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| {{Short description|Historical province of Greater Armenia}} | |||
| '''Paytakaran''' ({{lang-hy|Փայտակարան}}), was the easternmost province of the ].<ref>], Geography, book 11, chapter 14</ref><ref>], Geography</ref> (also known as "Greater Armenia"). The province was located in the area of the lower courses of the rivers of ] and ], adjacent to the ]. | |||
| ]]] | |||
| '''Paytakaran''' ({{langx|hy|]|translit=Pʻaytakaran}}) was the easternmost ] ({{transliteration|xcl|nahang}} or {{transliteration|xcl|ashkharh}}) of the ].<ref name=":12">{{Cite encyclopedia |year=1986 |title=Pʻaytakaran |encyclopedia=] |location=Yerevan |url=https://hy.wikisource.org/%D4%B7%D5%BB:%D5%80%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6_%D5%8D%D5%B8%D5%BE%D5%A5%D5%BF%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6_%D5%80%D5%A1%D5%B6%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%A3%D5%AB%D5%BF%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%B6_(Soviet_Armenian_Encyclopedia)_12.djvu/301 |last=Harutyunyan |first=B. |author-link= |editor-last=Hambardzumyan |editor-first=Viktor |volume=12 |pages=301–302 |language=hy}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite book |last1=Hakobyan |first1=T. Kh. |title=Hayastani ev harakitsʻ shrjanneri teghanunneri baṛaran |last2=Melik-Bakhshyan |first2=St. T. |last3=Barseghyan |first3=H. Kh. |publisher=] |year=2001 |volume=5 |pages=229–230 |language=hy |trans-title=Dictionary of toponymy of Armenia and adjacent territories |chapter=Pʻaytakaran |chapter-url=http://www.nayiri.com/imagedDictionaryBrowser.jsp?dictionaryId=61&dt=HY_HY&query=%D6%83%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%BF%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%B6}}</ref> The province was located in the area of the lower courses of the ] and ] rivers, adjacent to the ]. It corresponded to the territory known as ] to Greco-Roman sources ({{transliteration|xcl|Kaspkʻ}} or {{transliteration|xcl|Kazbkʻ}} in Armenian sources).<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Yeremyan |first=Suren T. |url=https://archive.org/details/Eremyan1963HayastaneEstAshxarhatsuytsi |title=Hayastaně ěst "Ashkharhatsʻoytsʻ"-i |publisher=] |year=1963 |location=Yerevan |pages=88 |language=hy |trans-title=Armenia according to "Ashkharhatsoyts" |author-link=Suren Yeremian}}</ref> Today, the area is located in the territory of modern-day southeastern ] and northwestern ]. The centre of the province was the town of ], after which it was named.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> | |||
| == Etymology == | |||
| == Province of Greater Armenia == | |||
| {{hatnote|See ] for etymology.}} | |||
| Paytakaran is interpreted as "the land of Pʻayt", applied by Medians to this territory to their north, from ] *''karan''- ("border, region, land", compare with ]). ''{{Transliteration|xcl|Pʻayt}}'' is probably the name of a ] tribe. {{Transliteration|xcl|Pʻayt}} also means "wood" in Armenian, although ] and others reject any connection with this word and believe the etymology to be non-Armenian.<ref name=":32" /><ref name=":1" /> In the classical Armenian sources, Paytakaran is mentioned as the name of the province only in the 7th-century geography '']'' and the history of ], while the city of the same name is mentioned more frequently.<ref name=":32" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Hiwbshman |first=H. |url=https://archive.org/details/HinHayotsTeghwoyAnnunnere |title=Hin Hayotsʻ Teghwoy Anunnerě |publisher=Mkhitʻarean Tparan |year=1907 |location=Vienna |pages=101–106 |language=hy |translator-last=Pilējikchean |translator-first=H. B. |trans-title=Ancient Armenian Place Names |author-link=Heinrich Hübschmann}}</ref> Paytarakan/Caspiane/Kaspkʻ is also identified with the region of ] ({{Transliteration|xcl|Baghasakan}} in Armenian).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hewsen |first=Robert H. |date=1973 |title=Caspiane: An Historical-Geographical Study |url=http://tert.nla.am/archive/NLA%20AMSAGIR/Handesamsorya/1973(1-3).pdf |journal=] |issue=1–3 |pages=92}}</ref> | |||
