Esayi Abu-Muse
Encyclopedia
Esayi Abu-Muse was an Armenia
n prince of southern Artsakh
, who ruled a major part of Arran (Aghuank) in the mid-9th century and is considered the founder of the House of Dizak
.
was a Mihranid
and whoes fiefs succeeded to Esayi Abu-Muse after his murder in 831.
According to the same historian Esayi Abu-Muse was a member of the local Armenian House of Aranshahik
.
, which previously had offered a strong resistance against Babak Khorramdin
. Esayi's seat was Ktish (Dogh), another important stronghold was Goroz. The ruins of this castles today lie near the villages Toumi and Togh in the province Hadrut
of Nagorno-Karabakh
.
The Armenian historiographer Movses Kaghankatvatsi
, who described Esayi Abu-Muse as a "man of peace", wrote that he ruled the following cantons :
al-Sharabi, who previous to that captured the Princes Atrnerseh of Khachen, Ktrij of Gardman
and Kon-Stepanos Sevordiats of Utik
. Esayi was besieged in his Castle Ktish but remained victorious in 28 battles. According to the historiographer Tovma Artsruni
the Arabian Army had a strength of 200.000 men. He described one of Esayi's heroic resistance against a storming of Bugha. Mushegh Bagratuni (the son of Smbat Sparapet, who was forced to join the Arab Army) recited a poem to this battle, comparing it with the second coming of Christ.
The resistance of Ktish endured more than a year. Esayi wrote to the caliph protesting against this attack and after receiving from him a safe-conduct, he went to Bugha for peace talks. Bugha however treacherously captured him. In 855 Esayi Abu-Muse, along with him all the princes of Armenia, who were captured by Bugha, were exciled to Samarra
in Mesopotamia
.
Princes Sophy left an Armenian
inscription in the "Red Church" of Toumi, which dates back to 1000, presently preserved in the Artsakh State Museum
.
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n prince of southern Artsakh
Artsakh
Artsakh was the tenth province of the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until 387 AD and afterwards a region of Caucasian Albania from 387 to the 7th century. From the 7th to 9th centuries, it fell under Arab control...
, who ruled a major part of Arran (Aghuank) in the mid-9th century and is considered the founder of the House of Dizak
Dizak
Dizak , also known as Ktish after its main stronghold, was a medieval Armenian principality in the historical Artsakh and later one of the five melikdoms of Karabakh, which included the southern third of Khachen and from the 13th century also the canton of Baghk of Syunik. The founder of this...
.
Name and Origins
Abu-Muse means "father of Muse" (Movses) in Arabic, in Armenian sources he is surnamed "the Priest's son". Arabic sources call him also Isa ibn-Yusuf (son of Hovsep) or Isa ibn-ukht-Istifanus (nephew of Stepanos), the latter being a reference to his maternal uncle Stepanos-Ablasad, who according to the historian Arakel BabakhanianArakel Babakhanian
Arakel Grigori Babakhanian was an Armenian historian, publicist, writer, critic and professor of Yerevan State University . He is recognized as an authoritative historian on Armenia and is best known as the author of the multivolume History of Armenia...
was a Mihranid
Mihranids
The Mihranids were the ruling dynasty of Caucasian Albania in the early Middle Ages. They claimed to be of Sassanian Persian descent but were probably of Parthian origin....
and whoes fiefs succeeded to Esayi Abu-Muse after his murder in 831.
According to the same historian Esayi Abu-Muse was a member of the local Armenian House of Aranshahik
Albania (satrapy)
Albania, or Ardhan in Parthian or Arran in Middle Persian as it was known in Persian, was a Caucasian satrapy of the Sassanid Empire.-History:...
.
Reign
Esayi's succession took place in ca. 841 and he remained in power for 13 years. Most of his domains included the cantons of ArtsakhArtsakh
Artsakh was the tenth province of the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until 387 AD and afterwards a region of Caucasian Albania from 387 to the 7th century. From the 7th to 9th centuries, it fell under Arab control...
, which previously had offered a strong resistance against Babak Khorramdin
Babak Khorramdin
Bābak Khorram-Din was one of the main Persian revolutionary leaders of the Iranian Khorram-Dinān , which was a local freedom movement fighting the Abbasid Caliphate. Khorramdin appears to be a compound analogous to dorustdin and Behdin "Good Religion" , and are considered an offshoot of...
