Arran 877164 224905263 2008-07-10T22:53:36Z Nepaheshgar 696234 Moving from another article which had a concensus to here. {{this|a geographical region which existed in [[ancient]] and [[medieval]] times}} '''Arran''' ({{PerB|آران}}), also known as '''Aran''', '''Ardhan''' (in [[Parthian language|Parthian]]), '''Al-Ran''' (in [[Arabic]])<ref name="Minorsky" /><ref name="Bosworth" />, '''Aghvank''' and '''Alvank''' (in [[Armenian language|Armenian]]), '''Ran-i''' (in [[Georgian language| Georgian]]) or '''[[Caucasian Albania]]'''<ref name="Minorsky" /> (in [[Latin]]), was a geographical name used in [[ancient]] and [[medieval]] times to signify the territory which lies within the [[triangle]] of land, lowland in the east and mountainous in the west, formed by the junction of [[Kura]] and [[Aras]] rivers,<ref name="Bosworth">[http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v2f5/v2f5a010.html Encyclopedia Iranica. C. E. Bosworth. Arran]</ref> including the highland and lowland [[Karabakh]]<ref name="Bosworth"/> ([[Artsakh]]<ref>C. J. F. Dowsett. "The Albanian Chronicle of Mxit'ar Goš", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 21, No. 1/3. (1958) p. 475: "''In Albania, Xacen, part of the old province of Arcax, had preserved its independence, and we know that it was partly at the request of one of its rulers, Prince Vaxtang, that Mxit'ar composed his lawbook.''"</ref>{{Dubious|date=March 2008}}), [[Mil plain]] and parts of the [[Mughan plain]], and in the pre-Islamic times, corresponded roughly to the territory of modern-day [[Republic of Azerbaijan]]<ref name="Bosworth"/>. The term is the [[Middle Persian]]<ref name="Journal">''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland''. The Society, published 1902, page 64. Text states: ''"In Mustawfi's lists, however, the Arabic article has everywhere disappeared and we have Ray, Mawsil, etc.; while names such as Ar-Ran and Ar-Ras (spelt Al-Ran, Al-Ras in the Arabic writing), which in the older geographers had thus the false appearance of Arab names, in the pages of Mustawfi appear in plain Persian as Arran and Aras."''</ref><ref>Prasad, Ganga. ''The Fountain Head of Religion''. Published by the Book Tree in 2000, page 46</ref> equivalent to the [[Greco-Roman]] ''[[Albania]]''. It was known as ''Aghvania'', ''Alvan-k''<ref name="Minorsky">V. Minorsky. Caucasica IV. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 15, No. 3. (1953), p. 504</ref> in [[Armenian language|Armenian]], and ''Al-ran''<ref name="Bosworth"/><ref name="Minorsky"/> (Arabized form of ''Arran''<ref name="Journal"/>) in [[Arabic]]. The native name for the country is unknown.<ref name="Hewsen">Robert H. Hewsen. Ethno-History and the Armenian Influence upon the Caucasian Albanians, in: Samuelian, Thomas J. (Hg.), Classical Armenian Culture. Influences and Creativity, Chico: 1982, 27-40.</ref> Today, the term Arran is mainly used in the [[Republic of Azerbaijan]] to indicate territories consisting of Mil and Mughan plains {{Fact|date=July 2007}}(mostly, [[Beylaqan]], [[Imisli|Imishli]], [[Saatli]], [[Sabirabad]] provinces of the [[Republic of Azerbaijan]]){{Fact|date=July 2007}}. ==Origins of the name== {{see also|List of geographic names of Iranian origin}} According to some legends and ancient sources, such as [[Movses Kagankatvatsi]], ''Arran'' or ''Arhan''<ref>[http://rbedrosian.com/kg7.htm Kirakos' History of the Armenians<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> was the name of the legendary founder of [[Caucasian Albania]], who in some versions was son of [[Noah]]'s son Yafet ([[Japheth]]) and also, possibly the eponym of the ancient Caucasian Albanians (''Aghvan''),<ref>[http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/rus5/Kalank/text11.phtml?id=618 Moses Kalankatuatsi. History of country of Aluank. Chapter IV.]