| ==Geography== | |||
| According to Anania Shirakatsi's ''Ashkharatsuyts'' ("World Atlas," 7th c. AD), Paytakaran was the 11th among the 15 provinces of the ]. It consisted of 14 cantons (''gavars''): Hrakot, Perozh, Vardanakert, Yotnporakyan Bagink, Krekyan, Vovtibagha, Kaghanost, Buros, Pitchanhani, Atshi, Bagavan, Spandaran-perozh, Vormizd-perozh, and Alevan. It was bounded by the Capsian Sea to the east, ] river to the north and north-west, ] to the south, and the Armenian province of ] to the west.<ref>], Geography</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| Paytarakan was located on the right bank of the Arax River, which separated it from the Armenian provinces of ], ] and ] to the north, although some authors believe that it included territory on the left bank of the Arax as well.<ref name=":32" /> It was separated from ] to the south by the Karadagh and ] mountains and bordered the Caspian Sea to the east.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":32" /> It is believed to have encompassed the greater part of the ] and the ]s.<ref name=":12" /> Paytakaran had a dry climate and is described in ''Ashkharatsʻoytsʻ'' as rich in cotton and wild barley.<ref name=":32" /> ] estimates its area as 21,000 square kilometres.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| == |
=== Cantons === | ||
| According to the 7th-century Armenian geography '']'', Paytakaran was the 11th of the 15 provinces of the Kingdom of Armenia. ''Ashkharatsʻoytsʻ'' provides the names of 12 cantons of Paytarakan, which at the time were in the possession of ]:{{Sfn|Hewsen|1973|p=99}} | |||
| *Hrakʻot-Perozh (centre: Paytakaran) | |||
| Prior to becoming Paytakaran, the region was known as '''Caspiane''' by Greco-Roman authors. Caspiane was contested between the regional powers. According to ]: "To the country of the Albanians belongs also the territory called Caspiane, which was named after the Caspian tribe, as was also the sea; but the tribe has now disappeared".<ref></ref> Also according to Strabo, both Caucasian Albania and Armenia had provinces with the name "Caspiane"<ref>Strabo, 11.4</ref>, but whether these were the same territory was not made clear. | |||
| *Vardanakert (centre: Vardanakert) | |||
| *Ewtʻnapʻorakean Baginkʻ | |||
| *Kʻoekyan | |||
| *Baghanṛot | |||
| *Ṛot-i-Bagha (appears to be a duplication of Baghanṛot) | |||
| *Aṛos Pichan (centre: Pichan) | |||
| *Hani | |||
| *] (centre: Bagawan) | |||
| *Spandaran-Perozh (centre: Spandaran) | |||
| *Ormizd-Perozh | |||
| *Alewan (centre: Alewan) | |||
| The precise location of Paytakaran's cantons and its namesake city are unknown. The city of Paytakaran is often identified with the {{Transliteration|ar|Bailaqan}} of Arabic sources and sometimes with ] in modern-day Azerbaijan, on the left bank of the Arax.<ref name=":32" /> A number of medieval Armenian authors, following ] example, misidentify the city of Paytakaran with ].<ref name=":32" /> | |||
| The spellings of the names vary greatly in different copies of ''Ashkharatsʻoytsʻ''. Yeremyan reduces the number of cantons to ten by combining the duplicated ''Ṛot-i-Bagha''/''Baghanṛot'' and removing ''Kʻoekyan'', which appears in only two manuscripts.{{Sfn|Hewsen|1973|p=99}} Several of the canton names indicate that they were sites of some religious significance. ''Ewtʻnapʻorakean Baginkʻ'' means "Altars of the Seven Niches", ''Spandaran'' means "place of sacrifices", and ] has been interpreted as "Place of the Fire God".{{Sfn|Hewsen|1973|pp=102-105}} | |||
| == The region today == | |||
| == History == | |||
| Today, the area is located in the territory of modern day southeastern ] and northeastern ]. | |||
