Aram Manougian (
ArmenianThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
: , 1879-1919) also known as "Aram of Van" and to a lesser extent, "Sarkis (
SergeSerge is a male first name, particularly common in France, Belgium, as Sérgio in Portugal and Brazil, and as Sergio in Italy, Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America. The less common female version is Sergine. The name originates from the Roman nomen Sergius, and this from a more ancient...
) Hovanessian", was an
ArmenianThe Armenians are a nation and ethnic group which originated in the Caucasus and the Armenian Highland. It is estimated that there are 8 million Armenians around the world. There is a large concentration of Armenians in the Caucasus, especially in Armenia, and there is a significant presence in...
revolutionary, politician and general who managed and led the
Van ResistanceThe Resistance at Van was an insurgency against the Ottoman Empire's attempts to eliminate the Armenian population in the vilâyet of Van...
and instrumented the founding of the
Democratic Republic of ArmeniaThe Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian republic. The republic was established in the former territory of Eastern Armenia in the Russian Empire following the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Aram Manougian joined the
Armenian Revolutionary FederationThe Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
at a very early age. He is credited as a political, military and spiritual leader of the Armenian people during and after the
Armenian GenocideThe Armenian Genocide , also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Calamity , was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
.
Aram Manougian was born in the village of
ZeyvaZeyva or Dzeyva or Zeyvə may refer to:*Zeyva, Armenia*Arratashen, Armenia*Davit Bek, Armenia*Taronik, Armenia*Zeyva, Azerbaijan*Kələzeyvə, Azerbaijan*Zeyvə, Davachi, Azerbaijan*Zeyvə, Goranboy, Azerbaijan*Zeyvə, Ismailli, Azerbaijan...
(modern-day
David BekDavid Bek was an Armenian military commander and one of the most prominent military figures of the Armenian liberation movement of the 18th century against the occupying forces of Safavid Iran and the Ottoman Empire...
) in the province of
ElizavetpolGanja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city. It was named Elizavetpol in the Russian Empire, and Kirovabad in the USSR.-Foundation of the city and its etymology:...
,
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
(modern-day
KapanKapan ; former names include Ghapan, Ghap’an, Kafin, Kafan, Katan, Qafan, Zangezur, and Madan) is the capital of the Syunik province of Armenia...
region of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
).
Aram Manougian (
ArmenianThe Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
: , 1879-1919) also known as "Aram of Van" and to a lesser extent, "Sarkis (
SergeSerge is a male first name, particularly common in France, Belgium, as Sérgio in Portugal and Brazil, and as Sergio in Italy, Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America. The less common female version is Sergine. The name originates from the Roman nomen Sergius, and this from a more ancient...
) Hovanessian", was an
ArmenianThe Armenians are a nation and ethnic group which originated in the Caucasus and the Armenian Highland. It is estimated that there are 8 million Armenians around the world. There is a large concentration of Armenians in the Caucasus, especially in Armenia, and there is a significant presence in...
revolutionary, politician and general who managed and led the
Van ResistanceThe Resistance at Van was an insurgency against the Ottoman Empire's attempts to eliminate the Armenian population in the vilâyet of Van...
and instrumented the founding of the
Democratic Republic of ArmeniaThe Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian republic. The republic was established in the former territory of Eastern Armenia in the Russian Empire following the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Aram Manougian joined the
Armenian Revolutionary FederationThe Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
at a very early age. He is credited as a political, military and spiritual leader of the Armenian people during and after the
Armenian GenocideThe Armenian Genocide , also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Calamity , was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
.
Early years
Aram Manougian was born in the village of
ZeyvaZeyva or Dzeyva or Zeyvə may refer to:*Zeyva, Armenia*Arratashen, Armenia*Davit Bek, Armenia*Taronik, Armenia*Zeyva, Azerbaijan*Kələzeyvə, Azerbaijan*Zeyvə, Davachi, Azerbaijan*Zeyvə, Goranboy, Azerbaijan*Zeyvə, Ismailli, Azerbaijan...
(modern-day
David BekDavid Bek was an Armenian military commander and one of the most prominent military figures of the Armenian liberation movement of the 18th century against the occupying forces of Safavid Iran and the Ottoman Empire...
