The “History of the Rubenids” by Archimandrite Vahram, or Vahram Rabun, Secretary of the Royal Court, is a concise historical work, presented in a rhymed form and entirely dedicated to the history of the Cilician Armenian State from its origin (1080) to the 80s of the XIII century. It was created as a continuation of Nerses Shnorhali’s “Vipasanutyun”, as far as its structure and rhyme are concerned. This is a historical work, ordered by the king, which was often included in manuscripts along with texts by other authors (Nerses Shnorhali, Nerses of Lambron and others). In the XIX century, this work was published several times: from 1804 (Madras) to 1869 (Paris). All these editions can be divided into three groups: a) “Madras-1804” b) “Paris-1859” and c) “Madras-1810-Calcutta-1832-Paris-1869”, which were certainly based on manuscript copies that differ from each other. The manuscripts that served as the basis for the three versions mentioned above have either not survived or their location is unknown. There is evidence that a large group of Armenian manuscripts in India have completely deteriorated (in the 1860s) due to being kept in very humid and unfit conditions. It is most likely that among them were also manuscripts based on which the Madras and Calcutta editions were made. The Paris edition of 1859 was made by Karapet Shahnazariants through a copy of a manuscript of the Saint Echmiadzin library. Therefore, until those manuscripts are found, printed copies have acquired the significance of the original and should be taken into account when composing a critical text. Comparison of these editions led us to the conclusion that the “Madras-1810-Calcutta-1832-Paris-1869” version is the most complete. This is especially true for the Paris edition of Édouard Dulaurier, which has a more verified and carefully prepared text (compared with at least 3-4 manuscripts) as well as a scientific apparatus and a complete French translation.

KeywordsArchimandrite Vahram (Vahram Rabun (Rabuni)) History of Rubenids Karapet Shahnazariants Édouard Dulaurier Madras Calcutta Paris