EarlyArmenianEncounterswithIslamThisweek,onThursday,theArmenianApostolicChurchcommemoratesthe“Saintly

PrincesSahakandHamazasp.”Mostweeksoftheyear,theArmenianChurchsetsasideseveraldaystoremembersaints,andtheservicesforthedayaresubtlyalteredtorecallandrecognizethesefaithfulexamples.ItispreciselythisliturgicalcelebrationthatmarksasaintfortheArmenianChurch;thereisnorigorous“canonization”processparalleltothatoftheCatholicChurch.Often,thesesaintsaretakenfromtheBibleorearlyuniversalChristianhistory:wehavedaystocelebratetheprophetJobfromtheOldTestament,St.JohntheBaptistfromtheNewTestament,andSt.Helena,themotherofConstantinetheGreatwhoiscreditedwithfindingthetrueCrossofChristandstartingtobuildmanyofthechurchesinJerusalem.SuchsaintsarewellknownandsharedacrossmanyChristiantraditions.OthersaintsarespecifictoArmenianChristianity,butarestillimmediatelyrecognizabletosomeonefamiliarwiththeArmenianChurchandArmenianhistory:St.GregorytheIlluminatororSt.VartanMamigonian,forinstance.Othersaints,however,likeour“saintlyprinces”SahakandHamazasparelessfamiliartous,comingfromlater,lesswellknown,orlesscelebratedmomentsinArmenianhistory.YeteverysaintcommemoratedbytheChurchisinsomewayaniconofChrist,offeringusamodelofholinessforourownlives.Whenwelearnaboutthelivesofthesaints,wenotonlyhavetheopportunitytounderstandArmenianhistorymorefully,wearealsospurredontogreaterfaith,inspiredbytheirexamples.

TheArabDomination:TheAbbasidPeriod,750-885.FromHewsen(2001).

SahakandHamazaspweremembersofthenobleArtsrunifamily,theimportantnakhararfamilyfromtheVaspurakanregionaroundVanwhomwemetlastweekwhilediscussingtheFeastoftheCrossofVarak.WellbeforetheArtsrunifamilybecamekingsofVaspurakan,itwasalreadyanestablishedprincelyhouseintheregion.Sahakand

HamazasplivedduringachaotictimeinArmenianhistory,afterthefalloftheArshakunidynastyin428andbeforeeithertheBagratuniorArstrunikingdomswereestablished.WhiletheperiodunderPersiangovernorships,themarzpanate,includeditsfairshareofdifficulties(notably,theBattleofAvarayrin451),withthecomingofIslamandtheArabinvasions,Armenianswouldfacenewchallengesandpressures.

ThefirstArmenianhistorytodocumenttheemergenceIslamisthehistoryattributedtoone“BishopSebeos.”WhilethefullversionofthishistorystartswiththeearliestbeginningoftheArmeniansinamannersimilartoMovsesKhorenatsi,SebeosthenoffersanArmenianaccountofMuhammad,thebirthofIslam,andtheinitialspreadofIslam.AswithotherChristiansources,SebeosseestheArabsasdescendantsofAbraham’ssonIshmael,thusoneofthecommonnamesforArabsfoundinArmenianaccounts,“Ismaelites.”AfterdocumentingthefallofthePersianSasanianEmpirein651totheMuslimCaliphOthmanandthesubmissionofsomeArmeniannoblestotheinvadingArabs(manyofwhomshortlythereafterrenouncedthatsubmissionandacceptedByzantinerule),SebeosendshishistorywiththecrisisofMuslimsuccessionandtheassassinationofAli,theeventthatledtothecontinueddivisionbetweenSunniandShiiteMuslims.

OurnextArmeniansource,theHistoryofGhevontVartabed,beginswithMuhammadandmovesswiftlytotheUmayyadCaliphs,thefirstMuslimhereditarydynasty,basedinDamascus.HeportraystherelationsoftheArmeniannobles,mostlytheBagratuniandMamigonianfamilies,withtheUmayyadarmiesinArmenian.ThefinalUmayyadCaliphMerwanhadelevatedPrinceAshotoftheBagratunifamilytoapositionofprominence,leavingGrigorMamigonianjealous.ButtheArabrulershadtheirowndifficulties,andGhevontVartabedrecountsthedefeatoftheUmayyadCaliphsbytheAbbasids,thenextdynastyofMuslimCaliphs,whowouldbasetheirruleinBaghdad,in750.ItwasundertheAbbasidCaliphsthatYazidwasappointedagovernorofArmenia.Duringthisgovernorship,aswellasundertheyokeofanothermilitaryleaderSalehal-Kindi,Armenianssufferedheavily:taxeswereheavyandSaleh,Ghevonttellsus,“shedalotofblood”(Paragraph32).

SahakandHamazaspinbas-reliefontheCathedraloftheHolyCrossontheIslandofAkhtamar

FromAght’amar(DocumentsinArmenianArchitecture)

Itisshortlyafterthis,intheearlyyearsoftheAbbasidCaliphate,thatGhevonttellsusthestoryofthemartyrdomoftheArtsruniprincesSahakandHamazasp:theCaliphal-HadiMusasentKhazmasgovernorofArmenia,andKhazmmettheArtsruniPrincesinthecityofDvin,where,enviousofthemhethrewthemintoprisonandthroughfalseaccusationssecuredadeathsentenceagainstthem.WhentheyweregiventheoptiontosavethemselvesbyconvertingtoIslam,Ghevonttellsusthattheyreplied:“GodforbidthatweshouldexchangethetruthofGodforlies,ortheeternallifeforthetemporal,forneitherweprefertransitorygloriestothoseeternal,nordoweseekourownlittlelivesinsteadofChrist,thehopeofall”(Paragraph40).Thetwovaliantbrothers,steadfastintheirfaithinChrist,weremartyredonChristmas,January6,786.

RecommendedSource Comments

TheArmenianHistoryattributedtoSebeos Atranslationofthehistoryof“BishopSebeos”byRobertThomson.ThefirstArmenianhistorytomentionMuhammadandIslam.ItoffersaportraitofthefirstinteractionsbetweenArmeniansandMuslims.

HistoryofLewond:TheEminentVardapetoftheArmenians

PickingupwhereSebeosleavesoff,GhevontVartabedcarriesusthroughtheUmayyadandmuchoftheAbbasidCaliphates.HedetailsstrifebetweendifferentArmeniannoblefamilies,economichardshipsimposedbyMuslimgovernors,andgivesusanaccountofthemartyrsSahakandHamazaspArtsruni.TranslatedbyRev.ZavenArzoumanian.

TheArabEmiratesinBagratidArmenia AmodernhistoryoftheArabandArmenianconnectionbyAramTerGhewondian,translatedbyNinaGarsoian.Whilemostlycoveringalaterperiodthanwhatwehavediscussedhere,itcontainsausefulsummaryoftheperiodunderdiscussion.

TheArmeniansintheMedievalIslamicWorld:ParadigmsofInteraction(Seventhto

FourteenthCenturies)

Athree-volumecontemporaryhistoryoftheinteractionsbetweenArmeniansandtheIslamicworldbySetaB.Dadoyan.Shearguesthat“ArmenianthingsarealsothingsNearEasternandmustbestudiedassuch,”takingupthetaskof“there-conceptualizationofthemedievalArmenianexperiencewithinthecontextofculturalandpoliticalIslam”(1).