyond Baku to Shamakhi, Quba, Lankaran, and other regions, resulting in the destruction and burning of settlements and the brutal extermination of civilians. During these massacres, neither the elderly, nor the young, nor even infants were spared; being Muslim and Azerbaijani alone was enough to be targeted for.
The primary objective of these massacres was to maintain control over Baku, an important industrial center, by Armenian and Russian forces, and to seize its rich oil resources. The massacres committed from Baku to Shamakhi and Quba were systematic and planned. Amazasp, who led the events in Quba, openly declared that the goal was to establish Bolshevik rule in the region and to eliminate the Muslim population living in the territories stretching from Mount Shahdagh to the Caspian Sea.
The scale of the genocides committed in Baku, Shamakhi, Quba, Lankaran, Zangezur, and Karabakh was extremely vast and tragic. According to documents of the Extraordinary Investigation Commission, nearly 12,000 Turkic-Muslims were killed in Baku alone. Witness testimonies indicate that, in order to conceal the crimes, bodies were thrown into burning houses, the sea, and wells. In Quba, 167 villages were destroyed; in Shamakhi, 8,000–10,000 people were killed in the city, and 10,341 people in 110 villages. In total, about 18,000–20,000 people were killed in Shamakhi. Foreign sources report that 20,000–25,000 people were killed in Baku alone.
At that time, the population of Baku was approximately 280,000–300,000, of which 80,000–100,000 were Azerbaijanis. British archival documents state that about one-quarter of the Azerbaijani population of the city was destroyed during these events. Overall, it is estimated that around 50,000 Azerbaijanis lost their lives as a result of these tragedies.
The genocide inflicted not only loss of life but also severe damage to material and spiritual values. Dashnak-Bolshevik groups confiscated property worth 400 million manats from the population in Baku and destroyed religious monuments and historical buildings. The Tazapir Mosque was damaged by artillery fire, and the Ismailiyya building was burned down. At the same time, the editorial office of the “Kaspi” newspaper, as well as the “Dagestan” and “Iskenderiyya” hotels, were looted and destroyed. Approximately 5,000 newly printed copies of the Quran stored in the “Kaspi” editorial office were also burned.
Research shows that not only armed groups but also representatives of various strata of Armenian society—including engineers, doctors, teachers, and other intellectuals—participated in these massacres. These facts further prove the planned and purposeful nature of the events.
After the return to power of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in 1993, important steps were taken to investigate these tragedies and present them to the international community. The process of giving a political and legal assessment to the March Genocide was strengthened. This policy is currently being successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev, and consistent measures are being implemented to convey Azerbaijan’s historical truths to the world.
Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the strengthened Azerbaijani Army demonstrated the strength and determination of our people through its Victory in the Patriotic War. This Victory is regarded as the greatest tribute to the memory of Azerbaijanis who were subjected to genocide in the early 20th century, as well as to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the defense of our lands.
Thus, the March 31 Genocide is not only a tragic page engraved in the memory of the Azerbaijani people but also an important historical lesson that strengthens our national unity and determination.
The primary objective of these massacres was to maintain control over Baku, an important industrial center, by Armenian and Russian forces, and to seize its rich oil resources. The massacres committed from Baku to Shamakhi and Quba were systematic and planned. Amazasp, who led the events in Quba, openly declared that the goal was to establish Bolshevik rule in the region and to eliminate the Muslim population living in the territories stretching from Mount Shahdagh to the Caspian Sea.
The scale of the genocides committed in Baku, Shamakhi, Quba, Lankaran, Zangezur, and Karabakh was extremely vast and tragic. According to documents of the Extraordinary Investigation Commission, nearly 12,000 Turkic-Muslims were killed in Baku alone. Witness testimonies indicate that, in order to conceal the crimes, bodies were thrown into burning houses, the sea, and wells. In Quba, 167 villages were destroyed; in Shamakhi, 8,000–10,000 people were killed in the city, and 10,341 people in 110 villages. In total, about 18,000–20,000 people were killed in Shamakhi. Foreign sources report that 20,000–25,000 people were killed in Baku alone.
At that time, the population of Baku was approximately 280,000–300,000, of which 80,000–100,000 were Azerbaijanis. British archival documents state that about one-quarter of the Azerbaijani population of the city was destroyed during these events. Overall, it is estimated that around 50,000 Azerbaijanis lost their lives as a result of these tragedies.
The genocide inflicted not only loss of life but also severe damage to material and spiritual values. Dashnak-Bolshevik groups confiscated property worth 400 million manats from the population in Baku and destroyed religious monuments and historical buildings. The Tazapir Mosque was damaged by artillery fire, and the Ismailiyya building was burned down. At the same time, the editorial office of the “Kaspi” newspaper, as well as the “Dagestan” and “Iskenderiyya” hotels, were looted and destroyed. Approximately 5,000 newly printed copies of the Quran stored in the “Kaspi” editorial office were also burned.
Research shows that not only armed groups but also representatives of various strata of Armenian society—including engineers, doctors, teachers, and other intellectuals—participated in these massacres. These facts further prove the planned and purposeful nature of the events.
After the return to power of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in 1993, important steps were taken to investigate these tragedies and present them to the international community. The process of giving a political and legal assessment to the March Genocide was strengthened. This policy is currently being successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev, and consistent measures are being implemented to convey Azerbaijan’s historical truths to the world.
Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the strengthened Azerbaijani Army demonstrated the strength and determination of our people through its Victory in the Patriotic War. This Victory is regarded as the greatest tribute to the memory of Azerbaijanis who were subjected to genocide in the early 20th century, as well as to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the defense of our lands.
Thus, the March 31 Genocide is not only a tragic page engraved in the memory of the Azerbaijani people but also an important historical lesson that strengthens our national unity and determination.
Chinare Safarova
Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences, PhD in History
Azerbaijan State Agrarian University
Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences, PhD in History
Azerbaijan State Agrarian University