Salmas
Mixed Armenian, Assyrian and Azerbaijani population; site of 1915 Armenian and Assyrian massacres during Ottoman/Kurdish raids on Persia.
- Armenian
- Assyrian
Place context
Migration source and borderland district
Salmas, in north-western Iran, was one of the districts from which Armenians moved into Russian-controlled territory after 1828. Along with Tabriz and Khoy, it appears in the atlas because post-Turkmenchay migration changed the demographic balance of Erivan, Nakhichevan and parts of Karabakh.
The migration was organised under imperial conditions, not simply spontaneous national return. Russian authorities wanted loyal Christian settlers in newly conquered territory; Armenians sought security and opportunity under Christian imperial rule; Muslim communities experienced the result as a shift in land, tax and political balance. All three elements are needed for a fair reading. editorial
Salmas also reminds readers that Armenian communities existed across the Iranian border, not only in Ottoman or Russian space. The border created in 1828 cut through older social worlds rather than replacing them overnight.
Demographics over time
| Year | People | Share | Population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Armenian | , | 11,000 | Vrej-Armen Artinian, Iran Bekhradnia (Iranica encyclopedia entry) |
| 1914 | Assyrian | , | 12,000 | Eden Naby |
Events located here
| Year | Event | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Sayfo, genocide of Assyrian Christians | massacre |
| 1914 | Salmas, Khoy and Urmia massacres of Christians in Persian Azerbaijan | massacre |