| The region was known to Greco-Roman authors as ], which was once home to a people called the ].<ref name=":32" /> Caspiane was contested between the regional powers. ], writing c. 20 AD, mentions Caspiane among the lands conquered by King ] from the ] in the 2nd century BC, but adds that this land belonged to "the country of the ]" in his time.<ref>], '']'', . Persus Digital Library.</ref><ref name="Strabo">], '']'', . Persus Digital Library.</ref> Armenia had lost the territory to ] in about 59 BC, when ] rearranged the political geography of the region after defeating ].<ref>Redgate, Anna Elizabeth. ''The Armenians'' (Peoples of Europe). Cornwall: Blackwell Publishers, 1998, {{ISBN|0-631-22037-2}}.</ref> The region was again conquered by the Armenians at some point, most likely during the reign of ].<ref name=":1" />{{Sfn|Hewsen|1973|p=94}} | |||
| Armenian control over Paytakaran most likely vacillated during the rule of the ] and ] dynasties.<ref name=":32" /> It occupied a strategic position due to its proximity to the ], and nomadic peoples frequently crossed through the region to raid central Armenia and Adurbadagan.<ref name=":32" /> Although the documents known as the ''Zoranamak'' (Military Register) and ''Gahnamak'' (Throne-List) mention a prince of ''Kaspkʻ'' who provided a force of 3000 men to the Armenian army and occupied the tenth seat at the royal table, this is considered spurious by ] and ].<ref name=":12" />{{Sfn|Hewsen|1973|p=97}} None of the classical historians mention any princely house of Caspiane, and the region appears to have been a royal domain under Armenian rule.{{Sfn|Hewsen|1973|pp=97-98}} The provincial centre Paytakaran was likely a royal city and served as a royal dungeon under the Arsacids; 438 pre-Christian priests are said to have been imprisoned there by the lord of ] following the Christianization of Armenia.<ref name=":12" /> | |||
| Paytarakan is said to have been conquered in the early 330s by the Arsacid noble ]/Sanesan, who made its chief city his temporary capital and attempted to usurp the Armenian throne.<ref name=":0" /> The classical Armenian historian ] names Paytakaran among the provinces that rebelled against King ] in the 360s. This rebellion was suppressed by '']'' ] in the late 360s during the reign of ].<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":1" /> Faustus writes that Mushegh sacked the city of Paytakaran, killing many of its inhabitants and taking tribute and hostages.{{Sfn|Hewsen|1973|p=96}} After the partition of Armenia in 387, the province remained a part of eastern Armenia until the dissolution of the Arsacid Kingdom of Armenia in 428, when it was ceded to Adurbadagan.<ref name=":12" /> | |||
| == Population == | |||
| The region was non-Armenian by ethnic composition. Hewsen describes it as "probably the least Armenian" of the traditional Armenian provinces.<ref>]. ''Armenia: A Historical Atlas''. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2000. {{ISBN|0-226-33228-4}}, p. 102</ref>{{Sfn|Hewsen|1973|p=87}} Strabo writes that the Caspians who once inhabited the region had disappeared by his time, so the Caspians (''Kaspkʻ'') of Armenian sources 400 years later were likely not the same people but rather a "hodgepodge of Albanians, ], ]ans, Atropatenian Medes, and other nomadic or semi-nomadic Iranian tribes".{{Sfn|Hewsen|1973|p=91}} | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist|2}} | ||
| {{Armenia-hist-stub}} | |||
| {{Historical regions of Armenia}} | {{Historical regions of Armenia}} | ||
| {{coord|39.2333|N|48.4333|E|source:wikidata|display=title}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 23:48, 19 November 2024
Historical province of Greater Armenia
Paytakaran (Armenian: Փայտակարան, romanized: Pʻaytakaran) was the easternmost province (nahang or ashkharh) of the Kingdom of Armenia. The province was located in the area of the lower courses of the Kura and Arax rivers, adjacent to the Caspian Sea. It corresponded to the territory known as Caspiane to Greco-Roman sources (Kaspkʻ or Kazbkʻ in Armenian sources). Today, the area is located in the territory of modern-day southeastern Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran. The centre of the province was the town of Paytakaran, after which it was named.
