Khosrovidukht

For the 3rd–4th century princess, see Khosrovidukht (sister of Tiridates III of Armenia).
Modern-day Kemah, Turkey, where the ancient city Ani-Kamakh was in which Khosrovidukht was imprisoned

Khosrovidukht[n 1] (Armenian: Խոսրովիդուխտ, lit. 'daughter of Khosrov'; fl. early 8th century) was an Armenian hymnographer and poet who lived during the early 8th century. After her slightly earlier contemporary Sahakdukht, she is the first known woman of Armenian literature and music, and among the earliest woman composers in the history of music.

Daughter of the ruler of Goghtn, Khosrov Goghtnatsi [hy], her father was killed and she was imprisoned in a fortress of Ani-Kamakh (modern-day Kemah) for twenty years. Her brother was imprisoned and eventually killed; Khosrovidukht's only surviving work, the sharakan (chant) "Zarmanali e indz" (More astonishing to me) was dedicated to him. Its authenticity has occasionally been doubted, with some scholars attributing it to Sahakdukht. The work did not enter the general repertory of sharakan liturgy but was eventually approved by the Armenian Church for religious use.

  1. ^ Arzruni 1995, p. 506.
  2. ^ Hacikyan 2000, p. 161.
  3. ^ Der Hovanessian & Margossian 1978, p. 43.
  4. ^ Rowe 2003, pp. 17, 298.


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