Syunik

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Syunik Սիւնիք

General information
Area:	4,506 km²
Population:	134,061 (2002)
Subdivision:	4 districts
Capital:	Kapan
Governor:	Suren Khachatryan

Syunik (also spelled as Siunik, Siwnik, or Syunig) is a marz (administrative region) of Armenia. It was a feudal principality in ancient Armenia. At various times, the region of present-day Syunik has also been known by other names such as Syunia, Sisakan and Zangezur. It is in the south-east of the country, bordering the region of Vayots Dzor to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan exclave to the west, the Azerbaijani rayons of Lachin, Qubadli, and Zangilan to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital is Kapan.

1 Naming
2 Geography and climate
3 History
4 Rulers
5 External links

[edit] Naming

In Armenian, Syunik is known as Սիւնիք. To the east and west of the region, in regions administered by Azerbaijan it is known by one of its former historic names Zangezur (an Armenian term that refers to the Zangezur Mountains; in Azerbaijani it translates as Zəngəzur). South of the Araks River in Iran, it is known as سیونیک in Persian. As a result of Sovietization, Russian residents of the region call it Сюник in Russian.

[edit] Geography and climate

Syunik is a green but mountainous area. The high-water major rivers are the Meghri, Voghji, and Vorotan. Summertime temperatures can reach more than 50°C, although the average temperature is around 22°C. [1]

[edit] History

[edit] Early rulers

The first dynasty to rule Siunik was the Siak, beginning in the 1st century. The first known ruler was Valinak Siak (c. 330). His successor was his brother Andok (c. 340).

Siunik was occupied by Persia, c. 369. In 379, King Babik, son of Andok, was re-established as ruler by the Mamikonians. His sister, Pharantzem, was married to Gnel, nephew of Archak II, king of Armenia. This lasted for less than ten years and by about 386 or 387, king Dara was deposed by the Persians.

King Valinak (c. 400-409) was followed by Vasak (409-452). Vasak had two sons, Bagben and Bakur, and a daughter who married Vasak's successor, Varazvahan (452-472). His son Gelehon ruled from 470 to 477 and died in 483. Babik (Bagben) the brother of Varazvahan, became the new king in 477. Hadz, brother of Gelehon, died on September 25, 482.

Siunik was later ruled by other kings: Vahan c. 570, Philipo c. 580, Stephanos c. 590-597, Sahak c. 597, and Grigor until 640.

[edit] Late first millennium

A dynasty was formed, governed by a branch of the Bagratuni, with minor vassal princes from one or more previous dynasties, perhaps of Persian origin. Vasak III (c. 800) suffered an assault from the emir of Manazkert, Sevada. He established a garrison in Chalat, in the district of Dzoluk. He then called for help from the Persian revolutionary chief Babek, who had married a daughter of the king.

After Vasak III (821) died, Babek inherited the country, which revolted against him. Babek suppressed the revolt, but was harassed by both Muslims and Armenians. Finally, he abdicated and the children of Vasak, Philipo, and Sahak regained power. Philipo governed Eastern Siunik, with the districts of Vaïots, Tzor, and Balq (Goucha). Sahak governed in Western Siunik, also known as Gelarquniq, with capital in Khoth. These local dynasties disappeared during the ephemeral domination from Babek.

In 826, Sahak allied with his ancient enemy - Sevada, the Qaisite emir of Manazkert - against the governor of Caliph, but he was defeated and died in Kavakert. His son Grigor-Sufan succeeded him as prince of Western Siunik. In the Eastern region, Philipo died on August 10, 848. He was succeeded by three children (Babgen, Vasak-Ichkhanik and Achot) that ruled jointly. Babgen fought with Grigor-Sufan and killed him (sometime in 849-851) but Babgen died shortly after (851) and Vasak-Ichkhanik (Vasak IV) followed him. Vasak-Ichkhanik had peaceful relations with Vasak-Gabor, who had ascended to the throne of Western Siunik, replacing his father Grigor-Sufan. Nerseh, brother of Babgen, directed (851?) an expedition to Aghuania defeating and killing the prince Varaz-Terdat (of the Persian dynasty Mihrakane of Aghuania) in Morgog. A general sent by the Caliph, Bogha al-Kabir, destroyed Armenia and Aghuania in these years, and sent a detachment to Eastern Siunik where was governing Vasak IV with his brother Achot. The Siunik people were protected in the fortress of Balq, but Vasak fled to Kotaiq, and was pursued to the region of Gardman on the eastern border of the Sevan Lake. Gardman's prince (ichkhan) Ketridj or Ketritchn betrayed him and delivered him to Bogha (859). Achot was also seized (859). But Bogha invaded Gardman and imprisoned Kertridj. He then went to Outi where he captured the prince of Sevordiq, Stephannos Kun.

The Caliphate tried to control all these regions, and for this reason Bogha decided to repopulate the city of Chamkor in the Kura river with Muslims. Chamkor, being near Bardáa and Gandja, was intended to act as a regional monitoring post. By order of the new Caliph in 862, imprisoned princes to be released and allowed to return to their former domains on the condition of becoming Muslim. (However, they all abandoned Islam after their return.)

The prince of Western Siunik, Vasak-Gabor, was married to a daughter of the Bagratid prince Achot the Great named Miriam, and received the title of Ichkhan from the Siunik people - delivered to him by Achot in name of the Caliph. His successor was his son, Grigor-Sufan II (887-909). The prince of Eastern Siunik, Vasak IV, died around 887, and was followed by his brother Achot who died c. 906.

