Nahabed Rusinian ( hy, Նահապետ Ռուսինեան, tr, Nahabet Rusinyan, french: Roussignan, 1819–1876) was a prominent

Ottoman Armenian Armenians in the Ottoman Empire (or Ottoman Armenians) mostly belonged to either the Armenian Apostolic Church or the Armenian Catholic Church. They were part of the Armenian millet until the Tanzimat reforms in the nineteenth century equa ...

poet, publicist, physician, orator, writer, political activist, translator, and contributor to the

Armenian National Constitution The Armenian National Constitution ( hy, Հայ ազգային սահմանադրութիւն ''Hay azkayin sahmanatroutioun''; french: Constitution nationale arménienne) or Regulation of the Armenian Nation ( ota, Nizâmnâme-i Millet-i Ermeniy ...

Life

Nahabed Rusinian was born in the village of Efkere near Kayseri in 1819 to Armenian parents. His family moved to Constantinople in 1828. He completed his secondary education in Constantinople and in 1840, he was awarded a scholarship to continue his studies in medicine in Paris. While in Paris, Rusinian audited courses on literature and philosophy at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

, and was influenced by the ideas of

Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869), was a French author, poet, and statesman who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolore as the flag of France. ...

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

Montesquieu Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (; ; 18 January 168910 February 1755), generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French judge, man of letters, historian, and political philosopher. He is the princi ...

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

, and other political philosophers. It was at the Sorbonne where Rusinian was confronted, for the very first time, with the principle of popular vote and other constitutionalist ideas. Rusinian returned to Constantinople in 1851 and upon recommendation of Servitchen, he became the family physician of

Fuad Pasha Mehmed Fuad Pasha (1814 – February 12, 1869), sometimes known as Keçecizade Mehmed Fuad Pasha and commonly known as Fuad Pasha, was an Ottoman administrator and statesman, who is known for his prominent role in the Tanzimat reforms of the ...

. He died in 1879 in Istanbul. Nahabed Rusinian Student Portrait

Political activism

His first attempts at political reform, within the

Armenian millet The Armenian millet ( tr, Ermeni milleti) was the Ottoman millet (autonomous ethnoreligious community) of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It initially included not just Armenians in the Ottoman Empire but members of other Christian churches including ...

, were concentrated on language and education. His ''Ուղղախօսութիւն'' (Orthology), with all its shortcomings, was the result of a creative mind, and possessed the value of a pioneering effort. In 1858 he was appointed by the Ottoman government an official physician for the Military Hospital of Istanbul where he served until 1860. In the millet's national assemblies, Rusinian was considered the most liberal deputy, constantly conceiving new projects for reform. After the establishment of the

and during the National Assembly sessions, Rusinian switched alternatively between speaker of the assembly and deputy.

Literary activity

Nahapet Rusinian translated numerous literary works from French authors such as

Ruy Blas ''Ruy Blas'' is a tragic drama by Victor Hugo. It was the first play presented at the Théâtre de la Renaissance and opened on November 8, 1838. Though considered by many to be Hugo’s best drama, the play was initially met with only average ...

. His poem " Giligia", though an adaptation of

Frédéric Bérat Frédéric Bérat (11 March 1801, Rouen - 2 December 1855, Paris) was a French composer, chansonnier and goguettier. His best known song is '' Ma Normandie'', the official anthem of the Bailiwick of Jersey. Biography He was the sixth of s ...

's French poem "My Normandy", contains nationalist and emotional themes. It became the lyrics of the famous song of the same name.

References

External links

"Kilikia" song with lyrics
* Jennifer Manoukian, "Nahabed Rusinian," Encyclopedia of Romantic Nationalism in Europe: https://ernie.uva.nl/viewer.p/21/56/object/131-515557 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rusinian, Nahapet 19th-century writers from the Ottoman Empire Armenian-language writers Physicians from the Ottoman Empire Politicians of the Ottoman Empire Ethnic Armenian translators People from Kayseri Armenians from the Ottoman Empire 1819 births 1876 deaths 19th-century translators 19th-century male writers 19th-century poets from the Ottoman Empire