. Esayi's seat was Ktish (Dogh), another important stronghold was Goroz. The ruins of this castles today lie near the villages Toumi and Togh in the province Hadrut
Hadrut
Hadrut is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It forms the southern border of Nagorno-Karabakh, and one of the most mountainous parts. Villages are primarily found along two river valleys and scattered in lower elevations on the very southern fringe...
of Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
.
The Armenian historiographer Movses Kaghankatvatsi
Movses Kaghankatvatsi
Movses Kaghankatvatsi , or Movses Daskhurantsi , is the reputed author of a 10th-century Old Armenian historiographical work on Caucasian Albania, known as The History of the Country of Albania .- Authorship :...
, who described Esayi Abu-Muse as a "man of peace", wrote that he ruled the following cantons :
- Verin-Vaykunik, Berdzor, Sisakan — western cantons of Artsakh bordering SyunikSyunikSyunik is the southernmost province of Armenia. It borders the Vayots Dzor marz to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave to the west, Karabakh to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital is Kapan. Other important cities and towns include Goris, Sisian, Meghri, Agarak, and Dastakert...
to the west. - HabandHadrutHadrut is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It forms the southern border of Nagorno-Karabakh, and one of the most mountainous parts. Villages are primarily found along two river valleys and scattered in lower elevations on the very southern fringe...
, AmarasMartuniMartuni is a province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It consists of the branch of Nagorno-Karabakh which juts out farthest to the east, almost reaches Stepanakert on the west, and goes a little past Karmir Shuka on the south...
, Pazkank, Mkhank — southern cantons of Artsakh bordering the river Araxes to the south. - Tri-Gavar — a south-eastern canton of UtikUtikUtik was a historic province of the Kingdom of Armenia and a region of Caucasian Albania. Most of the region is located within present-day Azerbaijan immediately west of the Kura River while a part of it lies within the Tavush province of present-day northeastern Armenia.-History:According to...
bordering the river KurKurIn Babylonian mythology, Irkalla is the hell-like underworld from which there is no return. It is also called Arali, Kigal, Gizal, and the lower world...
to the north-east.
Resistance at Ktish
In 854 the Dizak was invided by the Arabian Army in command of Bugha al-KabirBugha al-Kabir
Bugha al-Kabir al-Sharabi or Bugha the Elder, also known as Bugha al-Turki , was a 9th-century Turkic general who served the Abbasids....
al-Sharabi, who previous to that captured the Princes Atrnerseh of Khachen, Ktrij of Gardman
Gardman
Gardman was one of the eight districts of the ancient province of Utik' in the Kingdom of Armenia and simultaneously, together with the district of Tush, an Armenian principality. In the Early Middle Ages a feudal state of Gardman emerged on the area of Caucasian Albania...
and Kon-Stepanos Sevordiats of Utik
Utik
Utik was a historic province of the Kingdom of Armenia and a region of Caucasian Albania. Most of the region is located within present-day Azerbaijan immediately west of the Kura River while a part of it lies within the Tavush province of present-day northeastern Armenia.-History:According to...
. Esayi was besieged in his Castle Ktish but remained victorious in 28 battles. According to the historiographer Tovma Artsruni
Tovma Artsruni
Tovma Artsruni was a ninth century to tenth century Armenian historian and author of the History of the House of Artsrunik...
the Arabian Army had a strength of 200.000 men. He described one of Esayi's heroic resistance against a storming of Bugha. Mushegh Bagratuni (the son of Smbat Sparapet, who was forced to join the Arab Army) recited a poem to this battle, comparing it with the second coming of Christ.
The resistance of Ktish endured more than a year. Esayi wrote to the caliph protesting against this attack and after receiving from him a safe-conduct, he went to Bugha for peace talks. Bugha however treacherously captured him. In 855 Esayi Abu-Muse, along with him all the princes of Armenia, who were captured by Bugha, were exciled to Samarra
Samarra
Sāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
.
Offspring
- 1. Esayi Abu-Muse
- 1.1 Movses-Muse
- 1.1.1 King Gagik of Dizak
- 1.1.2 Princess Sophy
- 1.1.3 Lord Vachagan of Goroz (Vashaqan ibn-Muse in Arab sources)
Princes Sophy left an Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
inscription in the "Red Church" of Toumi, which dates back to 1000, presently preserved in the Artsakh State Museum
Artsakh State Museum
Stepanakert State Museum is the historical museum of the de facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Located at 4 Sasunstsi David Street, in Stepanakert, the museum offers an assortment of ancient artifacts and Christian manuscripts. There's also more modern items, from the 19th century to World War II...
.