[1] After the expulsion from paradise of Adam, the man created by God, and after the command of the lord God [that Adam] for all the days of his life should eat bread [produced] through the sweat of labor—because of the deceit of woman and the treachery of the vile snake, and all this for forgetting God's beautiful command—the nature of man was eager to occupy itself with the physical pleasures of the body. Meanwhile the slanderer Satan, because of his wicked envy, was ever teaching mankind to work inequities, such as Cain's fratricide and the impious giants, to create new sins, and to eat carrion.
When the Creator saw this, He became angry because of mankind's evil deeds and caused the Flood to destroy everyone excepting the venerable and just Noah who preserved the seed of mankind. The father of faith, the great Abraham, Tereh (T'aray)'s son, was born ten generations after Noah the just. [Abraham] was styled the "sublime father" since many peoples and tribes derived from him, due to the blessing of God. [God] told [Abraham] to "multiply in sons like stars in the sky or like sand on the seashore" [end of grabar (Classical Armenian) text page 284; henceforth shown as, for example, g284]. And indeed, that is what happened.
Isaac was born from Abraham's free wife. Esau and Jacob were [Isaac's] descendants. Jacob's descendants included the twelve patriarchs and the great prophet, David. The Word of God, our lord Jesus Christ, was revealed from the house and line of David.
[There were also descendants] from the hand maidens of Abraham, one of whom was named Hagar and the other Kendura (Ketura). From Ketura, Imran was born whence the Pahlaws, [a lineage which includes] brave Arshak and saint Gregory, illuminator of the Armenians. From Hagar [descended] Ishmael, which translates "the hearing of God," whence the Ishmaelites. At the birth of Ishmael, God commanded Abraham to give to him and his people the richness of the land, and to make a great people from him with his hand upon his enemies, and more successful than all other peoples with the sword and bow.
The Esavites, who are the Scythians, descended from Esau, son of Isaac. They are black, wild, and strange looking. From them descend the Boramichk' and Lekzik', who dwell in holes and traps and perpetrate many crimes.
And it is said that the Edomites, who are the Franks, also are descended from him. These three peoples, descendants of Hagar, Ketura, and Esau, mingled together and gave birth to another people, strange looking and wicked, called T'at'ar, which means sharp and light.
St. Nerse's says that [the Mongols] are the remnants of Hagar mingled with the people of Gog, who are descendants of the T'orgom who hold the Scythian part of the world. This begins at the At'l [Volga] river, by Mt. Emawon and extends as far as the Caspian Sea where [g286] thirty-three peoples dwell. They are called by the barbaric names Xuzh and Duzh. They are separate peoples. The chief of all of them is called Bushx.
Of these peoples, one is called T'ughark', which we believe are the ones called T'at'ars.
[2] As we heard from some of them, this [Mongol] people arose from their land of Turkestan and moved to some area to the east, dwelling there in extreme poverty for a long time as robbers and wild men. They had no religion except for felt images which they carried with them for witchcraft. They were in awe of the sun, as though it were a divine power.
Then suddenly they came to their senses, very straitened by their wretched and poor life. They called upon the aid of God, creator of Heaven and earth, and swore a great oath to Him to be faithful to His commands.
By the command of God, an angel in the form of an eagle with golden feathers appeared to their chief named Ch'anke"z, calling out to him in the dialect of their own language. [Chingiz] went and stood opposite the angel in the form of an eagle out in the open at a distance of an arrowshot. And then the eagle, speaking their own language, related all the commands of God.
Here are the laws of God which they call Iasax which were given to them [g288]: first, that they love one another; second, that they not commit adultery; not steal; not bear false witness; not betray anyone; and that they honor the aged and the poor. And should perpetrators of such crimes be found among them, they should be killed.
When the angel had so instructed [Chingiz], he called the chief by the title of Ghayan, whence Ch'anke"z Ghayan or Ch'anke"z khan. And the angel told him to rule over many lands and districts and to increase into an uncountable, limitless host, as in fact happened.
What had been said by the Lord [to Chingiz-Khan] was fulfilled just as God, speaking through a prophet, had threatened: "Nabugodonosr is a golden chalice in my hands and I shall give it to whomever I choose to drink" [Jer. 51.7]. In this way an alien people brought upon us not only the chalice but the dregs of bitterness because of our many and diverse sins which always angered God the Creator at our deeds. As a result, the Lord in anger roused [the Mongols] as a lesson to us for not obeying His commands.
