Vahe Achikian

Yenidünya Astvadzadour Pasha [ Astvadzadour Pasha Yenidünyayan ],1830-1899 was one of the four legendary Qodjabashi or Ishkhans of Zeytoun – his ruled quarter in Zeytoun was called Yuqari Mahallesi or Verin Tagh, also referred to as Yenidünya sector or Sourp Lousavoritch church community of Zeytoun. He was one of the 3 leaders/organizers of the first 1862 Uprising of Zeytoun, along with Ishkhanabed Hazor Shorvoglian and Movses Khatchougentz priest of Zeytoun against Turkish hordes of Remzi Pasha and other Tcherquez and Türkmen irregular militia; he was the paternal uncle of Yenidünya Babik Pasha and his younger brother Yenidünya Nazareth Tchavoush. Yenidünya Asadour Pasha was one of the 4 Ishkhans of Zeytoun during the 1895-1896 Grand Uprising against the Ottoman Turkish oppressors along with Nazareth Agha Sourenian Ishkhan, Megerdich Agha Yakoubian Ishkhan and Ishkhanabed Ghazaros Agha Shovroghlian. One of the bravest and most noble Armenians of Zeytoun remains a legend in his own right.

This photo of Astvadzadour Pasha Yenidünyayan was taken in Istanbul in 1865. After intense research both in Armenian history books and documents relevant to Zeytoun and from multiple western and Turkish sources look up for corroboration and confirmation, it became clear that Yenidünya Astvadzadour Pasha was the son of Yenidünya Hadji Ghazor Pasha and born in Zeytoun 1818 and died in 1877. was one of the four legendary Qodjabashi or Ishkhans of Zeytoun – his ruled quarter in Zeytoun was called Yuqari Mahallesi or Verin Tagh , also referred to as Yenidünya sector or Sourp Lousavoritch church “taghamas” of Zeytoun. He was one of the 3 heroes and leaders/organizers of the first 1862 Uprising of Zeytoun, along with Ishkhanabed Hazor Shorvoghlian and Movses Khatchougentz priest of Zeytoun against Turkish hordes of Aziz Pasha, Miralay Ali Bey and other Tcherquez and Türkmen irregular militia; he was the cousin of Yenidünya Marcos Agha – the father of Yenidünya Babik Pasha and his younger brothers Sarkis Agha and Nazareth Tchavoush. Asadour Pasha had one son, Yenidünya Hacob Agha of Verin Tagh, Zeytoun, b. 1840 – d. 1908.

This photo along with the photos of the 3 other legendary Ishkhans of Zeytoun, Sourenian Nazareth Agha, Yaqoubian Meguerditch Agha and Ishkhanabed Ghazor Shorvoghlian was taken in Istanbul in early 1865 at the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate bulding. Yenidünya Asadour Pasha, Sourenian Nazareth Agha and Yaqoubian Meguerditch Agha were not alive during the 2nd Grand Uprising of Zeytoun of 1895-1896, confirmed by all historic books and documents of Armenian, western and Turkish sources regarding Zeytoun’s past.