Vachutian dynasty (in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

Վաչուտյան տուն or Վաչուտյաններ) was an

noble feudal family headed by a line of princes with the title "Prince of Princes" (in

Իշխանաց իշխան pronounced Ishkhanats Ishkhan), that ruled as a

suzerainty A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy">polity.html" ;"title="state (polity)">state or polity">state (polity)">st ...

in part of

Medieval Armenia Medieval Armenia refers to the history of Armenia during the Middle Ages. It follows Ancient Armenia and covers a period of approximately eight centuries, beginning with the Muslim conquest of Armenia in the 7th century. Key events during this ...

from around 1206 AD to 1350 AD in the Ayraradian area and

Aragatsotn Aragatsotn (, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Statistical Committee of Armenia reported its population was 128, ...

Aparan Aparan ( , colloquially ) is a town in the Aparan Municipality of the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia, about 50 kilometers northwest of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 6,451. As per the 2016 official esti ...

(present day

Aragatsotn Province Aragatsotn (, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''Marz (country subdivision), marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Sta ...

in Armenia). The Vachutian dynasty was founded by Vache I Amberdtsi (also known as Vachutyan) in the beginning of the thirteenth century as one of the ruling families of the semi-independent

Zakarid Armenia Zakarid Armenia () alternatively known as the Zakarid Period, describes a historical period in the Middle Ages during which the Armenian vassals of the Kingdom of Georgia were ruled by the Zakarid-Mkhargrzeli dynasty. The city of Ani was the cap ...

(1201–1335), as

Zakare II Zakarian Zakaria Mkhargrdzeli (, ), was a Georgian prince and a Court official of the Kingdom of Georgia holding the office of '' amirspasalar'' (Commander-in-Chief) of the Georgian army for Queen Tamar of Georgia, during the late 12th and early 13th cen ...

and

Ivane I Zakarian Ivane I Zakarian (; ka, ივანე I მხარგრძელი, tr) was an Armenian prince, and a Court official of the Kingdom of Georgia holding the offices of '' Msakhurtukhutsesi'' (Majordomo) and ''Atabeg'' (Governor General) fo ...

had reorganized Armenia into several provinces each ruled by a feudal prince, amongst them the descendants of Vachut. Throughout their rule, the Vachutians kept close family relations through marriages with other Armenian feudal princes like the

Zakarids The Zakarid dynasty, also Zakarids or Zakarians () were an Armenian noble dynasty, rulers of Zakarid Armenia (1201–1350) under the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Georgia, and from 1256 under the control of the Mongol Ilkhanate of Persia. Their dyn ...

(Զաքարյաններ) the latter keeping the title of king in

after the collapse of the

Bagratuni dynasty The Bagratuni or Bagratid dynasty (, ) was an Armenian royal dynasty which ruled the medieval Kingdom of Armenia from until 1045. Originating as vassals of the Kingdom of Armenia of antiquity, they rose to become the most prominent Armenian n ...

. Vachutians also kept close relation with the Hamazapyan-Mamikonian family (Համազասպյան-Մամիկոնյան), Ukanantz (Ուքանանց) and other feudal families.

Capitals and religious seats

The main seat of the Vachutians was at

Amberd Amberd () is a 10th-century fortress located above sea level, on the slopes of Mount Aragats at the confluence of the Arkashen and Amberd rivers in the province of Aragatsotn, Armenia. The name translates to "fortress in the clouds" in Armenian ...

and the religious centers of

Hovhannavank Monastery Hovhannavank, also Yovhannavank‘ () is a medieval monastery located in the village of Ohanavan in the Aragatsotn, Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. The monastery stands on the edge of the Kasagh River canyon, and its territory is adjacent to th ...

Saghmosavank Monastery The Saghmosavank (, Literal translation, lit. "monastery of the Psalms") is a 13th century, 13th-century Armenian architecture, Armenian monastic complex located in the village of Saghmosavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. Like the Hovhann ...

and Astvatsankal Monastery that they generously financed, repaired and rebuilt. After the capital fortress of Amberd was partially destroyed by the invading Mongols in 1236, Kurd I that followed to reign after his father Vache I moved the capital to Vardenis, Aragatsotn building a fortified castle. Historians of the time recounted that Kurt I invited

Hethum I Hethum I (Armenian: Հեթում Ա; 1213 – 21 October 1270) ruled the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (also known as "Little Armenia") from 1226 to 1270. He was the son of Constantine of Baberon (d. 1263) and Princess Alix Pahlavouni of Lampron (a ...

), king of the

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, also known as Cilician Armenia, Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia, was an Armenian state formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian ...

to Vardenis. Kurt I's sons Hassan and Davit II moved the capital to Karbi's fortress. Kurt II and his son Theoedos who was the last ruling prince of the dynasty reestablished

as the dynasty's capital in the 1300s, after repairing it from destruction.

End of the dynasty

The dynasty was destroyed and terminated around 1350 AD by Chupanid ruler of Northern Iran Malek Ashraf, who destroyed the Zakarid dynasty and almost all the other Armenian principalities of the time as well.

Princes of the Vachutian dynasty

*1206-1230 - Vache I (known as Amberdtsi) (Վաչե Ա. Ամբերդեցի) Vachutyan, son of Sargis, grandson of Vachut I through whose name the dynasty was named. Prince Vache the first ruling prince of the Vachutian principality was married to Mamakhatun, daughter of Hassan. (See hy) He built the

. *1230-1240 - Kurd I (Քուրդ Ա. Ամբերդեցի), son of Vache I, was married to Khorishah, daughter of Prince Mamikonyan-Hamazapyan Mardzpan. It was a turbulent time as the Mongolian invaded the area and destroyed Amberd's fortifications. (See hy) **Vachut II (Վաչուտ Բ), concurrently, Kurd I's brother, called Vachut II as Vachut I was reserved to the founding father of the family, the grandfather of Vache I. *1240-1329 (precise dates unclear) **around 1240 - Davit I (Դավիթ Ա.) **around 1240-1254 - Vache II (Վաչե Բ.) **Hassan (Հասան), son of Kurt I **Mamakhatun (Մամախաթուն) **Davit II (Դավիթ Բ.), son of Kurt I **Mamkan (Մամքան) **Dayir (Տայիր) **Vache III (Վաչե Գ.) **Davit III (Դավիթ Գ.) *1329-1338 - Kurd II (Քուրդ Բ. Ամբերդեցի), son of Dayir, married to Khuand Khatun, daughter of Amirbek of the Zakaryan dynasty (See hy) *1338-1350 - Theoedos (Թեոյդոս Ամբերդեցի) (known as Theoedos Amberdtsi), the last ruler of the dynasty (See hy)

Notes

Note: Vachutians' founding prince Vache I Amberdtsi who ruled in the thirteenth century should not be confused with Vache I of Iberia who ruled in what is known today as Georgia north of Armenia in the 3rd century, nor with Vache I of Albania who ruled in what is known today as Azerbaijan to the west of Armenia in the third century.

Sources

*Text is a translation based on the Armenian Wikipedia article hy:Վաչուտյաններ *Tigran Petrosyants, ''Vachutians'' (Վաչուտյաններ), Yerevan, 2001, 364 էջ։ {{DEFAULTSORT:Vachutians Armenian principalities States and territories established in 1206 1350 disestablishments