Pahlavuni ( hy, Պահլավունի;
classical orthography: Պահլաւունի) was an
Armenian noble family, a branch of the
Kamsarakan
Kamsarakan ( hy, Կամսարական) was an Armenian noble family that was an offshoot of the House of Karen, also known as the Karen-Pahlav. The Karens were one of the Seven Great Houses of Iran and were of Parthian origin.
In the Byzantine- ...
, that rose to prominence in the late 10th century during the last years of the
Bagratuni monarchy.
Origins
The Pahlavunis (also spelled Pahlavounis) were an offshoot of the
Kamsarakan
Kamsarakan ( hy, Կամսարական) was an Armenian noble family that was an offshoot of the House of Karen, also known as the Karen-Pahlav. The Karens were one of the Seven Great Houses of Iran and were of Parthian origin.
In the Byzantine- ...
noble house, which had ceased to exist as a result of a failed uprising against the
Arab rule in Armenia, in the late 8th century. In 774 the nature of the Arab rule had provoked the Armenian
nakharar
''Nakharar'' ( hy, նախարար ''naxarar'', from Parthian ''naxvadār'' "holder of the primacy""նախարար" in H. Ačaṙean (1926–35), ''Hayerēn Armatakan Baṙaran'' (Yerevan: Yerevan State University), 2nd ed., 1971–79) was a here ...
s into a major rebellion which included the Kamsarakans. The defeat of the rebels at the
Battle of Bagrevand
The Battle of Bagrevand was fought on 25 April 775, in the plains of Bagrevand, between the forces of the Armenian princes who had rebelled against the Abbasid Caliphate and the caliphal army. The battle resulted in a crushing Abbasid victory, w ...
in April 775 was followed by ruthless suppression of opposition in the years that followed. The power and influence of the Kamsarakans along with other leading nakharar houses such as the
Mamikonians and the
Gnuni
Gnuni (; c. 300–800.) was a princely family in Armenia, who ruled the region of Aliovit, including the cities of Archesh, Arberani and Berkri on the northern shore of Lake Van
Lake Van ( tr, Van Gölü; hy, Վանա լիճ, translit=Va ...
s was destroyed for good.
Those that survived were either exiles in the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
or dependants of other houses, chiefly the
Artsruni
The Artsruni ( hy, Արծրունի; also transliterated as Ardzruni) were an ancient noble (princely) family of Armenia.
Background and history
The Artsruni's claimed descent from Sennacherib, King of Assyria (705 BC–681 BC). Although ...
and the Bagratuni. They were forced to sell their hereditary principalities to the Bagratunis, such as the regions of
Shirak and
Arsharunik. The Bagratuni Prince
Ashot the Carnivorous bought the former estates of the Kamsarakan family around
Arpa River near Mren, 34 km south of
Ani
Ani ( hy, Անի; grc-gre, Ἄνιον, ''Ánion''; la, Abnicum; tr, Ani) is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia.
Between 961 and 1045, it was the capital of the ...
which was also a Bagratuni possession.
Branches
In the 11th century the Pahlavunis controlled and built various fortresses throughout Armenia such as
Amberd
Amberd ( hy, Ամբերդ) is a 10th-century fortress located above sea level, on the slopes of Mount Aragats at the confluence of the Arkashen and Amberd rivers in the province of Aragatsotn, Armenia. The name translates to "fortress in the clo ...
and
Bjni
Bjni ( hy, Բջնի), is a village in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It is situated in a valley between canyon walls and a small river. The village is one of the prominent centers of education and culture of ancient and medieval Armenia. It is ...
and played a significant role in all the affairs of the country. According to
Cyril Toumanoff
Cyril Leo Toumanoff (russian: Кирилл Львович Туманов; 13 October 1913 – 4 February 1997) was a Russian-born Georgian historian and genealogist who mostly specialized in the history and genealogies of medieval Georgia, Armenia, ...
, following the abdication in 1045-46 of Prince
Gregory II (who received from the court of
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
the rank of ''
magistros
The ''magister officiorum'' (Latin literally for "Master of Offices", in gr, μάγιστρος τῶν ὀφφικίων, magistros tōn offikiōn) was one of the most senior administrative officials in the Later Roman Empire and the early cent ...
'' and the office of duke of Mesopotamia,
Vaspurakan
Vaspurakan (, Western Armenian pronunciation: ''Vasbouragan'') was the eighth province of the ancient kingdom of Armenia, which later became an independent kingdom during the Middle Ages, centered on Lake Van. Located in what is now southeaster ...
, and
Taron) in favor of the emperor, the Pahlavunis, under
Oshin of Gandzak, moved to
Cilician Armenia
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (Middle Armenian: , '), also known as Cilician Armenia ( hy, Կիլիկեան Հայաստան, '), Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia ( hy, ...
, forming the
House of Hethumids. Toumanoff also names the
Zakarid-Mxargrzeli house as branch of the Pahlavunis.
References
Sources
* {{Encyclopaedia Iranica , article = KAMSARAKAN , last = Toumanoff , first = C. , author-link = Cyril Toumanoff , url = http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/kamsarakan , volume = 15 , fascicle = 5 , pages = 453–455
Pahlavuni family