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| ''This region should not be confused with modern ] and ] (''Shqiptarë''), who are a separate people from the ], and only share the name coincidentally. | ''This region should not be confused with modern ] and ] (''Shqiptarë''), who are a separate people from the ], and only share the name coincidentally. | ||
| '''Kjo zonë nuk duhet ngatërruar me Shqipërinë dhe Shqipëtarët e sotëm qe banojnë në Balkan'''.'' | |||
| '''Caucasian Albania''' (or '''Aghbania''') was an ancient state that covered what is now southern ] and most of today's ] of the ]. For |
'''Caucasian Albania''' (or '''Aghbania''') was an ancient state that covered what is now southern ] and most of today's ] of the ]. For most of its history, the Caucasian Albania was a part of the ]. Caucasian Albanians were one of the ], the ancient and indigenous population of modern southern Dagestan and Azerbaijan. Already in ancient times, they were heavily mixed with the ] people who settled in the area during the ], ] and ] periods. | ||
| ⚫ | Ancient tribes of the Caucasian Albania were: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], who along with other tribes, constituted the Albanian tribal union. According to ], the number of the Albanian tribes reached 26. | ||
| == Ancient population of Aghbania == | |||
| ] was a legendary ancestor and the eponym of the Albanians. | |||
| Caucasian Albanians were one of the ], the ancient and indigenous population of modern southern Dagestan and Azerbaijan. By ancient times, they were heavily mixed with the ] people who settled in the area during the ], ] and ] periods. | |||
| <!--temporary categorization--> | |||
| The kingdom of Caucasian Albania (Aghbania) was founded in the ] by Armanian king Valarshak. | |||
| ⚫ | Ancient tribes of the Caucasian Albania were: ], ], ], ], ], ], |
||
| In 2nd-1st centuries BC, parts of Caucasian Albania, including ] and ] on the right bank of the ] river, were part of the Greater Armenia, according to ] (5th c. BC), "a small country" on the sources of the ] and ] rivers, was expanded at this time by the kings Artashes and Zariadrij. They created an empire, often called ]. | |||
| ⚫ | ], ] and ] all write that at this time, the border between Albania and the Greater Armenian empire was through the river Kura. | ||
| == Creation of the Caucasian Albanian kingdom and its regions == | |||
| <!--temporary categorization--> | |||
| ⚫ | In ], following the defeat of the Armenian king ] at the hand of the ], the Armenian empire lost most of its territory. At this time, the Albanians were conquered by Iranians. According to the ancient Armenian historian, ], author of "History of Aghvank", at this time, the southern border of Caucasian Albania was along the ] river. Thus, referring to the events in 1st c. AD, he mentions "…someone from the family of Sisakan, one of the descendants of Yafet-Aran who inherited the plains and mountains of Albania beginning from the river Yeraskh (Araks) up to the castle of Hunarakert." (II, 21). ] was a legendary ancestor and the eponym of the Albanians. The Armenian historian ], who is considered in Armenian historiography "the father of Armenian history", also confirmed that Caucasian Albania's border was along the Kir river in the ] A.D. | ||
| The kingdom of Caucasian Albania (Aghbania) was founded in the late ] - early ]. The initial capital of the kingdom was Kabalaka (present-day ]) and then Partaw (present-day ]). | |||
| ⚫ | Little is known about the history of Caucasian Albania during 1st-4th centuries. During this time, part of Aghbania was again part of Armenia until ], when the Armenian kingdom was partitioned between the Persians and Romans. | ||
| One of main regions of Caucasian Albania, ], was a part of ] (] region of Eastern Georgia) since the end of the ]. For centuries, this region had been a part of ]. Since ], the part of Hereti now in the districts of ], ] and ], has been a part of ]. | |||
| ⚫ | In the ]-] ] began to spread in Aghbania, and this led to a rapprochement with ], and a corresponding cooling-down in the relationship between Aghbania and Sassanid Persia. In a battle that took place in 451 AD in the Avarayr field, the allied forces of the Armenian, Albanian and Iberian kings, devoted to Christianity, suffered defeat at the hands of the Sassanid army. Many of the Albanian nobility ran to the mountainous regions of Albania, particularly to Artsakh, that became a center for resistance to Sassanid Iran. The religious center of the Albanian state also moved here. In 498 in the settlement named Aluen (Aguen) (present day ] region of Azerbaijan), an Albanian church assembly was held to adopt laws further strengthening the position of Christianity in Albania. | ||
| Another historical part of Albania, ] (present-day ]), is presently occupied by Armenian military forces. Armenian historians claim that Artsakh is and has been culturally a part of Armenia since ca. 100 BC. | |||
| ⚫ | In the ], the kingdom was abolished by the ] and, like all Islamic conquests at the time, assimilated into the Caliphate. From the ], Caucasian Albania existed as the principalities of ] and ], along with various Iranian and Arabic principalities: the Principality of ], the Principality of ], the Principality of ], etc. | ||
