If we have a look at Armenian historical literature, since Movses Khorenatsi (5th c.) till our days, most of the Armenian historians have suffered from pathological and aggressive historicism. This may be referred to as a disease as far as, according to Armenian sources, one interested phenomenon came into being which in the mid 20th c. was labeled as Armenian “cosmocratism.”

Scholarly literature provides the following definition of cosmocratism: “cosmocrats” are assumed to be King of Kings and an emperor who, as a ruler and embodiment of the theophanic microcosm, must stand in a special relation to the rulers of the cosmos, the gods, and in the first place to the chief god. He is thus a link between microcosm and cosmos, earth and heaven, men and gods. One can discern both a temporal and a spatial aspect in the king’s embodying of theophany. He brings about the cosmogonic rebirth of of the world at his accession, “to implement sovereign rights within a specific geopolitical and cultural area,” – says the American scholar. C. Toumanoff.

He assumed a typical feature of “cosmocratism” the state called “Greater Armenia” and its four principalities, being perceived as a symbol of the Armenian royal dominance throughout the four parts.

As a Herodotus of Armenians, Movses Khorenatsi, whose The History of Armenia was recognized as a specimen of cosmocratism, skillfully accommodated the history of Iran to the past of his homeland, and ascribed the military victories of the Achaemenids and the Sasanians to the Haykides and the Arshakunyans. He arranged his narrative in accordance with the political theories widespread in the Iranian world and created a solid concept substantiating the right of “global ruling” Armenians to dominate over a considerable part of the Asian world.

As it is seen, it was Movses Khorenatsi who initiated the Armenian morbid historicism which was expressed in declaring of the Achaemenids’ and the Sasanians’ military advances as victories of Armenia.

Such activities lasted for centuries and still in happen in our days. I am not going to render the history of such scientific frauds and cheats by some ethnic Armenians as far as it is beyond the objective of my work; therefore, I will confine my target period to only the 18th-20th centuries.

This pathological historicism gained circulation and played a major part in historical misfortunes of Georgia. Of course, I do not intend to be spiteful about the Armenian people; however, I am not going to turn a blind eye to a team of “Armenian scholars” (Ilia the Righteous (Chavchavadze)) having mastered in falsification of Georgian history and misappropriation of Georgian cultural monuments.

Moreover, some Armenian secular and religious figures played the Judas role in deeming the Kingdom of Georgia to elimination (1801).

We should begin with what role Armenians played at the royal court of Heraclius II. “In that period, Armenians pursued double-faced policy; they simultaneously lit a candle to God and to a devil, that is, to Russians; they laid a red carpet for them inviting to invade Georgia. They sent money and gifts to Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, showing him the way to conquer the Kingdom of Kartli and Kakheti” (Kvariani, S. History of the Georgian Nation. Tbilisi, 1919; p. 112).

It should also be noted that local ethnic Armenians profited from the fact that the eunuch khan mercilessly ravages Tbilisi and they shamelessly robbed or laid hands on houses of the killed or refugee ethnic Georgians.

In the 1780s, the wealthy Armenian merchants and high-ranking clergy, led by Catholicos of All Armenians Iosif Argutinsky and with the hope of Russia’s support, designed a project of the restoration of the so called “Greater Armenia,” first of all, at the expense of Georgia, of course; however, the existence of the Kingdom of Georgia hindered the implementation of the plan. That was why Catholicos Argutinsky attacked it. It may also be assumed that the appointment the Armenian General Lazarev (Lazaryants), who hated Georgians, to the position of the commander of Russia’s occupational army in Georgia was facilitated by either Catholicos Argutinsky or his entourage.

This substantial assumption is enhanced by the viewpoint of Archpriest Polievktos Karbelashvili that Iosif Argutinski, ethnic Armenian residents of Tbilisi were eager to restore the Kingdom of Armenia, and, therefore, they did not want Heraclius II to become stronger; vice versa, they facilitated strengthening of Russia’s influence and weakening of Georgia. Who detached Karabakh Armenians from Heraclius II before the Battle of Krtsanisi? It was done by ethnic Armenian residents of Tbilisi in order not to let Heraclius II strengthen with their help.

The facts, described in the memorandum report of the Russian Commander-in-Chief Rtishchev to Alexandre I, Emperor of Russia, are typical of the betrayals of some Armenians: “I am happy to inform you that the Armenian nation, as the excellent part of residents of Georgia, deeply appreciate your kindness, the highest patronage and inexpressible generosity bestowed upon Armenians by Your Highness. There is no single individual loyal to you all over Georgia; only Armenians were the ones who not only did not participate in the rebellion (the 1812 unrest in Kakheti – B. A.) but also did not spare their lives and properties. They fought together with our army to exterminate rebels. The government should be grateful to the Armenians for the fact that they let us know in time and even beforehand what the rebels intended and where they were. If various military detachments, dispersed all over Kakheti, had contacts with each other, it was owing to the Armenians who fulfilled such a dangerous mission with pleasure and willingness and frequently were killed for their loyalty to the mission.”

Ingratitude and betrayal cannot be worse. I thought for a long time whether to quote or not an unpleasant and disgraceful episode for humans, at large, and, particularly, for, Armenians, from the work by the 15th century Armenian chronicler Thovmas Metsobetsi, but my hesitation was interrupted by the betrayals of Artem of Ararat, the Melik brothers of Karabakh, the aforementioned betrayal by the Armenians in Kakhetia, and I made my mind to familiarize the reader with this excerpt: “In 1431, famine began in our country, in Armenia, both among believers and unbilievers; they ate up dogs, cats, corpses, horses, donkeys, mules and camels; when nothing was left, they turned to their sons and daughters; things reached the point where a thousands individuals were eaten covertly or overtly. In winter, believers from Gavar of Ararat made to Georgia.”

Author Bondo Arveladze

To be continued