Nvarsak Treaty

Returning home after the battle ( 481 - 484 ) of the commander of the Armenian army Vahan Mamikonyan. Painting by Julian Zasso, XIX century

The Nvarsak Treaty ( Armenian Նվարսակի պայմանագիրը , Persian قرارداد نوارساکس ) is an agreement between Armenia and the Sasanian Empire , according to which Armenia again receives semi-independent status with complete religious freedom ^[1] ^[2] . An attempt was made to restore the Armenian state ^[3] .

Content

Background

During his campaigns, Yazdegerd II began to suspect Christians and Jews of treason. The decree of Yezdigerd II on the prohibition of Christianity and the obligatory adoption of Zoroastrianism exacerbated the already tense situation in the country. Probably the king wanted with his lack of tolerance:

to achieve greater internal unity of their power;
to eliminate the possible “fifth column” in the event of a war with Rome , for the Christian Christians were potential allies for the Roman Christians;
to promote the official Persian religion of that time ( Zoroastrianism ), which he considered the only true one.

In order to strengthen their power in the Caucasus , the Persians demanded that Armenians , Georgians and Albanians abandon Christianity and adopt Zoroastrianism . When the Armenian , Georgian and Albanian princes refused to comply with the requirements of the Persians, in 450 they were invited to Ctesiphon , where they were invited to accept Zoroastrianism on pain of death. Princes seemingly departed from the faith in order to be able to return to their homeland and organize an uprising against the Persians. The Armenians revolted against discrimination, which was led by Vardan Mamikonyan , but lost in the Battle of Avarayr in 451 .

In Iberia, the war against the Persians was fought by Vakhtang Gorgasal , to the aid of which Vahan Mamikonyan came. A bloody battle took place on the banks of the Kura River, in which the Georgian-Armenian forces were defeated, having suffered heavy losses. One of the leaders of the uprising, Saak Bagratuni, fell in battle.

During the year, the Persians robbed and destroyed the cities and villages of Armenia and Iberia . The rebels responded with frequent surprise attacks. Persian troops, suffering heavy losses, became weak and weakened. In addition, their army suffered a heavy defeat in Central Asia .

Start of negotiations

After the death of Peroz in the wars with the Huns , in 484 a new king came to power - Balash , whose council members advised him to regulate relations with Christians ( Armenians , Georgians , Albanians ) ^[4] . Balash sent one of the council members to Armenia to negotiate with Vahan. Negotiations were in the village of Nvarsak. Vahan submitted in writing 3 terms of the agreement.

Terms

Vahan Mamikonyan

“One of the most important problems is that we have our own and regional rules. Move the fireplace from the Armenian land. Allow Christians and priests to pray in their churches. The second problem is to recognize people not by the power of power, but by the power of justice. Take value from the invaluable, distinguish between the noble and the noble, love the sages and take the advice given by them. And if you do this, then your power will become much more humane. Our third requirement is that we want the Persian king to see everything with his own eyes, listen with his ears, speak with his mouth, and rely on his mind. That is why we see all his orders and decisions so insensitive and baseless. This will lead to unrest in your country, everything will be lost. But when the king will seek to see with his own eyes, to hear with his own ears, to speak more honestly with his citizens, then the citizens will do everything possible to build their country. Your state will grow. ” ^[5]

According to the peace treaty, Armenia received a semi-independent status with complete religious freedom, and the privileges of Armenian nakharars were also restored. Naharara recognized only the power of the Shah, without the intervention of officials. The military and administrative power in the country remained with the Armenian nakharars , there should not have been attacks on the official religion of the Armenians. In 485, the Persian Shah was forced to appoint Vahan Mamikonyan the ruler of the country.

Summary

Thus, thanks to the people's liberation wars of 450–451 and 481–484 , Armenia is gaining a semi-independent position. For almost 85 years after the Nvarsak Treaty, the country has been living a peaceful life. Villages and cities destroyed during the war are restored; agriculture, crafts and trade are developing; The city of Dvin is turning into a large economic and cultural center of Armenia.

