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, 1983, 2.17, 3.19-22. (, in Arabic sources: ''Sahl ibn Sunbat'' or ''Sahl ibn Sunbat al-Armaniyy'';Masudi,
Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems. vol VIII
' birthdate unknown – c. 855) was an Armenian prince of Arran and ShakiV. Minorsky. ''Caucasica IV''. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 15, No. 3. (1953), pp. 504-529. who played a considerable role in the history of the eastern Caucasus during the 9th century and was the ancestor of the House of Khachen established in 821.Robert H. Hewsen, ''Armenia: A Historical Atlas''. The University of Chicago Press, 2001, pp. 119, 163.

Name

Armenian ''Smbatean'' or Arabic ''ibn Sunbat'' was Sahl's paternal name – ''Smbat'' is derived from the Pahlavi proper name ''Sunbādh'' "Sinbad". ar, Sahl "Mask" is the Arabic form of his name, ''Sahak''.Michael the Syrian. ''Chronology''. Jerusalem, 1879, p. 365.

Origins

Movses Kaghankatvatsi wrote that Sahl Smbatyan was a descendant of the ancient Armenian House of Aranshahik (itself a branch of the Syunid dynasty). V.A.Shnirelman,
Albanian Myth
'Cyrille Toumanoff, ''Studies in Christian Caucasian History''. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 1963, pp. 257-258. This dynasty had a blood feud with the Mihranid dynasty,. Arakel Babakhanian (Leo). ''Ժողովածու'' (''Collected Works''). vol. ii. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Sovetakan Grogh, 1967, pp. 143-145, 326-328, 419. According to tradition, in the beginning of the 7th century the Mihranids had invited 60 men of the Aranshahiks to a banquet and had killed them all, with the exception of Zarmihr Aranshahik, who had married a Mihranid princess. Hence the Mihranid family had become princes of Gardman and presiding princes of all Caucasian Albania. Sahl Smbatean was a descendant of Zarmihr Aranshahik.

Hence the House of Khachen is regarded as a cadet branch of the House of Aranshahik. Although some historians make a difference between ''Sahl of Shaki'' and ''Sahak of Syunik''. According to the historian Robert H. Hewsen, Sahl was a Syunid prince, who seized Gegharkunik from Syunid family domains and established a princedom for himself.

When Sahl came to power, the Mihranid family's power was already weakening. In 822 the last heir of this family, princess Spram Mihranian, married Sahl's son Atrnerseh I in the fortress of Khachen. Subsequently, the new princedom expanded to the east and included Artsakh and Gardman.

Reign

In Armenian sources, Sahl Smbatean and his brothers are remembered for their successful battles against enemy invaders in the mountains of Artsakh. The earliest known clash between Sahl and the Arab army took place in 822, when the latter invaded the canton of Amaras. The Arab rule in the region was substantially weakened due to the revolt of Babak Khorramdin in Iranian Azerbaijan (822-837). Babak married the daughter of Vasak, Prince of Syunik, and fought with him against the Islamic conquest of Persia. However, after the death of Vasak (in 822), Babak tried to dominate Syunik and Artsakh, and in 826-831 committed atrocities against the revolted Armenians of Balk, Gegharkunik and Lachin (the three cantons of Syunik). In that account, Babak was described as "the murderous, world-ravaging, bloodthirsty beast" by the Armenian historiographer Movses Kaghankatvatsi. The Armenians continued the struggle against Babak in the cantons of Artsakh.

In 837-838 Afshin, the prominent general of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutasim, was sent to Armenia to fight against Babak.Vardan Areveltsi, ''A Universal History''. Yerevan, 2001, pp. 118-119. After a crushing defeat, Babak took refuge in the mountains controlled by Sahl Smbatean, who, however, captured him and surrendered to Afshin. Sahl received 1,000,000 silver dirham's in reward from Afshin. According to Movses Kaghankatvatsi, the Caliphate assigned him sovereignty over Armenia, Georgia and Albania.

Exile

In 854, according to Tovma Artsruni, Sahl Smbatean and many other princes of Armenia (including Atrnerseh of Khachen and Esayi Abu-Muse of Ktish) were captured by Bugha al-Kabir, the Turkish commander of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutawakkil, and exiled to Samarra.Emeri "van" Donzel. ''Islamic Desk Reference'', BRILL, 1994, , p. 110 Atrnerseh would soon return to Sodk; the fate of Sahl Smbatean is unknown, although he died sometime after 855.

See also

* Esayi Abu-Muse

References

{{reflist, 2

House of Aranshahik
9th-century Armenian people
Monarchs of Hereti