Sparapet

Etymology

The word xcl is of Iranian origin, ultimately deriving from Proto-Iranian *spādapati- (“commander of the army”), which is composed of *cwáHdaH (“army”) and *pati- (“lord”). The word was borrowed into Armenian several times from different Iranian languages, yielding the alternative forms xcl, xcl, and xcl; the most common form, xcl, was borrowed from Parthian. It is cognates with Middle Persian pal (whence modern ) and Georgian ka.

xcl has been translated into English as "grand marshal," "commander-in-chief," and "high constable."

History

The exact period in which the office of xcl emerged in Armenia is not known for certain. Historian Suren Yeremian believed it to have been instituted in the 2nd century BCE during the reign of Artaxias I, although according to another historian, it was established under the Arsacids, along with the other major hereditary state offices of Armenia.

In Arsacid Armenia, the xcl was at all times in control of the royal cavalry units called the xcl, and during times of war was the supreme commander of all military units of the Kingdom of Armenia. It is not clear to what extent the functions of the office coincided with those of the Sasanian pal. The title of xcl came with considerable prestige and power, which gave its hereditary holders, the Mamikonians, a degree of influence rivalling that of the ruling Arsacids. Historian Nicholas Adontz writes:

In the late 4th century, the Arsacid king Varazdat ordered the murder of xcl Mushegh Mamikonian and appointed a non-Mamikonian, Bat Saharuni, to the office. This was short-lived, however, as Mushegh's kinsman Manuel Mamikonian soon returned to Armenia and drove Varazdat out of the country. After the dethroning of the last Arsacid king of Armenia in 428, the Mamikonians continued to hold the title of sparapet under Sasanian rule. In the first half of the 8th century, during the period of Arab rule in Armenia, the office of *sparapet'' was usurped by the Bagratunis, the traditional rivals of the Mamikonians. Later on, the title was borne by members of the Pahlavuni family.

In the medieval Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, the title of sparapet or gundstabl was no longer the hereditary privilege of one house. It was held by members of the Rubenid and Hethumid dynasties, as well as representatives of other noble houses.

Modern usage

The 18th century commander Mkhitar Sparapet led the Armenian efforts for independence in the Syunik province of Armenia.

The title "Sparapet of Syunik" (Սյունյաց սպարապետ) was held by the Garegin Nzhdeh, as supreme commander of the Republic of Mountainous Armenia, in 1920–21.

The title is also used for the Grand Commander of the Knights of Vartan, an Armenian-American fraternal order. The title was held by Alex Manoogian during his leadership of that organization.

Vazgen Sargsyan, Armenia's Defense Minister in 1991-92 and 1995–99, is often informally referred to as Sparapet in recognition of his leadership during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

References

Sources

References

1. [[Anahit Perikhanian. Perikhanyan, A. G.]] (1993). ''Материалы к этимологическому словарю древнеармянского языка: часть 1'' [Materials for the Etymological Dictionary of the Old Armenian Language. Part 1] (in Russian), Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, p. 18.
2. "Նժդեհ Գարեգին". [[Armenian Encyclopedia Publishing]].
3. (27 April 2011). "Որ զանգը զուր չհնչի". [[Aravot]].
4. "Alex Manoogyan".
5. "Vazgen Sargsyan". Government of the Republic of Armenia.
6. (20 March 2009). "50th Anniversary of Birth of Sparapet". [[Yerevan State University]].
7. (5 March 2014). "Armenians commemorate Sparapet Vazgen Sargsyan". [[A1plus]].