Սյունյաց թագավորության հիմնադիր Սմբատը Սահակի՞ որդին է, թե՞ Վասակի

Abstract

The historian Stepanos Orbelyan (XIII C.) states that after the death of grand prince Vasak the reign of Syunik passes to Smbat who was
his uncle Sahak’s son. Later in 970/87 Smbat was proclaimed as the king thus putting the basis for Syunik Kingdom (970/87-1170). Nevertheless the historian does not give explanation to the fact why the reign was passed to him when Vasak got a son called Smbat. Stepanos Orbelyan does not give any direct evidence on the name of the king father, but the inscription on the khachkar (cross-stone) , dating back to 990, found near the village of Karmrashen in Vayotz Dzor states that King Smbat (970/87-998) was the ‘son of Vasak’. Due to the fact that the historian lived and acted at a later period of time the inscription acquires the priority to be the main source as it appears to be the immediate stamp of the period. The fact that the name of King Smbat’s elder son was Vasak and not Sahak also gives rise to serious consideration on the problem.