Maskut

Maskut was adjacent to Caucasian Albania in the west. The region's southern border abuts the Paitakaran region of Armenia, and follows the path of the Kura River from its confluence with the Aras to the shores of the Caspian Sea. Northward, on the seashore, is the city of Chola ("Caspian Gate", now Derbent), the capital of the Maskut kings.[7] In the northwest (in the mountains of Dagestan), Maskut borders the region of Lupenia (Lpina).

The 7th century Armenian geographer Anania Shirakatsi (610-685 CE), who identified the Massagetae as Sarmatians, wrote that they lived "near the Caspian Sea, where the spurs of the Caucasus go and where the Derbend wall is erected, a huge stronghold of the sea".[8] Historian S. Yeremyan writes that "By the name of the Massagets, the plain between the Samur and Gilgilchay rivers was called Muskut, or Muscat, later Muskur".[7] According to Yeremyan, the Massagets and other tribes were originally wanderers of Ciscaucasia. V.F. Minorsky describes the region's location as "Muscat (Muskut) – land with a number of fortresses, villages and fields (pastures) and bordering the Samur River (the modern border of Dagestan, Russia and Azerbaijan), the sea, the country of Lakzov and Shabaran",[6] which described the area within the Great Caucasian Passage.

According to Emperor Julian the Apostate, Muskuts had already established themselves in the Caspian territories of Transcaucasia by the beginning of the 1st century.

In his Roman History, Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (330-400 CE) recorded Emperor Julian's (361–363 CE) address to his soldiers, specifically the quote:

I won't talk about Lucullus [118–56. BCE.] or Pompeii, who, having passed through the lands of the Albanians and Massagets, whom we now call the Alans, defeated this tribe (Persians)[9] and saw the Caspian Sea (lat. Namque ut Lucullum transeam vel Pompeium, qui per Albanos et Massagetas, quos Alanos nunc appellamus, hac quoque natione perrupta vidit Caspios lacus ... ).[10]

The history of the region is intertwined with the history of neighboring regions, including Armenia, Albania, and Paytakaran.

According to Movses Khorenatsi (410-490 gg. BCE) in History of Armenia, "... officials of the north-eastern edge, stewards distant city by name Paytakaran ...",[11] having come to Trdat III, they said: "If you want to properly lead those lands along the path of this faith, then you went there to the bishop of the family of St. Grigor ... Trdat agrees and gives them to the bishops of young Grigoris ... in accompanied by a certain Sanatruk from his own kind Arshakuni”.[11] That "Sanatruk" was among the "rulers of the distant city of Paitakaran" that they wanted the mission of Grigoris, and were there "rulers of the city of Paitakaran", subordinate to Trdat, Khorenatsi does not report.

Khorenatsi writes that “... the barbarians, following the schemes of Sanatruk and some other Albanian husbands mired in constant deceit, killed the blessed man by trampling him with the hooves of horses on the Vatnean field ...”,[11] which also does not mean that Sanatruk belonged to the number of "Alban husbands". However, further Khorenatsi reports that “Sanatruk, having entrusted the crown, took possession of the city of Paitakaran and... [apparently, after the death of Trdat III] he "intended to seize power over the whole of Armenia with the help of... foreign peoples”[11]

Armenian historian, Faustus of Byzantium, reports that "At that time, the Muskut king Sanesan [the "lord of numerous Hun troops" ]... very angry, was imbued with hostility to his kinsman, Armenian king Khosrov...[12] and he gathered all the troops – Huns, Pokhs, Tavaspars, Hechmataks, Izhmakhs, Ghats and Gluars, Khugars, Shichbs and Chilbs, and Balasiches and Egersvans ["Alans and Mazkuts"][12] – He crossed his border, the great Kura River, and flooded the Armenian country. ... to the small town of Satal, to Gandzak, located within Atrpatakan [sovereign Atropatena ].... in Ayrarat Province... the army formed a large camp.... the Armenian king Khosrov avoided meeting with his brother, that is, the Mazkut king Sanesan, and took refuge in the strong fortress Daryunk in the land of Kovg. With him was also the aged Armenian patriarch Vrtanes."[12]

At the same time, S. G. Mikaelyan, commenting on these lines, reports that "According to the Armenian historian Faustus of Byzantium (III, chap. 6-7), in the 4th-century n e. Prince Sanesan, taking the title of "king of the Massagets (mazk'ut')", founded the kingdom in the indicated area with the help of an army consisting of Huns and Dagestani tribes".[5] However, it can be seen that the quoted passage of the Tale of Faustus does not say that "Sanesan accepted the title of king of the Massagets" from anyone, nor does it say that "Sanesan, with the help of the army, founded the kingdom", as Mikaelian represents, but it is said that "Sanesan" gathered troops for the campaign. In addition, Mikaelian, saying that Sanasen's army were "Dagestani tribes", this contradicts M. A. Gevorgyan, who commented on the Tale of Buzand, which was translated by him, says that "The nomadic tribes [of] Scythian origin were mentioned here".[12]

