Mikayel Chamchian
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Mikayel Chamchian (Միքայել Չամչյան Mik῾ayel Č῾amč῾yan; 1738–1823) was an Armenian Mekhitarist monk and historian who in 1784-1788 published a History of the Armenians in three volumes. The work marks the beginning of Romantic Armenian nationalism.
Chamchian provides a chronology for the Armenian patriarchs of Moses of Chorene's History of Armenia, dating Haik's battle with Belus to 11 August 2492 BC. Chamchian is also the source for the traditionally accepted date for the foundation of the Armenian Apostolic Church, AD 301.
Chamchian was born in Istanbul and trained as a jeweler by the imperial jeweler Mikayel Chelebi Diuzian. He joined the Armenian Mekhitarian order in Venice in 1762. In 1774 he was appointed instructor of Armenian language in the monastery. In 1795, he was sent back to Istanbul as the resident Mekhitarian representative.
Works
- 1779 Kerakanutiun Haykazian Lezvi (Grammar of the Armenian)
- 1784 Patmutiun Hayots i Skzbane Ashkharhi Minchev tsam diarn (Պատմութիւն Հայոց Armenian history from the beginning of the world to the year 1784)
[edit] References
- Razmik Panossian, The Armenians: From Kings And Priests to Merchants And Commissars, Columbia University Press (2006), ISBN 978-0231139267.
- Adalian, Rouben P., From Humanism to Rationalism: Armenian Scholarship in the Nineteenth Century. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1992.
- Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa (2004).
