Some Hayan pseudo-historians claim that there was no independent Albanian Church and that it has always been a part of the Armenian Church. However, historical facts do not support these claims. It is acknowledged that until 704, the Albanian Church maintained autocephaly. According to historical accounts, the church in Caucasian Albania initially became 'autonomous' in 'canonical unity with the Armenian Apostolic Church'. After the cessation of the state of Caucasian Albania, the church effectively became an autonomous Catholicosate of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It played the role of a special 'Albanian' patriarchate of the Armenian Church, serving as a link between the territories on the right and left banks of the Kura.

However, there is no data available before 1830 regarding the 'autonomy' or 'subordination' of the Albanian Catholicosate to the Armenian Church. It is believed that myths about this 'subordination' were created retrospectively after the illegal transfer of all monasteries and churches to Echmiadzin with the abolition of the Albanian Catholicosate under the Russian Empire.

By that time, the Albanian Church had already undergone 'Armenisation', and the Khai language 'Grabar' had replaced both Old Albanian and Turkic in divine service. Additionally, all liturgical books and documents in Old Albanian and Turkic were destroyed.

The fate of the Turkic Christian heritage of Cappadocia exemplifies the fact that such 'operations' were carried out by nationalists dressed in cassocks. In the 20th century, after the 'population exchange', all the Orthodox Turks of Cappadocia, belonging to the ethnic group of Karamanli and recorded as 'Greeks', moved to Greece along with their secular and liturgical books. Although Ataturk supported leaving the Karamanlis in Turkey as 'Orthodox Turks', the Greek authorities insisted on their supposed Hellenic identity and demanded their 'repatriation'. The Greek nationalists in power were not only concerned with the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of refugees, but also with the presence of non-Hellenic, particularly Turkish Orthodox individuals within the former Roman Empire's territory. This presence challenged the myth that the empire was a Greek state and that the Turks settled on the land.

The Karamanlis language, which is identical to the language spoken by the Urum Greeks living in the Tsalka municipality of Georgia, had its own literary tradition. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, numerous secular and religious publications were printed. When resettling, the Karamanians brought with them all the literature and books in their native language. However, upon arrival at the new location, the Greek clergy confiscated and destroyed all liturgical literature in Turkic that belonged to the resettled priests and laymen.

Currently, finding books in the Turkic Karamanlis language is a bibliographic rarity. It has only been 100 years since the resettlement of the Karamanlis, and the younger generation has already forgotten their native language. They vaguely remember what their grandparents used to say, let alone read and write in this language.

It would be incorrect to assume that Hay nationalists and churchmen of Echmiadzin did not take measures to destroy heritage in a language they considered foreign. For instance, literary monuments in Armenian-Kypchak language are only preserved outside of Echmiadzin, such as in Ukraine and Poland.

Regarding the year 704, when the Albanian Church was allegedly subordinated to the Armenian Church, it is important to note that the 'Armenisation' of the Church only refers to its departure from Orthodoxy and transition to the Monophysite-Monothelite branch. This branch was also professed by the majority of Hayes at that time. However, it is important to note that the Monophysite confession does not necessarily indicate belonging to the Khai ethnos. For example, the majority of Ethiopian Christians are Monophysites, but they are not referred to as ethnic Hayes.

To comprehend the events of that time, it is essential to analyse the geopolitical situation, which involved three forces vying for control of the Caucasus: the Roman Empire (referred to by modern historians as 'Byzantine') centred in Constantinople, the Arab Caliphate, and the Khazar Khaganate. The Khazar Khaganate, a Turkic state, had a significant influence within its borders and on the territories it contested, including in Caucasian Albania.

Contrary to modern stereotypes, in the 7th-8th century, the Khazar Khaganate was not yet a state dominated by Judaism, as it only became so in the 9th century. The Khazars and their kinsmen, the Bulgarians, mostly adhered to the traditional Turkic religion of Tengrianism. However, Christianity was also prevalent in the Kaganate, and the Kagans, who maintained allied relations with the Roman Empire, supported it. Evidence of this can be found in the hagiography of the martyr Abo Tbileli.

Although there was a confrontation between Orthodoxy and Monothelite-Monophysite heresy in the Roman Empire at the turn of the 7th and 8th centuries, the Khazar Khaganate supported pure Orthodoxy. In contrast, the rival Arabian Caliphate of the Umayyad dynasty supported Monophysitism and later Monothelitism. While living within the Caliphate, the Hayes not only adopted these heresies but also became proponents of a pro-Khalifat policy.

The Khazar Khaganate supported the Orthodox in the Caucasus, including the Orthodox Catholicos of Caucasian Albania. This was due to the close ties between the Khazars and Constantinople at the time, as well as the intention to rescue the Christians of the Caucasus from the heretical Hayan influence. Additionally, a significant portion of the population of Caucasian Albania were related to the Khazars, who were Christian Turks.

At the beginning of the 8th century, the Khazars and the Romans left the Caucasus due to internal problems and turmoil. This situation was exploited by the Armenian Church to persuade the Albanian Catholicosate to adopt the Monothelite heresy, with the support of the Omeyad caliph Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan, who is known for his reforms.

