History
I should like to see any power in this world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people whose history is ended, whose wars have been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, whose literature is unread, whose music is unheard, and whose prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy this race! Destroy Armenia! See if you can do it. Send them from their homes into the desert. Let them have neither bread nor water. Burn their homes and churches. Then, see if they will not laugh again, see if they will not sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.
William Saroyan (Armenian Writer)
Brief Introduction to Armenian History
Armenians, an ancient civilisation whose history is long, complex, and in many ways epic and heroic. The descendants of Aram the Brave and Haik the forefather and establisher of the first Armenian kingdom in third millennium BC. A nation who had Kings, Royal dynasties and a widespread Armenian empire in the first century BC. under King Tigran II the Great.
Armenians are the first nation to adopt Christianity as the official religion of their state (301 A.D.). Throughout the centuries they have been persecuted and harassed by neighboring countries and empires, but through all the turbulence and foreign domination, however, Armenians created a rich and a colourful culture, their own alphabet and a socioeconomic structure that has allowed them to preserve their distinct way of life.
By “Armenia” one implies the area where the Armenian people was shaped as a nation, lived and made its history. Greek historians called this country Armenia about 3000 years ago.
The year of 1993 was the 4100 anniversary of the Armenian statehood. According to the History of the Armenians by Movses Khorenatsi in 2107 B.C. the legendary archer Haik defeated the army of the Assyrian king Belus and established the first Armenian kingdom. In 1824 B.C. the Armenian princedoms united and came under one authority thus giving birth to the geographic and political concept of Armenia.
The first indications of Armenia can be traced in Sumerian cuneiform inscriptions dating back to III millennium B.C., and the Hittites testify the existence of a country called Hayasa which is believed to be the cradle of Armenians. According to Assyro-Babyloinian cuneiform inscriptions (XIII-VII cc. B.C) Armenia was also called Nairi (country of rivers). That legendary country consisted of kingdoms of over 60 tribes and included hundreds of towns. The Armenian kingdom is called Ararat kingdom in the Bible.
Archeological excavations have revealed a unique and highly developed civilization in the kingdom of Urartu (Ararat). One proof of that civilization is the town-fortress of Erebuni founded in 782 B.C. on the territory of Armenia’s present capital city of Yerevan.
After the fall of Urartu again an Armenian kingdom emerges in the region.
The Armenians are the descendants of a branch of Indo-Europeans.
According to Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian, the Armenians living in the Armenian Highland spoke one language: Armenians.
In the Hellenistic period, with the strengthening of ties and relations between countries and peoples, and international trade becoming more active, Armenia began trading with neighboring and faraway countries and acting as a transit route. The Hellenic influence was notable also in social and economic sphere, the Greek language being the literary, commercial and legal medium of communication in the entire region. Many Armenian towns were founded during this period. The country’s ancient capital Artashat (founded in 166 B.C.) was on a main road that bridged the Black Sea ports with India and Central Asia. Plutarchos calls Artashat the Armenian Cartagena and mentions that euripides’s Bacchae was performed in Artashat in 53 B.C.
The first century B.C. is considered as Armenia’s Golden Age with its flourishing towns, arts and literature.
Being on the crossroads of East and West Armenia was always a linking bridge in the region. One of the routes of the famous Silk Road crossed Armenia. This favorable geographical position adversely made Armenia an apple of discord between competing powers. Under such cruel historical conditions the Armenian people suffered innumerable tribulations but also became stronger in spirit. Armenians acquired such traits of national character as bravery, perseverance, and succeeded through hard work and creative effort in giving birth to magnificent masterpieces of art.
A very difficult period for Armenia was the first century A.D. The destructive policies of successive Parthian rulers lead the country to decline. Beginning from the second half of the first century Rome exhausted its influence in Armenia and stronger becomes the neighboring Parhian state. At that time founded was the Armenian Arshakouni dynasty which ruled until IV c.
After a long struggle against Rome the Armenian king Trdat I was crowned by Nero in 66 A.D. and a period of revival started in Armenia. Many fortresses and towns wre founded or rebuilt, and a notable advance was made both in arts and science. One of the newly emerged cities was Vagharshapat which later became the cradle of Christianity in Armenia.
According to historians already in 33 A.D. the Armenian king Abgar Arshakouni adopted Christianity which was after his death rejected by his court.
In 301 Armenia adopted Chistianity thus becoming the first country in the world to proclaim it state religion. For comparison, Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire in 313 by the edict of Milan.
The invention of the Armenian alphabet in 405 by St. Mesrop Mashtots seems to be a landmark in the millennial history of the Armenian people that resulted in a powerful cultural bang.
In 449 a rebellion to liberate the country divided between Byzantine and Sasanid Persia burst out. Through great heroism and heavy losses the 66.000 strong Armenian troops wre able to resist about 220.000 Persians in the battle of Avarair in 451. Afterwards the Armenians succeeded in further weakening the Persian state in guerilla warfare.
