Aghdznik

Աղձնիք Province of Greater Armenia 189 BC–650 AD Capital Tigranakert History  - Artaxias I declaring himself independent 189 BC  - Arab conquest of Armenia 650 AD

Aghdznik (Armenian: Աղձնիք Ałjnikʿ), also known as Altzniq or Arzanene, was a province of Greater Armenia. It covered an area of 17,530 km² (7,000 sq mi), divided into 11 districts:

• Angegh-home
• Tigranakert
• Arzn
• Qagh
• Ketik
• Tatik
• Aznvadzor
• Erkhetq
• Gzeghq
• Salnodzor
• Sasun.^[1]

Position of Aghdznik' in Greater Armenia

Aghdznik had a warm climate, and was famous for its rivers and springs, as well as its iron and lead mines. Cattle-breeding, grape cultivation and wine making were well-developed in Aghdznink. In 298 AD, part of Aghdznik was conquered by the Roman Empire, and by 387 all of Aghdznik except for the Aghdzn district was under the control of the Roman Empire. By 591, all of Aghdznik had been consumed by the Byzantine Empire. In the place of destroyed Tigranakert, the Romans built a new city named Martiropolis or Nprkert. During the Arab conquest of Armenia, many Arab tribes settled in Aghdznik. The Armenian population remained in the mountainous parts until the Armenian Genocide in 1915.

Aghdznik was later a small Arab chiefdom in the 10th century, in Kurdistan (today East Turkey). Hamdum, an Arab chief, conquered Altzniq and Amida around 962. In 963 a sister of Hamdum whose name is not given in the original sources, governed the region for ten years. After that Aghdznik was part of Bagratuni Kingdom of Armenia. After 1045 it fell under Byzantine, Seljuk, Mongol and Ottoman Turk control. For many years Sasun (Sason) fought the Turks; well known battles are the Sasun Resistance (1894) and Sasun resistance 1915.

See also

• List of regions of old Armenia

References

1. ^ Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia, 1st volume, page 258