History of Armenians in Cyprus

Armenians have a long history in Cyprus, with the first confirmed presence of Armenians on the island dating back to 578 AD, during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justin II. In the modern Republic of Cyprus, they are recognized as one of the three minority "religious groups" along with the Maronites and Latins.
Byzantine Era (578–1191).
There is a long link between the Armenians and Cyprus, possibly dating back to the 5th century BC. However, Armenians have had a continuous documented presence in Cyprus since 578 AD: according to historian Theophylact Simocatta, during his campaign against the Persian King Chosroes I, Byzantine General (and future Emperor) Maurice the Cappadocian captured 10,090 Armenians as prisoners in Arzanene (Aghdznik), of whom about 3,350 were deported to Cyprus. Judging by the strategic position of the colonies they established ("Armenokhori", "Arminou", "Kornokipos", "Patriki", "Platani", "Spathariko" and perhaps "Mousere"), it is very likely that these Armenians served Byzantium as mercenary soldiers and frontiersmen.
More Armenians arrived during the reign of Armenian-descended Emperor Heraclius (610–641) for political reasons (he attempted to bridge the differences between the Armenian Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church), during the pontificate of Catholicos Hovhannes III Odznetsi (717–728) for commercial reasons and after the liberation of Cyprus from the Arab raids by patrician Niketas Chalkoutzes (965) for military reasons, when Armenian mercenaries were transferred to Cyprus to protect it. In the middle Byzantine period, Armenian generals and governors served in Cyprus, like Alexios Mousele or Mousere (868–874), Basil Haigaz (958), Vahram (965), Elpidios Brachamios (1075–1085) and Leo Symbatikes (910–911), who undertook the construction of Saint Lazarus' basilica in Larnaca. It appears that Saint Lazarus' church had been an Armenian Apostolic church in the 10th century and was used by Armenian-Catholics during the Latin Era as well.
The numerous Armenians required an analogous spiritual pastorate, and so in 973 Catholicos Khatchig I established the Armenian Bishopric in Nicosia. Relations between Cyprus and the Armenians became closer when the Kingdom of Cilicia was established. The Kingdom, on the coast of Cilicia to the north of the island, was established at around 1080 AD by Armenian refugees who fled the Seljuk invasion to the north and remained an ally of Byzantium. Between 1136 and 1138, Byzantine Emperor John II Comnenus moved the entire population of the Armenian city of Tell Hamdun to Cyprus. After Isaac Comnenus' wedding to the daughter of the Armenian prince Thoros II in 1185, Armenian nobles and warriors came with him to Cyprus, many of whom defended the island against Richard the Lionheart (May 1191), when he landed in Limassol in a conquering mood, and the Knights Templar (April 1192), who had purchased Cyprus from Richard and governed with a particular cruelty. Eventually, the Templars returned the island to Richard, who in turn sold it to Guy de Lusignan.
Latin Era (1191–1570).
After the purchase of Cyprus by titular Frankish King of Jerusalem Guy de Lusignan in 1192, in his attempt to establish a western-type feudal kingdom, the latter sent emissaries to Europe, Cilicia and the Levant, resulting in a massive immigration of Armenians and other peoples from Western Europe, Cilicia and the Levant (mainly Franks, Latins and Maronites, as well as Copts, Ethiopians, Georgians, Jacobites, Jews, Melkites, Nestorians and others). To these numerous bourgeois, noblemen, knights and warriors, fiefs, manors, lands, offices and various privileges were bounteously granted. Because of their proximity, their commercial ties and a series of royal and nobility marriages, the Kingdom of Cyprus and the Kingdom of Cilicia became inextricably linked. In the subsequent centuries, thousands of Cilician Armenians sought refuge in Cyprus fleeing the Muslim attacks: the Fall of Antioch (1268), the Fall of Acre (1291), the attack of the Saracens (1322), the Mameluke attacks (1335 and 1346) and the Ottoman occupation of Cilicia (1403 and 1421). Cyprus became now the easternmost bulwark of Christianity; in 1441 the authorities of Famagusta invited Armenians from Cilicia to settle there.
The Fall of Sis in April 1375 put an end to the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia; its last King, Levon V, was granted safe passage to Cyprus and died in exile in Paris in 1393, after calling in vain for another Crusade. In 1396, his title and privileges were transferred to his cousin, King James I de Lusignan, in the Saint Sophia cathedral; subsequently, the royal crest of the Lusignan dynasty also bore the lion of Armenia. Thus ended the last fully independent Armenian entity of the Middle Ages, after nearly three centuries of sovereignty and bloom; the title of "King of Armenia" was then held through the centuries down to the modern day by the House of Savoy, through the marriage of Queen Charlotte of Cyprus to Louis of Savoy. Although the Egyptian Mamelukes had taken over Cilicia, they were unable to maintain their hold on it; Turkic tribes eventually made their way to the region and established themselves there, leading to the conquest of Cilicia by Tamerlane. As a result, 30,000 Armenians left Cilicia in 1403 and settled in Cyprus, which continued to be ruled by the Lusignan dynasty until 1489.