Etymology
See Pʿaytakaran for etymology.Paytakaran is interpreted as "the land of Pʻayt", applied by Medians to this territory to their north, from Median *karan- ("border, region, land", compare with Lankaran). Pʻayt is probably the name of a Caspian tribe. Pʻayt also means "wood" in Armenian, although Heinrich Hübschmann and others reject any connection with this word and believe the etymology to be non-Armenian. In the classical Armenian sources, Paytakaran is mentioned as the name of the province only in the 7th-century geography Ashkharatsʻoytsʻ and the history of Ghevond, while the city of the same name is mentioned more frequently. Paytarakan/Caspiane/Kaspkʻ is also identified with the region of Balasagan (Baghasakan in Armenian).
Geography
Paytarakan was located on the right bank of the Arax River, which separated it from the Armenian provinces of Artsakh, Siunik and Utik to the north, although some authors believe that it included territory on the left bank of the Arax as well. It was separated from Adurbadagan to the south by the Karadagh and Talysh mountains and bordered the Caspian Sea to the east. It is believed to have encompassed the greater part of the Mughan Plain and the Lankaran Lowlands. Paytakaran had a dry climate and is described in Ashkharatsʻoytsʻ as rich in cotton and wild barley. Suren Yeremyan estimates its area as 21,000 square kilometres.
Cantons
According to the 7th-century Armenian geography Ashkharatsʻoytsʻ, Paytakaran was the 11th of the 15 provinces of the Kingdom of Armenia. Ashkharatsʻoytsʻ provides the names of 12 cantons of Paytarakan, which at the time were in the possession of Adurbadagan:
- Hrakʻot-Perozh (centre: Paytakaran)
- Vardanakert (centre: Vardanakert)
- Ewtʻnapʻorakean Baginkʻ
- Kʻoekyan
- Baghanṛot
- Ṛot-i-Bagha (appears to be a duplication of Baghanṛot)
- Aṛos Pichan (centre: Pichan)
- Hani
- Atshi-Bagawan (centre: Bagawan)
- Spandaran-Perozh (centre: Spandaran)
- Ormizd-Perozh
- Alewan (centre: Alewan)
The precise location of Paytakaran's cantons and its namesake city are unknown. The city of Paytakaran is often identified with the Bailaqan of Arabic sources and sometimes with Beylagan in modern-day Azerbaijan, on the left bank of the Arax. A number of medieval Armenian authors, following Tovma Artsruni's example, misidentify the city of Paytakaran with Tbilisi.
The spellings of the names vary greatly in different copies of Ashkharatsʻoytsʻ. Yeremyan reduces the number of cantons to ten by combining the duplicated Ṛot-i-Bagha/Baghanṛot and removing Kʻoekyan, which appears in only two manuscripts. Several of the canton names indicate that they were sites of some religious significance. Ewtʻnapʻorakean Baginkʻ means "Altars of the Seven Niches", Spandaran means "place of sacrifices", and Atshi-Bagawan has been interpreted as "Place of the Fire God".
History
The region was known to Greco-Roman authors as Caspiane, which was once home to a people called the Caspians. Caspiane was contested between the regional powers. Strabo, writing c. 20 AD, mentions Caspiane among the lands conquered by King Artaxias I of Armenia from the Medes in the 2nd century BC, but adds that this land belonged to "the country of the Albanians" in his time. Armenia had lost the territory to Caucasian Albania in about 59 BC, when Pompey rearranged the political geography of the region after defeating Tigranes the Great. The region was again conquered by the Armenians at some point, most likely during the reign of Vologases I of Armenia.
