Vachutian dynasty (in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

Վաչուտյան տուն or Վաչուտյաններ) was an

noble feudal family headed by a line of princes with the title "Prince of Princes" (in

Իշխանաց իշխան pronounced Ishkhanats Ishkhan), that ruled as a

suzerainty Suzerainty () is the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity who controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, while allowing the tributary state to have internal autonomy. While the subordinate party is cal ...

in part of

Medieval Armenia Medieval Armenia refers to the history of Armenia during the Middle Ages. It follows Ancient Armenia and covers a period of approximately eight centuries, beginning with the Muslim conquest of Armenia in the 7th century. Key events during this p ...

from around 1206 AD to 1350 AD in the Ayraradian area and

Aragatsotn Aragatsotn ( hy, Արագածոտն, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported ...

Aparan Aparan (Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia, located in the Aragatsotn Province, about 50 kilometers northwest of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 6,451. As per the 2016 offic ...

(present day

Aragatsotn Province Aragatsotn ( hy, Արագածոտն, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported ...

in Armenia). The Vachutian dynasty was founded by Vache I Amberdtsi (also known as Vachutyan) in the beginning of the thirteenth century as one of the ruling families of the semi-independent

Zakarid Armenia Zakarid Armenia ( hy, Զաքարյան Հայաստան ''Zakaryan Hayastan'') was an Armenian principality between 1201 and 1360, ruled by the Zakarid-Mkhargrzeli dynasty. The city of Ani was the capital of the princedom. The Zakarids were va ...

(1201–1335), as

Zakare II Zakarian Zakare Zakarian ( hy, Զաքարե Զաքարյան or Զաքարե Երկայնաբազուկ, ) or Zakaria II Mkhargrdzeli (, ), was an Armenian general of Queen Tamar of Georgia army during the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He was the r ...

and

Ivane I Zakarian Ivane is a Georgian masculine given name. It is a cognate of the name John. Notable people with the name include: *Ivane Abazasdze (Georgian: იოანე აბაზასძე), 11th-century Georgian feudal lord, a duke of Kartli under Kin ...

had reorganized Armenia into several provinces each ruled by a feudal prince, amongst them the descendants of Vachut. Throughout their rule, the Vachutians kept close family relations through marriages with other Armenian feudal princes like the Zakarids (Զաքարյաններ) the latter keeping the title of king in

after the collapse of the

Bagratuni dynasty The Bagratuni or Bagratid dynasty ( hy, Բագրատունի, ) was an Armenian royal dynasty which ruled the medieval Kingdom of Armenia from c. 885 until 1045. Originating as vassals of the Kingdom of Armenia of antiquity, they rose to beco ...

. Vachutians also kept close relation with the Hamazapyan-Mamikonian family (Համազասպյան-Մամիկոնյան), Ukanantz (Ուքանանց) and other feudal families.

Capitals and religious seats

The main seat of the vachutians was at

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 the religious centers at

Hovhannavank Hovhannavank ( hy, Հովհաննավանք) is a medieval monastery located in the village of Ohanavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The monastery stands on the edge of the Kasagh River canyon, and its territory is adjacent to the vill ...

Saghmosavank The Saghmosavank ( hy, Սաղմոսավանք, lit. "monastery of the Psalms") is a 13th-century Armenian monastic complex located in the village of Saghmosavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. Like the Hovhannavank monastery which is five ...

and in Karbi that they generously financed, repaired and rebuilt. After the capital fortress of Amberd was partially destroyed by the invading Mongols in 1236, Kurd I that followed to reign after his father Vache I moved the capital to

Vardenis, Aragatsotn Vardenis ( hy, Վարդենիս) is a village in the Aparan Municipality of the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western As ...

building a fortified castle. Historians of the time recounted that Kurt I invited Hethum I), king of the

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia 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, ...

to Vardenis. Kurt I's sons Hassan and Davit II moved the capital to Karbi's fortress. Kurt II and his son Theoedos who was the last ruling prince of the dynasty reestablished

as the dynasty's capital in the 1300s, after repairing it from destruction.

End of the dynasty

The dynasty was destroyed and terminated around 1350 AD by

Chupanid The Chobanids or the Chupanids ( fa, سلسله امرای چوپانی) were descendants of a Mongol family of the Suldus clan that came to prominence in 14th century Persia. At first serving under the Ilkhans, they took ''de facto'' control ...

ruler of Northern Iran

Malek Ashraf Malek Ashraf (), (-1357) was a Chupanid ruler of northwestern Iran during the 14th century. He was the last of the Chupanids to possess a significant influence within Ilkhanate. Early years He was the second son of Timurtash and his wife Daula ...

, who destroyed the Zakarid dynasty and almost all the other Armenian principalities of the time as well.

Princes of the Vachutian dynasty

*1206-1230 - Vache I (known as Amberdtsi) (Վաչե Ա. Ամբերդեցի) Vachutyan, son of Sargis, grandson of Vachut I through whose name the dynasty was named. Prince Vache the first ruling prince of the Vachutian principality was married to Mamakhatun, daughter of Hassan. (See hy) *1230-1240 - Kurd I (Քուրդ Ա. Ամբերդեցի), son of Vache I, was married to Khorishah, daughter of Prince Mamikonyan-Hamazapyan Mardzpan. It was a turbulent time as the Mongolian invaded the area and destroyed Amberd's fortifications. (See hy) **Vachut II (Վաչուտ Բ), concurrently, Kurd I's brother, called Vachut II as Vachut I was reserved to the founding father of the family, the grandfather of Vache I. *1240-1329 (precise dates unclear) **around 1240 - Davit I (Դավիթ Ա.) **around 1240-1254 - Vache II (Վաչե Բ.) **Hassan (Հասան), son of Kurt I **Mamakhatun (Մամախաթուն) **Davit II (Դավիթ Բ.), son of Kurt I **Mamkan (Մամքան) **Dayir (Տայիր) **Vache III (Վաչե Գ.) **Davit III (Դավիթ Գ.) *1329-1338 - Kurd II (Քուրդ Բ. Ամբերդեցի), son of Dayir, married to Khuand Khatun, daughter of Amirbek of the Zakaryan dynasty (See hy) *1338-1350 - Theoedos (Թեոյդոս Ամբերդեցի) (known as Theoedos Amberdtsi), the last ruler of the dynasty (See hy)

Notes

Note: Vachutians' founding prince Vache I Amberdtsi who ruled in the thirteenth century should not be confused with Vache I of Iberia who ruled in what is known today as Georgia north of Armenia in the 3rd century, nor with

Vache I of Albania Vache I was the second Arsacid ruler of Caucasian Albania from approximately 336 to 350. He was succeeded by Urnayr Urnayr (attested only as Old Armenian Ուռնայր ''Uṙnayr'') was the third Arsacid king of Caucasian Albania from approxima ...

who ruled in what is known today as Azerbaijan to the west of Armenia in the third century.

Sources

*Text is a translation based on the Armenian Wikipedia article hy:Վաչուտյաններ *Tigran Petrosyants, ''Vachutians'' (Վաչուտյաններ), Yerevan, 2001, 364 էջ։ {{DEFAULTSORT:Vachutians Medieval Armenia States and territories established in 1206 1350 disestablishments