During the Frankish and the Venetian Eras (1192–1489 and 1489–1570, respectively) there were Armenian churches in Nicosia, Famagusta, Spathariko ["Sourp Sarkis" ("Saint Sergius") and "Sourp Varvare" (Saint Barbara)], Kornokipos ["Sourp Hreshdagabedk" ("Saint Archangels")], Platani ["Sourp Kevork" ("Saint George")], Piscopia and elsewhere ["Sourp Parsegh" ("Saint Basil")]. Armenians were amongst the seven most important religious groups in Cyprus, in possession of stores and shops in the ports of Famagusta, Limassol and Paphos, as well as in the capital Nicosia, thus controlling a large segment of commerce. Additionally, Armenian was one of the eleven official languages of the Kingdom of Cyprus and one of the five official languages of the Venetian colonial administration of Cyprus.
According to chroniclers Leontios Makhairas (1369–1458), George Boustronios (1430–1501) and Florio Bustron (1500–1570), the Armenians of Nicosia had their own Prelature and used to live in their own quarter, called "Armenia" or "Armenoyitonia". They originally had three churches: "Sourp Kevork" ("Saint George"), "Sourp Boghos-Bedros" ("Saints Paul and Peter") and "Sourp Khach" ("Holy Cross") – believed to the today's Arablar mosque or Stavros tou Missirikou. In Famagusta, a Bishopric was established in the late 12th century and Armenians lived around the Syrian quarter. Historical documents suggest the presence of an important monastic and theological centre there, at which Saint Nerses Lampronatsi (1153–1198) is said to have studied; of the three Armenian churches of walled Famagusta ["Sourp Asdvadzadzin" "(Mother of God)", "Sourp Sarkis" "(Saint Sergius)" and "Sourp Khach" "(Holy Cross)" – believed to be the unidentified church between the Carmelite church and Saint Anne], only Ganchvor church survives, built in 1346.
During the Middle Ages, Armenians in Cyprus were actively engaged in commerce, while some of them formed military garrisons in Kyrenia (1322) and elsewhere. A number of Armenians defended the Frankish Kingdom of Cyprus against the Genoese (1373) at Xeros, against the Saracens (1425) at Stylli village and against the Mamelukes (1426) in Limassol and Khirokitia. By 1425, the renowned Magaravank – originally the Coptic monastery of Saint Makarios near Halevga (Pentadhaktylos region) – came under Armenian possession, as did sometime before 1504 the Benedictine/Carthusian nunnery of Notre Dame de Tyre or Tortosa ("Sourp Asdvadzadzin") in walled Nicosia; many of its nuns had been of Armenian origin (such as princess Fimie, daughter of the Armenian King Hayton II). During the Latin Era, there was also a small number of Armenian Catholics in Nicosia, Famagusta and the Bellapais Abbey, where Lord Hayton of Corycus served as a monk.
The prosperity of the inhabitants of Cyprus was brought to a halt by the harsh and corrupt Venetian administration and the iniquitous taxes they imposed. Their tyrannical rule, combined with adverse conditions ("droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, famines, floods etc."), caused a noticeable decline in the island's population. According to historian Stephen de Lusignan, by the late Venetian Era, Armenians lived mainly in Famagusta and Nicosia and, in small numbers, at three “Armenian villages”, Platani, Kornokipos and Spathariko.
Ottoman Era (1570–1878).
During the Ottoman conquest of the island (1570–1571), about 40,000 Ottoman-Armenian craftsmen were recruited, mainly as sappers. The new order of things affected the Armenian community as well: many of the Ottoman Armenians who survived the conquest settled mainly in Nicosia, increasing its Armenian population, while the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus was recognised as an Ethnarchy ("Ազգային Իշխանութիւն, Azkayin Ishkhanoutiun"), through the "millet" institution. However, the Bishopric in Famagusta was abolished, as the Christian population was slaughtered or expelled and the entire walled city became forbidden for non-Muslims until the early years of the British Era. As a reward for their services during the conquest, the Armenians of Nicosia were granted the right to guard Paphos Gate (this privilege was used only for a short period, due to the large expenditure required) and, by a "firman" dated May 1571, they were given back the Notre Dame de Tyre church (also known as Tortosa), which the Ottomans had turned into a salt store. Additionally, the Magaravank monastery had won the favour of the Ottomans and became an important way station for Armenian and other pilgrims en route to the Holy Land, as well as a place of rest for travellers and Catholicoi and other clergymen from Cilicia and Jerusalem.
