Atrnerseh () (d. 870's) was an Armenian ruler of the
Principality of Khachen
The Principality of Khachen ( hy, Խաչենի իշխանություն, Khacheni ishkhanutyun) was a medieval Armenian principality on the territory of historical Artsakh (present-day Nagorno-Karabakh). The provinces of Artsakh and Utik wer ...
. He was the son and successor of
Sahl Smbatean Sahl Smbatean EṙanshahikMovses Kaghankatvatsi. ''History of Aghuank''. Critical text and introduction by Varag Arakelyan. Matenadaran" Institute of Ancient Manuscripts after Mesrop Mashtots. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 198 ...
.
According to the 10th century Armenian historian
Movses Kaghankatvatsi Movses Kaghankatvatsi ( hy, Մովսէս Կաղանկատուացի ''Movses Kaġankatvac’i''), or Movses Daskhurantsi ( ''Movses Dasxuranc’i'') is the reputed author (or authors) of a tenth-century Classical Armenian historiographical work on C ...
, Atrnerseh's family was descended from the
Arranshahiks, the ancient ruling dynasty of
Caucasian Albania, although the historian
Robert H. Hewsen considers Atrnerseh and his father as members of a branch of the Armenian
House of Syunik.
[Hewsen, Robert H., ''Armenia: A Historical Atlas''. ]The University of Chicago Press
The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including '' The Chicago Manual of Style'' ...
, 2001, pp. 119, 163. In 822, Atrnerseh married the last heir of
Mihranid dynasty (which previously ruled
Caucasian Albania), princess Spram. Subsequently, the princedom of Atrnerseh's father Sahl expanded to the east and included the territories of
Artsakh and
Gardman
Gardman ( hy, Գարդման), also known as Gardmank, was one of the eight cantons of the ancient province of Utik in the Kingdom of Armenia and simultaneously, together with the canton of Tuchkatak, an Armenian principality. It roughly corre ...
.
Atrnerseh's possessions mainly covered the region of Upper Khachen, also known as Tsar. His residence was at
Handaberd, a fortress he built in the second quarter of the 9th century.
Together with his father and brother John, he participated in the anti-Arab uprising of 854, as a result of which he was arrested by the Arab commander
Bugha al-Turki
Bugha al-Kabir (), also known as Bugha al-Turki (), was a 9th-century Khazar general who served the Abbasid Caliphate.
He was of Khazar origin, and was acquired along with his sons as a military slave (''ghulam'') by al-Mu'tasim in 819/820.Gordo ...
and sent to exile in
Samarra.
Иованнес Драсханакертци. История Армении, гл. XXVI
/ref> However, he was freed from exile, unlike his brother, whose estates were inherited by Atrnerseh. Atrnerseh ruled over an area approximately corresponding to the historical Armenian province of Artsakh.
References
{{authority control
Year of birth unknown
House of Aranshahik
9th-century Armenian people
Princes of Khachen