In the VII century Sasanid Persia collapsed under the invasions of the Arabs. Armenia this time fell under the yoke of the Arab Caliphate. A lengthy national liberation movement ended with the victory of Armenians and in 859 Ashot Bagratouni of the Bagratouni dynasty was recognized Prince of Princes, and in 885 he granted the title of the Armenian king by the Caliph.
Beginning from mid-IX century a notable rise in the country’s economic, spiritual, cultural and political life was marked. Fortress Ani, known from the V century, becomes the nation’s capital in 961. Ani was known as a town of “thousand and one churches”. It had mighty ramparts, gardens and suburbs.
In the XI c. the Armenian kingdom weakens due to both inner instability and under the influence of exterior forces, and Seljuk Turks that had already appeared on the historical scene in the XI century invaded Northern Armenia in 1064.
While Armenia proper lost sovereignty, on the southern costs of the Mediterranean rose another Armenian kingdom – Kilikia – and it lasted for about 300 years. (1080-1375).
After the fall of the Tatar Empire invasions into Armenia by different plunderers did not cease. The troops of Lenk Timur (Tamerlane, 1386) and the Persian Shah Abbas the Great (1604) invaded Armenia devastating the country. After a lengthy struggle Western Armenia passes in 1639 to Turkey, and Eastern Armenia to Persia. This situation lasted until the 20s of the XIX century.
Armenian-Russian relationship starts from X-XII CC. Starting from mid-mid XIV century Armenians began migrating to Russia, and since XVII century the key issue in the political relations with Russia was the liberation of Armenia from Turkish and Persian tyranny. In 1804 war broke out between Russia and Persia, and in 1813 a number of historically Armenian districts (marzes) wre joined to Russia by the Giulistan Accord.
Armenian-Russian relationship starts from X-XII CC. Starting from mid-mid XIV century Armenians began migrating to Russia, and since XVII century the key issue in the political relations with Russia was the liberation of Armenia from Turkish and Persian tyranny. In 1804 war broke out between Russia and Persia, and in 1813 a number of historically Armenian districts (marzes) wre joined to Russia by the Giulistan Accord.
In 1828 the Turkmencha Accord came to finally unify Eastern Armenia with Russia, and in the result of the 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish war the Western Armenian marz of Kars was united with Russia as well.
Starting from the end of the XIX century the Ottoman government planned and carried out massacres of Armenians. The reflections of heroic resistance in SAssoun, Zeitoun, Van and elsewhere still fresh, in 1915 the Turkish government carried out the Genocide of the Armenian nation to which around 1.5million Armenians fell victims.
The survivors were scattered all over the world, and a part of them found refuge in the Eastern Armenia.
On May 289, 1918, Armenia was declared independent state.
In 1920 Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was established.
In 1991 Armenia regained independent statehood.
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan of the Hayots Hamazgain Sharzhum (Pan-Armenian National Movement, HHSh) was elected president in 1991 with a huge majority. He resigned suddenly in 1998 and that year the non-partisan candidate Robert Kocharyan won the presidential elections. Kocharyan was re-elected in 2003. Parliament has been dominated since 2003 by the Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun (Republican Party of Armenia, HHK) of Prime Minister Serj Sargsyan.
Historical events in exact data
IV-III thousand years B.C. origin of fore Armenian tribal unions on the territory of the Armenian Plateau
782 B.C. establishment of Yerevan city
VI-V centuries B.C. completion of the Armenian people's ethnic forming on the Armenian Plateau territory and development of the Armenian language
189 B.C. formation of independent Armenian state
301 A.D. official acceptance by Armenia of Christianity as a state religion
405 A.D. creation by Mesrop Mashtots of the Armenian Alphabet - the basis of written language
428 A.D. partition of Armenia between Rome and Persia
VII century Armenia is in the power of Arabs
884 A.D. liberation of the northwestern part of Armenia and recovery of Armenian State system
1080 - 1375 Armenian State system established in Kilikia (Mediterranean area)
1639 partition of Armenia between Turkey (Western Armenia) and Persia (Eastern Armenia)
1828 Eastern Armenia joins Russia
1915 deportation and genocide of Armenians in Western Armenia
1918 Armenian State system recovery in Eastern Armenia - Declaration of the Republic of Armenia
1920 establishment of the Soviet rule in Armenia
1922 - 1991 Armenia is a part of the USSR
1991 collapse of the USSR and declaration of Independence of the Republic of Armenia
1991 Armenia is a founding member of the Commonwealth of Independent States
1992 Armenia is a member of the U.N.O.
1992 signing of partnership agreement between Armenia and the European Union
2001 Armenia is a full member of the Council of Europe.
2002 Armenia enters into the World Trade Organization (WTO)