</ref> and/or the Iranic tribe known as [[Alan]]s (Alani). The nearby [[Aras river|Araks (Aras) river]] was known to [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] [[geographer]]s as the ''Araxes'', and has a source near from Mt. [[Ararat]]. Moreover, this region, long considered the earliest seat of the [[Zoroastrian]] faith, is traditionally (eg., in the ''[[Bundahishn]]'' 29:12) considered a likely candidate to be the place referred to in the [[Zend Avesta]] as the "First land" (''[[Airyanem Vaejah|Airyana Vaego]]''). According to [[C.E. Bosworth]]: {{cquote|The Georgians knew them as Rani, a form taken over in an Arabized form for the early Islamic geographical term al-Rān (pronounced ar-Rān)''.}} Moreover in [[Kurdish language]] which is [[Median language|Median]], ''Aran'' means '''[[lowland]]'''{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. ==Boundaries== {{Main|History of the name Azerbaijan}} In pre-Islamic times, Caucasian Albania/Arran was a wider concept than that of post-Islamic Arran. Ancient Arran covered all eastern Transcaucasia, which included most of the territory of modern day Azerbaijan Republic and part of the territory of [[Dagestan]]. However in post-Islamic times the geographic notion of Arran reduced to the territory between the rivers of Kura and Araks.<ref name="Bosworth"/> In a medieval chronicle "''Ajayib-ad-Dunia''", written in the [[13th century]] by an unknown author, Arran is said to have been 30 ''[[farsakhs]]'' (200 km) in width, and 40 ''farsakhs'' (270 km) in length. All the right bank of the [[Kura river]] until it joined with the Aras was attributed to Arran (the left bank of the Kura was known as [[Shirvan]]). The boundaries of Arran have shifted throughout history, sometimes encompassing the entire territory of the present day Republic of Azerbaijan, and at other times only parts of the [[South Caucasus]]. In some instances Arran was a part of Armenia<ref>Abi Ali Ahmad ibn Umar ibn Rustah, al-A'laq Al-Nafisah, Tab'ah 1,Bayrut : Dar al-Kutub al-ʻIlmiyah, 1998, pg 96-98.</ref>. Medieval [[Islamic]] geographers gave descriptions of Arran in general, and of its towns, which included [[Barda, Azerbaijan|Barda]], [[Beylagan (town)|Beylagan]], and [[Ganja (city)|Ganja]], along with others. == History of Arran == :''History of Arran is summarized in [[History of Azerbaijan]] section, where you can refer for detailed description.'' ===Pre-Islamic=== {{see main|Caucasian Albania}} ===Islamic=== Following the [[Islamic conquest of Iran|Arab invasion of Iran]], the Arabs invaded the Caucasus in the 8th century and most of the former territory of [[Caucasian Albania]] was included under the name of Arran. This region was at times part of the [[Abbasid]] province of [[Armenia]] based on [[numismatic]] and historical evidence. Dynasties of [[Parthia]]n or [[Persian people|Persian]] descent, such as the [[Mihranids]] had come to rule the territory during [[Sassanids|Sassanian times]]. Its kings were given title ''Arranshah'', and after the Arab invasions, fought against the caliphate from the late [[7th Century|7th]] to middle [[8th centuries]]. Early [[Muslim]] ruling dynasties of the time included [[Rawadids]], [[Sajids]], [[Salarids]], [[Shaddadid]]s, [[Shirvanshahs]], and the [[Sheki]] and [[Tiflis]] emirates. The principal cities of Arran in early medieval times were [[Barda]] (Partav) and [[Ganja]]. [[Barda]] reached prominence in the [[10th century]], and was used to house a [[mint (coin)|mint]]. Barda was sacked by the [[Rus' (people)|Rus]] and [[Norsemen|Norse]] several times in 10th century as result of the [[Caspian expeditions of the Rus]]. Barda never revived after these raids and was replaced as capital by [[Baylaqan]], which in turn was sacked by the Mongols in 1221. After this [[Ganja]] rose to prominence and became the central city of the region. The capital of the [[Shaddadid]] dynasty, Ganja was considered the "mother city of Arran" during their reign. The territory of Arran became a part of the [[Seljuk Turks|Seljuk]] empire, followed by the [[Ildegizid]] state. It was taken briefly by the [[Khwarezmian Empire|Khwarizmid]] dynasty and then overran by [[Mongol Hulagu empire]] in the [[13th century]]. Later, it became a part of [[Chobanid]], [[Jalayirid]], [[Timurid]], and [[Safavid]] states. ==People== {{see main|Caucasian