Armenia Declares Independence

August, 6, 885 A.D.:
Armenia Declares Independence

By: Mir M.Hosseini

After the fall of the Sassanid Empire and during a weak period in Constantinople, Armenians who lived in a vast area including Caucasia and modern Turkey, used the opportunity and declared independence. A council of representatives from provinces that convened in 875 chose Ashot Bagrationi as king. But it took almost 10 years for them to be recognized by the Caliphates and other major powers. Thus, the Armenian kingdom ruled over the region for almost a millennium.
Armenia had been recognized as an independence Satrap in Persian Empire but also a source of dispute and regional conflicts with the Byzantine Empire. During the Qajar dynasty, in two infamous Turkmenchai and Gulistan treaties Russians gained control over the region. In 1917, Armenia declared independence again but it became a republic of the Soviet Union. After the collapse of USSR in 1991, Armenia gained her independence again and remained a reliable neighbor of Iran.

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KEY TERMS:Armenia , Armenian , Ashot Bagrationi , Byzantine , Caliphate , Caucasia , Constantinople , Gulistan , Iran , Persia , Persian , Qajar , Russia , Russian , Sassan , Sassanid , Satrap , Soviet , Soviet Union , Tur , Turk , Turkey , Turkmenchai , US , USSR

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