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Compiled by Jirair Tutunjian
Posted by Nayiri Abrahamian
Did You Know?
Roustam Raza's (1780-?) real name was Rostom Khachaturian. He was born
in Tiflis to a family from Artsakh. At the age of seven, he was
kidnapped by Tatars and sent to Egypt where he was sold seven times.
In 1780, Sheik El-Bakri of Cairo, gave 18-year-old Rostom as a present
to Napoleon who had just landed in Egypt. Rostom became the French
general's bodyguard and took part in every Napoleonic battle until
1814 when Bonaparte was exiled. Napoleon bestowed him with the Legion
of Honor medal. Rostom was featured in a number of paintings which
depicted Napoleon at war. A few years after marrying a Mademoiselle
Douville in a Paris suburb, he returned to the Caucasus and enlisted
in the Russian army to take part in the Russo-Persian War to liberate
Eastern Armenia. The army was led by General Madatov (Madatian).
Following the Russian victory, Rostom lived in Shushi for a while. He
was buried in the same Paris suburb where he was married. His memoirs
were published in 1866.
Prof. Agop Martayan, an Armenian linguist, introduced the Latin
alphabet to Turkey and was in charge of the conversion of Ottoman
Turkish to modern Turkish. In gratitude, Ataturk nicknamed him Dilacar
(`the one who unlocks the language). Whenever his name is mentioned in
Turkish books, he is identified as A. Dilacar. When he died in 1978,
Turkish media called him Adil Dilacar. As they have done with many
other Armenians who have contributed to Turkey, Prof. Martayan's
Armenian origin remains secret in the country.
Edgar Manas, an Armenian from Istanbul, composed the national anthem
of Turkey. Turkey covers up his national identity.
Emir Mirza Chul Gurna (1592-1656) of India was the son of wealthy
Armenian merchant Mirza Iskenderian. He was a senior officer in the
Mughal army during the latter's invasion of India under Emperor Akbar.
He led the Mughal army in many victories. Gurna was a governor (Bengal
and Lahore), senior government and military officer. An extremely rich
man, he was also a benefactor, poet, and singer. Among his many
benevolent works for Armenians, he donated 6,000 rupee to the Armenian
Patriarchate in Jerusalem. His contemporaries said that the Mughal
emperors owed thousand battle victories to Emir Mirza Chul Ghurna.
Sinan (1490-1580), known as Maymar Sinan (Architect Sinan) was born in
Caesaria (Gesaria). His name was Armen Sinanian. After graduating from
military school, he became a senior officer in the Yenicheri army
(kidnapped or adopted children of non-Muslims). After participating in
the Balkan and Iraq wars, he was appointed chief architect of the
Ottoman army. He built 360 structures - 131 mosques, 55 schools, 19
mausoleums, 7 libraries, three hospital, 14 imarat, 8 bridges, 5
aqueducts, 17 khans, 31 palaces, 35 bathhouses, warehouses and city
walls, including that of Jerusalem. In 1563 when Sultan Selim II
ordered the deportation of Caesaria Armenians to Cyprus, Sinan asked
the sultan to rescind his order. The sultan ignored Sinan's pleading
but allowed Sinan's relatives to remain in Caesaria.
Armenians have played in developing Christian architecture. Austrian
historian Strzygowski has written: `The Greek genius of St. Sophia and
the Italian genius of St. Peter's only realized more fully what the
Armenians had originated.'
As is well known, Armenians provided invaluable assistance to the
Crusaders. Pope Gregory, referring to the Armenian aid to Europeans,
wrote (1304): When in the past princes and Christian armies proceeding
for the recovery of the Holy Land, no nation and no people were so
prompt or so full of zeal as the Armenians to lend to their aid,
whether in men, in horses, in provision, or in council. With all their
forces and with the greatest gallantry and fidelity, they came to the
aid of the Christians in their holy wars.'
Apart from the military contribution to Byzantium, Armenians also
controlled trade. Byzantine-Armenian merchants could be found all over
in Italy. In Ravenna there were so many Armenians that a section of
the city was called Armenia.
The military genius of Byzantium was represented by generals who were
Armenian by birth. Scores of Armenians were the rulers and military
commanders of the empire...Emperors Maurice, Heraclius, John Tzimses,
Basil I and II, so was Empress Theodora. Some of the more famous
funerals were Bardanes (Vartan), Nerses (conquered Italy and Spain),
and John Corcuas who fought against the Arabs.
Historian Louis Adamic in `A Nation of Nations' (1944) refers to the
early Armenian settlers and says, `In 1619, the Poles, and their
fellow workers of German and Armenian origin went on a strike. They
demanded the right to vote and full equality with the other
colonists...In a tiny community this was equivalent to a major
rebellion, indeed the first consciously political upheaval in America
for the purpose of extending rights to the common man. In it men of
different backgrounds acted jointly against injustices for the first
time in the New World.'
http://www.keghart.com/quotes
Posted by Nayiri Abrahamian
Did You Know?
