Sahl Smbatean

Sahl Smbatjan Eṙanshahik (Armenian: Սահլ Սմբատյան Եռանշահիկ, in Arabic sources: Sahl ibn Sunbat or Sahl ibn Sunbat al-Armaniyy; birthdate unknown – circa 855) was an Armenian prince of Arran and Shaki, who played a considerable role in the history of eastern Caucasus during the 9th century and was the ancestor of the House of Khachen established in 821.

Armenian Smbatjan or Arabic ibn Sunbat was Sahl's paternal name - Smbat is derived from the Pahlavi proper name Sunbādh "Sinbad". Arabic: Sahl‎‎ "Mask" is the Arabic form of his name, Sahak.

Movses Kaghankatvatsi wrote that Sahl Smbatyan was a descendant of the ancient Armenian House of Aranshahik (itself a branch of the Syunid dynasty). This dynasty had a blood feud with the Mihranid dynasty,. According to tradition, in the beginning of the 7th century the Mihranids had invited 60 men of the Aranshahiks to a banquet and had killed them all, with the exception of Zarmihr Aranshahik, who had married a Mihranid princess. Hence the Mihranid family had become princes of Gardman and presiding princes of all Caucasian Albania. Sahl Smbatjan was a descendant of Zarmihr Aranshahik.

Hence the House of Khachen is regarded as a cadet branch of the House of Aranshahik. Although some historians make a difference between Sahl of Shaki and Sahak of Syunik. According to the historian Robert H. Hewsen, Sahl was a Syunid prince, who seized Gegharkunik from Syunid family domains and established a princedom for himself.

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