Battle of Echmiadzin (1804)

The Battle of Echmiadzin took place in June 1804, during the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813. The Iranians successfully defended the town and forced the Russians to withdraw.

Background
In 1801, three years after Agha Mohammad Khan's death, the Russians capitalized on the moment, and annexed Kartli-Kakheti (eastern Georgia), a region which had made part of Iran for centuries. In 1802, Pavel Tsitsianov was appointed as the new Russian commander-in-chief in the Caucasus. A die-hard Russian imperialist with zero tolerance and respect for the Iranians and the locals of the Caucasus, in January 1804, he invaded and ruthlessly sacked the Iranian city of Ganja. Thereby, they initiated the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813.

Battle
After the capture of Ganja, Tsitsianov proceeded to Erivan. At Echmiadzin, near Erivan, his army clashed with that of crown-prince and commander-in-chief Abbas Mirza and the shah (king) himself; a three-day battle followed.

The Russian artillery caused considerable amounts of damage to the Iranian army, which at the time had not yet been modeled on modern lines; however, in their own way, the Iranians proved to be effective. The Russians were surrounded by the Iranians, who prevented them from receiving supplies.

Aftermath
Abbas Mirza and his men forced Tsitsianov to withdraw, who was thus unable to take Echmiadzin. The Iranian army subsequently proceeded to disband for the incoming winter. Nevertheless, politically, the battle ended with an indecisive or inconclusive result. In line with the traditional Iranian concept of warfare, they had allowed the Russians to escape, instead of making full use of the gained advantage.

According to reports, Tsitsianov had looted and gravely damaged the Armenian religious buildings at Echmiadzin. A few days after the battle, the Russians returned to Echmiadzin, where they caught an Iranian force by surprise; thereafter they marched on Erivan once again. The Iranians who had survived the surprise attack, managed to regroup, and were able to participate in the ensueing defense of Erivan.