Vartan Mamikonian was Chinese ??

[imhye]

I was reading about Saint Vartan Mamikonian and it mentioned that the Mamikonian family were actually descendants of Chinese emperors of the Han Dynasty.

Is that true?

Vartan Mamikonian's family was Chinese? I am shocked and confused.

[crusader1492]

Re: Vartan Mamikonian was Chinese ??

I was reading about Saint Vartan Mamikonian and it mentioned that the Mamikonian family were actually descendants of Chinese emperors of the Han Dynasty.


Is that true?

Vartan Mamikonian's family was Chinese? I am shocked and confused.

In the painting of him at my church, he looks like a white guy.

BTW, I heard Jesus was a black guy and Santa Claus was and aboriginal. Is this true?

[One-Way]

Re: Vartan Mamikonian was Chinese ??

I was watching TV, and I think it was CNN, and they mentioned a movie about Jesus, who was being portrayed by a black actor. Wow, that movie should be destroyed immediately.

[TomServo]

Wikipedia

"Although the family later claimed descent from Chinese emperors of Han dynasty, the first known Mamikonid lord, or nakhararq, about whom anything certain is known was a certain Vatche Mamikonian (fl. 330-339)."

[TomServo]

Re: Vartan Mamikonian was Chinese ??

More here. Interesting.

[Ari]

Re: Vartan Mamikonian was Chinese ??

with a name like Vartan i dont care if his full black his armo and the family who called him vartan is armo too ;P

[Armenian]

Re: Vartan Mamikonian was Chinese ??

Vardan Mamikonian was not a Chinese, nor was his ancestry, stop acting stupid ya'all.

[imhye]

Re: Vartan Mamikonian was Chinese ??

Here are two interesting posts I found in old newsgroup archives back in 2001.

When the Shu dynasty fell (I will get the exact era for you) in China, a general by the name of Mamgo (which I beleive means the Prince in their dialect) fled along with his army and their families. They first fled to Persia, and upon further threats by the Chinese emperor, their enemy, the Persian king sent them to Armenia, claiming that he had sent them to 'certain death in the desert'.

I dont know where this story originally comes from, but I came accross it in Harpers Encyclopedea of Military History.

Chinese scholars, I've been told, maintain that Armenians and Chinese share certain genetic links. I dont know if that is a result of Mongolian invasion, etc. or if there is any connection at all between Mamikonian and Mamgo?

The local origin of the Mamigonian clan seems to be the lower slopes of the Kachkar mountains towards the Voh river. This area is part of the outer fringes of northern Greater Armenia. The Mamigonians were members of the Tzan people. They inherited through marriage large tracts of land in the central highlands of Western Armenia. To rebuff typical snubbing by the native Armenian aristocracy for having the good fortune of marrying well, the Mamigonians came up with the idea (give a boost to their pedigree) of originating from China since the name of their people, Tzan, resembles the name Han (meaning Chinese).Many Armenian noble families had Urartian backgrounds and lucky upstarts like the Mamigonians were looked down upon.

To me, this subject is VERY INTERESTING. I wonder why this has never been researched by historians. I think I may look up Chinese history sites when I get the chance to see any mention of this.

[One-Way]

Re: Vartan Mamikonian was Chinese ??

stop acting stupid ya'all.

If I was to say that...

[Anonymouse]

Re: Vartan Mamikonian was Chinese ??

I have heard of this claim advanced before but to my knowledge there has been no evidence to suggest that it's true.