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covering territories up to Main watershed in north, the Aghsuchay river - in east,
the Goychay river - in west, and Qaramaryam division - in south. After appearing
of Mehranis and particularly seizure of political power in Albania by Ghirdman
feu-dals, territories of the province were extended up to the Dashaghyl river in
west, and the Kur river - in south. Apprehending namely increase of Ghirdman
feudals' military-political authority, Sasanid rulers transfered capital of Marzbanate
from Qabala to Barda.
2. The territory's favourable natural-climatic conditions, rich fauna and
flora, a lot of arable places, gardens, forests and pastures, wide network of rivers
and finally direct pass of caravan roods in different directions through there, as far
back as beginning from V millenium had resulted in conducting settled life on
Ghirdman territories by people, settling numerous populated areas. In the Early
Middle Ages some of them, including Qabala, Mehravan, Qyrlartapa, Qalagah and
Lahych, played important role for economic, political and cultural life of not only
the province, but also the country as a whole.
For investigating Ghirdman problem, determination of the place of
Mehravan town mentioned in historical sources, but exact coordinates of which up
to now have been secret for the science, has big importance. To our mind, the 9-
hectared town place discovered in 2004 near Bayimli village of Aghsu district, at
the Ghirdmanchay river's left bank and known by people as Torpaggala, encircled
by majestic fortress walls laid from raw brick, namely are remnants of Mehravan
town. In result of checking excavations it was identified that during Vl-IX
centuries there had been proceeding intensive urban life. Along with busied towns
of their epoch, such populated areas like Kand Yeri, Kurduvan, Hasan-bay Yeri,
Gandob, Ashaghy Qaramaryam, Arabjabirli, Yekakhana, Tarkash, Khyrmantapa,
Kalash Duzu, Kalasar, Talystan, Shamdlan and surrounding necropolises also
betoken that Ghirdman province ranked with districts rather compactly dwelled by
population in Albania in the Early Middle Ages.
3. Geography of the ancient and early-medieval monuments of Ghirdman
territories, surely, betokens settling dynamics of the population. And this means
that population, which in ancient times settled down along Ajynohur foothills
locating between Haftaran hollow and Qaramaryam division, in the Early Middle
Ages left traditional dwelling places and removed to highland and foothill
territories in north. Thus, on the territories of the Major Caucasus south slope there
emerged new populated areas and defence fortresses.
The change in settling dynamics of the territory, very likely, can be
explained by intensification of foreign invasions and military campaigns.
Naturally, organization of defending populated areas and military fortifications on
plain territories during numerous hostilities, which continued for a long time,
caused numerous problems. And for Sasanid, Byzantian and the Caliphate troops,
which were distinguished by battle and manoevre skills more on plain territories, it
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was inconvenient to them to battle for new populated areas and fortresses built in
places favourable in military-strategical terms.
4. During archaeological researches in Ghirdman monuments there had
been obtained numerous ammunition items produced and used on Albania territory
in ancient times and the Early Middle Ages. Big number of fortresses of the local
and regional importance here also betokens active participation of Ghirdman in
hostilities periodically undergone by the country. Due to historical sources, through
the hostilities Ghirdman feudals had been giving 1000 well-armed cavalries to
Albanian army. Ghirdman fortresses and fortifications can be regarded as evident
showing of establishing stable ans reliable defence, system for organizing defence
of not just the province territories, but also the whole country. The fortresses built
in complicated relief conditions from engineering-technical viewpoint are so much
majestic that it was possible to reliably defense them even by minor fortress
garrisons. And all this betokens that in Ghirdman province military art was on high
development level.
5.
For the first time in Azerbaijani historical studies, the early-medieval
dwelling places, necropolises and defence edifices mentioned and described in the
work are presented as Ghirdman monuments. For the first time in archaeological
literature there is given comprehensive information about most of them. And for
the first time in general there is given information about some of them. This has
major importance for recomposing archaeological map of Albania, dating back to
the Early Middle Ages, in general.
6.
Presenting of Udins and Khaputs, along with Albanians, as autochtonous
residents of the territory, judgements about history of resettling Iranian-speaking
population (Tats) to Ghirdman territories and their settling areal, their gradual
Albanianization after a certain historical period, can be important for more
profound study of Albania's ethnical situation in the Early Middle Ages.
7.
The fact that along with source data and archaeological materials,
ancient toponyms of the territory, being a serious scientific argument, for the first
time were involved to the research in wide scale with aim of localizing Ghirdman
province and specifying its boundaries, betokens resting of opinions and
judgements, advanced in the work, upon complex grounds.
8.
Growth of the military-economic power of Ghirdman province being
administrative-political unit, and weakening of the positions of Sasanid Marzbans
in Albania resulted in removing capital of Marzbanate, which apprehended
Mehranis' growing authority, from Qabala to Barda. Seizure of political power by
Mehranis resulted in military strengthening of Albania, growing of its authority on
the international scene, and Ghirdman feudals' possessions through new territories.
Thus, areas up to the Kur river in south, the Dashaghyl river - in west, and a part of
lands, belonging to Arash province, in south-west were seized by Ghirdman
feudals.