Painting Of The Battle Of Khalkhal, Utik, 450 AD – Juliano Zasso

This painting by Guliano Zasso depicts prince Arshavir Kamsarakan and his deputy Sepuh Mushegh Dimaksian who were appointed commanders of the right flank of the Armenian forces by Sparapet Vardan Mamikonyan.

Horses were stuck in the bog. Sepuh Mushegh was killed by a hail of arrows. Coming off his horse, Prince Arshavir attacked the enemy’s lines and killed General Wurk, brother of the king of Lpink*, causing panic on the left flank of Mihrnerseh’s* camp and forcing the latter to retreat to Kur River.

Under Yazdegerd II (438-457), a royal decree was issued requiring that Christians of the Persian Empire accept Mazdaism. The decree was addressed, among others, to Armenians, Iberians, and Caucasian Albanians.

The Albanians (who lived in what currently is Azerbaijan) addressed the Armenians for support. The Armenians were outraged by the decree of the Persian Shah on measures of religious restraint.

In the battle of the city of Khalkhal* in Utik, Armenians smashed the Persians, forcing them to retreat. Then, the Armenians launched an attack on the cities and fortresses occupied by the Persians in Albania and took possession of the “Hun passage”. This passage would soon become known as the Chora canyon.

The Persian outposts were destroyed, and the passage was transferred to the supervision of Vahan, the Albanian prince.

Explanations from Shirak’s comment. The site administration thanks Shirak for the comments.

* Lpink was a small state entity on the left bank of Kur whose population was the ancestors of Lezgins.

* Mihrnerseh was the Persian commander in chief during the Battle of Avarayr in 451 AD.

* Khalkhal was the winter residence of the Armenian kings located on the banks of the Kur River, in the territory of the Qazakh District of the modern Azerbaijan Republic.