Contrary to the Latins and the Maronites, Armenians – being Orthodox – were not persecuted because of their religion by the Ottomans. Even though about 20,000 Armenians lived in Cyprus during the very first years of the Ottoman Era, by 1630 only 2,000 Armenians remained, out of a total of 56,530 inhabitants. In the Bedesten (the covered market of Nicosia), there were many Armenian merchants and in the late 18th century/early 19th century Nicosia's leading citizen was an Armenian trader called Sarkis, who was a “"beratli"” (bearer of a "berat" or charter granting a privilege) and was initially the dragoman (interpreter) for the French Consul, before becoming the dragoman for the English Consul. Later on, in the early to mid-19th century, travellers and registers mention another rich Armenian merchant, Hadji Symeon Agha of Crimea, who had earlier financed a complete reparation of the Magaravank and was Sarkis' son-in-law. A third Armenian notable was Mardiros Fugas, dragoman for the French Consul and a well-known trader, who was arrested and beheaded by the Ottomans circa 1825. Gifted with the acumen of industry, Armenians practised lucrative professions and in the beginning of the 17th century Persian Armenians settled in Cyprus as silk traders, as did some affluent Ottoman-Armenians in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Boghos-Berge Agha Eramian. However, with the new order of things, the number of Armenians and other Christians dramatically declined due to the onerous taxation and the harshness of the Ottoman administration, compelling many Christians to become "Linobambaki" (Crypto-Christians) or to embrace Islam, which explains why former Armenian villages ("Armenokhori", "Artemi", "Ayios Iakovos", "Ayios Khariton", "Kornokipos", "Melounda", "Platani" and "Spathariko") were inhabited by “Turkish-Cypriots” at the end of the 19th century; a few Armenian-Cypriots became Catholics through marriage with affluent Latin families.
Gradually, after the bloody 1821 events – when, as a response to the Cypriot support to the Greek Revolution, the Ottomans destroyed the Armenian and Greek mansions, prohibited Greeks, Franks, Armenians and Maronites from carrying guns and hanged or massacred 470 notables, amongst them the Armenian parish priest of Nicosia, der Bedros – some improvements were observed during the Tanzimat period (1839–1876). In the spirit of the Hatt-ı Şerif of Gülhane (1839), the Armenian Bishop, the Greek Archbishop and the Maronite Suffragan Bishop participated in the Administrative Council ("Meclis İdare"), which was formed in 1840. After 1850, some Armenians were employed in the civil service, while in 1860 the Armenian church of Nicosia became amongst the first in Cyprus to have a belfry – donated by Constantinopolitan Armenian Hapetig Nevrouzian. Additionally, the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 benefited the Armenian and other merchants of the island, while in 1870 the first Armenian school was established in Nicosia by newly arrived Archimandrite Vartan Mamigonian. Furthermore, as a result of the Hatt-ı Hümayun in 1856, the administrative autonomy of the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus was officially recognised.
Throughout the Ottoman Era, the vast majority of the Armenian population of Cyprus had been Armenian Orthodox, although there is also mention of a small Armenian Catholic community in Larnaca. Of the three religious groups, the Armenians are the only ones to have a continuous presence of prelates throughout the Ottoman period. Based on various estimates, the Armenian-Cypriot community of the 19th century numbered between 150 and 250 persons, the majority of whom lived in Nicosia, with smaller numbers living in Famagusta, Larnaca, the north and south of the capital (especially in Dheftera and Kythrea) and, naturally, around the Magaravank.
British Era (1878–1960).
With the arrival of the British in July 1878 and their progressive administration, the already prosperous yet small Armenian community of the island was particularly strengthened. Known for their linguistic skills, several Armenians were contracted to Cyprus to work as interpreters and public servants at the consulates and the British administration, such as Apisoghom Utidjian – the official state translator and interpreter for Ottoman Turkish between 1878 and 1919. The number of Armenians in Cyprus significantly increased following the massive deportations, the massacres and the Genocide perpetrated by the Ottomans and the Young Turks (1894–1896, 1909 & 1915–1923). Cyprus welcomed over 10,000 refugees from Cilicia, Smyrna and Constantinople, who arrived in Larnaca and all its other harbours, some by chance, others by intent; about 1,500 of them made the island their new home. Industrious, cultivated and progressive, they brought new life into the old community and did not need long to find their feet and establish themselves as people of the arts, letters and sciences, entrepreneurs and merchants, craftsmen and photographers, as well as professionals who introduced new crafts, dishes and sweets to the island, thus contributing to Cyprus' socioeconomic and cultural development.
