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Revision as of 06:58, 11 June 2007 by Grandmaster (talk | contribs) (int links)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Movses Kagankatvatsi (or Kalankatuatsi, also Moses of Kalankatuyk, Template:Lang-hy) was an Armenian or Caucasian Albanian historian, author or editor of the "The History of the Country of Aluank" – a historical composition or, most likely, compilation, assigned to him or to Movses Daskhurantsi. From his own writings it is known that he was born in Utik region, in a village of Kalankatuyk near Barda, the capital of Caucasian Albania (Book II, chapter 11). He wrote his book in Armenian language. Based on the inscription added in one of the manuscripts (No 667, record No 1855), it is known that the author of the book was a monk.
Except for a few additional references in 13th-century sources, nothing is known about his life. Based on the fact that Movses narrates the Khazar invasion of Transcaucasia and other 7th century events as an eyewitness, some researchers (Emin, Bore, Shakhnazarian) assume that he lived at that time. This explains why the author refers to the Armenian historians of the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries (Agathangelos, Faustos of Byzantium, Yeghishe, Moses of Chorene), but does not mention 7th-century Armenian authors (John Mamikonian, Shapuh Bagratuni, Sebeos, Thomas Artsruni).
However, the 3rd book of his History differs from the previous ones in style and date. It deals with the Caspian expeditions of the Rus and their conquest of Partav (present-day Barda), dated by Ibn Miskawayh to 943 or 944. Based on the analysis of the language of the author and his style, some researches have concluded that the 3rd Book was written entirely by another person, who lived several centuries after Movses Kagankatvatsi.
According to other researchers (Patkanov, Abegyan), Movses Kagankatvatsi lived in the 10th century and wrote only the 3rd book of the "The History of the Country of Aluank", while the information of the 1st and 2nd books about the events of the 7th century was derived from Movses Khorenatsi, Egishe and other Armenian writers.
References
- К.В.Тревер. Очерки по Истории и культуре Кавказской Албании IV В. до н. э. - VII в. н. э. (источники и литература). Издание Академии наук СССР, М.-Л., 1959
Literature
- Movses Kalankatuatsi. The History of the Country of Aluank. Translated from Old Armenian (Grabar) by Sh.V.Smbatian, Yerevan, 1984 (In Russian).
- Movses Kalankatuatsi. History of Albania. Translated by L. Davlianidze-Tatishvili, Tbilisi, 1985 (In Georgian)
- The History of the Caucasian Albanians by Movsēs Dasxuranci, translated by C. F. J. Dowsett (London Oriental Series, Vol. 8), London 1961.