Albanians}} {{see also|Caucasian origin of the Azerbaijanis}} [[Caucasian Albanians]] were the aboriginal inhabitants of Arran. Prior to the Islamicization of the region, the Albanians had mostly been Christians<ref>[http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v2f5/v2f5a010.html C.E Bosworth. "Arran". ''Encyclopaedia Iranica]</ref>. Albanians adopted the [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] branch of Islam, which was later largely replaced by the [[Shia Islam|Shia]] branch{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. Muslim chronicles of the 10th century reported that some of the population of Arran spoke al-rānīya, as well as [[Arabic]] and [[Persian language]]s<ref>[http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/Dokumenty/S.Kavkaz/Karaulov/frametext1.htm In Russian, text states: Язык в Адербейджане, Армении и Арране персидский и арабский, исключая области города Дабиля: вокруг него говорят по-армянски: в стране Берда'а язык арранский.]</ref><ref name="link1">[http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/Dokumenty/S.Kavkaz/Karaulov/text7.htm Al-Muqaddasi, 985]</ref><ref name="link2">[http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/Dokumenty/S.Kavkaz/Karaulov/text9.htm Ibn-Hawqal, 978]</ref>. Due to the fact that there is no written evidence, some scholars have persumed al-rānīya to be an [[Iranian Languages|Iranian]] dialect<ref>Encyclopedia Iranica, "Azerbaijan: Islamic history to 1941." C. E. Bosworth:"North of the Aras, the distinct, presumably Iranian, speech of Arrān long survived, called by Ebn Hawqal al-rānīya"</ref> while others have presumed it to be a remnant of a Caucasian Albanian language. The area in which there was Ganja, during the 9th to 12th century named [[Arran]]; its urban population spoke mainly in the [[Persian language]]<ref>[http://www.kulichki.com/~gumilev/HE2/he2103.htm История Востока. В 6 т. Т. 2. Восток в средние века.]М., «Восточная литература», 2002. ISBN: 5-02-017711-3 (History of the East. In 6 volumes. Volume 2. Moscow, publishing house of the Russian Academy of sciences «East literature»): The polyethnic population of Albania left-bank at this time is increasingly moving to the Persian language. Mainly this applies to cities of Aran and [[Shirvan]], as begin from 9-10 centuries named two main areas in the territory of Azerbaijan. With regard to the rural population, it would seem, mostly retained for a long time, their old languages, related to modern Daghestanian family, especially Lezgin. (russian text: Пестрое в этническом плане население левобережнoй Албании в это время все больше переходит на персидский язык. Главным образом это относится к городам Арана и Ширвана, как стали в IX-Х вв. именоваться два главные области на территории Азербайджана. Что касается сельского населения, то оно, по-видимому, в основном сохраняло еще долгое время свои старые языки, родственные современным дагестанским, прежде всего лезгинскому. </ref><ref> [http://uni-persona.srcc.msu.su/site/authors/djakonov/posl_gl.htm Дьяконов, Игорь Михайлович. Книга воспоминаний. Издательство "Европейский дом", Санкт-Петербург, 1995., 1995]. - ISBN 5-85733-042-4. cтр. 730-731 [[Igor Diakonov]]. The book of memoirs.</ref> After the Turkification of the region, the population became Turkic speaking, and thus referred to by [[European ethnic groups|European]]s, particularly the [[Russians]], as Tartars. They were later called Azerbaijanis. ==See also== *[[Caucasian Albania]] *[[South Caucasus]] *[[Transcaucasia]] *[[Azerbaijan Democratic Republic]] *[[Azerbaijan SSR]] ==Sources== * Bashi, Munnjim, '''Duwal Al-Islam''' * [[Vladimir Minorsky|Minorsky, V.]],Studies in Caucasian history, Cambridge University Press, 1957 * Volkmar Gantzhorn, '''Oriental Carpets''' ==References== <references/> [[Category:History of Azerbaijan]] [[Category:Geography of Azerbaijan]] [[Category:History of Armenia]] [[Category:History of Iran]] [[Category:Caucasian Albania]] [[az:Arran]] [[ca:Arran]] [[de:Aran]] [[hy:Աղուանք]] [[nl:Aguank]] [[ru:Арран (область в Закавказье)]]