The Bagratuni or Bagratid dynasty (, ) was an Armenian royal dynasty which ruled the medieval Kingdom of Armenia from until 1045. Originating as vassals of the Kingdom of Armenia of antiquity, they rose to become the most prominent Armenian noble family during the period of Arab rule in Armenia, eventually establishing their own independent kingdom.Garsoïan 1997 Their domain included regions of Armenia such as Shirak, Bagrevand, Kogovit, Syunik, Lori, Vaspurakan, Vanand and Taron. Many historians, such as Cyril Toumanoff, Nicholas Adontz and Ronald Suny, consider them to be the progenitors of the Georgian royal Bagrationi dynasty.Toumanoff, Cyril, Iberia on the Eve of Bagratid Rule, p. 22, cited in: Suny, Ronald Grigor (1994), The Making of the Georgian Nation, note 30, p. 349: "All this has now come to be accepted in modern Georgian historiography". p. 172Toumanoff 1966, p. 609.
Origin The genealogical roots of Bagratuni go back at least to the families bearing the surnames Bagadata, Baga, Bagarna or Bagawanda, which existed during the time of the Aratta state and the kingdom of Van, as well as to the tribal and epithet name Baghbatu, Bagbashtu or Bagmashtu, derived from the Indo-European-Aryan root. Modern Armenian historiography is largely unanimous in its opinion regarding the Armenian origin of Bagratuni. Supporters of this point of view include, for example, the researcher Rafael Matevosyan, who, through a detailed scientific study, irrefutably refuted the point of view about Jewish origin.Ռաֆիկ Մաթևոսյան. Բագրատունիներ, պատմա-տոհմաբանական հանրագիտարան, Երևան, 1997, էջ 55–65:
In particular, one of the most famous modern Armenian historians, Albert Musheghyan, writes in his book "The Age of Movses Khorenatsi":"The Bagratunias, descendants of the dynasty of the Armenian kingdom, did not fully recognize their alleged descent from the Jew Shambat. ' History of Armenia", as a book ordered by Prince Sahak Bagratuni and being the property of the Bagratuni dynasty, remained under protection (forbidden) for a long time, and it was allowed to be used only by individual historians, and only on the condition that they would not mention the foreign origin of Bagratuni".Ալբերտ Վ. Մուշեղյան. Մովսես Խորենացու դարը, Երևան, ԵՊՀ հրատ., 2007, 412 էջ:In addition, the same historian makes a very important remark:"As far as I know, the first author to mention this is the historian of the eighth century, Movses Kagankatvatsi, who quotes almost verbatim the following passage from Khorenatsi: "And if you want to know the history of Bagratuni, then Paruyr, the son of Skyord, called Hrachya, the son of Ayka, the king of Armenia, asked the king of Babylon for a certain Jew from among the captives, Shambat, the name which he gave to the Armenians and settled in this land with great honor. In his opinion, the people of Bagratuni were reduced to the smallest of the great peoples of the empire".
Bagratuni's theory of Jewish origin A misunderstanding arises from the "History of Armenia" by Movses Khorenatsi, according to which the Bagratuni descend from the Jew Shambat, from whose descendants the Armenian king Vagharshak granted Shambat Bagrat the post of crowned knight, appointed him the ruler of the western part of Armenia and named the dynasty Bagratuni in his honor. However, in this case, the scribe's manuscript cannot be trusted. First, the oldest extant manuscript of his History dates from the ninth century, almost half a millennium after the historian's death, and we are not sure that it has not been edited. Khorenatsi first mentions the origin of the Bagratuns, speaking of the Armenian king Hrachya, the son of Patriarch Paruyr and a contemporary of the Assyrian king Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 BC).Մովսէս Խորենացի. Պատմութիւն Հայոց, Քննական բնագիրը և Ներածութիւնը Մ. Աբեղյանի եւ Ս. Յարութիւնեանի, լրացումները` Ա. Սարգսյանի, Երևան, 1991, Էջ 68։"He is called Rook because of his light face and fiery eyes. It is said that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, who captured the Jews, died of hunger. And it is said that one of the leaders of the Jewish captives, wanted by Nebuchadnezzar, named Shambat, was brought and settled in our land with great honor. And from this the historian says that the Bagratun people exist, and he is sure of it".The historian repeatedly testifies to the "Jewish origin" of Bagratuni, and to make this more convincing, he attributes Jewish origin to the names adopted in the princely dynasty, especially highlighting the name Shambat, which, in his opinion, was equivalent to the name Smbat, often found among the Bagratuni. Khorenatsi next mentions the Bagratuni under the name of "Shambat of Bagarat", who, according to Khorenatsi, King Vagharshak (in fact, Trdat I Arshakuni), in addition to granting Arshakuni the right to be the hereditary hereditary prince, also appointed "a partisan, prince of the Boers and thousands" in the western part of Armenia.Մովսէս Խորենացի. Պատմութիւն Հայոց, Քննական բնագիրը և Ներածութիւնը Մ. Աբեղյանի եւ Ս. Յարութիւնեանի, լրացումները` Ա. Սարգսյանի, Երևան, 1991, էջ 104 - 105: In addition to these offices, by order of Trdat I (66-88), the tribe descended from Bagarat was to be called "Bagratuni" in his honor. Bagrat also had the right to the title of knight, since when making the rounds of the court and the royal house, he had to wear a three-layered headdress made of small pearls without gold or (precious. Khorenatsi, or rather the more likely editor or editors of his History of Armenia, denies that the Bagratids descended from their ancestor Hayk."Because some unscrupulous people say, on their whim, and not according to the truth, that the Bagratids were the ruling race in Armenia. That's why I say: don't like such nonsense. For there is not a single way or indication of the similarity of what you have said that hints at beauty." "For this speech and my casual words will make the young people of Armenia and the like stumble".