ATABEKIAN - ATABEKYAN
ATABEKIAN (Atabekyan), ATABEKOV, ATABEKIANS OF JRABERD – an Armenian princely house (meliqs), which according to historian Raffi “originated from an ancient noble clan”. The Atabekians are one of the branches of medieval Armenian princely houses of the Arranians (Arranshahiks) and Hasan-Jalalians, as well as have dynastic links with the Zaqarians (Longshine-Mxargrdzelis) and the Artzrunis of Mahkanaberd. The hereditary title of these houses – atabek (literally “father of princes”) – initially became a given name in the family of Khachen’s prince Hasan-Jalal the Great, whose mother was the sister of the Zakarian princes. There were several Atabeks in the house of Hasan-Jalalians, and one of them became the founder of the Atabekians. Russian military historian General-Lieutenant Vasiliy Potto wrote a book that was entirely dedicated to the house of Atabekians. In his book he mentioned grand prince atabek Sadun as the founder of the Atabekian house. The hereditary meliq rights of the Atabekians on the Jraberd principality were inter alia recognized by the firman (an official decree) of Karabakh khane in 1814. The Atabekians were the last rulers of the Jraberd principality in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh); the territory of this principality roughly corresponds to present-day Mardakert district of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The Atabekians preserved their hereditary rights up until the 1850s, when as a result of administrative reform in the Russian Empire their estates were transferred to the Russian imperial possession. Instead, they received a significant financial compensation. Despite this, the Atabekians preserved their princely title and the corresponding social status. On 24 February 1872 the Shushi Bekly Commission adopted Resolution #123, which states that the Atabekians are “the descendants of the famous Armenian nobleman Atabek the Great of Jraberd”, that according to the cameral descriptions of 1832, 1848 and 1863 they are registered as nobility… and the entire clan originates from genuine beks (noblemen)”.The family estate of the Atabekians was the town of Kusapat, south of fortress Jraberd, which was also owned by the Atabekians in the first half of the 19th century. The Atabekians also owned seven other villages around Kusapat. These settlements were either founded or reconstructed from their own funds and thus were released from paying duty taxes from these villages. In the course of complex political processes in the Caucasus, since 1804 some Atabekians started migrating from Artsakh (Karabakh) and getting settled in another Armenian province – Tavush. As a result, two main branches of the house emerged – the Jraberd branch in Artsakh and Mahkanaberd branch in Tavush. Still, family name Atabekian is very rare and all bearers of this family name are relatives originally from Jraberd principality. In some documents of Russian Imperial period the Atabekians are presented as Arutinovs, which is after Tuni (Harutyun) Atabekov, father of Vani and Hakob Atabekians. Today the descendants of Atabekians live in Armenia, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Russia, France (written with characteristic French nobility spelling as d’Atabekian), the USA, Canada, Argentina, Georgia and some other countries of the world. According to some data, the Polish noble (szlachta) house of Augustynovicz (Awgustinowicz) sprang from the Atabekians. In 1979 in town of Tzaghkavan (former Meliqgyugh in province of Tavush in Armenia) tohmahavaq, clan assembly of the Atabekians, took place. In the course of that assembly and in accordance of ancient family tradition, Lord of House (tanuter-tohmapet) was elected. Sahak Atabekian from the Mahkanaberd branch of the house became the Lord of the House. The totem of the house of Atabekian is the white eagle (which symbolizes the unity of the Artsakh and Artzruni roots of the house) on the red shield, with sword and tsakat (traditional axe of the north-east provinces of Armenian highland). The heraldic symbol (tohmanish) of the Atabekians is the golden berdanish (literally “sign of the castle”), which represents a simplified sketch of four-cornered fortress with round bastions in the corners. Accordingly, red, yellow and white are the traditional color of the Atabekians.
The house of Atabekians gave birth to many renowned politicians, military leaders and scientists. Last updated in May 2006
Сообщение отправлено: 20 июня 2006 9:28 (
Aznwakan)
|