The newcomers established associations, choirs, sports groups, Scout groups, bands, churches, schools and cemeteries in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol, Famagusta, Amiandos and elsewhere, while soon Armenophony became a reality. Armenians were the first locksmiths, mechanics, seat, comb and stamp makers, upholsterers, watchmakers and zincographers in Cyprus. They were the first to introduce the cinema, they significantly improved the craft of shoemaking and it was Armenians who first introduced Armenian bastourma, baklava, dried apricots, gassosa, gyros, halva, ice cubes, koubes, lahmadjoun, lokmadhes and pompes into the Cypriot cuisine – all very popular today. Armenians also introduced two techniques of embroidery needlework: the Aintab work (Այնթապի գործ) and the Marash work (Մարաշի գործ). There were also some Armenian factory owners (ice makers, soap makers, sock makers, tanners etc.), but above all, there was a disproportionately large number of Armenian photographers.
Law-abiding by nature, Armenian-Cypriots always had a high-profile with the British administration and many became conscientious civil servants and disciplined policemen or were employed at the "Cyprus Government Railway" and at "Cable and Wireless". Throughout the 1920s–1950s, many worked at the asbestos mines at Amiandos and the copper mines at Mavrovouni and Skouriotissa, some of whom had been trade unionists. Some Armenian-Cypriots participated in the 1897 Greco-Turkish War, the two World Wars (1914–1918 – at the Cyprus Muleteers' Corps – & 1939–1945 – both at the Cyprus Regiment and the Cyprus Volunteer Force) and the EOKA liberation struggle (1955–1959). Also, the Eastern Legion (later called Armenian Legion) was formed and trained between December 1916 and May 1918 in Monarga village, near Boghazi, consisting of over 4,000 Diasporan Armenian volunteers who fought against the Ottoman Empire. Some Armenian refugees arrived from Palestine (1947–1949) and Egypt (1956–1957).
Following negotiations in September and October 1916, between Boghos Noubar Pasha and French military and political authorities, the Eastern Legion (Légion d'Orient/Արեւելեան Լէգէոն) was officially established in Cairo in November 1916, by a special charter signed by the French Minister of War, General Pierre August Roques. It was to be an auxiliary unit of the French Army, consisting mainly of Armenian volunteers, whose aim was to liberate Cilicia from the Ottoman Empire, for the purpose of creating an independent Armenian state in that region. After negotiations with the British authorities, within the framework of the Anglo-French intelligence co-operation, it was decided that the training of the volunteers (կամաւորներ=gamavorner) would take place at Monarga, in the Carpass peninsula of Cyprus, near Boghaz. The Legion would be administered by French officers.
The camp was built in December 1916 by Armenian Genocide refugees and the arrival of the first volunteers – refugees from Musa Dagh – started in January 1917. Throughout 1917 and 1918, volunteers arrived at Famagusta harbor from the harbours of Marseilles and Port Said. Several Armenian organisations in the Middle East, Europe and North America supported the Legion, either with financial contributions or by drafting Diasporan Armenians to form companies of the Legion. The selection and training were rather strict, while the exceeding difficulties and large costs of transportation hindered the arrival of more volunteers from the New World. The volunteers were especially impatient to perform their patriotic duty.
The camp consisted of the headquarters, the barracks, various auxiliary installations (including a water basin) and a small church. In total, there were 4,124 volunteers, who formed 3 Armenian battalions, as well as 2 Syrian companies (consisting of about 300 men). The camp's commander was Infantry Lieutenant Colonel Louis Romieu, while its spiritual shepherd was Archbishop Taniel Hagopian, assisted by Archimandrite Krikor Bahlavouni, who later became known as “Topal Vartabed” (Թոփալ Վարդապետ=Lame Archimandrite), because of an injury he suffered during his military service. Both clergymen came to Cyprus from the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, even though at the time the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus was under the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople.
