The Birth of the Armenian Printed Press

Vahe H. Apelian

 

According to Wikipedia, October 16, 1794, but according to other sources, it was on October 28, 1794, that the first Armenian printed press was published in the Indian City of Madras (now Chennai). The publisher was Father Harutyun Shmanovian. The name of the newspaper was Ազդարար, (Azdarar in Eastern Armenian or Aztarar in Western Armenian). It is a complex word. Its root word is Ազդ / Azd / Azt, which means notice, warning, announcement. Nayiri dictionary translates the word aztarar meaning monitor, a fitting word for a newspaper. 

Armenians at one time had a rich presence in that port city that was once known as Madras. In fact, it was my Indian colleague who first brought to my attention that one of the main streets of the city is called Armenia Street, a reminder of the Armenian merchants who dominated the trade over the seas.It is reported that an the same street the Armenian Church of Saint Mary Սուրբ Աստվածածին Եկեղեցի, constructed in 1712, is located. It is considered as one of the oldest churches of the Indian subcontinent. A bust of father Harutyun Shmanovian is reported to be housed in the church. 

A bust of father Harutyun Shmanovian 

Azdarar continued for a year and a half until March 1796. During that period, Father Shmavonian published 18 issues, 965 pages in total.

It is fair to note that the late Ardashes Khatchadourian, who was one of my Armenian language teachers had the largest collection of Armenian newspapers, along having the largest private collection of Armenian books.  Dr. Armenag Yeghiayan, noted the following about him. “He was equally, if not more, an expert on Armenian newspaper publishing starting from "Aztarar" by Father Harutyun Shmavonyan. He knew all about the Armenian newspapers published in the four corners of the world. He maintained a close ties with the director of the Armenian National Library in Yerevan. It would happen that at times, it was the latter who would appeal him to have a copy of such a such newspaper and he would readily and eagerly oblige to their request. It can safely be said that he had the largest private collection of Armenian books and Armenian newspapers. I became a witness to his collection when we paid them a family visit.”

Nowadays Armenian Diaspora boasts a large network of Armenian newspapers, periodicals, journals across the world.  “Hairenik”, founded in 1899, is the longest-running Armenian-language printed newspaper in the world.