Aram Manukian

Not to be confused with Armenian politician Aram Manukyan (born 1957).
Aram Manukian
Արամ Մանուկյան
1st Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia
In office
30 June 1918 – 29 January 1919
Prime MinisterHovhannes Katchaznouni
Preceded byposition established
Succeeded byAlexander Khatisian
Head of the Civil Administration in Yerevan[a]
In office
20 December 1917[1] – 30 June 1918
Provisional Governor of Van[b][5]
In office
19/20 May – 31 July 1915
Personal details
Born
Sargis Hovhannisian

(1879-03-19)19 March 1879
Elisabethpol Governorate, Russian Empire
Died29 January 1919(1919-01-29) (aged 39)
Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
NationalityArmenian
Political partyArmenian Revolutionary Federation
SpouseKatarine Zalyan-Manukian
Signature
Nickname(s)"Aram pasha",[c] "Aram of Van"

Aram Manukian[d] (19 March 1879 – 29 January 1919), was an Armenian revolutionary, statesman, and a leading member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) party. He is widely regarded as the founder of the First Republic of Armenia.

Born and educated in Russian (Eastern) Armenia, he was mostly active in Van, one of the largest cities in Turkish (Western) Armenia. He rose to prominence there as a community organizer. During the first months of World War I, he worked with local Ottoman officials to de-escalate rising tensions until mid-April 1915, when Turkish forces laid siege to the city. He led the successful Armenian civilian self-defense of Van. As a result, tens of thousands avoided being deported and massacred by the Turkish government while the Armenian genocide was underway.[e] He briefly served as the head of the provisional government in Van.

Following the Russian Revolution and the collapse of the Caucasian front in 1917–18, Aram was "popular dictator"[9] of the unconquered area around the city of Yerevan. In May 1918, he helped organize[10] the defense against the advancing Turkish army, which was effectively stopped at the Battle of Sardarabad, preventing the complete destruction of the Armenian nation. Manukian played an important role in the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia and served as its first minister of internal affairs. He died of typhus in January 1919, short of his 40th birthday.

Aram Manukian was an advocate for self-reliance.[11][12] He was noted for his ability to unite different sections of society for a common cause.[8] He is widely considered by scholars to be the founder of the First Republic of Armenia. During the Soviet period, he, along with other prominent Dashnaks, was largely disregarded. Since 1990, attempts have been made to revive his memory in independent Armenia.

  1. ^ Melikyan 2010, p. 90: "Արամի Երևան վերադառնալու հենց հաջորդ օրից էլ, դեկտեմբերի 19–20-ին Հատուկ կոմիտեն սկսեց գործել"
  2. ^ Miller & Touryan Miller 2003, p. 143.
  3. ^ Kévorkian 2011, p. 331.
  4. ^ Adalian 2010, p. liv.
  5. ^ Miller & Touryan Miller 2003, p. 276: "Aram was confirmed in office on May 20..."[3] "31 July: Russian forces retreat from Van upon Ottoman counteroffensive. Mass exodus of Armenian survivors by long march to Yerevan to flee certain death."[4]
  6. ^ Miller & Touryan Miller 2003, pp. 143, 210.
  7. ^ Hovannisian 1971, p. 147.
  8. ^ a b Asryan 2005, p. 54.
  9. ^ Hovannisian 1971, p. 40-41.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference FOOTNOTEVirabyan20092 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Suny, Ronald Grigor (1993). Looking toward Ararat: Armenia in modern history. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 273. ISBN 9780253207739.
  12. ^ Hakobyan, Tatul (28 January 2015). "In Memoriam. Արամ Մանուկյան" (in Armenian). ANI Armenian Research Center. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015. Այսինքն, հույս չդնել երրորդ ուժի վրա...


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