THE HASAN-JALALIANS, the Jalaliants, the Asan-JalalovsThis is an Armenian princely (meliq) dynasty of Artsakh (Karabakh). The genealogy of the Hasan-Jalalians is deeply rooted in the early Armenian history, and through Aran it reaches back to Hayk the Projenitor. The family of the Hasan-Jalaians received its name from prince Hasan-Jalal Dola (also known as Jalal Dawla the Great), the founder of the Lower Xachen branch of the Aranians (the Aranshahiks). Hasan-Jalal Dola himself was a son of Armenian prince Vaxthang-Tangik Aranian, the ruler of Xachen, and princess Xorishah Zakarian, the sister of princes Zakare and Ivane Zakarians. He possessed the titles of a 'grand prince of Xachen and lands of Artsakh', 'ruling prince of princes' and 'overlord'. Prince Hasan-Jalal married princess Mamkan, a daughter of 'king of Bagh', and had one son, prince Atabek-Ivane I, and three daughters. During the difficult years of Mongol-Tartar invasion due to his flexible diplomacy and the dynastic match of his daughter, princess Rusann (Rusukan), with the Mongol commander Charmagan, prince Hasan-Jalal obtained from the Mongols a recognition of his inheritance rights to Lower Xachen and secured a comparative peace for his domain. In the pursuit of this objective, he traveled on a diplomatic mission with his son Atabek-Ivane I to Karakorum, the capital of the Mongol Empire, to the court of Mangu-Khan. However, later due to an unsuccessful anti-Mongolian revolt with the participation of some members of the Georgian royal family and some Armenian princes (or according to another theory - due to a conspiracy charge) he was detained by Mongolian tax collector Argun and perished in tortures. The remains of prince Hasan-Jalalian were burried in the monsatery of Gandzasar.
Initially the lands of Hasan-Jalal were extending toward the basins of the Xachenaget, Chorxndzorijur, Karkar and Tharthar (in its midflow) rivers and in the south toward the left bank of the Arax river. However, subsequently due to the branching in the family, the possessions of the main branch of the Hasan-Jalalians were reduced to the basin of the Xachenaget river and the left bank of the Karkar river. The Hasan-Jalalians owned the Xoxanaberd (Tharxanaberd) and Kachaghakaberd fortresses and the Darbasner palace, and their family seat was in the village of Vank in the Metz Arank region of Artsakh. After a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, in 1216 prince Hasan-Jalal started the construction of the Gandzasar monastery on a hilltop of the same name, which was completed in 1240 and consecrated in the presence of 700 clergymen and many representatives of the Armenian nobility during the holy day of Vardavar on the 22nd of July (the date was restored according to the data in the church calendar).
According to a legend the head of John the Baptist was buried in Gandzasar, which became the spiritual center and familial burial site of the Hasan-Jalalian princes. There were other spiritual centers as well, the St. Hakob Metzaranic church, Horek, and Jrvashtik (the St. Yeghishe church). From the 14th century the Hasan-Jalalian princes began to occupy by hereditary right the Aghvanq catholicosal seat of the Armenian Apostolic church in Artsakh, the chair of which was set in the Gandzasar monastery. In the absence of a centralized Armenian kingdom the Hasan-Jalalians managed to hold in their grip the secular and spiritual power of the eastern regions of Armenia (namely of Artsakh-Xachen), and as a result were recognized as the 'prince of princes' by other princely and noble families of Arcakh.
In 16th to 18th centuries many princes and catholicosi of the Hasan-Jalalian dynasty led the liberation fights of the Armenian principalities of Artsakh against the Ottomans and Persians, particularly against the Shushi khans who were governors appointed by Persia. In 1714 by virtue of the consolidating effort of the Hasan-Jalalians (particularly of prince-catholicos Yesayi Hasan-Jalalian) during the traditional meeting of the Council of the Armenian princes in Gandzasar a military and political pact was sealed between the meliqdoms of Artsakh, known as the Meliqdoms of Xamsa (meaning 'five principalities'). The Hasan-Jalalians corresponded with the royal houses of Europe and Russia seeking political support in their liberation struggle against Persia. In 1813 the national struggle of the Armenians eventually culminated in Artsakh and other eastern Armenian provinces becoming a part of the Russian Empire. Two years later in 1815 the Gandzasar catholicosate was liquidated, and in the mid-19th century Russia also liquidated the meliq rule in Artsakh. Many members of the Hasan-Jalalian family were employed by the Russian Empire in different governmental positions by virtue of their recognition as hereditary nobles. Some Hasan-Jalalians moved to Bolnis-Xachen, Yerevan, Tiflis, Baku and central Russia. The last rulers of the Jraberd principality and some other noble houses of Artsakh are cadet branches of the Hasan-Jalalian dynasty.
The coat of arms of the Hasan-Jalalians is depicted on one of the walls of the Gandzasar monastery and is an image of two lions facing each other. Another version of the family coat of arms is etched on the tombstone of prince Hasan-Jalal in the form of the Armenian sixangled star with the sign of eternity in the center and fleurs-de-lis on the borders. This very coat of arms is adopted by the current generations of the Hasan-Jalalians who organized the Hasan-Jalal Dola foundation and who meet annually during the holiday of Vardavar in their paternal village of Vanq and in Gandzasar.
References:
Gandzakeci, Kirakos. History of Armenia. Moscow, 1976;
Davrijeci, Araqel. Book of Histories. Moscow, 1978;
Kalankatvatc, Movses. History of Aghvanq. Yerevan, 1984;
Ulubabian, Bagrat. Principality of Xachen in 10th to 16th centuries. Yerevan, 1975;
Raffi. Meliqdoms of Xamsa. Yerevan, 1991;
Magalian, Artak. On Armenian Meliqdoms. Venice, 2004-2005.
Source:
Published with author's permission