Armenian control over Paytakaran most likely vacillated during the rule of the Artaxiad and Arsacid dynasties. It occupied a strategic position due to its proximity to the Caspian Gates, and nomadic peoples frequently crossed through the region to raid central Armenia and Adurbadagan. Although the documents known as the Zoranamak (Military Register) and Gahnamak (Throne-List) mention a prince of Kaspkʻ who provided a force of 3000 men to the Armenian army and occupied the tenth seat at the royal table, this is considered spurious by Cyril Toumanoff and Robert Hewsen. None of the classical historians mention any princely house of Caspiane, and the region appears to have been a royal domain under Armenian rule. The provincial centre Paytakaran was likely a royal city and served as a royal dungeon under the Arsacids; 438 pre-Christian priests are said to have been imprisoned there by the lord of Angeghtun following the Christianization of Armenia.
Paytarakan is said to have been conquered in the early 330s by the Arsacid noble Sanatruk/Sanesan, who made its chief city his temporary capital and attempted to usurp the Armenian throne. The classical Armenian historian Faustus of Byzantium names Paytakaran among the provinces that rebelled against King Arsaces II in the 360s. This rebellion was suppressed by sparapet Mushegh Mamikonian in the late 360s during the reign of Pap. Faustus writes that Mushegh sacked the city of Paytakaran, killing many of its inhabitants and taking tribute and hostages. After the partition of Armenia in 387, the province remained a part of eastern Armenia until the dissolution of the Arsacid Kingdom of Armenia in 428, when it was ceded to Adurbadagan.
Population
The region was non-Armenian by ethnic composition. Hewsen describes it as "probably the least Armenian" of the traditional Armenian provinces. Strabo writes that the Caspians who once inhabited the region had disappeared by his time, so the Caspians (Kaspkʻ) of Armenian sources 400 years later were likely not the same people but rather a "hodgepodge of Albanians, Cadusians, Amardians, Atropatenian Medes, and other nomadic or semi-nomadic Iranian tribes".
References
- ^ Harutyunyan, B. (1986). "Pʻaytakaran". In Hambardzumyan, Viktor (ed.). Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia (in Armenian). Vol. 12. Yerevan. pp. 301–302.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Hakobyan, T. Kh.; Melik-Bakhshyan, St. T.; Barseghyan, H. Kh. (2001). "Pʻaytakaran". Hayastani ev harakitsʻ shrjanneri teghanunneri baṛaran [Dictionary of toponymy of Armenia and adjacent territories] (in Armenian). Vol. 5. Yerevan State University. pp. 229–230.
- ^ Yeremyan, Suren T. (1963). Hayastaně ěst "Ashkharhatsʻoytsʻ"-i [Armenia according to "Ashkharhatsoyts"] (in Armenian). Yerevan: Armenian SSR Academy of Sciences Publishing. p. 88.
- ^ Hiwbshman, H. (1907). Hin Hayotsʻ Teghwoy Anunnerě [Ancient Armenian Place Names] (in Armenian). Translated by Pilējikchean, H. B. Vienna: Mkhitʻarean Tparan. pp. 101–106.
- Hewsen, Robert H. (1973). "Caspiane: An Historical-Geographical Study" (PDF). Handes Amsorya (1–3): 92.
- ^ Hewsen 1973, p. 99.
- Hewsen 1973, pp. 102–105.
- Strabo, Geography, 11.4. Persus Digital Library.
- Strabo, Geography, 11.14. Persus Digital Library.
- Redgate, Anna Elizabeth. The Armenians (Peoples of Europe). Cornwall: Blackwell Publishers, 1998, ISBN 0-631-22037-2.
- Hewsen 1973, p. 94.
- Hewsen 1973, p. 97.
- Hewsen 1973, pp. 97–98.
- Hewsen 1973, p. 96.
- Hewsen, Robert H. Armenia: A Historical Atlas. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2000. ISBN 0-226-33228-4, p. 102
- Hewsen 1973, p. 87.
- Hewsen 1973, p. 91.
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39°14′00″N 48°26′00″E / 39.2333°N 48.4333°E / 39.2333; 48.4333
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