Guidance for the reinstatement of the surviving ancient Armenian in the societal fabric of modern

By Christian Tutundjian de Vartavan

Background to the notion of nobility

The notion of “nobility” and the “noble” class are born out of governmental power but governmental power was not born out of “nobility”. In other words, the notion of “nobility” emerged when some rulers decided to attach values to their rule and not only brutal strength. It is hence no surprise that the notion of ‘chivalry’, as mode of behavior and not simply as equestrian aptitudes (‘chivalry’ comes the old French ‘chevalerie’ or ‘horse soldiery’) emerged after kings adopted Christian values for government. These values are still the basis of the morality and law of many nations, including Armenia. The interdiction, by law, of polygamy being one expression of this basis.

Background of the author

As a direct descendant of the of Artsakhi whose family co-founded the 1st Republic of Armenia (see for a start Prime Minister A. Khatissian’s memoirsii), both with political and financial means, I am in a very privileged position to discuss the reinstatement of the Armenian mobility into the social fabric of the modern Republic of Armeniaiii.

Background to the nobility of Armenia

The has been functioning with these Christian values ever since Armenia converted to (AD 301) and long before chivalry was brought into Armenia, in particular, by western crusaders. The fall of the Armenian king Leo Vth in 1375 ended the Cilician kingdom of Armenia but not of the nobility nor of Armenian royalty as if often wrongly if not systematically assumed. Branches of the nobility, including from the Bagratuni and the Artzruni, took refuge in the mountainous principalities of Siunik and Artsakh (Karabagh), or with the Georgian kings and queens in their kingdom.

In Siunik and Artsakh, various independent Armenian noble houses ruled either as sovereign ‘prince of princes’ or even as ‘king’iv (‘arka’ or ‘takavor’) of Baghk or Khachen, such as Hasan Djalal Dawlav who reigned until his death in 1261/1262 and was a descendant of the immemorial Aranshahiks. His dynasty lasted 552/553 years until his descendant Allahverdi II Hasan-Jalalyan, last ‘melikvi’ of Khachen (Karabagh) died in 1813. Meliks, of which the union of the five Artsakh/Karabagh meliks is the better known (‘Meliks of Khamsa’), had the right of life or death in justice, could levee taxes or combined armies of up to 30-40.000 men, and had wealths sufficiently large to own privately one hundred horses or to pay the wages of the entire Persian army for one year.

The Armenian nobility today

After the incorporation in 1805 of Karabagh in the Russian Empire, some meliks stayed in Karabagh. This is the case of the -Shahnazarian, one of the five houses of Khamsa. Zareh Melik- Shahnazarian, who died in 1992, was not only born in Karabagh but with his father fought the Mutafavists in the 1920’s. His father Samson-bek died gloriously at that time on the battlefield while making a bayonet charge against machine gunsvii. These meliks ruled informally in Karabagh until that period and possibly beyond. Other meliks moved first into the kingdom of Georgian then into the Russian Empire and russified their name, as for example the Loris-Melikov.

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My personal research on the Armenian nobility of Armenia, exercised in a private capacity since 2000, led me to conclude that several hundreds of are of noble origin, including descendants of the medieval houses (Bagratuni, Artzruni, Rchtuni, Gamsarakan, etc…) or of the later more recent princely houses of Siunik/Karabagh (Hasan-Djalalian and Melik-Avanian of which the Tutundjian de Vartavan are a branch, as well as Melik-Shahnazarian, Melik-Atabekian, etc…), or of the Georgian- Armenian nobility (Orbelian, Arghutyan-Yerkaynabazuk, Abba-Melik, etc...), many of which now live in Russia. To these must be added the Armenian nobility of the Ottoman Empire or kingdoms like Egypt where Armenians were very numerous (Kouyoumdjian, Gulbenkian, again Tutundjian de Vartavan, etc…).

Many of these descendants have kept a tradition of their origin but only a handful of families have held a political power over the life of large Armenian communities until the 20th century, and even less after the First World War. Namely various Armenian pachas, such as my great-grandfather Hagop pacha Kouyoumdjian, who was deputy of Diarbekir and saved several hundred Armenians lives during the massacres of the turn of the century. Or Telemaque bey Tutundjian de Vartavan, my grand-father, who was made a bey of Egypt by King Fuad the 1st and presided over the daily life of about 10.000 Armenians of Alexandria for several years, until at least 1928/1929. I am in fact not aware of any nobleman who presided over Armenians after this date – he may have been the last, particularly with a state noble title.

Integration and use of ancient within current major republics

Ancient nobility titles are currently legally used in various present republics. I will take two examples.