Մովսէս Խորենացի. Պատմութիւն Հայոց, Քննական բնագիրը և Ներածութիւնը Մ. Աբեղյանի եւ Ս. Յարութիւնեանի, լրացումները` Ա. Սարգսյանի, Երևան, 1991, էջ 68–69Khorenatsi's testimony to this view, despite his denial of Bagratuni's Armenian origin, speaks to its importance and widespread circulation at the time. The information provided by Khorenatsi about the origin of Bagratuni is limited to this, although it was enough for this topic to become the subject of study for several Armenologists.Մարիամ Գրիգորյան, Բագրատունիների ծագման հարցի շուրջ։ Պատմաբանասիրական հանդես։ ՀՀ Գիտությունների ազգային ակադեմիա։ Երևան,, 2010 թվական, թիվ 2 (116)։ However, even if Khorenatsi reported the Jewish origin of Bagratuni, this cannot be accepted unconditionally. In the V century in the Armenian world, when the kingdom of Arshakuni was already in decline, there was a struggle for supremacy between the ruling houses of Bagratuni, Syunik and Artsrun. Naturally, this struggle did not have a purely economic or military-political context. Each of the clans also had to put forward hypotheses justifying their superiority. The Syuniks were descended from Patriarch Hayk, the Artsrun attributed their descent to the kings of Assyria, and the Bagratuni could choose the Jewish version and attribute their descent to King David of Judah, thereby becoming relatives of Jesus, especially given that Christianity was the dominant ideology at that time. This was a widespread practice in the ancient world. This is a very indicative hypothesis, especially considering that Khorenatsi wrote the "History of Armenia" on behalf of Prince Sahak Bagratuni. By the way, Kertogahairi in his speech to Prince Sahak mentions:"Because some unscrupulous people say, of their own free will, and not according to the truth, that the Bagratuni were the ruling race in Armenia. Therefore, I say: do not like such stupidity. For there is no way, no indication of similarity in your words, which can hint at beauty. For in an eloquent and unfashionable way, my young man will stumble over Bagratuni and the like".True, the historian rejects the Armenian origin of Bagratuni, but he also confirms the prevalence of this theory in the 5th century. And an anonymous historian of the ninth century believes that the Bagratuni descended from Aramaniak, the son of Hayk's ancestor.
The Armenian Origin of Bagratuni According to Sebeos, or "The Story of Anonymous" The next evidence of the ancient origin of one of the most powerful Armenian ministerial dynasties is contained in Anonymous, according to which Bagratuni descended from the descendants of Patriarch Hayk."And over them (the Armenians) ruled Zarekh, the son of the sons of Aramanak, a strong man and an archer. Then Armog, then Sarhang. Then Shavash, then Parnavaz. He begat Bahama and Bagarat. And Bagarat begat Byurat and Byurat begat Aspath. And the sons of Bagarat inherited their inheritance from the west, that is, the house of Angeg. Because he was called Bagrat and Angegh, as the barbarian peoples of that time called him.Պատմութիւն Սեբէոսի, աշխատասիրությամբ Գևորգ Վ. Աբգարյանի, Երևան, 1979, էջ 51։In addition, Anonymous mentions Bagarat Parazyan, a descendant of the Aramaniak dynasty."Sma (Arshak the Younger) came to Bagarat Parazyan, Aramen's minister, in large clothes. He offered him a sacrifice of gold and silver. And he sat him on a throne covered with gold. And he gave his daughter in marriage to him".Պատմութիւն Սեբէոսի, աշխատասիրությամբ Գևորգ Վ. Աբգարյանի, Երևան, 1979, էջ 54։
References of foreign historians about Bagratuni Information about the origins of the Bagratunis, or the first Bagratunis, is not limited to references cited by Armenian historians. In addition, foreign historians also attest to the Bagratunis. In particular, the Greek historian Appian mentions Bagat as a military commander of King Tigranes the Great. Bagat received from Tigranes the Great the position of governor of most of modern-day Syria, that is, Seleucid Syria. This phenomenon proves that even during the reign of Tigranes the Great, in the first half of the 1st century BC, the Bagratunis were extremely reliable and occupied a very important position in the Armenian state.Հակոբ Մանանդյան, Երկեր, հ. Ա, Երևան, 1977, էջ 157։
Josef Markvart Josef Markwart (1864–1930), a German orientalist, Armenian scholar, philologist and linguist, is one of those historians who consider the Armenian prince Baghadat-Bagrati, a general under King Tigran the Great and ruler of Syria, to be the ancestor of the Bagratids. Marquart wrote about this in his important historical-geographical study: "Iran on the Map of the World by Moses Khorenatsi", published in German in Berlin in 1901. Markvart was a great friend of the Armenian people. He regularly spoke out in defense of the Armenian cause and fought against malicious distortions of Armenian history. He condemned the anti-Armenian policy of the Abdulhamid dynasty (On the Coman Tribe, German, 1914), exposed and presented to the world community the policy pursued by Germany during the First World War. To emphasize his respect and goodwill for the Armenian people, the guardians of the ancient culture, Marquardt translated his name and surname into Armenian and sometimes signed himself "Hovsep Bdeshkhyan".J. M a r q u a r t. Eransahr nach der Geographie des Moses Xorenaci. Berlin, 1901, S. 174։
Nikoghayos Adonts