Why is Artsakh Marked Within Azerbaijan's Borders in the 7th Grade Armenian History Textbook? Clarification

The 80th page map of the 7th grade Armenian History textbook marks Artsakh within the borders of Azerbaijan, which has sparked dissatisfaction among several experts. In this regard, the author team of the textbook has provided clarification, stating that the map in the 7th grade Armenian History textbook allows students to see both the world as it was during the time of Tigranes the Great and the contemporary world simultaneously.

“Dear teachers and parents, in recent days, several topics in the ‘Armenian History 7’ textbook have been unnecessarily exploited, which may be the result of misunderstanding or intentional misinterpretation, perhaps even distortion. Therefore, we present clarifications on the most frequently discussed questions.

3. Regarding the exploitation of the map of THE KINGDOM OF TIGRAN THE GREAT

Question 3: Some teachers or Facebook users write regarding the map on page 80 of the textbook, titled ‘The Kingdom of Tigran the Great circa 80 BC (with contemporary borders)’, questioning how Turkey, Russia, and especially Azerbaijan could appear on the map during Tigranes the Great’s time.

Response 1: This is likely a result of misunderstanding, as two different time periods are considered on one map, but so that they can be both distinguished and compared (through color variations of geographical names and outlines of contemporary state borders). Moreover, there is a separate task related to the map, which is based on this duality of the map. However, since there is a misunderstanding, it is necessary to elaborate and comment.

As the title of the map suggests (The Kingdom of Tigran the Great circa 80 BC (with contemporary borders)), the map places Tigranes the Great’s kingdom on a contemporary political map. The aim is to explain to students what territories Tigranes the Great’s kingdom coincides with or includes in contemporary states; this is particularly clear from the second task related to the map (Apply your geographical skills: What countries were included in Tigranes the Great’s kingdom? Which territories of today’s countries does it include?).

The first part of this question (What countries were included in Tigranes the Great’s kingdom?) pertains to the states included in Tigranes the Great’s kingdom in circa 80 BC (with the aid of the educational material and map, students can identify Assyria, Commagene, Sophene (which was a separate Armenian kingdom and was united with Tigranes the Great’s realm only in 94 BC), Atropatene, and Georgia). The second part (What territories of today’s countries does it include?) pertains to contemporary states (with the aid of the educational material and map, students can note contemporary countries like Lebanon, Syria, parts of Turkey, parts of Iran, significant portions of Iraq, almost all of Azerbaijan, and parts of Georgia).

All of this allows students to see both the world during Tigranes the Great’s time and the contemporary world on the map simultaneously. They can also observe how much Armenia has decreased compared to Tigranes’ Armenia today, or what contemporary countries that did not exist at the time now do exist, along with other subtleties that can be unveiled through teacher inquiries. In summary, the map and related question reveal the connection between the past and the present, highlighting the relevance of the material studied.

Additionally, alongside the development of geographical skills, the following historical thinking skills are also enhanced: historical causality, continuity and change, and comparison. In the first case (historical causality), the student will be able to compare the causes and/or consequences of historical movements, short-term and long-term impacts, or at least raise questions about them. In the second case (continuity and change), the student will be able to recognize, describe, and analyze historical trends of continuity and change over time. And in the third case (comparison), the student will be able to apply perceptions about the past in other historical contexts or circumstances, including today.

This is written in considerable detail in the methodological guide of the new textbook on pages 13-14 and 23-24. Alongside these three skills, working with the map and discussions will indirectly result in students expressing their perspectives; they will be engaged in classifying facts, interpreting them, and creatively questioning them.

Ultimately, the map is not an isolated construct outside the learning material; it is closely linked to the content, sources, and tasks. Moreover, at the end of the next lesson, a QR code is provided that offers additional material for discussing the studied material,” the clarification states.

“Thus, it has been accessible to teachers, students, parents, and the broader public. Therefore, the interpretation that the paper printing of the textbook has been intentionally delayed to hide its content from the public is absurd. Furthermore, the recent circulation of similar misinformation and nonsensical theories regarding the new standards of general education and new textbooks justifies the impression that a targeted and targeted campaign is being conducted against educational reforms. We must emphasize that changes in general education are unavoidable and will be consistently implemented.

As for the printing of textbooks, the ministry has repeatedly clarified that the deadlines were determined by legal and competitive processes. Thus, based on the implementation of the ‘State Standard of General Education,’ grant competitions were announced on November 28, 2022, by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia for the creation of new textbooks for the 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 10th grades for 65 textbooks. It should be noted that based on the proposal of the textbook author groups, the deadline for competitions has been extended several times, resulting in applications being opened only on June 1, 2023. The opening of the applications revealed that applications had been submitted for 49 textbook titles, of which two—’French 5’ and ‘French 7’—were not submitted for examination due to failing to meet the competition requirements. The textbooks that passed the minimum threshold during the examinations held in June and July are guaranteed for use by the order of the Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia dated August 3, 2023, on the ‘Guaranteed Use of Textbooks for the 2nd, 5th, 7th Grades in Educational Institutions Implementing General Educational Programs for the 2023-2024 Academic Year’ No. 1342-A/2.

Consequently, the printing of guaranteed textbooks occurred, which was also carried out according to competition rules. However, during the printing process, the content of the guaranteed textbooks could not be changed; it fully corresponded to the electronic version of the textbook. It should also be noted that the printing process of the textbooks for the 5th and 7th grades is being carried out by the Fund for the Circulation of Textbooks and Information Communication Technologies, while only the textbooks for the 2nd grade, which are provided to students free of charge, are printed by the Ministry of Education and Science. At the same time, we inform you that the author team has provided clarification regarding the content of the 7th grade ‘Armenian History 7’ textbook,” the ministry stated.