Sneha Girap (Editor)

Kevork Chavush

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Native name
  
Sarhad Atamian

Died
  
May 27, 1907, Mus, Turkey

Name
  
Kevork Chavush

Years of service
  
1890—1907


Kevork Chavush wwwtallarmeniantalecompicsChavushjpg

Nickname(s)
  
The Lion of Mountains (Սարերու Ասլան)

Battles/wars
  
Armenian National Liberation Movement1894 Sasun ResistanceBattle of Arakelots (1901)1904 Sasun Uprising

Allegiance
  
Armenian Revolutionary Federation

Battles and wars
  

Birth name
  
Kevork Aroyi Ghazarian

Khor virap and kevork chavush ararat plain armenia september 2009


Kevork Ghazarian (Armenian: Գէորգ Ղազարեան; 1870 – 27 May 1907) commonly known as Kevork Chavush or Gevorg Chaush (Armenian: Գէորգ Չաւուշ), was an Armenian fedayee in the Ottoman Empire.

Contents

Kevork Chavush httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsaa

Kevork Chavush was a legendary fedayee whose main goal was to ameliorate the plight of the Armenian peasantry in the face of harassment by marauding Turks and Kurds. To this end, he advocated armed resistance. Chavush's extraordinary daring and valor inspired his men as he led the resistance in the region of Daron-Sasun from 1904 until 1907, when he was killed in battle. Kevork Chavush was known to have good relations with some Kurdish leaders of the region. He would openly meet and dine with them and at the same time, try to persuade them to not obey orders by the Sultan, who had hired the Kurds as part of his Hamidieh guards. This was in vain as the Kurds ended up not joining the Armenian revolutionaries. Kevork Chavush, is called "the man with the dagger who was always ready to punish those who molested the defenseless people."

Kevork Chavush Fedayee partisan Kevork Chavush Ovenk

Early life

Kevork Chavush Kevork Chavush YouTube

Kevork Chavush was born to a family of hunters in Sasun, in the village of Mktink in the Bsanats region. He received his education in Mush's Arakelots monastery's school. He left school to join Arabo, a leading fedayee at the time. After Arabo was arrested, Chavush tracked down Arabo's traitor and assassinated him. From 1885 to 1888, he travelled to and found residence in Aleppo. He worked to raise enough money to buy a rifle. He returned to Taron in 1890 to join his friend Hampartsoum Boyadjian's group of Armenian fighters with the aim to defend Armenian-populated villages from Hamidian persecutions.

Sasun Resistance and death

Kevork Chavush Nersik Ispiryan Yelir Kevork YouTube

In 1894, he participated in the Sasun Resistance against the Hamidian persecution of Armenians. During the battle, Chavush was captured and sentenced to jail for 15 years. He managed to escape from jail 2 years later and fled to the mountains of Sasun, where he joined the Dashnaktsutyun political party with friends and pursued revolutionary movement against Turkish officials. In 1896, he met Andranik Ozanyan and participated in various battles, most notable the Second Sasun Resistance in 1904. During his career as a freedom fighter, he was also placed under the command of Serob Aghpyur. During this time, Kevork Chavush's uncle ran into trouble with the guerrillas when he nabbed a woman from a different Armenian village. The case was brought upon Serob Aghbyur who subsequently turned to Chavush and said "Kevork, your uncle is the guilty one, you decide upon his fate" (Armenian: «Գէորգ քու հօրեղբայրդ է յանցաւորը, դո՜ւն դատէ ու վճռէ:»). Chavush executed his kidnapping uncle but suffered from a severe depression afterwards and isolated himself in order to grieve the loss of his uncle.

Kevork Chavush Nersik Ispiryan Kevork Chavushin by armenianmusic Armenian Music

Kevork Chavush was critically wounded on 25 May 1907 during a large firefight at the Battle of Sulukh with the Ottoman army in Sulukh, Mush and which forced him to escape the fighting. Two days later his body was found in Kyosabin-Bashin on 27 May under a bridge. Kevork Chavush remained a leading Armenian guerrilla until his death. To the Armenian people he is a symbol of pride and hope for Armenia to be free and independent from foreign rule. He is considered a great hero to the Armenian nation and her national movement. Chavush was buried in the Armenian cemetery of Kogh.

Legacy

The Kevork Chavoush Museum is located int the village of Ashnak.

References

Kevork Chavush Wikipedia