History of the Aghuans
After this they took Sheroy, prince of the Aghuans, and the nobles to Taro'n and then on to Syria. And it was the 153rd year of the Armenian Era [704/705]. The same year they took the lord of Shirak to Syria. Two years later, Mruan, prince of the Arabs, came to Alania, but was unable to enter it. The lord of the Khazars arose with 80,000 troops and took Aghuania. And it was the 158th year of the Armenian Era [709/710].
In the same year 'Abd al-Aziz crossed to the far side of the Kur River. Three years later Mslima [Maslama ibn 'Abd al-Malik] came, wrecked Darband, and entered the Khazars' [territory]. But he was obliged to abandon his army and all its equipment there, even employing his concubines as his rearguard. The Er'anshahik Vach'agan who was one of the patricians of Aghuania, a brave and capable prince and a skilful archer, was stationed with his troops at his rear. When the Khazars pursued him, they were defeated and put to flight. Thus delivered, Maslama entered Iberia/Georgia. Now in the summer of the year 174 [of the Armenian Era (A.D. 725/726)] there was a plague among the livestock, and in the winter a census was made by Hert' [Harith ibn 'Amr al-Ta'i] which subjected man and beast and all regions of the country to servitude by the imposition of heavy taxes. At the same time Juanshir, prince of Aghuania, was killed by the Amet'duk'. Smbat, prince of the Armenians, died in the same year. In the year 175 of the Armenian Era [A.D. 726/727] there was a severe famine. Three years later Jar'ah [Jarrah ibn Abdullah al-Hakami, governor (ostikan) of Armenia, 722-725, 729-730] passed a second time through the Abkhaz to the Khazars. The following year the son of the lord of the Khazars arose, killed Jarrah, and took Dzagik prisoner.
In the year 180 of the Armenian Era [A.D. 731/732] Maslama rebuilt Darband in the name of the Arabs. He did not destroy the patriarchal residence of the East, however, which is still there.
At the request of Babgen and K'urdoy, [Step'annos] was ordained to the episcopate of Siwnik'. After occupying the episcopate for one year, he was murdered in the district of Moz. They say that his death was caused by some loathesome women. [Step'annos'] body was taken to the chamber of Arkazean and from there was taken and laid to rest at T'anatats' monastery.
The episcopate of Siwnik' was accorded third place among the bishoprics of Armenia because of the venerable Step'annos' action in bringing these writings from Rome. Now a certain hermit named Noah (Noy) saw a vision in which Step'annos, his chest covered with blood, stood before the Savior and said: "See this, O Lord, for Your judgement is just." Then [Step'annos] notified [Noah] that [divine] anger was about to be visited on the district and he appealed to them to pray. Then an impenetrable darkness descended over the borders of Moz, and the earth shook for forty days, and some 10,000 souls were swallowed up. Because of this [the place] was called Vayots' Dzor (Valley of Sighs/Woe).
God granted life to Varaz Trdat, son of Varazman, although his son Step'annos died prematurely and his brother Varazman was drowned in the Kur River, which became his grave after he had lost his way. His brother Juansherik remained as his heir. This much had happened up to this point.
At the end of the 270th year of the Armenian Era [A.D. 821/822] some chosen man from the Arabs secretly arose from Partaw. They went and pillaged the district of Amaras, capturing some 1,000 people. Then they fortified themselves in a place called Shikak'ar in the district of Mets Irank'. But then the brave and handsome Lord Sahl i Smbatean Er'anshahik, with his powerful brothers and their forces, attacked them at dawn. They killed and scattered all of them, freeing the prisoners as though from the claws of a lion. In the same year the world-wrecking Arab Sewada [Sawada ibn 'Abdu 'l-Hamid al-Djahhafi] who was named Awar'anshah ("King of the Looters"), raided within the borders of the Armenians. Looting the entire land he turned upon Siwnik' and fortified himself in the Berdategh hamlet of Shaghatu, which is in the district of Tsghakats'. Now Vasak, lord of Siwnik', called in Babak (Baban) from Persia and defeated [Sewada] and put him to flight. The lord of Siwnik' died that same year, and Babak took to wife the daughter of Vasak, lord of Siwnik'. In the same year Lord Nerseh i P'ilippean killed Varaz Trdat i Step'annosean and slaughtered his son on his mother's breast, stealing all his belongings. This Varaz Trdat was of the Mihrakan clan which inherited Aghuania from father to son. He was the eighth ruler after Varaz Grigor, the first prince of Aghuania. Thereafter the province of Baghk' revolted from the impious Babak who came from Persia, seized and ruined the land and put the women and children of Baghk' to the sword. The following year Babak passed into the district of Geghark'uni. He put to the sword about 15,000 inhabitants and burned the great monastery of Mak'enots'. Only the water-mill remained. And it was the year 276 of the Armenian Era [A.D. 827/828].
