Armenia. Fifteen Ashkhars in Ancient Armenia – Fifteen Ashkhars in Ancient Armenia
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Historical Armenia is the territory of the Armenian Highlands, which covered 300 thousand square meters. kilometers. According to geographical and climatic conditions, the territory of the Armenian Highlands, dissected by mountain ranges and massifs, consisted of many isolated areas.
Such areas were more or less economically and climatically enclosed territories, whose population in their occupations, clothing, customs, and even language significantly differed from each other. These areas in Armenian were called “ashkhar” (isolated world, region).
By the 4th century AD, during the period of early feudalism, such a division was framed politically and legitimized by a special royal decree.
A full description of the 15 “ashkhars” (regions) of which Armenia the Great consisted was preserved in “Ashkharatsuyts”, the work of the early medieval author Ananiy Shirakatsi. These 15 Ashkhars are as follows: Bardzr Hayk (High Armenia), Tsopk (Sofena), Taik, Gugark, Artsakh, Utik, Paytakaran, Syunik, Vaspurakan, Parskakhayk, Rshtunik, Mokk, Taron, Aldznik, Ayrarat.
Historical Armenia consisted of two territorial-ethnic units: Great Armenia and Small Armenia. The latter covered areas on the right bank of the upper reaches of the Euphrates River and south of the East Pontic Mountains.
Small Armenia, originally inhabited by Armenian Indo-European-speaking tribes, was fully involved in the ethnogenesis of the Armenian people.
However, even in the Hellenistic period, Little Armenia was politically separated from Great Armenia and acquired a multi-ethnic population. Subsequently, Little Armenia was not part of the Armenian state, although the Armenian population lived here until 1915.
The modern Republic of Armenia covers only some of the ancient regions: Ayrarat, Syunik and Gugark. Its territory is 30 thousand square meters. kilometers, only 1/10 of Great Armenia.
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