[Translator's note: A much embellished version of Chingiz-Khan's rise to power appears elsewhere on this website. See chapters 16 and 17 of Het'um the Historian's The Flower of Histories of the East.]
[3] Now when this alien people realized that it was the will of God [for them] to rule over us on the earth, they massed militarily and went against the Iranians. And they seized [g290] a small city from them; but then the Iranians armed and retook what was theirs, plus some more.
Then again [the Mongols] sent word to their people, wherever the nation of archers were dwelling, and again they attacked the Iranians and defeated them, taking a city and all their possessions.
On top of all this, again they received an order from their khan, who was called Chingiz-Khan and they launched an attack on the land of the Aghuanians and Georgians.
When the kings of the Georgians heard the news about the coming of the T'at'ars, they took 60,000 cavalry and went against them in the great plain called Kotman, which lies in front of Terunakan fortress. When the battle had been joined, the lord of Manasgom, named Hamidawla, due to some grudge, hamstrung the horse of At'abak Iwane. This was due to the influence of satan, who is opposed to justice. For at that time the king of Georgia, Lasha, had died survived by a son, Dawit', and a daughter, Ur'uzuk'an (Rusudan). Dawit' had fallen into the hands of the sultan of Rum and was in prison. His sister, Rusudan, held the throne under the supervision of Iwane' who was named At'abak.
Once news of the coming of the T'at'ars arrived, as was mentioned above, Iwane' took the cavalry of the Georgian kingdom, and came to Gag, to the great and wise prince Varham, son of Plu Zak'are'. Taking him along with his troops, he went against the T'at'ars. It was at this point, when the two sides clashed, that the crime we mentioned was perpetrated by the accursed Hamidawla, when [Iwane'] had the mighty and great prince Varham in charge of the right wing while he himself commanded the left wing [g292].
Now when the nation of archers saw such discord amongst them, they grew more powerful, attacked the Georgian cavalry and mercilessly crushed them.
The great prince Varham, lord of Gag, taking the right wing, went along mercilessly cutting down the T'at'ars until evening, until the plain of Sagam was filled with dead T'at'ars. Then he himself, Varham, prince of Gag, heard about the destruction of the royal troops. Deeply saddened, he abandoned his warfare and returned to his secure fortress, called Karherdz. This occurred in 663 of the Armenian Era [A.D. 1214].
After three years had passed, the T'at'ars returned and took Gandzak shahastan, mercilessly destroying and taking captives. Then they returned to their own country with much booty and treasure.
Let us say some more about what these first T'at'ars resembled. The first who came against our country were not like [ordinary] people. They were awful to see and impossible to describe. They had large heads, like a buffalo, narrow eyes like a chick, short noses like a cat, protruding chins like a dog, narrow waists like an ant, and short legs like a pig. They are completely beardless, possessing the strength of a lion and a screeching voice like an eagle. They appear unexpectedly. Their women have attractive hats covered with a brocade shawl on top and broad faces smeared with a deadly pine medicine. They give birth like snakes [g294], and eat like wolves. Death does not appear among them, and so they can live for three hundred years. Such were the folk who came first to the upper land. They never eat bread.
[4] Once again, receiving a command from the khan, three chiefs, named Ch'awrman, Benal, and Mular, came against the Aghuans and Georgians and took many cities and fortresses. They came against the fortresses with countless cavalry. First they took Shamk'awr close to Gandzak which had been taken before. Then they captured Sagam, K'arherdz, and Terewen; the great royal residence the stronghold Gardman, Erk'ewank' and the fortress of Matsnaberd. By siege they took the secure stronghold of Tawush, which was the seat of the sultan, Te'runakan and Norberd. They took the cave of the great vardapet Vanakan, full of much wealth and took away our glorious vardapet himself, with his attending students. However, the entire country, united in grief, gave much treasure and gold and purchased their vardapet and his students.
