Googling history

Vahe H Apelian

 

First and foremost, let me quote the following to justify my use of the verb google. According to Wikipedia, I quote, “the word "google" became a verb in 1998, when Google co-founder Larry Page used it in a mailing list message. The verb was popularized in 2002 when it was used on the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The term was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2006 and the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary in the same year.”

Googling history is surely an acceptable way for searching the history of a nation, especially that this year, 2024, is marked by the controversy over the designation of the Armenian history, whether to call it “History of Armenia, Hayastani Badmoutyun” or “Armenian History – Hayasdani Badmoutyoun”.   The PM Nikol Pashinyan’s preference is the latter, not the former.

The issue was not a passing one. Prof. Ara Sanjian entertained it. He is an Associate Professor of History and the Director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. So did Dikran Jinbashian, who several years ago retired as the principal of the famed Nshan Palanjian Djemaran whose principals have been luminaries such as Levon Shant, Simon Vratsian, Hratch Dasnabedian. Dikran Jinbashian acted as its principal after an active life-long dedication to Armenian causes.  

Google is the primary internet search engine I use as well. Driven by the controversy, I wondered whether it is American History or History of the United States of America. Thus I googled American History and to my surprise I was directed to the “History of United States” with the following notation: “American History” redirects here (i.e. “History of the United States”). For the history of the continents, see History of Americas.) 

I wondered, about the search the history of other nations. 

When I googled for French history, I was directed to History of France. When I googled for German history, I was directed to the History of German. Similarly, googling Syrian history led me to History of Syria, Lebanese history led me to History of Lebanon, Russian history led me to History of Russia. Googling for European history led me to History of Europe but when I googled for Kurdish history, Google directed me to the History of Kurds. I imagine because the Kurds, unlike Armenians, do not have a state of their won.  

The message the global search behemoth sent is unambiguous. The history of a nation is the history of its state, unless that nation is stateless, such as the Kurds.

But it seems vocabulary has also evolved. When I googled Hayots Badmoutyun in Armenian letters, there came History of Armenia that “covers the topics related to history of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the Armenian people, the Armenian language, and the regions of Eurasia historically and geogrrahically considered Armenian. Wikipedia”. Googling Armenian history directed me to History of Armenia as well. 

Let me state that I was brought up with Hayots Badmoutyun – Հայոց Պատմութիւնղ՚. Well beyond having Simon Simonian’s Hayots Badmoutyun as a textbook, I was fascinated by it during my childhood years as it was a source, not only of mere history, but a source of pride. In fact Simon Simonian’s Hayots Badmoutyun is geared to install in the formative minds of the young Armenian student, a pride in the Armenian experience.

To each its own. I believe teaching the history of Armenia is very appropriate as a subject for the students in Armenia and as well as its citizens. Diaspora naturally is outside the State of Armenia, teaching as Armenian history may serve Diaspora better.

 In any event whether Armenian history should be taught as Hayots Badmoutyun, or it should be thought as History of Armenia, is an academic matter. Regrettably, it becomes ever so more evident to me that no matter what, the Armenian divisive political undertone if not the mindset will creep in brandishing a “holier than thou” attitude.   

Simon Simonian "Armenian History"