[135] After two years Babak defeated Tawusi [Muhammad ibn Humaid al-Tusi] and persecuted some 150,000 folk. The following year Babak struck at Ibrahim son of Ghet' [Ibrahim ibn al-Laith ibn al-Fadl]. In the same year Dawon and Sapuh, two men who simulated love and peace, killed Step'annos called Abl Asad, who had called in Babak and had defeated the Baghakanets'ik' who with swords and spears had destroyed the district of Berdzor and the towns of Ur'eats', Kar'nakash, Hakari, and Tap'ar'. Once again they rebelled against Babak. Opposing him in battle, they fortified themselves in the fortress of Goroz and held the following districts for 12 years: Verin (Upper) Vaykunik', Berdzor, Sisakan, Haband, Amaras, Pazkank', Mxank', and Tri-gawar'. Later on Abl Asad's associates seized his assassins and tortured them to death. Esayi, called Abu Muse, a man of peace, Abl Asad's sister's son, seized these same districts and ruled over them all. And in the same year Babak crossed the Arax River from Persia and dwelled in the district of Amaras. He began by talking words of peace to persuade them to submit to him. To gain time some [outwardly] repented and submitted to him, but subsequently, having deceived him, they rebelled. Babak left there a certain general named Rostom with an army, and returned to his own country in Atrpatakan in Persia. He commanded him not to do battle with the fortress, but to bring it to submission peacefully. Rostom ignored Babak's command, however, and waged war against those who had fortified themselves in the stronghold. The men of the fortress, trusting in the power of Christ and carrying crosses and the relics of the saints before them, inflicted a severe defeat on the Persian brigade.
It is said that at the same time a certain Serop who was bishop of Amaras went to Rome and asked the emperor for a piece of the relics of the saints, which was granted to him. It is rumored contrary to all writings that this was the right arm of Saint Gregory with which one blesses the holy chrism. These are, however, surprising and terrible things to assert. They say that Saint Gregory received the tradition from Caesarea by the authority of the Greek patriarchs, and that he himself could not bless the oil, but that the Armenians received the oil from Caesarea down to the Council of Chalcedon. Later, when they had grown stronger, they separated from them and in their opposition managed to establish the right to bless the oil themselves. [They claim that] this is a mere custom taken from [the biblical Book of] Chronicles and that it is not orthodox, but nonsensical and heretical.
Three years later a certain amir Badsghi [Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali al-Badhghisi] arrived by order of the prince of the Arabs named the Amir Mumin in the city of Naxijewan. There he seized a young man named Yovhan who was cruelly tortured because of his Christian faith and was martyred during Lent, shortly before Easter Day. The luminous brilliance of his relics astounded the enemy who departed in the night. None of the Christians knew about this. It was known only to Him who crowned him a martyr. Now the next year there were heavy rains for forty days and the Kur River filled to overflowing and flooded the land for fifteen parasangs over its usual limits. There emerged from the Caspian Sea a dragon-fish as big as a mountain which swallowed the fishermen's fish into its belly, and the fishermen labored in vain. However, eventually the sailors came up with a plan. They gathered in one place and, with their swords, stabbed at the fish in one spot near its tail until it died, and the Kur carried it away to wherever it came from. After that it was easy for the fishermen to catch fish, for they came as though released from prison.
In the same year Lord Dawit', kat'oghikos of the Armenians, died and he cursed those who stole the land of Saint Gregory. [The thieves] were these: Abdl Melk' [son of] Jahab, who was killed by the sword; Abdl Asur son of Harch, and Abu Jap'r Aratsats'i both of whom were taken to Partaw and flayed alive. We learned this information concerning the court of the caliph: to the right of the court sits the chief of the shurta who is greater than the chief of the executioners elsewhere, and on the left the judge and the amir of the Treasury who render justice and [receive] the payment of taxes from the entire world. At the ninth hour [plaintifs] appear before them, and on the following day they receive the verdict. They also administer the public services.
