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'{{short description|Assyrian military leader}} {{Infobox military person | name = Petros Elia of Baz<br>{{lang|syr| ܦܸܛܪܘܿܣ ܐܹܠܝ݂ܵܐ ܕܒܵܙ}} | image = Agha-petros.jpg | caption = Agha Petros in his French uniform (after world war 1) | birth_date = April 1880 | death_date = 2 February 1932 (age 51) | placeofburial_label = | placeofburial = | birth_place = [[Baz, Hakkari]], [[Ottoman Empire]] | death_place = [[Toulouse]], [[France]] | placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} --> | nickname = Agha Petros | birth_name = Petros Elia | allegiance = [[Allies of World War I]], [[Assyrian volunteers]] during [[World War I]] | branch = | serviceyears = 1914–1926 | rank = | servicenumber = | unit = | commands = [[Assyrian volunteers]], later the [[Assyrian Levies]] | battles = [[World War I]] [[Persian campaign (World War I)|Persian Campaign]] * [[Battle of Dilman]] * [[Hakkari Expedition 1916]] * [[Hakkari Expedition 1917]] * [[Battle of Seray Mountain]] * [[Urmia Clashes]] * [[Battle of Charah]] * [[Battle of Suldouze]] * [[Battle of Urmia April 1918]] * [[Battle of Urmia June 1918]] * [[Battle of Sauj Bulak]] * [[Battle of Derbend]] * [[Battle of Urmia Lake 1918]] * [[Battle of Barrandos of May 1918]] * [[Battle of Askarabad]] * [[Battle of Chall]] * [[Battle of Qarzuli]] * [[Battle of Sera]] * [[Battle of Qasim Lui River]] * [[Battle of Qoqiyeh & Qarabagh]] * [[Battle of Qaramnlui]] * [[Battle of the Castles]] * [[1st and 2nd Samas]] [[Mesopotamian campaign]] * [[Battle of Mosul 1918]] * [[Battle of Sharqat]] | battles_label = | awards = [[Croix de Guerre]] (France)<ref name="Senchar" /><br/> [[Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur]] (France)<ref name="Senchar" /><br/> [[Cross of St. George]] (Russia)<ref name="Senchar" /><br/> [[Order of Saint Stanislaus]] (Russia)<ref name="Senchar" /><br/> [[Royal Order of the Lion]] (Belgium)<ref name="Senchar" /><br/> [[Order of the Crown (Belgium)|Order of the Crown]], Commander, (Belgium)<ref name="Senchar" /> Order of San Gregorio, Commander, (Vatican Pope Benoit XV) 1921 | relations = | laterwork = | signature = }} '''Petros Elia of Baz''' ({{lang-syr|ܐܝܠܝܐ ܦܹܛܪܘܼܣ}}; April 1880 – 2 February 1932), better known as '''Agha Petros''', was an [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] military leader during [[World War I]].<ref name="Zinda">{{cite web|url=http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2006/08.07.06/index_sat.php|title=Zinda Magazine|work=zindamagazine.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201115249/http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2006/08.07.06/index_sat.php|archive-date=2007-12-01}}</ref> Considered a [[national hero]] for the Assyrians, and other [[Christians|Christian]] minorities in the Middle East. == Early years == '''Petros Elia''' was from the Lower [[Baz, Hakkari|Baz]] village, [[Ottoman Empire]] in 1880. There he received his elementary education before attending a European missionary school in the [[Persia]]n city of [[Urmia]]. After finishing his studies, he went back to his village of Baz and became a teacher there. It was thanks to his fluency in numerous languages, including [[Syriac language|Syriac]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]], [[French language|French]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]], [[English language|English]], and [[Russian language|Russian]], he was appointed by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] as a secretary, and as a [[Consul (representative)|Consul]] in [[Urmia]] briefly in 1909.<ref name="Senchar">{{cite web|url=http://www.a-olaf.com/~olaf/Books/agh/agh_btrs.pdf|title=آغا بطرس: سنحاريب القرن العشرين|work=نينوس نيراري|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812213346/http://www.a-olaf.com/~olaf/Books/agh/agh_btrs.pdf|archive-date=2018-08-12}}</ref> == World War I == After the Russians entered Urmia, Agha Petros was appointed as a general with a small Assyrian force under his command. He later engaged and defeated forces of Ottoman and Kurds in a series of battles.