TheAtabekians are anArmenian Princely (Meliqly) house of Lords of theJraberd principality (Meliqdom) inArtsakh, which ruled in the 19th century.[1][2][3] The most renowned representative of the family was Prince Hovhannes (Vani) Atabekian, Prince of Jraberd, who took an active part in the 1804–1813Russo-Persian War.[4]
The Atabekians are descendants of PrinceIvane-Atabek IHasan-Jalalian, son of PrinceHasan-Jalalian, the Lord ofKhachen.[5] His offspring, Prince Atabek III, settled in the north-eastern part of the paternal domain, along the banks of theTartar and Kusapat rivers and there created a new dynasty. The Atabekians consider themselves to be a dynastic branch of the House ofHasan-Jalalian, and through them trace their ancestry to the noble houses of the Vakhtangian,Aranshahik,Syuni, and theHaykazuni. DNA studies in 2009 also revealed kinship between the Atabekians and princesArgutian ofLori, Meliq-Yeganians ofDizak and Meliq-Dadians ofGoris; all mentioned families belong toR1b1b2a haplogroup.[citation needed]
The Princely House of Atabekians is one of the well-organized and active clans ofArmenian nobility. The Atabekians regularly organise clan gatherings (tohmahavaq); the latest ones were held on 8 October 1983 inMeliqgyugh and on 19 April 2014 inYerevan. The last clan gathering elected PrinceHrach Atabekian as the Head (tohmapet) of the House of Atabekians.[citation needed]
^Karapetyan, Armen. Critical Remarks regarding A.Maghalyan's "Meliqdoms and the Meliqly Houses of Artsakh". Historical-Philological Journal of the Armenian National Academy Of Science. 2009, # 1(243), p.246[1]
^Archbishop Sergius Hasan-Jalaliants. A History of the Land of Artsakh. (Edited with an Introduction by Robert H. Hewsen). Costa Mesa 2013. p. xxi
^Ген. Василий Потто. Первые добровольцы Карабаха в эпоху водворения русского владычества (мелик Вани и Акоп-юзбаши Атабековы)[2]
^Магалян, Артак. Арцахские меликства и меликские дома в XVII—XIX вв., Ереван, Издательство «Гитутюн» НАН РА, 2007, 326 ст.
