Liz Chater

Gauhar Jaan aka Eileen Yeoward was not Armenian. Here’s why.

It is often repeated that the ‘founding fathers’ of the Armenian church in Dacca were Messrs Sarkies, Kevorke, Pogose and Petrus respectively. Numerous reports tell us the land was donated by ‘Armenian nobleman Agha Catchick Minas’ (also known as Agha Catchik Emnias). Let’s explore some of these individuals and take a peek into a small period of their lives.

The unravelling of family history and their associated stories can sometimes take unusual twists and turns. Armenian family history in Asia is no different. For those of you who like facts and figures, sources and citations as well as biographical details, this is for you.

The Pogose School in Dhaka is a familiar landmark in the city. What is perhaps unfamiliar to the Armenian Diaspora around the world is that it was opened in 1848 by local Armenian Joakim Gregory Nicholas Pogose.