In addition to their duties in Cyprus, at some point, the defence of Castellorizo island (to the east of Rhodes) was handed to the Armenian Legion. Basic training was completed by May 1918. Until then, the 1st battalion had about a year and a half of training, the 2nd battalion about eight months and the third battalion was being formed. Then, the largest part of the Legion was moved to Egypt and thence it was deployed to Palestine, marking the Battle of Arara on 19 September 1918. The 3rd battalion left Cyprus in October 1918. In December 1918 the Legion – consisting now of 4 battalions, 4,368 soldiers and 66 officers – settled in the Cilicia region (with its headquarters located in Adana) as part of the French Mandate, where it remained until it was dissolved in August 1920. In February 1919 it was officially called “Armenian Legion” (Légion Arménienne/Հայկական Լէգէոն). In mid-1919, General Antranik Ozanian came to Cyprus, wanting to go to Cilicia in order to head the Legion, but this was denied by the French. After its dissolution, only a very small number of legionnaires returned to Cyprus.
In the Armenian cemetery of Larnaca there is a group grave of 9 volunteers of the Armenian Legion, commissioned by the French consulate in the late 1940s. In the location where the Legion's camp once was, presently in the Turkish-occupied areas, very few vestiges remain.
The Armenian-Cypriot community prospered throughout the British Era (1878–1960), by establishing associations, choirs, Scout groups, sports teams, musical ensembles, churches, cemeteries and schools, including the renowned Melkonian Educational Institute. In many ways unique across the whole Armenian Diaspora, it was built just outside Nicosia between 1924 and 1926, after the generous and benevolent donation of the Egyptian-Armenian tobacco trading brothers Krikor and Garabed Melkonian, initially in order to shelter and educate 500 orphans of the Genocide, who planted the trees in front of the school in memory of their slaughtered relatives. From an orphanage (1926–1940), it gradually became a world-renowned secondary school with a boarding section (1934–2005).
Examining the population censuses of the British Era (see Demography section), we observe a steady increase in the number of Armenians in Cyprus, ranging from 201 in 1881 to 4,549 in 1956. In their vast majority, they were Armenian Apostolic, but there was also a small number of Armenian Catholics and Armenian Protestants. In the 1960 population census, 3,628 Armenians were recorded – in contrast to 4,549 in 1956 – as about 900 Armenian-Cypriots had emigrated to Great Britain, Australia and elsewhere, not only because of the difficult economic conditions of the time, but mainly due to the emergency situation caused by the EOKA liberation struggle (1955–1959) and the uncertainty that some felt with the departure of the British, whom they viewed as their protectors. In fact, a large portion of British-Armenians hail from Cyprus.
Independence era (1960–present).
The end of the EOKA liberation struggle (1955–1959) found Armenian-Cypriots having forged strong bonds with the rest of the Cypriots. The 1960 Independence brought a new era for the Armenians of Cyprus, who – together with the Maronites and the Latins – were recognised as a “"religious group"” by the Constitution (Article 2 § 3) and were now represented by an elected Representative – initially a member of the Greek Communal Chamber (Article 109) and, since 1965, a member of the House of Representatives ("Law 12/1965"). The size of the community, however, had been reduced because of the emigration of about 900 Armenian-Cypriots to the United Kingdom, due to the emergency situation caused by the EOKA liberation struggle (1955–1959) and the poor state of the local economy. A second factor that contributed to the reduction of the community's size was the emigration of about 600 Armenian-Cypriots to Soviet Armenia, as part of the Panarmenian movement for “repatriation” during the 1962–1964 period ("nerkaght").
During the 1963–1964 inter-communal troubles, the Armenian-Cypriot community suffered major losses, as the Armenian quarter of Nicosia was captured by Turkish Cypriots. Taken were the Prelature building, the mediaeval Virgin Mary church, the Melikian-Ouzounian school, the Genocide Monument, the club houses of the Armenian Club, AYMA and Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), as well as the Armenian Evangelical church; also taken was the mediaeval Ganchvor church in Famagusta. In total, 231 Armenian-Cypriot families became victims to the Turks and/or lost their shops and enterprises. As a result, hundreds of Armenian-Cypriots left for Great Britain, Canada, Australia and the United States. After the 1974 Turkish invasion, the Armenian-Cypriot community suffered additional losses: 4–5 families living in Kyrenia, about 30 families in Nicosia and 40–45 families in Famagusta became refugees, while an Armenian-Cypriot lady (Rosa Bakalian) has been missing since then; the renowned Magaravank monastery in Pentadhaktylos was taken by the Turkish troops, the Melkonian boys' dormitory was bombed by the Turkish Air Force, while the Ayios Dhometios Armenian cemetery was hit by mortars and fell within the buffer zone. As a result, dozens of Armenian-Cypriots emigrated, mainly to Great Britain – in total, about 1,300 Armenian-Cypriots left Cyprus in the 1960s and 1970s, in addition to those who emigrated to Soviet Armenia.
