Mikayel Chamchian
Encyclopedia
Mikayel Chamchian was an Armenian Mekhitarist monk and historian.
and trained as a jeweler by the imperial jeweler Mikayel Chelebi Diuzian. He joined the Mekhitarian order in Venice in 1762.
In 1774 he was appointed instructor of Armenian language
in the monastery. In 1779, he wrote Kerakanutiun Haykazian Lezvi (Grammar of the Armenian). By 1784, he had finished his Patmutiun Hayots i Skzbane Ashkharhi Minchev tsam diarn (Պատմութիւն Հայոց Armenian history from the beginning of the world to the year 1784). The work marks the beginning of Romantic Armenian nationalism.
Chamchian provided a chronology for the Armenian patriarchs of Moses of Chorene's History of Armenia
, dating Haik
's battle with Belus
to 11 August 2492 BC.
He is also the source for the traditionally accepted date for the foundation of official Christiandom in Armenia
as AD 301.
In 1795, he was sent back to Istanbul as the resident Mekhitarian representative.
Career
Chamchian was born in IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and trained as a jeweler by the imperial jeweler Mikayel Chelebi Diuzian. He joined the Mekhitarian order in Venice in 1762.
In 1774 he was appointed instructor of Armenian language
Armenian language
The 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...
in the monastery. In 1779, he wrote Kerakanutiun Haykazian Lezvi (Grammar of the Armenian). By 1784, he had finished his Patmutiun Hayots i Skzbane Ashkharhi Minchev tsam diarn (Պատմութիւն Հայոց Armenian history from the beginning of the world to the year 1784). The work marks the beginning of Romantic Armenian nationalism.
Chamchian provided a chronology for the Armenian patriarchs of Moses of Chorene's History of Armenia
History of Armenia (Moses of Chorene)
The History of Armenia attributed to Moses Khorenatsi is an early account of Armenia, covering the mythological origins of the Armenian people as well as Armenia's interaction with Sassanid, Byzantine and Arsacid empires down to the 5th century....
, dating Haik
Haik
Hayk Nahapet is the legendary patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation. His story is told in the History of Armenia attributed to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi .- Etymology :...
's battle with Belus
Belus
Belus or Belos may be:* The classical Latin or Greek rendition of Bel the Semitic honorific**Ba`al as a Semitic deity** Belus , the Greek Zeus Belos and Latin Jupiter Belus as translations of the Babylonian god Bel Marduk...
to 11 August 2492 BC.
He is also the source for the traditionally accepted date for the foundation of official Christiandom in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
as AD 301.
In 1795, he was sent back to Istanbul as the resident Mekhitarian representative.
Sources
- Razmik Panossian, The Armenians: From Kings And Priests to Merchants And Commissars, Columbia University Press (2006), ISBN 978-0231139267.
- Adalian, Rouben P., From Humanism to Rationalism: Armenian Scholarship in the Nineteenth Century. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1992.
- Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa (2004).
See also
- MechitaristsMechitaristsThe Mechitarists , are a congregation of Benedictine monks of the Armenian Catholic Church founded in 1712 by Abbot Mechitar of Sebastia. They are best known for their series of scholarly publications of ancient Armenian versions of otherwise lost ancient Greek texts.-History:Their eponymous...