Page "Nakhchivan" Paragraph 9

In 189 BC Nakhchivan became part of the new Kingdom of Armenia established by Artaxias I.

Within the kingdom, the region of present-day Nakhchivan was part of the Ayrarat, Vaspurakan and Syunik provinces.

According to the early medieval Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, from the 3rd to 2nd centuries, the region belonged to the Muratsyan nakharar family but after disputes with central power, King Artavazd I massacred the family and seized the lands and formally attached it to the kingdom.

The area's status as a major trade center allowed it to prosper ; as a result, many foreign powers coveted it.