Abbas Mirza's Relations with Etchmiadzin Cathedral Based on the Archival Documents

The Etchmiadzin Cathedral, as the first and most important Armenian cathedral, played an important role in the religious, political and social developments of Armenia. The role of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral is significant, especially in the Iran-Russia wars and the separation of Yerevan from Iranian rule. Abbas Mirza, the viceroy, sought to consolidate relations with the Russians in order to prevent Yerevan, and especially the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, from coming closer to the Russians, perhaps to prevent their centrifugal tendencies by attracting and entertaining its leaders and establishing close ties with them. This article intends to examine Abbas Mirza's relations with Armenians, especially the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, through documentary-analytical research of Persian, Armenian and Russian archival documents. It examines Iran's efforts in maintaining its ties with Armenia to continue its historical sovereignty over that land. This study also investigates the divergent activities of the Etchmiadzin leaders that led to Yerevan's separation from Iran and its annexation to Russia.