After this, when the wise princes of the Armenians and Georgians realized that it was God Who had given them the power and victory to take our lands, they went to the T'at'ars in submission and promised to pay taxes, that is, the mal and t'aghar and to go with them wherever they went, with their own cavalry. Agreeing to this, the T'at'ars stopped ruining and destroying the land and returned to their place in the Mughan country. However, they did leave one chief, named Ghara Bugha, to pull down all the strongholds they had taken in the country. They demolished to the foundations the impregnable fortresses built at great cost by the Tachiks. This, then, is what they did [g296].
In these days a comet appeared for a while, then was concealed again. During the same period, the sun was darkened from the sixth to the ninth hour.
The three chiefs—whom we mentioned as having taken the lands of the Georgians and Aghuanians—returned to the Mughan country, where the grass is always green summer and winter because of the fertility of the place and the goodness of the climate. After staying there for some days they again planned to come against the Christians, regarding as nothing the destruction and slave-taking of Christians already accomplished from the lands of the Georgians and Aghuanians. They also took the renowned rock of Shmegha, killing myriads upon myriads there, such that there was no number to the slain. They took a countless multitude of children captive from all the lands, yet were not satisfied with this. So they planned to come again and universally destroy the entire country.
But the providence of omnipotent God does not ignore those who place their hopes in Him. For He overturned their unworthy, unjust plans and killed two of the three chiefs we mentioned above.
We shall briefly narrate what it was [the Mongols] had planned to do. In the evening they held a quriltai (xur'ut'ay), which is called an assembly, and planned to come against the captured country and to destroy it again. But the three were not unanimous about this, only two of them [were in agreement]. By the foresight of God, Ch'awrman expressed good counsel, saying: "The ruin and destruction of the land is enough. Let it remain cultivated [g298] and let them give us half the yield of vineyards and fields and keep half for themselves."
[5] While they were having this discussion, day turned to night, the quriltai was interrupted, and they went to sleep. When it became light, the two chiefs who had planned evil were found dead while the other one, named Ch'awrman, who had sought cultivation and peace for the country, was alive.
Then Ch'awrman arose and went to their leader Chingiz-Khan with witnesses to these events and narrated to him all the deliberations, both his own and the other chiefs', about their deaths, and his survival in the same night.
When the khan heard this he said to Ch'awrman in astonishment: "That which the two chiefs advised was not pleasing to God and, consequently, they died suddenly; whereas you did not die because of your goodly counsel. For it is the will of God to take the country and keep it flourishing, to impose the yasax and keep [the people] under our command so that they give us tzghu, mal, t'aghar, and ghp'ch'ur. However, as for those who do not obey our commands and do not pay us taxes, [it is the will of God] to kill them and wreck their places. That way others who hear and observe [the consequences of disobedience] will be afraid and not do it."
After saying this, the khan ordered Ch'arwman to go and implement the oath he had planned, which saved him from death. He gave to Ch'awrman his kindly wife Aylt'ana khatun (xat'un) and styled him Chormaghun (Ch'awrmaghan). Then Chormaghun, taking Chingiz-Khan's wife, the goodly, gracious Aylt'ana khatun, came and resided in [g300] Mughan, the wintering grounds of the T'at'ars, together with one hundred and ten chiefs.
Next they held a quriltai and great meeting by the command of Chormaghun and divided the countries among the one hundred and ten chiefs. This land was divided into three parts: one extending northward, one to the south and one through the middle of the country, which they still hold.
The names of the chiefs who remained in the middle part of the country are: Asut'u noyin, who was the oskr of the khan; Ch'aghatay, who was called khan; Sanit'ay; another lesser Ch'aghatay; Baiju (Bach'u) noyin whom they placed at the head of all the troops; Asar noyin; Xut't'u noyin; T'ut'tu noyin; Awgawt'ay noyin; Xojay noyin; Xur'umch'i noyin; Xunan noyin; T'enal noyin; Angurag noyin.
These thirteen chieftains similarly divided amongst themselves the mountains and plains of the country of the Georgians and Aghuanians. Also they brought the great house of Chormaghun to Gandzak shahastan which previously had been ruined, but was later rebuilt.