Reforms were implemented throughout the Caliphate to strengthen Arab power. The Arabic language was universally adopted in chancelleries, replacing Greek and Middle Persian. In 696, Arab coins were introduced to replace Roma (Byzantine) and Sassanid money. Tax and financial reforms were also implemented.

Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan showed interest in religious issues concerning his Christian subjects. In contrast to the Orthodoxy established in the Roman Empire and supported by the Khazar Kaganate, he chose to promote the Monophysite-Monothelite heresy in his territories, which aligned with Hayes. This decision was fully supported by the Armenian Catholicos Elia I.

According to the Orthodox Encyclopaedia, Elia I Archishetsi actively opposed the policy of Nerses Bakur, Catholicos of Albania of Caucasus (Aluank), who was inclined to recognise the Chalcedonian dogma of the two natures of Christ and to ally with Orthodox Byzantium with the help of the Arabs. The third book of 'History of the Aluank country' by Movses Kalankatuatsi contains an appeal from the Council of the Albanian Church to E.A. with complaints about the actions of Catholicos Nerses, who was accused of falling into the Chalcedonian heresy. Additionally, it includes an account of the arrival of 'the great Hayrapet (patriarch) of Armenia Elia' to the capital of Albania Partav in 704, accompanied by a military detachment sent by the Arab ostikan (governor), and the subsequent arrest of Nerses, who was then sent to Damascus.

In 704, the Albanian Catholicos became a protégé of the Hayan churchmen, Simeon I. It is noteworthy that during this time, the Arab Caliphate authorities, with the help of intrigues from the Armenian Catholicos, 'converted' the Albanian Church to Monophysitism. According to the annals, the Armenians (Hayes) in the border areas revolted against the Caliphate and requested the assistance of Emperor Tiberius III. It appears that the patriarch Elias I did not support the rebellion, which increased Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan's confidence.

In the meantime, Emperor Justinian II, who was deposed from the throne in 695, fled to the Khazars on the Taman Peninsula. The wife of the dethroned emperor, Theodora, became the sister of Khazar Hagan Ibuzir Glyavan. In 705, she gave birth to Justinian's son, Tiberius IV, who served as co-emperor with his father from 706 to 711.

To regain the throne, Justinian II enlisted the help of the Bulgarians. In 705, he approached the walls of Constantinople with an army led by Bulgarian khan Tervel, seized the capital, and reclaimed his throne. Justinian II generously rewarded his ally, granting Tervel the title of Caesar, which set a historical precedent.

The Khazar Khaganate, the Roman Empire, and the Bulgarians had the opportunity to join forces to reclaim the Caucasus, particularly Caucasian Albania, from the Caliphate and restore Orthodoxy's position there.

However, Justinian II did not take advantage of this opportunity. Instead, in 708, he unexpectedly quarrelled with Khan Tervel and attacked Bulgaria, weakening his positions in the East. Khan Tervel defeated him at the Battle of Anchialo. Following his defeats in the war with the Bulgarians, Justinian II began to suffer losses in the war with the Arabs. It is important to note that this information is presented objectively without any subjective evaluations.

However, Caliph Al-Walid I, who ascended to the throne in 705, was apprehensive about the possibility of a new Roman-Khazar offensive in the Caucasus. This was due to the strong alliance between the Empire and the Kaganate, which was further strengthened by the accession of Justinian II and his half-Khazar son, Tiberius. The alliance had the potential to create a large, united Turkic-Roman empire. The Omeid caliph was frightened by such prospects. In opposition to this alliance, they strengthened the support of Monophysitism in the Caucasus, in the same Caucasian Albania.

In the ecclesiastical sphere, this led to the Monophysite Catholicos Michael succeeding Catholicos Simeon I in 705 and ruling the Albanian Church for 35 years. He not only established Monophysitism in Albania but also quarrelled with the Orthodox Kartli (Georgian) Catholicos Talil and anathematised him.

The anathema was imposed because Catholicos Talil had blessed the marriage of Albanian prince Varazon to his cousin. However, Mikael's hostility towards the Kartli Catholicosate had deeper reasons, influenced by his Khai 'friends and advisers', who had been hostile to the Georgian Church since the time when Catholicos Abram anathematised Georgians.

The fate of Emperor Justinian II and his son was tragic. Filippicus Vardanus was proclaimed emperor by the army, causing outrage. While Justinian II gathered detachments in Asia Minor, Filippicus seized control of Constantinople.

Justinian once again sought assistance from his former patron, Khan Tervel, who responded to the emperor's requests but with a smaller army, indicating his lack of faith in Justinian's success. Justinian was ultimately defeated and executed. Anastasia, the mother of Justinian, upon learning of her son's death, took her grandson Tiberius with her to Blachernae church. However, they were followed by a messenger named Philippicus, who killed the young 'Khazar' emperor Tiberius. As a result, the Heraclius dynasty, which had ruled the Roman Empire since 610, came to an end.

George Kvinitadze