<ref name="Senchar" /> He was later approached by the [[Allies of World War I|Allies]] and was given command of the left wing of the army of [[Assyrian volunteers]] (the right wing being commanded by [[Shimun XIX Benyamin|Mar Shimun]]’s brother [[Dawid Mar Shimun]], the center being under the command of Mar Shimun).<ref name="shall this">Joseph Naayem, ''Shall this Nation die?'', Chaldean Rescue, New York, 1920, p. 277 [http://www.aina.org/books/stnd.htm online version]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=hokGAQAAIAAJ&dq=Agha+Petrus++Malik+Khochaba&pg=PA281 Naayem, Shall This Nation Die?, p. 281]</ref> {{Main|Battle of Suldouze}} His volunteers had quite a few successes over the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] forces, notably at [[Naqadeh|Suldouze]] where Petros’ 1,500 horsemen overcame the forces of [[Kheiri Bey]]'s (8,000 men).<ref name="shall this" /> Petros also defeated the Ottomans in a major engagement at [[Mahabad|Sauj Bulak]] and drove them back to [[Rawandiz|Rowanduz]].<ref name="Senchar" /><ref>[http://www.zahrira.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2024 استشهاد مارشمعون .ونزوح الاشوريين الى بعقوبة] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704081100/http://zahrira.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2024 |date=2010-07-04 }}, Zahrira.net</ref> Agha Petros defeated the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]] in Sauj Bulak and drove them back to Rowanduz.<ref name="Senchar" /> He sometimes had limited control over [[Armenians]] and other [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] forces, and was indeed mistrusted by quite a few of them. There was disunion in the ranks, and instead of posting a force to contain the Turks, whom he had defeated previously, he moved his forces to [[Sain Qaleh]] as encouraged by the British officials, who had promised him military help. Nevertheless, the British did not fulfill their promises. He reached Sain Kala seven days after the British detachment retired.<ref>The Tragedy of the Assyrians By R. S. Stafford [http://www.aina.org/books/tota.pdf online version]</ref> After the invasion of Mosul by the Young Turks, the Assyrian army, led by General Agha Petros, fought intensively and successfully against the Ottoman army and their Kurdish allies, and pushed them out of Mosul and the whole area, leading to Britain's control of the region. The battles are described in detail by surviving letters of Petros and British officials.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=on0TaPqFXbcC&q=Assyrian+military+activity+in+iraq+during+ww1&pg=PA431|title = World War I}}</ref> {{Main|Battle of Charah}} Agha Petros also had some disagreements with Mar Shimun, the patriarch of the [[Assyrian Church of the East]], and was often mistrusted by his family.<ref name="aina.org">Ashur Giwargis,[http://www.aina.org/articles/almatfi.htm The Assyrian Liberation Movement And the French Intervention (1919–1922)], AINA.org</ref><ref>Joseph Naayem, ''Shall this Nation die?'', Chaldean Rescue, New York, 1920, p296 [http://www.aina.org/books/stnd.htm online version] : "The cause of our flight was Agha Petrus who had written to Mar Shimun at Salmas, advising him to commence the attack on the Turks, who had retired on Kara Tepe, and promising that he would reinforce him with 3,500 men. The attack began. Agha Petrus came two days later with only 300 men. Arrived at Salmas from Schakar Yazi, he retook the road to Urmia, whilst Mar Shimun's men advanced steadily."</ref> The Allied military advisors reported that he schemed against Mar Shimun, by trying to dissuade the Allies to trust the Patriarch.