Roustam Raza's (1780-?) real name was Rostom Khachaturian. He was born
in Tiflis to a family from Artsakh. At the age of seven, he was
kidnapped by Tatars and sent to Egypt where he was sold seven times.
In 1780, Sheik El-Bakri of Cairo, gave 18-year-old Rostom as a present
to Napoleon who had just landed in Egypt. Rostom became the French
general's bodyguard and took part in every Napoleonic battle until
1814 when Bonaparte was exiled. Napoleon bestowed him with the Legion
of Honor medal. Rostom was featured in a number of paintings which
depicted Napoleon at war. A few years after marrying a Mademoiselle
Douville in a Paris suburb, he returned to the Caucasus and enlisted
in the Russian army to take part in the Russo-Persian War to liberate
Eastern Armenia. The army was led by General Madatov (Madatian).
Following the Russian victory, Rostom lived in Shushi for a while. He
was buried in the same Paris suburb where he was married. His memoirs
were published in 1866.
Prof. Agop Martayan, an Armenian linguist, introduced the Latin
alphabet to Turkey and was in charge of the conversion of Ottoman
Turkish to modern Turkish. In gratitude, Ataturk nicknamed him Dilacar
(`the one who unlocks the language). Whenever his name is mentioned in
Turkish books, he is identified as A. Dilacar. When he died in 1978,
Turkish media called him Adil Dilacar. As they have done with many
other Armenians who have contributed to Turkey, Prof. Martayan's
Armenian origin remains secret in the country.
Edgar Manas, an Armenian from Istanbul, composed the national anthem
of Turkey. Turkey covers up his national identity.
Emir Mirza Chul Gurna (1592-1656) of India was the son of wealthy
Armenian merchant Mirza Iskenderian. He was a senior officer in the
Mughal army during the latter's invasion of India under Emperor Akbar.
He led the Mughal army in many victories. Gurna was a governor (Bengal
and Lahore), senior government and military officer. An extremely rich
man, he was also a benefactor, poet, and singer. Among his many
benevolent works for Armenians, he donated 6,000 rupee to the Armenian
Patriarchate in Jerusalem. His contemporaries said that the Mughal
emperors owed thousand battle victories to Emir Mirza Chul Ghurna.
Sinan (1490-1580), known as Maymar Sinan (Architect Sinan) was born in
Caesaria (Gesaria). His name was Armen Sinanian. After graduating from
military school, he became a senior officer in the Yenicheri army
(kidnapped or adopted children of non-Muslims). After participating in
the Balkan and Iraq wars, he was appointed chief architect of the
Ottoman army. He built 360 structures - 131 mosques, 55 schools, 19
mausoleums, 7 libraries, three hospital, 14 imarat, 8 bridges, 5
aqueducts, 17 khans, 31 palaces, 35 bathhouses, warehouses and city
walls, including that of Jerusalem. In 1563 when Sultan Selim II
ordered the deportation of Caesaria Armenians to Cyprus, Sinan asked
the sultan to rescind his order. The sultan ignored Sinan's pleading
but allowed Sinan's relatives to remain in Caesaria.
Armenians have played in developing Christian architecture. Austrian
historian Strzygowski has written: `The Greek genius of St. Sophia and
the Italian genius of St. Peter's only realized more fully what the
Armenians had originated.'
As is well known, Armenians provided invaluable assistance to the
Crusaders. Pope Gregory, referring to the Armenian aid to Europeans,
wrote (1304): When in the past princes and Christian armies proceeding
for the recovery of the Holy Land, no nation and no people were so
prompt or so full of zeal as the Armenians to lend to their aid,
whether in men, in horses, in provision, or in council. With all their
forces and with the greatest gallantry and fidelity, they came to the
aid of the Christians in their holy wars.'
Apart from the military contribution to Byzantium, Armenians also
controlled trade. Byzantine-Armenian merchants could be found all over
in Italy. In Ravenna there were so many Armenians that a section of
the city was called Armenia.
The military genius of Byzantium was represented by generals who were
Armenian by birth. Scores of Armenians were the rulers and military
commanders of the empire...Emperors Maurice, Heraclius, John Tzimses,
Basil I and II, so was Empress Theodora. Some of the more famous
funerals were Bardanes (Vartan), Nerses (conquered Italy and Spain),
and John Corcuas who fought against the Arabs.
Historian Louis Adamic in `A Nation of Nations' (1944) refers to the
early Armenian settlers and says, `In 1619, the Poles, and their
fellow workers of German and Armenian origin went on a strike. They
demanded the right to vote and full equality with the other
colonists...In a tiny community this was equivalent to a major
rebellion, indeed the first consciously political upheaval in America
for the purpose of extending rights to the common man. In it men of
different backgrounds acted jointly against injustices for the first
time in the New World.'
http://www.keghart.com/quotes