The "nerkaght" [ներգաղթ=repatriation, also known as հայրենադարձութիւն (hayrenatartsoutiun=home-coming)] movement was a Panarmenian migration movement of Diasporan Armenians to Soviet Armenia, within the framework of a co-ordinated attempt of the Armenian SSR and the Church of Armenia to strengthen their claims on historical Armenia's territory, appealing to the patriotic sentiments of Armenians in the Diaspora; especially after World War II, "nerkaght" was also a way to partially replace the large number of Armenians who perished during the War. Massive propaganda took place, in co-operation with the AGBU and the Ramgavar party, arousing a storm of enthusiasm in the Armenian communities of the Diaspora and creating high expectations for their settling in the “homeland”, which they perceived as their ultimate destination. In retrospect, nerkaght could also be considered as Soviet manoeuvre in the Cold War era.
"Nerkaght"s waves took place between 1921–1925 (19,688 people), 1926–1929, 1932–1933, 1936 (22,598), 1946–1949 (the largest wave, with 89,780 repatriates) and 1962–1982 (31,920 people), when 163,986 Armenians in total migrated to Soviet Armenia from Iran, Greece, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, France, Bulgaria, Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus, the United States, Great Britain, Argentina, China, Israel and elsewhere.
Between 1944–1948, there was the "Friends of Armenia Association" [Հայաստանի Բարեկամաց Միութիւն (Hayastani Paregamats Mioutiun)], which was established by AGBU and Ramgavar party supporters, with the purpose of promoting love for the Soviet “homeland” and the acquaintance with its culture. Other than the various other sports, cultural, social, charity and other events, there was massive propaganda in favour of the nerkaght movement, including articles in the Association's “Nor Arax” newspaper, as well as in the Greek-Cypriot communist “Dimokratis” newspaper, lectures and other events. Despite the opposition of the Dashnaktsoutiun party and the colonial government, about 2,000 Armenian-Cypriots had registered; in the end, however, Armenians from poorer countries of the Middle East and the Balkans were preferred. However, there were 4–5 individual Armenian-Cypriot families who emigrated to Soviet Armenia on their own in 1947.
With the announcement of the new wave of nerkaght in 1961, the AGBU and the Ramgavar party started over an even more massive propaganda in favour of “repatriation”. Lectures, film screenings and radio broadcasts were organised, speakers from Soviet Armenia were hosted, which was visited by an Armenian-Cypriot delegation – which later on presented its impressions both in speeches and in the “Henaran” newspaper. Propaganda in favour of nerkaght was also in the left-wing Greek-Cypriot “Haravgi” newspaper, as well at the Melkonian Educational Institute. On the other hand, there was strong opposition on the part of the Dashnaktsoutiun party, for both ideological and pragmatic reasons. As a result, 576 Armenian-Cypriots in total were repatriated to Soviet Armenia between 1962–1964 (amounting to about 15% of the community at the time). From Famagusta's harbour 20 left on 19 September 1962 (with the “Felix Dzerzhinsky” steamship), 373 on 3 October 1962 (with the “Gruzia” steamship), 168 on 19 October 1963 (with the “Litva” steamship) and 15 on 4 September 1964 (with the “Odessa” steamship). Most of them settled in Girovagan (Vanatsor), with a smaller number settling in Leninagan (Guymri). Over the years, some of them managed to re-settle in Yerevan.
Coupled with the exodus of about 900 Armenian-Cypriots to the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States during the EOKA emergency (1955–1959), the further emigration of about 600 Armenian-Cypriots to Soviet Armenia brought about a significant reduction to the size of the community, by about a third. Families were divided (not simply ideologically – but also physically), important members of the community were no longer part of it, while unrest was hovering over the future of the community – especially after the 1963–1964 intercommunal violence and the ousting of Armenian-Cypriots from their ancient quarter in Nicosia.
Additionally, as news of the emigrants' bad living and financial conditions finally arrived in Cyprus (through coded letters or photographs – due to Soviet censorship -, as well as from visitors to/from Soviet Armenia), there was a sense of bitterness over the whole situation, as well as further rivalry between Dashnaktsoutiun (favouring a free and an independent Armenia) and anti-Dashnaktsoutiun organisations (supporting or, at least, settling with a Soviet Armenia). The latter also lost a number of supporters, as most of the emigrants were affiliated with AGBU and/or Ramgavar. Finally, Dashnaktsoutiun gained more sympathisers in some disillusioned AGBU and/or Ramgavar supporters.