The great and untaxed princes of the Georgians and Aghuanians came under taxation to [the Mongols], both those willing and those unwilling. Without obstruction they gave all the stipulated taxes which we mentioned earlier. They themselves in accordance with their strength and ability accompanied [the Mongols] on raids with their cavalry and took [g302] the cities and fortresses which had not submitted, destroying and enslaving. They mercilessly killed men, women, priests and monks, capturing deacons to serve them, fearlessly robbing Christian churches, stripping the ornaments from revered relics of the holy martyrs, from crosses and books then discarding them as worthless.
[6] What shall I write now about the disastrous events of that period: the separation of fathers and mothers from their children, the destruction of the love among loved ones and close relatives; the taking of their personal belongings; the burning in flames of beautiful palaces; the immolation of children in the arms of their mother; the enslavement of beautiful, delicate youths and virgins led away barefoot and naked.
Woe to me, a transitory [being]. I think that all of this occurred due to our sins; that our Lord and creator, Who is forgiving and broad-minded, visited this upon His flock which He redeemed with His worthy blood.
At this difficult and bitter time the holy spirit of our vardapet Vanakan shone forth like the sun in the eastern land [ i.e., Greater Armenia]. He was styled "the second Sunrise," full of the light and incomparable knowledge of the all-knowing Holy Spirit who with much effort and labor freely distributed spiritual food, that is to say, the word of the doctrine of the Spirit. [Vanakan] resembled the heavenly vardapet, Christ, with his mekness and modesty, silence and tolerance, loving the saints and sanctity of Cross and Church, holy places and their attendants, priests and monks. To the grandees he was terrifying, while to the poor and needy he was sweet [g304]. To the sinners he was without malice, placing upon them the lightest medicine of repentance, so that they be able to endure the yoke of repentance and once again, be renewed in spirit and body and become steadfast in the true faith as glorifiers and worshippers of the most Holy Trinity.
Similarly [Vanakan's] praiseworthy students—Vardan and Kirakos, Ar'ak'eal and Yovsep'— divided up the eastern lands in a cross shape and illuminated it with the life-giving doctrine of the Holy Spirit. In addition, they led many sons to glory, freely distributing the Lordly cruciform scepter, resembling their glorious vardapet, and fulfilling the Lord's command to "take freely and give freely," as Christ God forever gave His life to them for His church.
In 688 of the Armenian Era [A.D. 1239] Baiju noyin, the head of the T'at'ars mustered troops and came against the city of Karin [Erzerum] with a countless multitude. Besieging it for two months, [the Mongols] took it and mercilessly destroyed and ruined the goodly and beautiful city. Similarly through captive-taking and destruction they rendered uninhabited the monasteries of the country and the marvellous churches. Then the Armenian and Georgian princes took many books—heortologia and martyrologia, Apostolic works, lectionaries, Acts and Gospels of gold adorned with matchless richness for the edification and adornment [g306] of the sons of the new Zion—to the eastern land and filled up the monasteries with all these adornments of the Church. Moreover, after a year had passed the nation of Archers once again massed troops together with the Armenian and Georgian princes and came against the land of Rum with a countless multitude.
The chief of the force, Baiju noyin, who was successful in battle had enjoyed numerous successes wherever he encountered opposition. Yet the cause of the victory was the Armenian and Georgian princes who were at the front where they attacked the enemy with forceful blows. Then after them came the T'at'ars with bow and arrow.
[7] Once they entered the country of Rum, its sultan, Ghiyath al-Din (Xiat'adin), arose against them with one hundred thousand troops plus another sixty thousand. The son of the great Shalue' had been with the sultan for a long time. When they organized for the fight and massed against the T'at'ar army, the son of Shalue' held the left wing. Meanwhile the victorious princes of the Armenians and Georgians were ranged against the sultan on the right wing. When the battle grew fierce, the brave and renowned son of Shalue' put the T'at'ars to flight, killing many of them.
Then Aghbugha, the Georgian lord of Gag, son of the great Varham, grandson of Plu Zak'are', valiantly fought against the sultan's force together with the azatagund forces of the Armenians and Georgians with him and put to flight the right wing of the sultan's troops, beheading many amirs and grandees and causing the sultan great grief. As the day turned to evening they left off warring and encamped opposite each other in the plains between the city of Karin and Erznka [g308].
