Armenian Renaissance

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The Kingdom of Cilician Armenia, 1199-1375. Armenianmeds.gif
The Kingdom of Cilician Armenia, 1199-1375.

The Armenian Renaissance was roughly from the Crusades to the present day. [1] The changing of the Armenian language and the rise of Armenian literature in the nineteenth century played a big part. [2] The Renaissance in Armenia was very similar to that in Europe.

Crusades Military campaigns of Western Christians in the Middle Ages against Muslims and others

The Crusades were a series of religious wars sanctioned by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The most commonly known Crusades are the campaigns in the Eastern Mediterranean aimed at recovering the Holy Land from Muslim rule, but the term "Crusades" is also applied to other church-sanctioned campaigns. These were fought for a variety of reasons including the suppression of paganism and heresy, the resolution of conflict among rival Roman Catholic groups, or for political and territorial advantage. At the time of the early Crusades the word did not exist, only becoming the leading descriptive term around 1760.

Armenian language Indo-European language

The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken primarily by Armenians. It is the official language of Armenia. Historically being spoken throughout the Armenian Highlands, today, Armenian is widely spoken throughout the Armenian diaspora. Armenian is written in its own writing system, the Armenian alphabet, introduced in 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots.

Armenians ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland

Armenians are an ethnic group native to the Armenian Highlands.

Contents

In this time when Europe was "being flooded with the light of New learning" Armenia was in the darkest age of its history. A third factor which accounts for the Armenian renaissance was the rediscovery of the Armenian classical literature. [3]

Europe Continent in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere

Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia.

History

During the second half of the eleventh century certain "Turanian" tribes appeared on the horizon of western Asia. [4] The invasion by Tartars and Mongols in the following two centuries laid waste the whole of Asia minor. [5] Armenia was devastated by these onslaughts the loss of Armenia's political independence, and her culture life collapsed. [6]

Asia Earths largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the Eastern and Northern Hemispheres

Asia is Earth's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the Eastern and Northern Hemispheres. It shares the continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of Europe and the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Europe and Africa. Asia covers an area of 44,579,000 square kilometres (17,212,000 sq mi), about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area. The continent, which has long been home to the majority of the human population, was the site of many of the first civilizations. Asia is notable for not only its overall large size and population, but also dense and large settlements, as well as vast barely populated regions. Its 4.5 billion people constitute roughly 60% of the world's population.

The Mongols are an East-Central Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia and to China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. They also live as minorities in other regions of China, as well as in Russia. Mongolian people belonging to the Buryat and Kalmyk subgroups live predominantly in the Russian federal subjects of Buryatia and Kalmykia.

The Kingdom of Lesser Armenia, which made notable progress regeneration in Cilicia, did not fare much better at the hands of the Mamelukes of Egypt. [7]

Lesser Armenia, also known as Armenia Minor and Armenia Inferior, comprised the Armenian–populated regions primarily to the west and northwest of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia. The region was later reorganized into the Armeniac Theme under the Byzantine Empire.

Cilicia ancient region of Anatolia

In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor and existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia during the late Byzantine Empire. Extending inland from the southeastern coast of modern Turkey, Cilicia is due north and northeast of the island of Cyprus and corresponds to the modern region of Çukurova in Turkey.

Egypt Country spanning North Africa and Southwest Asia

Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is a Mediterranean country bordered by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. Across the Gulf of Aqaba lies Jordan, across the Red Sea lies Saudi Arabia, and across the Mediterranean lie Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, although none share a land border with Egypt.

After the collapse of the last dynasty in Major Armenia in 1064, a large number of Armenians moved to Poland.

Poland republic in Central Europe

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country located in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres (120,733 sq mi), and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With a population of approximately 38.5 million people, Poland is the sixth most populous member state of the European Union. Poland's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw. Other major cities include Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Szczecin.

The future of Armenia laid on these colonists. In 1240 the first Armenian Church was erected at Rome, and 1434 the date of the founding of the Holy Cross at Venice, no fewer than eleven Armenian churches were built in Italy alone.

Rome Capital city and comune in Italy

Rome is the capital city and a special comune of Italy. Rome also serves as the capital of the Lazio region. With 2,872,800 residents in 1,285 km2 (496.1 sq mi), it is also the country's most populated comune. It is the fourth most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. It is the centre of the Metropolitan City of Rome, which has a population of 4,355,725 residents, thus making it the most populous metropolitan city in Italy. Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of the Tiber. The Vatican City is an independent country inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city: for this reason Rome has been often defined as capital of two states.

An attempt is made in the following sketch to point out that the Renaissance in Armenia was strikingly similar to that in Europe. [8]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Frederic Macler, La nation armenienne (Paris, 1923)
  2. ↑ The Armenian Renaissance, 1500-1863, by Harry Jewell Sarkiss, p.534
  3. ↑ Zarphanalian, II, 171.
  4. ↑ Arisdagues de Lasdivert, History of Armenia by the Michitarists of Venice.
  5. ↑ Hethoum, Prince of Gorigos, History of the Tartars, 1076-1307 p.89
  6. ↑ The Armenian Renaissance, 1500-1863, by Harry Jewell Sarkiss p.435
  7. ↑ Leo Alishan, Cilicia, (in Armenian; Venice, 1885) p. 129
  8. ↑ The Journal of Modern History - Page 434
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