1. France, bastion of republicanism, recognizes nobility title through a procedure controlled by the Garde des Sceaux, or ‘Keeper of the [State] Seals’, i.e. the French Minister of Justice. More precisely nobility titles were abolished by the Revolutions of 1789 and 1848, and restored by decree in 1852 and never officially abolished since. Titles can be lawfully used and given to their bearers in official acts with a decree by the Minister of Justiceviii. The bearer can then legally use the title in legal documents such as birth certificates. About 400 such confirmations were made since 1872. Because of this, a dozen French dukes bear their titles on their passports. Anecdotally, few know that upon his investiture, any new French president becomes co-prince of Andorra, sharing power over the principality with the Bishop of Urgell in Spanish Catalonia. Currently Bishop Joan Enric Vives Sicília is co-prince of Andorra together with Emmanuel Macron. 2. In the Federal Republic of Germany although the as a legally defined class was abolished on August 11, 1919 with the Weimar Constitution, nobles were allowed to keep their titles. A law still in place till todayix.

Method for identifying members of the nobility

In the Armenian nobility, the administrative certification of a title was an alien concept. Noble families ruled for centuries and power was passed from father to son. Everyone, including in the population, knew who was who from baptism onwards. This is particular true for the sovereign meliks of Karabagh who did not even have a family name as we understand itx.

There are however three categories of exceptions to this:

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1/ - The recognition by a foreign ruler, usually of a higher rank, of the title and power of an Armenian ruler. The type example for the Armenian nobility is the recognition by Czar Peter the Great of Melik Yegan (died 1744) as sovereign prince. This sort of formal and private recognition is extremely rare. The Shahs of have also officially recognized the powers of the Meliks of Artsakh but I have personally not as yet seen an example of such decree in Farsi.

2/ - Foreign letters of nobility for members of the Armenian nobility, usually princes, who have left Armenia and integrated either the Georgian Kingdom or the Russian Empire. The archives of the Georgian and have many of them.

3/ - Foreign letters of nobility, official decrees and other documents acknowledging the bestowing of a nobility title on a member of the Armenian diaspora, such as for example the title of “bey” for my grand-father as well as several other Armenians of Egypt and Iran, Prime Minister Nubar pacha first and foremost.

Hence requesting an ‘official paper’ from an Armenian noble, except under the above three foreign exceptions, is not possible. Moreover, the vicissitudes of Armenian history, particularly wars and repeated immigrations, have been ruthless catalysts for the destruction of administrative documents through fire or loss.

There are however several ways to identify members of the Armenian nobility. a/ - The simplest is to ask if a close ancestor held a recognizable form of power, ideally over Armenians. In other words, what was doing your grandfather, great grandfather or great-great-grandfather for a start? As stated above most ancient noble families have held some sort of office or position in society up to the First World War. If the answer is yes, then: b/ - A genealogical tree should be established. The latter should ideally be supported by birth certificates but also any documents indicating a filiation. A dedication in a book for example, private letters kept in archives or an act of property. The latters often list the name of the parents if not grand- parents. There are many types of supporting documents, including photographs. c/ - This genealogical tree should further be supported by a short memorandum describing the family history till present. Both should then be published for all to examine and if not for the sake of preserving Armenian history. Entire volumes of the are preserved in the private archives and memories of noble families and disappear when the last member dies. d/ - If none of the above subsists DNA tests can be carried but this of course implies knowing a living relative who would have a proof of ancestry, or in extremely rare circumstances the exhumation of a body.

General axiom for the reinstatement of the Armenian nobility

Hence the purpose of a reinstatement of the ancient nobility of Armenia into modern Armenia should be to strengthen the nation and hence contribute to its welfare. It is, in our opinion, under this precise general axiom that such reinstatement should take place.

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Suggested uses of the Armenian nobility

This strengthening can take place primarily at moral level, but also at representational level.

At moral level the nobility can provide a moral compass as functioning under fundamental values such as faith, truth, honor, fidelity, service, self-sacrifice and in particular humility. In other words, leadership through personal example.

Representational level can be exercised at national or international level.

At national level it is to church, government, army or society in Armenia to call on the service of the nobility for their respective functioning and life where and when the embodiment and expression of Armenian history, identity even security if a military conflict, is necessitated. The is integrated in the French military armed forces and commands an immense respect. In the Navy in particular which for this reason is referred to as the ‘Royale’; a high and disproportionate proportion of top admirals are noblemen.

But the nobility can also act as a unifying force between the diaspora and the Republic of Armenia because representing a shared historic heritage and being apolitical.

On the world stage, as for many republics like for example France, the nobility can be used for ambassadorial roles, particularly in countries still under a like the United Kingdom.

Finally, part of the nobility could also be structured in a specific order of chivalry, like the caritative Catholic Knights of Malta. Such new Christian order of chivalry could hence depend from the Catholicos and enhance the image of Armenia worldwide. As helping the world would gain its sympathy towards Armenia and its causes, aside from the Christian belief that good should be done wherever possible regardless of gender, race or nationality.