Disappointed by what they saw and lived through, almost all of the ones who went to Soviet Armenia wanted to return to Cyprus from the start, as they were not accustomed to that kind of life. Due to restrictions from the Soviet regime, in order to come back, a large number of them moved to Baku, Azerbaijan. The adventurous return started in 1967 and continued until 2005, although most of them came during the late 1980s (after the Spitak earthquake) and the early 1990s (after the dissolution of the Soviet Union). In fact, the first wave of Armenians from Armenia who came to Cyprus after 1991 were mostly Armenian-Cypriots who had migrated to Soviet Armenia in the 1960s and their spouses/descendants. Their lives have been indelibly marked, also creating a sort of “identity crisis”: in Cyprus they are considered “"Hayastantsi"” (Armenians from Armenia), while in Armenia they were considered “"Gibratsi"” (Cypriots) or “"Gibrahay"” (Armenians from Cyprus).
With the unfailing support of the government, the small yet industrious Armenian community of Cyprus gradually managed to recover from its losses and continued to prosper in the remaining urban areas, contributing culturally and socioeconomically to the development of its homeland. On 24 April 1975, Cyprus became the first European country (and the second worldwide, after Uruguay) to recognise the Armenian Genocide with Resolution 36/1975; two more resolutions followed, Resolution 74/1982 and Resolution 103/1990, with the latter declaring 24 April as a National Remembrance Day of the Armenian Genocide in Cyprus. Over the past decades, the dynamics of the Armenian-Cypriot community have changed with the increased number of marriages with Greek-Cypriots and other non-Armenians, and the arrival over the last 30–35 years of thousands of Armenian political and economic immigrants because of the civil war in Lebanon (1975–1990), the insurgencies in Syria (1976–1982), the Islamic revolution in Iran and the Iran–Iraq War (1978–1988), as well as after the Spitak earthquake (1988) and the dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991); some of them have settled permanently in Cyprus. According to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of the Council of Europe, the Armenian language – the mother tongue of the vast majority of Armenian-Cypriots – was recognised as a minority language of Cyprus as of 1 December 2002. Today, it is estimated that Armenians living in Cyprus number over 3,500 persons; other than the countries mentioned above, in Cyprus there is also a small number of Armenians coming from Ethiopia, Greece, Kuwait, Turkey and the United Kingdom.


Nripatindravarman

It is possible that Harshavarman III was succeeded by a king named
Nripatindravarman who reigned in Angkor until 1113 and that Jayavarman VI never reigned there.
In fact Suryavarman II claimed to have seized power from two kings; one was his uncle Dharanindravarman I of which there is no inscription in Angkor; the other can only be Nripatindravarman.


Kaazhcha

Kaazcha is a 2004 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Blessy, in his directorial debut. The story revolves around the boy Pavan (Yash) who reaches Kerala after he loses everything in the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. Film projectionist Madhavan (Mammootty) happens to meet the boy and takes him with him. The movie was reported to be inspired by the 1986 Iranian film "Bashu, the Little Stranger".
Plot.
Madhavan (Mammootty), a simple village man who in childhood got bitten by the film bug, threw up his studies and finally ends up as projectionist Madhavan, who tours the countryside with his 16 mm projector and shows films at temple festivals and other public functions. Madhavan's family consist of his wife (Padmapriya) and a daughter (Sanusha). (Innocent) enacts the role of a priest. Madhavan comes across a six-year-old boy (Yash) who is displaced from his native Gujarat and separated from his family after the devastating earthquake. This boy was taken into a gang of beggars from where he manages to escape. Madhavan takes the boy home and cares for him, just like a son. He and his Family takes a fondness for the boy, later finding out that legally he cannot adopt the boy. The boy is taken away from Madhavan to a juvenile home and allegations of ill treatment is charged on Madhavan, but soon dismissed. The issue gets media coverage. Madhavan then goes to Gujarat with the boy in hopes of finding his family or adopting him. At the disaster camp in Gujarat Madhavan understands that the boys relatives are all most probably dead but due to legal hurdles, the boy must stay on in the hope that his real parents might be traced. Madhavan dejected has to return to his family in Kerala.
Critical reception.
Sify gave a verdict "Excellent" saying "The biggest asset of Kazhcha is the
story and screenplay by Blessy, (an
associate of Lohithadas) which is
perfect. Another plus point of the film is
the racy way in which the director has
been able to tell the story with right
mix of comedy and sentiments woven
into the plot." The critic praised Mammootty for his "perfect comedy timing", also saying "Mammooty is the heart and soul of the
film and he has proved once again that
no actor can match up to him in such
roles."
Soundtrack.
Except for the song Jugunure, lyrics for all other songs were written by Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, while lyrics for Jugunure were written by K.J.Singh. All songs were composed by Mohan Sithara.
Awards.
