Դամասկոսում Հովհան Օձնեցու կնքած «պայմանագրի» («ապահովագրի») գնահատման հարցի շուրջ

Аннотация

Saint Hovhan the 3rd Imastaser (Philosopher) Odznetsi is one of the figures of the Armenian Church whose multifaceted activity, particularly the treaty concluded in Damascus in 719 with the Arabs had received different appraisals. If the majority of researchers gave a positive appraisal to the mentioned treaty considering that Armenian Catholicos had shown “exceptional realism of orientation” and circumspection in the difficult political situation, then modern critics of Odznetsi think that concluding the treaty in Damascus Odznetsi seemingly refused ambitions of the Armenian Church to be proclaimed as an autonomous church in the Christian world; ratified the conversion of the Armenians into dhimmi, religious community; handed over to the Arabs the management of the country; and guaranteed the obedience of the Armenian people to the Arabs for the privileges granted to the  46 church and the clergy. Analyzing these groundless and absurd accusations in the article it is shown that today’s critics’ such valuations are conditioned not merely by the ignorance concerning historical facts, but by biased and arbitrary interpretations of them. And as a result they create a distorted and misleading image of the Armenians under the
Arab domination, of the status of dhimmi, of the political situation in Armenia in the given period, of the vital problems facing the Armenians and the Armenian Church, of the real achievements of Hovhan Odznetsi’s Damascene visit and the historical significance of it. In reality, thanks to the treaty (“insurance”) signed by him Odznetsi assured the security of the Armenians and the rights given by the status of dhimmi; strengthened the position of the Armenian Church and, thus, the autonomous status of Armenia.