Conclusion

Even though several hundred descendants of former Armenian noble families survive, few have kept an atavistic strength solid enough to carry their nobility, family historical heritage (including with heirlooms) and attachment to the Armenian nation, perhaps through political power, across the 20th century to reach our present 21st. This is also why it is often assumed that the Armenian nobility has disappeared. There are however many survivors, if not simply because of the laws of demography, who would be willing to serve Armenia provided that a form of recognition be bestowed. This instead of putting their ancestral qualities, intellectual and physical, to a standstill because of a feeling of rejection or even to the service of other nations. Prince Philippe, husband of HM the Queen of the United Kingdom, being the archetype of a prince serving another country because rejected by his own. I know personally of several such cases.

Finally, the integration of the nobility within modern Armenia, starting with state and church, would also be a way for the latter to recognize and acknowledge the contributions and sometime heavy sacrifices made by noble families across centuries. The Republic of Armenia integrates the coat of arms of four Armenian royal dynasties, so integrating their sons and daughters would not only be elegant but also consolidate and strengthen the state through an added reconciliation. This when the unity of the Armenians is a moot and permanent national priority.

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i See the conference given on 16.11.2019 at the Diocese of the Armenian Church in the UK: https://armenianchurch.org.uk/tutundjian-de-vartavan-1730-2019-2/. ii A. Khatissian. Eclosion et développement de la République arménienne. ARF Dashnaksoutioun (Athens, 1989): 219: ‘Two visits [in Egypt] took a particular character: my official audience with Fuad Ist King of Egypt and my audience with the British authority…I went to the with M. Télémaque Tutundjian [de Vartavan], etc…[Translation of the author from the French]. iii To explain why our family joined the creation of a republic instead of a kingdom has to do with the philosophical, social and geopolitical circumstances of the time. Both modes of government, monarchy or republic, have advantages and inconveniences. Something which could be the topic of another article. ivSee Akopyan, A. V. On the Earliest Coins of Kachen (Qarabagh), page 10, for the list of titles used by Hasan Jalal Dawla in inscriptions, namely ‘Takawor’ (Crown headed), ‘Arka’ (King). v Hasan Jalal Dawla’s famous inscription on the interior of the northern wall of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Gandzassar reads: “In the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, I, Jalal Dola Hasan, servant of God, son of Vahtang, grandson of Hasan the Great, the native potentate of the high and broad province of Artsakh, King of Hohanaberd, with large districts, have ordered to inscribe these lines. Father of mine, before his departure from this world, ordered me and my mother Khorishah, daughter of Sargis the Great, Prince of Princes, to erect a church and [organize] the cemetery of our forefathers in Gandzasar, building of which began in the year 765 of the Armenian Calendar (1216) with the help of the Grantor of Benefits (God); and when we erected the wall above the windows, mother of mine abandoned secular life and departed for pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the third time, where, putting on the cilice and spending many years in reclusion near the Lord’s Temple, passed away on the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, and there was laid to rest. As to us, we, being aware of the danger of being idle, hurried to complete the construction work with the holy blessing of Merciful God, in the year 787 (1238)...” (Source: Bishop Makar Barkhudarian. Artsakh. Baku, 1885: 111. malik “king”, although in Artsakh the title meant ‘sovereign prince’ or ‘prince’, in ملك :vi From the Semitic, later Arabic title Armenian: ‘իշխան’. vii Z. Melik-Shahnazarian. Sketches of soldier: Memoirs of a participant in the events of 1918-1920 in Nagorno Karabakh. 1996 (Text online): http://www.bvahan.com/armenianway/aw/sketches/comp.html viii See for example a discussion of the French legislation concerning the registration of nobility titles in the Republic of France on the website of the French ‘Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques’: https://academiesciencesmoralesetpolitiques.fr/2006/07/03/le-sceau-de-france-titre-nobiliaire-et-changement-de- nom/#:~:text=Distinctes%20des%20titres%20de%20noblesse,la%20discr%C3%A9tion%20de%20leur%20titulaire. ix Almanach de Saxe-Gotha: « Although nobility as a class of privileged status has been abolished in Germany, nobles were allowed to keep their titles, a provision which is still in place today”: http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id212.html x The following epitaph of Melik Yegan () typifies this: “This is the courageous prince’s grave, Yegan the name of great Melik, Who is the son of pious Vardapet by name Ghukas. Being beloved by everyone and The shah by name Nadir. He ruled in the land, The province of Aghvank, He was greatly honored by the Persian nation, As the prince of the Armenian country. Armenian calendar ՌՃՂԳ - 1193 (1744)”. http://www.fundamentalarmenology.am/datas/pdfs/197.pdf

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