) in the province of
ElizavetpolGanja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city. It was named Elizavetpol in the Russian Empire, and Kirovabad in the USSR.-Foundation of the city and its etymology:...
,
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
(modern-day
KapanKapan ; former names include Ghapan, Ghap’an, Kafin, Kafan, Katan, Qafan, Zangezur, and Madan) is the capital of the Syunik province of Armenia...
region of
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
). In 1903, he became involved in the defense of
GandzakGanja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city. It was named Elizavetpol in the Russian Empire, and Kirovabad in the USSR.-Foundation of the city and its etymology:...
and Kars, operations led by the
ARFThe Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...
. In the autumn of 1904, he made his first visit to
VanA van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people. It is usually a box-shaped vehicle on four wheels, about the same width and length as a large automobile, but taller and usually higher off the ground, also referred to as a light commercial vehicle or LCV...
via
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
, where he promoted reform. In 1911, he travelled to
GenevaGeneva, is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie...
where he spent a year before returning to Van, where he became the leader of the ARF in the region. In Van, he took an active role in the Armenian community by teaching at schools, communicating with the press, encouraging national establishments and promoting Armenian youth circles. He became a suspect in the murder of
Bedros KapamajianBedros Kapamajian , was an Armenian citizen of the Ottoman Empire, a textile trader, and mayor of the town of Van....
after a fellow Armenian accused him of the crime and was jailed by Ottoman officials. After attaining freedom, he travelled from
Garin-Others:*Gar'in, a Hebrew term for groups of immigrants*Garin Tzabar, a program for children of Israelis and Diaspora Jews to facilitate their service in the Israeli military*Garin, Haute-Garonne, a commune in southern France...
to
OrduOrdu is a port on the Black Sea coast of Turkey and the capital city of Ordu Province.-Etymology:"Ordu" means 'army' in the Turkish language...
as a teacher and activist organizer. With the beginning of
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
and the
Armenian GenocideThe Armenian Genocide , also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Calamity , was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
, he headed back to the city of Van. In 1915, he managed and led the successful
Van ResistanceThe Resistance at Van was an insurgency against the Ottoman Empire's attempts to eliminate the Armenian population in the vilâyet of Van...
against Ottoman authorities. With the Armenian victory, he was appointed as governor of Vaspurakan, which became a short-lived independent city.
National Council
After the reoccupation of Van by Ottoman troops, Aram Manougian settled in
TbilisiTbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form Tp'ilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
,
GeorgiaGeorgia Georgia Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan...
and occupied himself with the works of the ARF party bureau, the National Committee and the issues of the refugees of Van. By the end of 1917, he became the chief of the
Armenian Congress of Eastern ArmeniansThe Armenian Congress of Eastern Armenians was established in October 1917. It united the Armenian National Councils all around the Russian Armenia....
.
Democratic Republic of Armenia and death
In 1918, the National Committee sent Aram Manougian to the
YerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. It is situated on the Hrazdan River, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
area as a fully authorized representative. There he helped found the Democratic Republic of Armenia and was appointed its First
Interior MinisterAn interior ministry is a government ministry typically responsible for policing, national security, and immigration matters. The ministry is often headed by a minister of the interior or minister of home affairs...
. He was also appointed as Minister of Labor and Defense Minister from November 15, 1918 to December 13, 1918. His took part in the organizing of the
Battle of SardarapatThe Battle of Sardarabad was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarapat, Armenia from May 24 to May 26, 1918...
, which repulsed a Turkish attack on the newly established independent Armenia and stops the advance towards Yerevan.
In 1919, he fell ill and died at the age of 40 and was buried at the Tokhmakh Central Cemetery.
See also
- Battle of Kara Killisse (1918)
The Battle of Karakilisa was a battle of Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place in the vicinity of Vanadzor, in 1918...
- Battle of Bash Abaran
The Battle of Bash Abaran was a battle of Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place in the vicinity of Bash Abaran, in 1918. The Turkish divisions attacked on May 21, but after three days of fierce combat the Armenians remained firm and the Turkish regiments retreated in defeat...