It has always been assumed that democracy was born in Europe during the times of Ancient Greece, while the political forms of government in the East were despotic and totalitarian. Images of cruel Persian and Assyrian kings were associated with the entire historical past of the peoples of Asia.
However, ancient texts provide striking information about significantly earlier forms of democracy. Particularly interesting are descriptions of the powers of the People’s Assembly in the country of Aratta, which was located in the Armenian Highlands two thousand years before the epoch of the Van Kingdom (Urartu).
For instance, Sumerian texts talk about the system that was in Sumer and in Aratta. In Aratta, there existed a People’s Assembly – Ashkharazohov, which was effectively a gathering of representatives from all social strata of the population, where decisions were made.
In fact, this can be compared with the earliest system of parliamentarianism. And it seems to me that that system was more democratic. The king was elected for a term of 5 years. The People’s Assembly represented farmers, blacksmiths, shoemakers, representatives of all crafts and regions.
Surprisingly, even the Babylonian Utnapishtim (Utnapasht, ed.) – the real historical prototype of the biblical Noah, who was the ruler of the ancient Sumerian city of Shuruppak, was also elected to this position for a limited term. And it turns out that bad kings or mayors could be relieved of their duties, and peacefully, without any riots or revolutions.
We see that this system existed in the territory of Armenia in the ancient country of Aratta and was called the “People’s Assembly”, and it lasted here until the Middle Ages.
For example, in 16 AD under Mount Npat, the assembly deprived Venuces Arshakuni of the throne, imagine, the assembly deprived the king of power. In 16 AD, that is, we are talking about the 1st century AD. This system continued to operate until the Christian Middle Ages, until the 4th century, and then it was disbanded.
The experience of this ancient democracy is by no means outdated to this day. In our current world, the concept of democracy, both in advanced Western European countries and in the USA, has a completely different character.
In fact, behind the election campaign of a congressman elected from, say, Los Angeles or Glendale, which can cost millions of dollars, is some large corporation. So what happens, whose interests will he protect in Congress? Mine, who voted for him, or the corporation that spent such sums? Isn’t it clear?
Thus, today’s democracy is distorted, turned upside down. Democracy in all advanced countries has an oligarchic character. Meanwhile, the history of human society shows that there were other, true, much more democratic structures and models of society in ancient times than today, even in countries considered progressive.
Arthur Armin, Orientalist from the USA
Translation by Vigen Avetisyan
