Centered on letters traded involving the early seventh-millennium prelates of the Armenian and you may Georgian places of worship, this new martyred Little princess Shushanik are the item away from veneration from inside the Tsurtaw, the administrative centre town of Gugark, itself new marchland anywhere between Armenia and you can Georgia. Even if Gugark is appended to help you Georgia due to the fact next 100 years, services about chapel where the little princess are buried was held for the Armenian. The populace of the part was mainly regarding Armenian and you may Georgian supply, and you may Armenian try a generally verbal vocabulary next to Georgian. The fresh grave of your little princess lured of many pilgrims of various parts off Armenia (considering this type of same data files), which per year found its way to Tsurtaw so you can venerate the brand new princess’ grave.
[x] The above emails get off undoubtedly your story away from Shushanik predates this new 7th century, and that her Interests-and that can be Islanti naiset found in lot of items and you may models, in Armenian and you will Georgian-is derived from a very early brand spanking new. Shushanik are this new dikonean. The second was new celebrated leader-in-head of the Armenian pushes, which led his people in good rebellion up against the Iranian King out of Leaders inside the coverage of your own Christian believe, and fell towards the battleground out-of Awarayr on may twenty-six, Offer 451. For her father’s front side, Shushanik is originated off St.
Shushanik is married to Vazgen (“Varzken” within the Georgian), the fresh margrave (otherwise february-lord) from Gugark and child of your own ikonean’s intimate associate. For the 450 Ashusha had observed Vardan in addition to other nobles off Armenia, Georgia and you may Albania have been summoned to the Iranian [xi] legal inside the Ctesiphon so you’re able to confront the newest Queen off Kings. He was with Vardan therefore the Armenian nobles once they refuted the newest king’s offer to alter in order to Zoroastrianism. The refusal naughty brand new king’s wrath, in which he endangered punishment towards the princes throughout the about three countries in the Caucasus. The latest nobles consequently, significantly worried about the consequences they could suffer, agreed certainly one of themselves to help you pretend desired of the king’s promote, and to mine the heading sales because the a ploy to keep the lives. Vardan in the beginning refused to participate in the brand new deception, and you can expressed a determination become martyred. With this new nobles accredited a good prince named Artak together with margrave Ashusha (referred to as a wise son from the late fifth-century historian Ghazar Parpetsi) to encourage Vardan so you can acquiesce regarding the pretended apostasy. Ashusha’s wife try an enthusiastic [xii] Armenian princess of the Artsruni family unit members together with brother from Dzuik, this new partner out-of Vardan’s sibling Hmayeak. Ashusha’s word naturally transmitted pounds having Vardan, who complied together with his suggestions.
In the event that Iranian judge effortlessly contained new Armenian rebellion inside the 452 and you will exiled its leaders, the brand new spouses and children of one’s latter discovered safe haven inside the the brand new legal of one’s ong these people were members of the fresh Mamikonean relatives as well as their members of the family. Princess Dzuik particularly desired refuge home regarding Ashusha, her sister’s husband. Whilst in Gugark, Dzuik got taken through to herself the training of your own students of the brand new Mamikonean clan, certainly who had been her very own boy Vahan, the long term chief-in-chief and you will governor out of Persian Armenia, and an earlier attendant, Ghazar Parpetsi, the long run historian of one’s events of 5th millennium.
Little princess Shushanik’s before numerous years of wedding have been presumably invested inside Gugark. We need to assume that she gotten in marriage so you can Vazgen, child of the margrave Ashusha, certain [xiii] big date in advance of 451-which is, before this lady father’s dying. ikonean little princess after the rebellion away from 451 will have aroused the newest suspicion and you may fury of one’s Persian overlords. We learn from new Passion you to definitely at that time whenever Vazgen went to Ctesiphon (the main city of one’s Iranian empire) and you may forsook their Christian faith, the couple had three sons and you may a child. The youngsters was indeed without a doubt old and you can baptized as the Christians, because the father guaranteed the brand new King of Leaders to alter her or him so you’re able to Zoroastrianism. Furthermore, the fresh child need to have been out of marriageable ages, due to the fact Vazgen themselves got objectives from marrying the girl, according to the dynastic habit regarding the Persian legal.