<ref>[[Viktor Shklovsky]], Russian [[commissar]] in Urmia region wrote : " … he governed a certain locality in Turkey and ruined the populace with exorbitant taxes, while residing in America he was sentenced to a term of hard labor in Philadelphia. At the present time he sides with Russia and is our official dragoman. His services are to be used with extreme caution." [http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2001/7.23.01/index.php#Literatus Zindamagazine] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116034440/http://zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2001/7.23.01/index.php|date=2010-01-16}}</ref> However, after the murder of Mar Shimun by the Iranian [[Kurds|Kurdish]] leader [[Simko Shikak|Simko]], Agha Petros joined forces with [[Malik Khoshaba]] and others in driving Simko from his stronghold at [[Tazeh Shahr|Koynashahr]].<ref name="Senchar" /> {{Main|Rawandiz}} Agha Petros was also involved in [[Massacre|massacres]], one notable being the [[Rawandiz]] Massacre. The Rawandiz massacre resulted in 80% of the [[Kurdish population|Kurdish]] Muslim population to be wiped out. And if not for the highly restraining influence of the Russian army, the Assyrians would’ve wiped out the Kurdish population of that region. The total number of casualties is estimated around 8,000 Men, Women and Children. Women who were also victims, were taken by Assyrian and Russian men. Battle of kunashahir When simko shikak assassinated mar shimoun Benjamin XIX Assyrians lunched a campaign against simko shikak to capture him to pay for his crimes where he was wanted dead or a live, simko and his men operating in the Kurdish city of kunashahir where Assyrians laid siege on the city, where it's walls were destroyed by assyrian artillery the city was heavily bombed by Assyrians, Assyrians forces entered the city and killed everyone in it the city was completely destroyed where simko shikak and few of his men fleed the city to fortress of charah Simko shikaks mother and niece alongside his personal documents were captured by Victorious Assyrians == Later years == Petros was the head negotiator for the [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]]s between 1919 and 1923. On July 24, 1923, he took part in the [[League of Nations]] [[Treaty of Lausanne|Peace Conference]] in [[Lausanne]], [[Switzerland]], where he approached the Turkish delegation for the resettlement of the Assyrians in and around [[Hakkâri Province]] in exchange for the loyalty of the Assyrians. The then secretary/minister of foreign affairs of [[Turkey]], [[İsmet İnönü]] who was heading the Turkish delegation at Lausanne was in favor of the resettlement but a telegram received from the central government in [[Ankara]] prevented that.<ref>[http://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20040306a.html Agha Petros and the Lausanne Telegraphs], atour.com</ref> During his last years Petros moved near [[Toulouse]], [[France]], where he lived until his death of a [[stroke|cerebral attack]] at the railway station, on February 2, 1932.{{cn|date=January 2021}} == Controversies == In his book ''The Cradle of Mankind, life in Eastern Kurdistan'' W.A. Wigram mentions that Petros was involved in fraudulent acts in [[British Columbia]] ([[Canada]]), where he resorted to collecting money purportedly for the building of an [[orphanage]] in [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]].<ref name =COM218>{{cite book | title = The Cradle of Mankind, life in Eastern Kurdistan, Second Edition | last = Rev. W.A. Wigram | year = 1922 | publisher = A & C Black, Ltd | location = London | pages = 218–219}} [http://www.aina.org/books/com/com.htm online version]</ref> According to some historians<ref name=SK>{{in lang|fr}} Méthy Daniel, ''L'action des grandes puissances dans la région d'Ourmia (Iran) et les Assyro-Chaldéens: 1917–1918'' in Studia Kurdica n°1- 4.5, 5, Paris,1988, ISSN 0765-1074, p86.. [http://ggautierk.free.fr/f/assyr_f.htm online version]</ref> he fled the country as the Canadian police was about to arrest him, He was later to be found in Rome where he passed himself off as an [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] tribal chief desirous to bring his tribe from the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] over to the fold of the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]]. Impressed and grateful for this decision, the Catholic authorities granted him an official decoration.