The son of Vasak IV, Sembat, that received the fiefdom from Vaïots-Tzor. Chahaponk (Djahuk) governed from 887 until sometime after 920. He revolted in 903 against the Bagratid Sembat I, refusing to pay him taxes. Because of this, he was assaulted by the prince of Vaspurakan, Sargis-Achot. Sembat submitted and was forgiven and married to the sister of the principe of Vaspurakan, receiving the city and district of Najichevan, which in 902 was upset with the Kaysites or Qaisids.

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The prince of Vaspurakan did not have to be in agreement with this transfer of a nearby territory to its dominances that could to wait receive.

A few years later, the prince after was allied with the emir of Sadjid, Yusuf, against Eastern Siunik, which they invaded together.

Sembat was sheltered in the fortress of Erendchak (today Alindja, northeast of Najichevan) and Yusuf remained owner of Eastern Siunik. Sembat requested refuge from his brother-in-law Khatchik-Gagik, which was granted. In the same year (909), the prince of Western Siunik, Grigor Sufan II, submitted to the emir Yusuf in Dwin. Only Byzantine movements and the withdrawal of the Sadjids permitted him to recover the throne some time later. Sembat, with his three brothers Sahak, Babgen, and Vasak, governed again. Also in Western Siunik, Sahak, Achot and Vasak, brothers of Grigor-Sufan II, were governing the country. After them the dynasty of Western Siunik became extinct and the territory was subsumed by the Muslims.

The Eastern part remained divided: Sembat, which had the main title, governed the western part of the Eastern Siunik with the Vaïots-Tzor, bordered by Vaspurakan. Sahak governed the eastern part until the river Hakar. Babgen governed the district of the Balq, and Vasak (who died in 922) an indeterminate territory. Nasr, the emir of Azerbaijan, captured territory through perfidy against Babgen and Sahak in Dwin. After the invasion, Sembat unseated Nasr and obtained the freedom of his brothers. Sembat was followed by his son Vasak, and Sahak in turn by his son Sembat. Vasak received the royal title from the Muslims at the end of his reign, which lasted until 963.

The throne was inherited by his nephew Sembat (963-998) who was recognized as king by the emirs of Tauris and of Arran. He was married to the princess of Aghuania, Chahandoukht. At his death, he was followed by Vasak (c. 998-1019). Vasak was succeeded by two nephews (the children of his sister and a Prince Achot) called Sembat and Grigor (1019-1084). The latter was married with the princess Chahandoukht, daughter of Sevada of Aghuania. The only successor to the two princes, was a daughter of Grigor's called Chahandoukht. Rule passed to the prince of Aghuania, Seneqerim Ioan who governed both territories from 1084 until his death in 1105. Seneqerim Ioan was followed by his son Grigor of Siunik and Aghuania, who governed until 1166, when the country was conquered by the Seljucids Turks.

Later, the dynasty of the Orbeliani, one of whose members wrote an important history of the country, governed Siunik in times of Timur (Tamerlan) as vassals.

Between mid-18th c and early 19th c, the region was part of Karabakh khanate of the Persian Empire and passed into Russian possession by the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813 together with the rest of the khanate following the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813. When the Russian government abolished the Karabakh khanate in 1822, the region was made Zangezur uyezd of Yelizavetpol governorate of the Russian empire.

[edit] Twentieth Century

With the collapse of the Russian empire Zangezur became a territory, hotly disputed between the newly created states of Armenia and Azerbaijan. After the proclamation of the Soviet Republic of Armenia in 1921, Syunik proclaimed its independence as the Republic of the Mountainous Armenia, but it only encompassed part of the High Karabag (South of Zangezur), and the Eastern and Western Syunik had been occupied. After some resistance, the authorities of the Republic fled to Iran. In 1988-1989, as the Armenian population fled Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani population fled the region ^[1] ^[2] as a result of the outbreak of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

[edit] Rulers

Valinak Siak (c. 330)
Andok (c. 340)
Babik (379)
Dara (until 387)
Valinak (c. 00-409)
Vasak (409-452)
Varazvahan (452-472)
Gelehon (470-477)
Babik (Bagben) (477-?)
Hadz (until September 25, 482)
Vahan (c. 570)
Philipo (c. 580)
Stephanos (c. 590-597)
Sahak (c. 597)
Grigor (until 640)
..
Vasak III (ca 800-821)
Philipo II (Eastern Siunik)(821?-August 10,848) and Sahak (821?-826)(Western Siunik)
Grigor-Sufan (826-849 (or 850 or 851)) (Western Siunik)
Babgen (821-851), Vasak-Ichkhanik or Vasak IV] (851-887) and Achot (Eastern Siunik)
Vasak-Gabor (849/851-887) (Western Siunik)
Grigor-Sufan II (887-909) (Western Siunik)
Achot (887-u906) (Eastern Siunik)
Sembat (887-after 920), Sahak, Babgen and Vasak (Eastern Siunik)
Sahak, Achot and Vasak (-963) (Western Siunik)
Smbat I (963-998)
Vasak (998-1040)
Smbat II (1040-1044)
Grigor I (1044-1084)
Senek'erim (1084-1094 (1105))
Grigor II ((1105) 1094-1166)
Asan (1166-1170)