Hovhannes Masehyan

Hovhannes Khan Masehyan (Armenian: Հովհաննես Մասեհյան, 1864-1931) was a Persian-Armenian translator and diplomat, well known as the translator of Shakespeare's works into Armenian. Since 1912 he was the Persian Ambassador to Germany. From 1927 to 1929 he was the Persian Ambassador to the Great Britain. He was the first Ambassador of Persia in Japan.^[1]

Masehyan's translation of Hamlet was printed in 1894 by the Armenian publishing society. Hovhannes Hovhannisyan and Hovhannes Tumanyan praised this translation in their reviews. According to Gevorg Emin, Masehian's translations are "excellent" and "sound so wonderful in Armenian".^[2]

Masehyan was the editor of Shavigh Armenian journal (Tehran, 1894).

As a diplomat, he was responsible for introducing Western political thought and technological innovations into Iran.^[3] He was a delegate to the Sixth Majles. Masehyan died in Kharbin and was buried in Tehran.

References

1. ↑ V. Vardanyan, "Hovhannes Masehyan"
2. ↑ Seven songs of Armenia, by Gevorg Emin, 1970 - Page 211
3. ↑ The Armenians of Iran: The Paradoxical Role of a Minority, by Cosroe Chaquèri - 1998, p. 59