| == Caucasian Albania and Armenian conquests == | |||
| <!--temporary categorization--> | |||
| One of main regions of Caucasian Albania, ], was a part of ] (] region of Eastern Georgia) since the end of the ]. For centuries, this region had been a part of ]. Since ], the part of Hereti now in the districts of ], ] and ], has been a part of ]. | |||
| Artsakh is and has been culturally a part of Armenia since 100 BC. | |||
| ⚫ | Strabo, ] and ] all write that at this time, the border between Albania and the Greater Armenian empire was through the river Kura. | ||
| ⚫ | According to Moses Kalankaytuk, the Albanian alphabet was invented by ], an Armenian ], ] and ] (see Moses Kalankaytuk, "The History of Aluank", I, 27 and III, 24). | ||
| ⚫ | In ], following the defeat of the Armenian king ] at the hand of the ], the Armenian empire lost most of its territory. At this time, the Albanians |
||
| ⚫ | Another Armenian historian, ], in his book ''"The Life of Mashtots"'', provided more historical details: ''"Then there came and visited them an elderly man, an Albanian named Benjamin. And he inquired and examined the barbaric diction of the Albanian language, and then through his usual God-given keenness of mind invented an alphabet, which he, through the grace of Christ, successfully organized and put in order."'' (see ). | ||
| ⚫ | Little is known about the history of Caucasian Albania during |
||
| ⚫ | The Albanian alphabet was rediscovered by a Georgian scholar, Professor ] in ]. The alphabet was found in manuscript No. 7117, the Armenian language manual of the 15th century. This manual presents different alphabets for comparison: Armenian, Greek, Latin, Syrian, Georgian, Coptic, and Albanian among them. The Albanian alphabet was titled: ''"Aluanic girn e"'' (Albanic letters). Abuladze made an assumption that this alphabet was based on Georgian letters. | ||
| == Spreading of Christianity in Caucasian Albania == | |||
| Caucasian Albania was one of the first countries where ] was adopted from the ], when the ] was formed. | Caucasian Albania was one of the first countries where ] was adopted from the end of the ], when the ] was formed. | ||
| ⚫ | As a result of the expansion of ] (]) into the territory of modern Azerbaijan in the ], the indigenous Albanian population was assimilated. | ||
| ⚫ | In the ]-] ] |
||
| ⚫ | The ], spoken by 8000 people in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, is thought to be the last remnant of the language once spoken in Caucasian Albania. | ||
| == Dissolution of the Albanian kingdom == | |||
| ⚫ | In the ], the kingdom was abolished by the ] and, like all Islamic conquests at the time, assimilated into the Caliphate. From the ], Caucasian Albania existed as the principalities of ] and ], along with various Iranian and Arabic principalities: the Principality of ], the Principality of ], the Principality of ], etc. | ||
| ⚫ | As a result of the expansion of ] (]) into the territory of modern Azerbaijan in the ], the indigenous Albanian population was assimilated. |
||
| == Albanian Alphabet and Language == | |||
| <!--temporary categorization--> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | According to Moses Kalankaytuk, the Albanian |
||
| ⚫ | The Albanian alphabet was rediscovered by a Georgian scholar, Professor ] in ]. The alphabet was found in |
||
| ⚫ | The Udi language, spoken by 8000 people in |
||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
| * |
*] | ||
| * |
*] | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| Line 66: | Line 47: | ||
| == Literature == | == Literature == | ||
| * . |
* . Translated from Old Armenian (Grabar) by Sh.V.Smbatian, Yerevan, 1984 (In Russian). | ||
| * , translated from Old Armenian (Grabar) by Bedros Norehad (in English) | * , translated from Old Armenian (Grabar) by Bedros Norehad (in English) | ||
| * Movses Kalankatuatsi. |
* Movses Kalankatuatsi. "History of Albania". Translated by L. Davlianidze-Tatishvili, Tbilisi, 1985 (In Georgian) | ||
| * Ilia Abuladze. |
* Ilia Abuladze. "About the discovery of the alphabet of the Caucasian Albanians". - "Bulletin of the Institute of Language, History and Material Culture (ENIMK)", Vol. 4, Ch. I, Tbilisi, 1938. | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| {{hist-stub}} | |||
Revision as of 20:48, 23 May 2005
This region should not be confused with modern Albania and Albanians (Shqiptarë), who are a separate people from the Balkans, and only share the name coincidentally. Kjo zonë nuk duhet ngatërruar me Shqipërinë dhe Shqipëtarët e sotëm qe banojnë në Balkan.
Caucasian Albania (or Aghbania) was an ancient state that covered what is now southern Dagestan and most of today's Azerbaijan of the Caucasus. For most of its history, the Caucasian Albania was a part of the Persian Empire. Caucasian Albanians were one of the Ibero-Caucasian peoples, the ancient and indigenous population of modern southern Dagestan and Azerbaijan. Already in ancient times, they were heavily mixed with the Persian people who settled in the area during the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid periods.
Ancient tribes of the Caucasian Albania were: Hers, Gargars, Gels, Caspians, Uties, Saks, Sodes, who along with other tribes, constituted the Albanian tribal union. According to Strabo, the number of the Albanian tribes reached 26.
