Avan Yuzbashi


Avan Yuzbashi was a commander of Armenian armies in Karabagh, and an important figure of the Armenian liberation struggle during the 1720s in Karabagh.

Biography

Avan and his family were originally from Lori. They eventually moved to Shusha in Varanda in 1717.
Avan was instrumental in aiding David Bek's forces and gaining victories over the forces of Safavid Iran and the Ottoman Empire in Zangezur region. In a letter to the Russian monarch, Yuzbashi wrote, "We will fight until that time when we will enter the service of the tsar, and all will perish to the last one but we will not leave Christianity; we will fight for our faith." Kekhva Chelebi, an Armenian patriot who maintained correspondence between the meliks of Karabakh and the Russian authorities, reports:
Avan was given the title of "khan" by king Tahmasp II and was appointed as commander-in-chief of Karabagh by him.