Notes

↑ Armenia - article from the British Encyclopedia
Original text
The revolt of 481–484, led by Vahan Mamikonian, Vardan's nephew, secured religious and political freedom for Armenia in return for military aid to Persia, and with the appointment of Vahan as marzpān the Armenians were again largely the arbiters of their own affairs. Their independence was further asserted in 554, when the second Council of Dvin rejected the dyophysite formula of the Council of Chalcedon (451), a decisive step that cut them off from the West as surely as they were already ideologically severed from the East. (According to the dyophysite formula, Christ, the Son of God, consists of two natures, “without confusion, without change, without separation, without division
↑ Philip Wood. History and Identity in the Late Antique Near East. - Oxford University Press, 2013 .-- S. 30 .:
Original text
The Armenians secured their religious autonomy within the Persian empire a generation after the defeat at Avarayr, under the leadership of Vardan's nephew Vahan Mamikonyan, in 484.
↑ History of the Ancient World / Ed. I. M. Dyakonova , V. D. Neronova, I. S. Sventsitskaya . - 2nd ed. - M. , 1983. - T. 3. The decline of ancient societies. - S. 201-220.
Original text (Russian)
“Persian” Armenia since the end of the 4th century began to be governed by the governor (marzban) from among the Armenian nobility, which, however, began to force Zoroastrianism (at least for the sake of sight); Armenian soldiers were sent for many years to serve on the eastern borders of the Sassanid state. Armenians, together with other peoples of Transcaucasia, rebelled against the Persians twice more - in 450–451. under the leadership of the Armenian commander Vardan Mamikonyan and in 481–484. under the leadership of Vagan Mamikonyan and with the support of the Georgian king Vakhtang I Wolf Head. An attempt was made to restore the Armenian state. This failed; however, it was possible to achieve official recognition of Christianity in Armenia and the appointment of the Armenian Christian Naharar (Vagan Mamikonyan) as the Marzban of Armenia. At the same time, however, it should be noted that as early as 451 the Armenian (so-called Monophysite) church did not take part in the Orthodox “ecumenical council” convened in the Eastern Roman Empire in the city of Chalkedon, and thereby actually terminated relations with Rome and Byzantium; this, of course, facilitated the official recognition by the Sassanids of Monophysite Christianity in Armenia. Separation from the Byzantine church was confirmed by the Armenian Church Council in Dvina in 506. This completed the compilation of the social, political, ideological and popular foundations of early medieval Armenia. Subsequent wars between Byzantium and Iran, often taking place on Armenian territory, did not fundamentally change the situation.
↑ http://andromeda-travel.ru/armenia_history/ Archival copy of January 25, 2010 on the Wayback Machine By the end of 484, the Persian king proposed to make peace.
↑ Around History of Armenian Diplomacy (inaccessible link)

Links

History of the Ancient World / Ed. I. M. Dyakonova , V. D. Neronova, I. S. Sventsitskaya . - 2nd ed. - M. , 1983. - T. 3. The decline of ancient societies. - S. 201-220.

[Armenia-1] Armenia - article from the British Encyclopedia
Original text
The revolt of 481–484, led by Vahan Mamikonian, Vardan's nephew, secured religious and political freedom for Armenia in return for military aid to Persia, and with the appointment of Vahan as marzpān the Armenians were again largely the arbiters of their own affairs. Their independence was further asserted in 554, when the second Council of Dvin rejected the dyophysite formula of the Council of Chalcedon (451), a decisive step that cut them off from the West as surely as they were already ideologically severed from the East. (According to the dyophysite formula, Christ, the Son of God, consists of two natures, “without confusion, without change, without separation, without division

[2] Philip Wood. History and Identity in the Late Antique Near East. - Oxford University Press, 2013 .-- S. 30 .:
Original text
The Armenians secured their religious autonomy within the Persian empire a generation after the defeat at Avarayr, under the leadership of Vardan's nephew Vahan Mamikonyan, in 484.

[3] History of the Ancient World / Ed. I. M. Dyakonova , V. D. Neronova, I. S. Sventsitskaya . - 2nd ed. - M. , 1983. - T. 3. The decline of ancient societies. - S. 201-220.
Original text (Russian)
“Persian” Armenia since the end of the 4th century began to be governed by the governor (marzban) from among the Armenian nobility, which, however, began to force Zoroastrianism (at least for the sake of sight); Armenian soldiers were sent for many years to serve on the eastern borders of the Sassanid state. Armenians, together with other peoples of Transcaucasia, rebelled against the Persians twice more - in 450–451. under the leadership of the Armenian commander Vardan Mamikonyan and in 481–484. under the leadership of Vagan Mamikonyan and with the support of the Georgian king Vakhtang I Wolf Head. An attempt was made to restore the Armenian state. This failed; however, it was possible to achieve official recognition of Christianity in Armenia and the appointment of the Armenian Christian Naharar (Vagan Mamikonyan) as the Marzban of Armenia. At the same time, however, it should be noted that as early as 451 the Armenian (so-called Monophysite) church did not take part in the Orthodox “ecumenical council” convened in the Eastern Roman Empire in the city of Chalkedon, and thereby actually terminated relations with Rome and Byzantium; this, of course, facilitated the official recognition by the Sassanids of Monophysite Christianity in Armenia. Separation from the Byzantine church was confirmed by the Armenian Church Council in Dvina in 506. This completed the compilation of the social, political, ideological and popular foundations of early medieval Armenia. Subsequent wars between Byzantium and Iran, often taking place on Armenian territory, did not fundamentally change the situation.

[4] ttp://andromeda-travel.ru/armenia_history/ Archival copy of January 25, 2010 on the Wayback Machine By the end of 484, the Persian king proposed to make peace.

[5] Around History of Armenian Diplomacy (inaccessible link)