Javanshir
Encyclopedia
Javanshir in old Albanian Our Lion, in Persian
young lion, was the prince of Caucasian Albania
from 643 to 681, hailing from the region of Gardman
. His deeds are the subject of legends and epic. He was either of Parthia
n or Persian
origin, as the Mihranid family claimed descent from the Sassanid Persians.
He came of the Mihranid
dynasty (591–821) founded by his father, Varaz-Grigor, who was the first Girdmanian prince to become the ruler of Caucasian Albania
. Some time between 629 and 638, Caucasian Albania
passed from Roman to Iranian allegiance, and Varaz-Grigor was replaced by his son Javanshir. Javanshir succeeded him in 635, and fought against the Arab
invasion of caliph
Uthman
on the side of the Sasanid Iran
. In 637, he led an Albanian army, which alongside the Armenia
n prince Mushek Mamikonean and Grigor of Syunik
, took part in the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah
between the Persian and Arab armies. After the Sassanid defeat in 642, Javanshir concluded an alliance with the Byzantine empire
. Facing the threat of the Arab invasion on the south and the Khazar offensive on the north, Javanshir had to recognize the Caliph’s suzerainty, a move, which would prove to be a turning point in the country’s history.
Javanshir was assassinated, in 669, by the rival nobles, whose power he had tried to restrict.
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
young lion, was the prince of Caucasian Albania
Caucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
from 643 to 681, hailing from the region 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...
. His deeds are the subject of legends and epic. He was either of Parthia
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
n or Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
origin, as the Mihranid family claimed descent from the Sassanid Persians.
He came of the 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....
dynasty (591–821) founded by his father, Varaz-Grigor, who was the first Girdmanian prince to become the ruler of Caucasian Albania
Caucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
. Some time between 629 and 638, Caucasian Albania
Caucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
passed from Roman to Iranian allegiance, and Varaz-Grigor was replaced by his son Javanshir. Javanshir succeeded him in 635, and fought against the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
invasion of caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Uthman
Uthman
Uthman ibn Affan was one of the companions of Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He played a major role in early Islamic history as the third Sunni Rashidun or Rightly Guided Caliph....
on the side of the Sasanid Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. In 637, he led an Albanian army, which alongside the Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n prince Mushek Mamikonean and Grigor of Syunik
Syunik
Syunik 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...
, took part in the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah
Battle of al-Qadisiyyah
The Battle of al-Qādisiyyah was fought in 636; it was the decisive engagement between the Arab muslim army and the Sassanid Persian army during the first period of Muslim expansion. It resulted in the Islamic conquest of Persia, and was key to the conquest of Iraq...
between the Persian and Arab armies. After the Sassanid defeat in 642, Javanshir concluded an alliance with the Byzantine empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. Facing the threat of the Arab invasion on the south and the Khazar offensive on the north, Javanshir had to recognize the Caliph’s suzerainty, a move, which would prove to be a turning point in the country’s history.
Javanshir was assassinated, in 669, by the rival nobles, whose power he had tried to restrict.