[137] Now in the year 286 of the Armenian Era [A.D. 837/838] 12,000 horsemen suddenly arose from Baghdad and attacked the country of the Aghuans. Sahl i Smbatean, who was of the Zarmirhakan clan of kings, became aware of this. Having as his ally the great martyr George, [Sahl] lifted his eyes heavenward and met them like an eagle swooping down on helpless birds. He struck at them and scattered them over the plains, putting them to flight. In the same year the same Lord Sahl i Smbatean captured the rebel Babak, the murderous, world-destroying, bloodthirsty beast, and delivered him into the hands of the caliph. For his efforts he received from the court a fine reward, for he received sovereignty over Armenia, Iberia/Georgia, and Aghuania, to rule authoritatively and regally over all.
In the year 287 of the Armenian Era [A.D. 838/839] Caliph Abraham went with a large army to the kingdom of the Byzantines and took the great city of Amorium by sword and enslavement. And then he returned home. He is Apu Sahak. In the same year the Lord of Lords Yovhanne's, who became lord of Armenia, Iberia/Georgia, and Aghuania, supplicated the court a second time for the three lands of Bulxar, Xoyta, and Patgos.
And in this year from the direction of the Khazars locusts came which were of extraordinary size, larger than sparrows. And they gobbled up a portion of the land of the Aghuans.
Two years later the winter was very severe, and it afflicted and brought death to many animals and shepherds. In these days the Baghakanats'ik' came and did damage to the districts of Sisan, Tri, and Amaras. Then Esayi, called Abu Muse, rose against them and routed them.
After an additional two years had passed, Khazar Patgos, a violent and merciless man, came and perished in the same year. His son came, however, and took our land by the sword and enslavement, burned down many churches, and went to Baghdad. Returning from there at the court's command and expense, he built up the city of Gandzak in the district of Arsakashe'n in the year 295 of the Armenian Era [A.D. 846/847]. After this he raided the land of Siwnik', enslaved the territory of Baghk', and descended into the district of Aghahe'j to a village called Ark'uget. There he ordered that the church dedicated to Saint Gregory should be burned down. But then a divine miracle occurred: a horseman on a white horse rushed out of the church in the sight of all, and galloping into his camp, threw the impious man and his soldiers into confusion and put them to flight across the mountain called Eghjer Xoy. There a fierce storm overtook them and only those who relied on their horses alone were able to escape, while those with saddled horses and [their] loot perished on top of the mountains. And the prisoners remained in peace, glorifying God.
[138] In the fulfilment of the 300th year of the Armenian Era [A.D. 851/852] the Christian princes of Armenia and Aghuania paid the price of their sins. For it was in this year that they were taken prisoner, cast into irons by the Arabs, exiled from their homes, and sent against their will to Baghdad. There the impious ones tortured them and forced them to abandon the faith. While many of them died the eternal death by forsaking the inviolable treasure of the holy faith, a certain venerable Shapuh Artsruni and another excellent man from among the Armenian nobles chose a martyr's death to a worthless life. The Arab tyrant ordered that they be bound in iron fetters and thrown into the Euphrates River. For many days flaming torches were seen over the river, and the spiteful caliph ordered men to descend into the river, retrieve the bones, and burn them. Now it happened that when the divers descended, the light went out, but when, after searching the waters, they emerged, the light shone in all its glory again. Then the caliph summoned Jap'r, bishop of the Syrians, and commanded him to search for the relics. The bishop went to the bank of the Euphrates and sent the divers down. When they found the bones of the blessed men, [Jap'r] took them to his own church and had a written memorial made for them.
In this year torrential rains unexpectedly poured down on the district of Mets Irank' and the flooding inundated the village of Dastakert at the junction of the rivers and carried off 800 tents belonging to the shepherds who had come to graze their flocks in the Caucasus in the summer. Lord Sup'an died in Vayots' Dzor in that same year. In the next year [A.D. 852/853] Bugha came to Armenia and killed Sahak Ismayelean in the city of Tiflis. He held Armenia for three years and then he transferred the princes and their wives to Baghdad. Then, in the fourth year [A.D. 855], Muhammad son of Xart' [Muhammad ibn Khalid] came and Lord Vasak Gabur' died.
In the 318th year of the Armenian Era [A.D. 869/870] the horrible earthquake at Dwin occurred. It remained active for an entire year and swallowed up some 120,000 people. Behold how fully humankind resembles the grass.
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