Since Faustus and Khorenatsi share the same story of Grigoris, some researchers identify Faustus's Sanesan with Khorenatsi's Sanatruk. However, it follows from the foregoing that there are no serious reasons to believe so. If Khorenatsi speaks of Sanatruk as "having entrusted the crown and took possession of the city of Paytakaran", then Faustus definitely calls Sanesan the "Muskut king" and "ruler of numerous Hun troops". If Khorenatsi speaks of Sanatruk, how about those who "planned to seize power over the whole kingdom of Armenia with the help of..." precisely "foreign nations", then from the story of Faustus follows that of Sanesan, if he was not a Hun, he certainly had a great influence among the peoples of Scythia (Sarmatia). It is impossible to imagine that in such a short time, Sanatruk could gather an army of 13 tribes (not counting the Huns) of "foreign nations" without using the support of their leaders, which the king of Maskut could undoubtedly render him. Rather, we should talk about a certain conspiracy of Sanesan and Sanatruk.

KV Trever noted that Sanatruk could not be the founder of the Albanian dynasty, because in his time, King Urnair ruled Albania.[13]

In 371, the Muscuts were allies of the Albanian king Urnayr in a raid on Armenia (again initiated by Shapur II ); but they were defeated by the Armenian commander Mushegh Mamikonyan.[14]

When the princely family of Mihranids lost their status, their domain was eliminated. However, in 591, the founder of the Mihran clan and his relatives fled to the Caucasus, hoping to go over to the Khazars hostile to Iran, i.e. already at the time of the Sassanids. In the region of Gardman, in the province of Utik, he received a letter from the king, in which he was promised forgiveness. In response, he offered, instead of switching to the Khazars, to remain on the land where he was, and this land was granted to him in hereditary possession. Mihran first built himself a "city" (a fortified point) named after him, Mihravan, and then "for insidious purposes" he invited 12 local Armenian rulers and killed them,[15] after which he became the undisputed master of the region.[16]

During the uprising in 460–462, the Albanian king, Vache II, with the support of the Massagetae, took control of the Chogha fortress and, united with the leaders of the hill tribes, stubbornly resisted the Persian troops for a year. After his abdication, Vache II settled in Chogha, where an episcopal diocese arose in connection with him.[17] In 510, after the elimination of Albanian statehood, Chogha was included in the northern bush (province) by the Sasanid state. Chola becomes the seat of the governor (marzpan). The city was rebuilt at the direction of Khosrov I Anushirvan, and renamed Derbent .

From the time of the Arab conquest of Caucasian Albania, the toponym of Maskut gradually declined in use, and it is preserved only in the literary tradition. Rare use of the name in relation to the region could still be seen since the late Middle Ages, but this was more a tribute to historical tradition.

According to some authors, massagets have been known in these territories since the time of Queen Tomiris.[18] Their belonging to the Scythian tribes is also confirmed by several authors, both ancient and modern. Earlier in these territories the Transcaucasian Scythian kingdom of Ishkuz was known.[19]

It is possible that a part of the Scythians (Massagets) migrated to the Black Sea. This assumption is confirmed by Jordan, who writes (Getika, 61, 62) about the construction of the city of Tomiris in Lesser Scythia. However, the massagets in the 1st century BC in the Caspian region, are mentioned (II, 12) as early as Pliny the Elder.[20]

Ammianus Marcellinus and Dion Cassius write[21][22] of the identity of the Massagets and Alans.

A. P. Novoseltsev considers the Maskuts to be related to the Alans.[23]

One evidence of fallacy of the Alanian theory about the origin of the Maskuts is the request of the Albanian Arshakid Vache II, who renounced the throne under pressure from the Sassanids, preserving his father's inheritance, and the return of his ancestors to the land in Chora (Chola).[24]

The number of the Maskut people–troops (hordes) was about 40 thousand. The Maskut army consisted of light and heavy cavalry.

Later, Iranian-speaking immigrants from the southern regions of Iran, the ancestors of the modern Tats, began to settle in the region. During the Sassanid period, the region is inhabited by Turkic-speaking Huns, and then the Khazars.[25]

There are suggestions that archaeologically the Maskuts are represented by the only catacomb burial ground of the 4th–5th centuries. on the elevation of the palace-syrt south of Derbent; the funeral rite is close to that of the Alanians.[26][27] However, earlier burials of the same type have not been identified.

Part of the territory of the Maskut region is between the sovereign city of Kuba and the Samur River, which belonged to the Lezgi principalities, but was gradually annexed by the Shirvanshahs.[20]