When the next day dawned, the troops of the T'at'ars combined with those of the Armenians and Georgians and went to do battle against the sultan. They went against the sultan's camp with a large multitude of troops, but when they reached the campsite they found nothing there, except for tents filled with many provisions. They found the sultan's tent adorned with numerous treasures both inside and out and wild animals—a leopard, lion, and panther—tethered to the entrance of the sultan's tent. For that night the sultan and all his troops had fled, because of the wavering of the amirs, who wanted to submit to the T'at'ars.
When the T'at'ars saw the sultan's flight, they cautiously placed a small number of troops as guards over the tents, saying that this might be a trick of some sort. The rest of the multitude of troops they sent after the sultan, but were unable to catch anyone since [the fugitives] had reached the strongholds of their country. Once the T'at'ars learned that the sultan of Rum had actually fled, the army of the T'at'ars returned and took all of [the sultan's] provisions and furnishings together with the very large varicolored tents which they had left when they fled in fear of the T'at'ars. The next day, in great joy, [the Mongols] launched an attack on the land of Rum, taking Erznka first and leaving a Shahna [governor] there. They took Caesarea and wrought much bloodletting there since [the inhabitants] did not surrender the city but opposed the T'at'ars in battle. This was because there was much cavalry dwelling in the city which was filled up with all sorts of goods. So they did not give up the city willingly. The wily army of T'at'ars, applying themselves, took [Caesarea] by deception and generally destroyed the grandees [g310], while the lesser folk they mercilessly took into captivity with all their belongings. Once again they took Konya (Ko'n) and Axshar with the grandee villages and monasteries. And then they attacked Sebastia (Sewast) and took it by siege. However, they did not destroy them but instead took their belonging as booty, conducted a census, and placed on them the mal and t'aghar taxes, according to their custom. Leaving a Shahna and chiefs in the country of Rum, [the Mongols] went to the eastern country, to their residence and yurdah with the enormous booty, treasures and captives which they had taken from the land of Rum.
[8] Het'um, the pious, Christ-crowned king of the Armenians filled with all the wisdom of his fathers, held a council with his God-protected brothers and princes and resolved to submit to the T'at'ars and pay taxes and xalan so as not to allow [the Mongols] into their God-created Christian country. And they did just that. Since they previously had seen Baiju, chief of the T'at'ar troops and established [with him] a treaty of friendship and submission, subsequently they sent the king's brother, the sparapet [commander-in-chief] of the Armenians, baron Smbat to Guyuk-Khan (Sayin khan) who sat on the throne of Chingiz-Khan. With the aid of God he went and saw Guyuk-Khan, an extremely philo-Christian and goodly [ruler] [g312]. It was for these [qualities] that his people styled him Guyuk-Khan which means, in their language, the fine and good khan.
Guyuk-Khan rejoiced exceedingly upon seeing the asparapet of the Armenians because of his Christian faith, but even more because of the powerful and wise things that Smbat, asparapet of the Armenians said before him. He made him a vassal (sghamish) and gave him a great yarlik (iar'lax) and a golden p'ayizay and a T'at'ar khatun with headress (pawxtaxawor), for to them this was a sign of friendship—to give a notable woman to someone they liked and honored. Thus honoring the sparapet of the Armenians greatly, [the khan] sent him to his land to Het'um, the Christ-crowned king of the Armenians, ordering him to come to them in person for an interview. When Het'um, the pious king of the Armenians, saw the honor and esteem visited upon his brother paron Smbat by the khan, he rejoiced exceedingly and especially over arrangements about the freeing of the country, monasteries, and all Christians.
Now the brave and renowned Georgian troops had not had a king at their head for a long while. Ur'uzuk'an, daughter of [king] Lasha, had died and the Georgians remained without a lord, like a flock without a shepherd. Then, by the providence of God, they remembered their king's son, Dawit', in prison in Rum at the time. The Georgian princes seized some chiefs of the troops of Rum and took them to Baiju who was the head of the T'at'ars [g314], where they were interrogated under torture about the king's son, Dawit'. As is the T'at'ar custom, they made them confess, under questioning and severe caning, that [Dawit'] was in chains in a prison in Caesarea.
