David Bek
- For the Armenie municipality, see David Bek, Armenie.
David Bek (Armenie: Դավիթ Բեկ) (?-1728) wis an Armenie militar commander an ane o the maist prominent militar figurs o the Armenie leeberation muivement o the 18t century directit against the forces of Ottoman Empire an Safavid Iran.[1] In 1722-25, wi direct support frae Mkhitar Sparapet in Syunik an Avan Yuzbashi in Karabakh, Bek heidit the airmit struggle o Syunik an Artsakh Armenies against Safavid Iran. In 1726-28 Armenies unner the leadership o David Bek went tae war wi Turkis airmies at Halidsor an haed showed great militar competence an valor bi defeatin them easily.[2]
David Bek Դավիթ Բեկ | |
|---|---|
| Born | unkent date in the 17t century Chavndour, destrict o Kovsakan, province o Syunik in Armenie |
| Dee'd | 1728 |
| Allegiance | Armenie naitional muivement |
| Years o service | 1722-1728 |
| Rank | Supreme commander |
Biografie
eeditLittle is kent aboot Bek's early life.[3] He wis o noble lineage, stemmin frae princes o Chavndour (destrict o Kovsakan in sootheastren Syunik), an prior tae the period o airmit struggle against the Persies an Turks, Bek servit in the ryal court o Georgie keeng Vakhtang VI. Peter the Great's advance sooth towards the Caucasus wi a massive 30,000 man airmy haed revivit howp amang the Armenies an Georgies that Roushie airms coud help clear the region frae Muslim dominion.[4] Muslim misrule in the regions o Kapan an Artsakh (Karabakh) haed provokit the Armenie meliks in 1722 tae request militar aid frae Vakhtang.[5] Vakhtang sent a sma force unner the command o Bek tae Syunik an Bek wis successfu in dislodgin the Turkic nomadic tribes thare.
Encouragit bi his successes an the weakenin o Safavid rule, mony Armenies rose the banner o revolt against the Muslims an joined Bek's ranks. The meliks o Karabakh suin joined the cause for naitional leeberation, lending David Bek men an materiel; Avan Yuzbashi, a militar commander frae Shusha who wis tae acome ane o David Bek's close supporters, contributit 2,000 men tae the war effort. As his successes moontit, he awairdit them bi distributin the launds he seizit frae the Muslims tae his closest supporters.[1] The Persie airmies sent tae crush the rebellion wur repelled, allouin David Bek tae establish an admeenistrative center at the fortress o Halidzor near Kapan in the Syunik Province.[1] The defensive aspects o the fortress gae David Bek's soldiers an advantage when fechtin the enemy. He dee'd at Halidzor efter comin doun wi an illness in 1728 an is reputedly buriet in the cemetery juist ootside o the fortress.
Popular cultur
eeditIn 1944, at the hicht o Warld War II, David Bek the movie wis filmit bi director Hamo Beknazarian wi Hrachia Nersisyan starrin as David Bek. In 1978 Armenfilm in association wi Mosfilm producit anither movie aboot the efforts o David Bek an Mkhitar Sparapet cried Star of Hope. David Bek wis portrayed bi Georgie actor Edisher Magalashvili.
Bek wis the subject o an opera, David Beg, componed bi Armen Tigranian.
Notes
eedit- ↑ a b c Parsamyan, Vardan A. «Դավիթ Բեկ» (Davit Bek). Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia. vol. iii. Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1977, pp. 302-303.
- ↑ Visions of Ararat: writings on Armenia - Page 24, Christopher J. Walker
- ↑ Bournoutian, George (1997). "Eastern Armenia from the Seventeenth Century to the Russian Annexation" in The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume II: Foreign Dominion to Statehood: The Fifteenth Century to the Twentieth Century. Richard Hovannisian (ed.) New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 88. ISBN 1-4039-6422-X.
- ↑ Hewsen, Robert (2001). Armenia: A Historical Atlas. Chicago: Chicago University Press. pp. 163–165. ISBN 0-226-33228-4.
- ↑ Bournoutian. "Eastern Armenia", p. 88.
Further readin
eedit- "The Armenian Rebellion of the 1720s and the Threat of Genocidal Reprisal", Armen Ayvazyan
- Harutyunyan, P. T. The liberation movement of Armenian people in the first quarter of the XVIIIth century. Moscow, 1954.