How my generation was thought Armenian History

Simon Simonian’s history textbook was the standard history textbook for my generation, those of us who came of age in 1965, at the 50 the anniversary commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. I copied Levon Sharoyan’s recollection of Simonian's history textbook from his book about Simon Simonian I translated. Vahe H Apelian

“Many in the Diaspora remembers these textbooks that became the standard history textbooks in the Armenian schools not only in Lebanon and Syria but also in Cyprus, Greece, the United States, Argentina, Jerusalem, and Ethiopia.

Who knows how many generations made their connections to their illustrious history through these textbooks? How many generations molded their identity as Arenians throught these textbooks? Countless are those who came to know of David of Sassoun, Lion Mher, Dragon fighting Vahankn, our legendary partriarch Haig, Ara the Beautiful, the pagann gods that brought the dead to life by licking their wounds. King Baruyr, Dikran the Great, Ardashes the Conqueror, the imprisoned King Arshag, Moshegh Mamigonian on his white horse, King Vramshabouh, Viartan who was killed in the battle of Avararyr and the Pakradouni Kings who built Ani. Roupen, Levon who established sovereignty on the Taurus Mountains, and all the other heroes of our history.

I was an elementar school student when my mother gifted me this sequel of Simonian’s Armenian history textbooks that were bound in a single volume. From the ifrst page, I remained attached to the large volume. I could read the sequel page by page and would be moved looking at those mysterious pictures. I would remain fascinated by the bravery of the Armenian kings.  

Simonian’s writing style was captivating. It was not a cut and dry history that Simonian narrated. He inspired and reinforced his adolescent readers’ Armenian identity.

Simon Simonian, "Armenian History" textbook
fifth grade.

At the very beginning of the first volume, Simon Simonian had placed a paragraph titled “The Reflection of the Armenian Student”, like a covenant of faith, it reads: 

“I am an Armenian. My fatherland,  Where my forefathers have lived and died  Is called Armenia. But I do not live in Armenia. I am away from it in exile. Above all, I will love my fatherland and I will not forget its name. I firmly believe that I will return there one day. To  hasten that day, I will always read about the  history of my brave ancestors. I will love my church and my fatherland and I will  feel proud to be called ARMENIAN. I have vowed to remain worthy to see Massis and Davros, Sipan and Nemrut; Puragan and Davros, Arax and Sevan; Etchmiadzin and Saint Garabed’  Gars and Garin; Van and Mush.”

What a structure for students to be prepared for and introduced to Armenian history.

In writing his history textbooks, Simonian had adopted a very practical and helpful method. He narrated a historical event with a pleasant and in an easy-to-read language. He then listed key words, which might be unfamiliar to the students by listing them under a header called “Explanatory Words”, with an explanation for each. He listed eight to ten questions related to the narration under “Questionnaire”. Header.  He then listed “Points for Elaboration” for the teacher to provide more details. At the end, he listed under “Sources”, references that could help teachers and anyone else interested to expand his or her knowledge about Armenian history. For example, when he narrated the period of the Arab invasion of Armenia, he listed the following sources at the end of the chapter: Sepeos, historian Ghevont, Tovma Ardzrouni, as ancient Armenian historians as well as books published in Venice and Vienna, including a source in French.

Let us be mindful that Simon Simonian was barely 25 to 26 years old when he prepared his series of history textbooks. "