Then the Georgian princes, greatly rejoicing, sent the wise prince Varham, lord of Gag, by the order of Baiju noyin and all the other T'at'ar chiefs. And along with Varham they sent another T'at'ar chief with one hundred horsemen. They sent them to Caesarea with authority (siasat'ov). When they arrived, by the will of God they found the king's son, Dawit', in a great deep pit. It was the will of God which had kept him alive in the deep prison. When the troops of the T'at'ars and the great prince Varham saw this, they were astonished that he was alive; and they praised God. Dawit', son of the king of the Georgians, was tall, strong and handsome, with a black beard, and he was filled with all wisdom and the graces of God.
Removing him from the prison, they dressed him in worthy clothing, mounted him on a horse, and took him to the land of the Georgians. When he reached the city of Tiflis (Tp'xis), the Georgian princes rejoiced exceedingly. Taking an order from Baiju noyin and Aylt'ana khatun—who was the wife of Chormaghun and who then held the khanate since Chormaghun had died recently—[Dawit'] was sent to the Great Khan who was in the east accompanied by the great prince Varham and cavalry. With the aid of God they went and saw the khan and narrated what had happened to the [g316] king's son. Taking a command from the Great Khan, they brought Dawit' to Tiflis and seated him on his father's throne. The princes of the Georgians, rejoicing exceedingly, styled him Varhamul king, that is, "made king by Varham." And for a while the country of the Georgians and Aghuanians/Aghuans became peaceful because of the accession of the new king.
[9] The well-disposed Chormaghun died leaving two sons from his wife, Aylt'ana khatun. One was named Siramun and the other, Bawra. Siramun, from his childhood on was goodly, a lover of Christians and the Church. By the will of God he was so successful in matters of warfare that because of his bravery the khans styled him the Gold pillar, after many victories and battles. But his brother, because of his wicked behavior, was slain by Hulegu-Khan.
In this period, Lord Kostandin through brilliant and virtuous behavior pleasing to God and man, together with the Christ-crowned king, Het'um, with orthodox faith and glowing arrangements illuminated all the churches of the Armenians, in the east, west, and everywhere.
The king's father, Kostandin, with God-given sons and princes, was armed against the troops of foreigners and enemies of the Cross of Christ [g318]. And they kept in constant joy the pious and Christ-crowned king of the Armenians, Het'um, together with his handsome and honorable sons Lewon and T'oros.
Now the goodly and handsome king of the Georgians, Dawit', was in his royal city of Tiflis, always in great joy and drunkeness together with his entire kingdom. One day there was a great banquet and merry-making in the king's presence and, as is the custom among the Georgians, there was constant presumption and great boasting.
Then one of the Georgian princes counted up the other princes in the king's presence and said that there were a thousand of them, some of whom had a thousand military cavalry others, five hundred. This matter became known throughout the entire kingdom while they carelessly sat eating and drinking. When they had counted and numbered the troops of the Armenians and Georgians, they said that their side could conquer the T'at'ars, and next they designated chiefs [of the troops] over themselves. Yet this was done as a joke, as they did not think or talk about it seriously. But they were feeling no pain and there was no other enemy in the eastern land except for the T'at'ars who were constantly coming and harassing the princes of the Georgians and Armenians for taxes, taking from some gold fabric, from others, falcons, or good dogs and horses. Thus did [the Mongols] harass them besides demanding [the taxes] called mal, t'aghar, and xalan. Thus [the princes] talked about these matters in jest and joke, but not seriously.
But one of those present, like unto Judas the betrayer, went and informed the T'at'ars claiming that what was false was true and correct, and saying that "the Georgian king and his princes were planning to attack you [g320]."
However, [the Mongols] believed the false words and turned upon the land taking as booty all the goods and flocks; but they did not kill people, lacking an order from the Great Khan. They seized the king and all the princes of the nation including Awag, son of the great prince of the Georgians, the At'abak Iwane'. The latter they took to the court of the chief on a litter, since at that time he was ill and could not mount a horse. Despite the fact that the princes and the king did a lot of talking, [the Mongols] did not believe their words nor did they stop taking captives and looting the land. But when they took Awag on a litter to the court of the chiefs of the T'at'ars, finally they believed what he had to say and stopped wrecking the land and made peace with the heart-broken, pitiful Christians.
In that period the senior great vardapet, our Vanakan, was translated to Christ leaving us in great mourning, not only we who were his students, but the whole land. May his memory be blessed and may his prayers be upon the entire land and all Christians.
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