The Flickering Light of Asia

[Rumtaya]

Here is a part of the book The Flickering Light of Asia. Its an Ebook about the Assyrians. its a part of the Chapter:

THE ASSYRIAN BATTLES WITH THE TURKS

The Persian Mohammedans, still impatient and still 'persistent in their plan for the destruction of the 'Christians, and fully conscious of their own inability put into execution their murderous scheme, even after the assassination of Mar Shimon Benyamin, they relied now upon an invasion in force by the Turks. They had secretly urged the latter to enter into Persia with the understanding of either establishing a free Irsian Azarbaijan State, or, if possible, to annex this artar province of Persia to the remaining portions the Turkish empire. With the fall of the imperial ivernment of Russia, which had been the only ambling block to the Turkish aspirations toward kfganistan and India, and which had also been the gtterest enemy of the Turks and their religion, the proposition of the Azarbaijan Moslems, appealed to the commander of the Turkish forces. And as the Turkish arms had already been defeated by smaller numbers of the Assyrian troops, the Turks set in motion toward the Persian frontier overwhelminly superior forces, with the sole purpose of eliminating from the field of battle this sore spot under the wing of their Eastern armies. That the Turks started on a campaign of murder and massacre, it became apparent from the encircling movement of their forces, as well as from their revolting conduct toward the Christians during the last exodus of the Assyrians from Urmia.

The appearance of the Turks in this campaign of extermination and occupation took place on April 8th, 1918. While their main army was moving from the north and northwest, they sent some of their regiments, equipped with several batteries of artillery, to knock at the gates of Urmia from the south and southwest. These Turkish columns had assumed the form of an avalanche They had gathered additional and strong forces in their progress through a Moslem country. The Kurds of Sheik Abdul-Kader, who had fled from before the Assyrians during the latter's campaign against them, had now returned as a part of the invading army; and the Kara Papagh horsemen also of Sooldooz (Persia), had united with the Turkish troops moving from the south. It took the Assyrians less than a week to eliminate this wing of the enemy's armies from ever being regarded a source of serious danger to them. On the 13th day of April the Assyrian troops, having utterly crushed the enemy, returned to the north of Urmia, where the greatest danger from the Turks lay.

The preparations for this eventuality were still going on, when, like an unexpected cyclone, the Turks appeared immediately west of Urmia. The valleys leading in a westerly direction from the Persian frontier into the interior of eastern Kurdistan, were the regular routes over which the Kurds had always moved in their expeditions of plunder into Persia. A possible appearance, therefore, of the broken fragments of these Nomad tribes was always anticipated by the Assyrians, but never considered as a serious menace by them. Hence, they had almost utterly ignored the possibility of a Turkish movement in force across the hazardous mountains, which vie with each other, either by their high altitudes, or by the ruggedness of their steep slopes. The Turks had sprung a surprise which was to be returned by a greater surprise soon to be witnessed by them.

The position of the Assyrians came little short of being precarious at first. General Agha Petros saw that he was being caught between two millstones of the Turkish armies, but he never lost his courage. The Generals Malik Khoshaba and Malik Ismaiel, the two fearless lions of Tiari, with their equally fearless warriors, suggested an immediate attack upon the Turks, whose shells were now exploding in the vicinity of Urmia. Agha Petros, however, decided first to feel the mood, and, if opssible, the full strength also of the Turks before making an atrack. He wrote a letter to Khairi Beg, the commanding general of the Turkish forces, telling him: "We are not a kingdom or a government that you should fight against us. And why should we be compelled to defend ourselves when most of us by right belong to Turkey? We are ready to make peace with you, provided our -safety is guaranteed to us." Khairi Beg replied abruptly, saying: "Deliver to us all your arms, we will take Urmia, and we will protect you there."

Agha Petros, still desirous to ascertain the exact position of the enemy, wrote again to Khairi Beg, saying:

"We are willing to surrender our arms, but we will do so on two conditions: First, we desire a written assurance that you will annex the province of Azarbaijan to Turkey; and, Second, that you will give us food and provisions to last us for at least three months, till we have returned to our homes and settled in our own lands." Khairi Beg replied haughtily again by saying: "There is one condition only, all Christians must unconditionally surrender."

The exact positions of the Turks were now fully ascertained. They were moving along the valley through which Barandooz River twists its zigzag course toward the Lake of Urmia. Again Agha Petros sent a force to face the Turks, and to draw them further into the valley, while he himself, together with Malik Khoshaba and Malik Ismaiel and the warriors of Tiari moved by another route, and planted themselves so that they would fall in the rear of the advancing enemy.

In the early morning of May 5th, the Turks opened the hostilities by a rain of shells. Their commanding general had sent word that, at noon of the same day, he would eat his dinner in Urmia. His army, therefore, was moving rapidly on. And when they had come within the range of the machine guns hid in the bushes and behind the rocks of the sloping hills, the Assyrians sprung their greater surprise. The Turkish army melted away. Its remaining officers, twenty-four in number, did eat their dinner in Urmia, but only as the prisoners of war! It became evident that the strength of the enemy had been deliberately exaggerated by Moslem reporters so as to cause consternation among the Assyrians. Instead of being sixteen thousand, as previously reported, it was an army of less than six thousand men. But against these Agha Petros had engaged less than twelve hundred of his troops. The entire equipment of the Turks was captured, together with their mountain cannon. Their wounded, together with the prisoners, were brought to Urmia, and the former placed in hospitals and taken Christian care of.

The brute, who had arrogantly demanded the unconditional surrender of all the Christians, had now himself surrendered to the amazing valor and to the mercies of the Christians. The Assyrians were, after this war, nicknamed by the Turks, as "The Little Germany," and indeed the impressions of that nickname remain with the Moslems to the present day.

I think Assyrians did well also if they havnt had a weapons or so.

Ressource: http://www.aina.org/books/fla/fla.htm