The kingdom of Caucasian Albania (Aghbania) was founded in the 3rd century BC by Armanian king Valarshak.
In 2nd-1st centuries BC, parts of Caucasian Albania, including Artsakh and Uti on the right bank of the Kura river, were part of the Greater Armenia, according to Herodotus (5th c. BC), "a small country" on the sources of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was expanded at this time by the kings Artashes and Zariadrij. They created an empire, often called Greater Armenia.
Strabo, Clavdius Ptolemeus and Plinius Secundos all write that at this time, the border between Albania and the Greater Armenian empire was through the river Kura.
In 66 BC, following the defeat of the Armenian king Tigranes II at the hand of the Romans, the Armenian empire lost most of its territory. At this time, the Albanians were conquered by Iranians. According to the ancient Armenian historian, Moses Kalankaytuk, author of "History of Aghvank", at this time, the southern border of Caucasian Albania was along the Araks river. Thus, referring to the events in 1st c. AD, he mentions "…someone from the family of Sisakan, one of the descendants of Yafet-Aran who inherited the plains and mountains of Albania beginning from the river Yeraskh (Araks) up to the castle of Hunarakert." (II, 21). Aran was a legendary ancestor and the eponym of the Albanians. The Armenian historian Moses of Chorene, who is considered in Armenian historiography "the father of Armenian history", also confirmed that Caucasian Albania's border was along the Kir river in the 1st century A.D.
Little is known about the history of Caucasian Albania during 1st-4th centuries. During this time, part of Aghbania was again part of Armenia until 387, when the Armenian kingdom was partitioned between the Persians and Romans.
In the 4th-5th centuries Christianity began to spread in Aghbania, and this led to a rapprochement with Byzantium, and a corresponding cooling-down in the relationship between Aghbania and Sassanid Persia. In a battle that took place in 451 AD in the Avarayr field, the allied forces of the Armenian, Albanian and Iberian kings, devoted to Christianity, suffered defeat at the hands of the Sassanid army. Many of the Albanian nobility ran to the mountainous regions of Albania, particularly to Artsakh, that became a center for resistance to Sassanid Iran. The religious center of the Albanian state also moved here. In 498 in the settlement named Aluen (Aguen) (present day Agdam region of Azerbaijan), an Albanian church assembly was held to adopt laws further strengthening the position of Christianity in Albania.
In the 7th century AD, the kingdom was abolished by the Arabs and, like all Islamic conquests at the time, assimilated into the Caliphate. From the 8th century, Caucasian Albania existed as the principalities of Aranshahs and Khachin, along with various Iranian and Arabic principalities: the Principality of Shedadians, the Principality of Shirvan, the Principality of Derbent, etc.
One of main regions of Caucasian Albania, Hereti, was a part of Georgia (Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia) since the end of the 7th century. For centuries, this region had been a part of Persia. Since 1921, the part of Hereti now in the districts of Kakhi, Belakani and Zakatala, has been a part of Azerbaijan.
Artsakh is and has been culturally a part of Armenia since 100 BC.
According to Moses Kalankaytuk, the Albanian alphabet was invented by Mesrob Mashdots, an Armenian monk, theologian and linguist (see Moses Kalankaytuk, "The History of Aluank", I, 27 and III, 24).
Another Armenian historian, Koriun, in his book "The Life of Mashtots", provided more historical details: "Then there came and visited them an elderly man, an Albanian named Benjamin. And he inquired and examined the barbaric diction of the Albanian language, and then through his usual God-given keenness of mind invented an alphabet, which he, through the grace of Christ, successfully organized and put in order." (see Koriun, Ch. 16).
The Albanian alphabet was rediscovered by a Georgian scholar, Professor Ilia Abuladze in 1937. The alphabet was found in manuscript No. 7117, the Armenian language manual of the 15th century. This manual presents different alphabets for comparison: Armenian, Greek, Latin, Syrian, Georgian, Coptic, and Albanian among them. The Albanian alphabet was titled: "Aluanic girn e" (Albanic letters). Abuladze made an assumption that this alphabet was based on Georgian letters.
Caucasian Albania was one of the first countries where Christianity was adopted from the end of the 4th century, when the Albanian Church was formed.
As a result of the expansion of Seljuks (Turks) into the territory of modern Azerbaijan in the 11th century, the indigenous Albanian population was assimilated.
The Udi language, spoken by 8000 people in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, is thought to be the last remnant of the language once spoken in Caucasian Albania.
See also
External links
Literature
- Movses Kalankatuatsi. "The History of Aluank". Translated from Old Armenian (Grabar) by Sh.V.Smbatian, Yerevan, 1984 (In Russian).
- Koriun, "The Life of Mashtots", translated from Old Armenian (Grabar) by Bedros Norehad (in English)
- Movses Kalankatuatsi. "History of Albania". Translated by L. Davlianidze-Tatishvili, Tbilisi, 1985 (In Georgian)
- Ilia Abuladze. "About the discovery of the alphabet of the Caucasian Albanians". - "Bulletin of the Institute of Language, History and Material Culture (ENIMK)", Vol. 4, Ch. I, Tbilisi, 1938.