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 Armenia, stands in an extensive and well-watered plain, at the distance of a few miles from the base of Mount Ararat. Its fortress, which was built by the Turks in the year 1582, was in the old style of defence. It had three walls of earth, or of clay bricks, flanked by towers and strengthened by narrow ramparts. It overhung a deep and abrupt precipice, along which a river ran, and on the edge of which stood the palace of the governor of the province. In this stronghold only Persians were permitted to reside, the Armenians who worked or trafficked in it in the day-time being obliged to return at even to their houses in the city. The usual garrison of this fort was two thousand men, and the city of Erivan lay within the range of its guns. This place had fallen into the hands of the Persians in the year 1604, and had been fortified by them. Nine years later it had successfully withstood a siege of four months from the Turks; but that people afterwards held possession of it for a short period. They lost it in the reign of Shah Sefi, and again took it from the Persians during the troublous time that followed the downfall of the Sefaveean dynasty. It was regained to Persia by the arms of Nadir, and seized by Heraclius the Czar of Georgia, after the assassination of that conqueror.

Aga Mahomed's army was not furnished with a battering train, and he was therefore unable to make any impression upon Erivan. Under these circumstances he determined to disregard the rule of warfare, which forbids an invading general to leave a fortified place behind him. He left a portion of his army to blockade the capital of Armenia, and with his remaining forces he marched to Genja, the modern Elisabetpol, at which town he effected