<ref name=COM218/><ref name=SK/> Petros then returned to the [[Ottoman Empire]] and displayed his decoration from the Pope to local authorities to ask for a job at an Ottoman [[Consulate]]. A job that he did get, as a secretary, and as a [[Consul (representative)|Consul]] in [[Urmia]] in 1909.<ref name=COM218/> Other historians like David Gaunt labeled his time in Canada as a vacation, and that he was simply doing a fund raising rather than fraudulent acts. Some historians believe Petros Elia was merely concerned by his own ambition.<ref>{{Cite book |title = The Assyrians and Their Neighbours |author = Rev. W.A. Wigram |year = 2002 |publisher = Gorgias Press LLC |isbn = 1-931956-11-1 }}</ref> The Allied military advisors reported that he schemed against [[Shimun XIX Benyamin|Mar Shimun]], by trying to dissuade the Allies from trusting him. He was also reportedly mistrusted by the Allies.<ref name=SK/> Lieutenant Gasfield and French Surgeon-Major [[:fr:Paul Caujole|Caujole]] have recorded his subordinates' low esteem in their reports.<ref name=SK/><ref name="Zindamagazine">[[Viktor Shklovsky]], Russian [[commissar]] in Urmia region wrote: "… he governed a certain locality in Turkey and ruined the populace with exorbitant taxes, while residing in America he was sentenced to a term of hard labor in Philadelphia. At the present time he sides with Russia and is our official dragoman. His services are to be used with extreme caution." [http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2001/7.23.01/index.php#Literatus Zindamagazine] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116034440/http://zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2001/7.23.01/index.php |date=2010-01-16 }}</ref> ==See also== *[[Assyrian people]] *[[Assyrian genocide]] ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== {{refbegin}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090324040311/http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/archives.php Zindamagazine Archives] *{{cite book | title = The Cradle of Mankind, life in Eastern Kurdistan | url = https://archive.org/details/cu31924028549925 | last = Rev. W.A. Wigram | year = 1914 | publisher = A & C Black, Ltd | location = London }} [http://www.aina.org/books/com/com.htm online version] * {{Cite book |title = The Assyrians and Their Neighbours |author = Rev. W.A. Wigram |year = 2002 |publisher = Gorgias Press LLC |isbn = 1-931956-11-1}} * The Tragedy of the Assyrians By R. S. Stafford [http://www.aina.org/books/tota.pdf online version] *Joseph Naayem, ''Shall this Nation die?'', Chaldean Rescue, New York, 1920 [http://www.aina.org/books/stnd.htm online version] *{{in lang|fr}} Méthy Daniel, ''L'action des grandes puissances dans la région d'Ourmia (Iran) et les Assyro-Chaldéens: 1917–1918'' in Studia Kurdica n°1–5, Paris,1988, ISSN 0765-1074 [http://ggautierk.free.fr/f/assyr_f.htm online version] *[http://www.a-olaf.com/~olaf/Books/agh/agh_btrs.pdf آغا بطرس: سنحاريب القرن العشرين, نينوس نيراري] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812213346/http://www.a-olaf.com/~olaf/Books/agh/agh_btrs.pdf |date=2018-08-12 }} {{refend}} ==External links== *[http://www.atour.com/~history/1900/20030929a.html 1923: Agha Petros and the Lausanne Telegraphs] {{DEFAULTSORT:Petros, Agha}} [[Category:1880 births]] [[Category:1932 deaths]] [[Category:People from Hakkari]] [[Category:Ottoman Assyrian politicians]] [[Category:Chaldean Catholics]] [[Category:Ambassadors of the Ottoman Empire]] [[Category:Military leaders of World War I]] [[Category:Assyrian military leaders]] [[Category:Assyrians from the Ottoman Empire]]'