The Melik-Safar Dynasty

This is the largest lineage in the village and was among the first settlers of Old Rind. Historical sources testify that in 1828, following the Treaty of Turkmenchay, when a large number of Armenians were resettled in Eastern Armenia, the village of Old Rind was repopulated after being abandoned for centuries. It was during these years that Melik-Safar’s sons—Melik Bali, Aghabab, and Grigor—settled in Old Rind.

Melik-Safar was born in 1756. Studies by ethnographer Yervand Lalayan testify that the family’s forefather, Stepan, lived and became renowned in Ani, the capital of the Bagratid Kingdom, where he received the title of Melik (Sardar) and the position of military commander. After leaving Ani, the family briefly settled in the village of Shahriar. Information about this can be found in historian Henzel Arakelyan’s book “History of Brnakot“ (published in 1997). It is noted that the family was forced to migrate from Shahriar due to a bloody conflict with the local Shahkhatunis.

Consequently, the five brothers separated:

• Melik-Safar settled in the village of Rind, Vayots Dzor.

• Melik-Tangi (Melik-Tangi I died in 1843) settled with his lineage in the village of Brnakot, Syunik. A notable representative of this lineage in the 19th century was Archbishop Nerses Melik-Tangian, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Atropatene.

• One of the brothers moved to the city of Tabriz.

Lineages in Rind Melik-Safar’s three sons established three major family branches in the village:

1. Melik Bali’s Branch (b. 1787): His sons were Asatur, Mkrtich, Khachatur, and Abgar Palyoz. A notable representative of the family was Mkrtich’s son Nikolay Mher, a comrade-in-arms of General Andranik. In the early 20th century, he was a member of the Vayots Dzor command staff. As an Armenian Dashnaktsakan avenger (fedayi), he, along with national freedom fighter Hovhannes Paronyan (Yapon), organized the security of the Armenian-populated villages of the province and prevented Tatar marauding groups from harming the local villages.

   • Current descendants: Asatryans (Asoyenk), Mkrtchyans, Khachatryans.

     

     In the picture are Mkrtich’s sons Mher and Yenok with the Vayots Dzor command staff, early 20th century.

2. Aghabab-Mukhsi’s Branch (b. 1812): Aghabab was also known as “Mukhsi”. The term (Mahtesi) is defined as a faithful person who has gone on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Eduard Aghayan, “Explanatory Dictionary of Modern Armenian”, 1976, p. 959). His sons were Avetis and Sahak.

3. Grigor’s Branch (b. 1822): He had two sons, Simon and Safar.

All three lineages descending from Melik-Safar are currently present in Rind village.

Author’s Note: I am a representative of this lineage myself: I am Narek, son of Ashot, son of Hrant, son of Kristapor, son of Karapet, son of Avetis, son of Aghabab, son of Melik-Safar.

I have compiled the complete interactive family tree, featuring more than 460 male members, on the Geni platform; it is currently in the process of being updated and refined. If you have any suggestions, opinions, or notice any inaccuracies, please feel free to contact me.

Interactive family tree at this link.