The film won 5 Kerala State Film Awards for the year 2004. These are:
The film won three Filmfare Awards South for the year 2004. These are
The film won five Asianet Film Awards for the year 2004. These are


Buton Palace Fortress

Buton Palace Fortress, originally the Wolio Palace, is late 16th century palatial fortress located in Baubau, Southeast Sulawesi. The palace was built in the late 16th century for Sultan Buton III, La Sangaji titled Sultan Kaimuddin (1591-1596) and was the residence of the Buton Sultanate. Heritage performances are given inside the fortress.
History.
Buton Palace Fort was built in the 16th century by Sultan Buton III named La Sangaji, titled Sultan Kaimuddin (1591-1596). Initially, the fort was only built in the form of a pile of stones arranged around the palace complex with the aim of making a fence between the palace complex and the community as well as a defensive castle. During the reign of Sultan Buton IV named La Elangi or Sultan Dayanu Ikhsanuddin, the fort in the form of a pile of stones was made a permanent building.
During the Golden age of the Sultanate of Buton, the existence of the Fort of the Palace of Buton gave a great influence on the existence of the Kingdom. In more than four centuries, the Sultanate of Buton was able to survive and avoid the threat of enemies. From the edge of the fort, which still stands firmly, you can enjoy the view of the city of Bau-Bau and the flow of ships in the Strait of Buton clearly from a height
Description.
This fort consists of three components namely " Badili ", " Lawa ", and " Baluara "
The circular fort with a circumference of 2,740 meters. The Buton Palace Fortress received awards from the Indonesian World Records Museum (MURI) and the Guinness Book Record, which was issued in September 2006 as the largest castle in the world with an area of about 23,375 hectares.
This fort has 12 gates called Lawa and 16 emplacement cannons which they call Baluara. Because it is located at the top of a high hill with a fairly steep slope allows this place as the best defense place in its day. From the edge of the fort, which still stands firmly, you can enjoy the view of the city of Bau-Bau and back and forth ships in the Strait of Buton clearly from a height, a sight that is quite frightening. In addition, in the fort area, various historical relics of the Sultanate of Buton can be found. Initially, the fort was only built in the form of a pile of stones arranged around the palace complex with the aim of making a fence between the palace complex and the community as well as a defensive castle. During the reign of Sultan Buton IV named La Elangi or Sultan Dayanu Ikhsanuddin, the fort in the form of a pile of stones was made a permanent building.
Badili (Cannon).
The Badili is a cannon made of scrap metal measuring 2 to 3 depa (about 180cm). This cannon is a former weapon of the Sultanate of Buton, a relic of the Portuguese and Dutch, which can be found in almost all fortifications in the city of Bau-Bau.
Lawa.
In Wolio means the gate. Lawa functions as a liaison between the palace and the villages around the palace fort. There are 12 lawa in the palace fort. Number 12 according to public belief represents the number of holes in the human body, so that the castle fort is likened to the human body. The 12 lawa has each name in accordance with the title of the person watching it, the mention of the lawa strung by its name. The word lawa is imbued with the suffix 'na' to 'lawana'. The suffix 'na' in Buton functions as a substitute for the word "it". Each lawa has a different shape but in general can be distinguished both the shape, width and construction are made of stone and also combined with wood, a kind of gazebo on it that functions as an observation tower. 12 Lawa names include: , , , , , , , , , and .
Baluara.
The word is derived from the Portuguese language GREAT BUTON


Arishiani

Arishiani () was a 12th-century Georgian noble (didebuli) of Hereti. Arishian alongside with other nobles, such as Baram and Kavtar, captured King Aghsartan II of Kakheti and delivered him to the King David IV of Georgia, the latter reincorporated kingdom of Kakheti and Hereti within his realm. For this he was granted duchy of Hereti.


Raja Hijau

Raja Hijau or Ratu Hijau (; ), also spelt Raja Ijau, was a Malay sovereign queen of Patani who reigned from 1584 to 1616. Her name means "the Green Queen" in English. She was also known as the 'great queen of Patani'. Her rule in Patani ushered in the golden age of Patani.
Early life.
She was the eldest daughter of Sultan Mansur Shah. There is no mention of her being married in historical accounts, but some have speculated that she married the Chinese pirate Lin Daoqian who was said to have married a Sultan's daughter in Patani. Her younger brother Bahdur succeeded to the throne aged 10, but was murdered in 1584 by his half-brother.
Reign.
According to the Portuguese chronicler Mendez Pinto, she came to the throne in 1584 as a sister of the murdered Patani king after twenty years of instability in the country. There was apparently a lack of male heirs as a number of them were murdered in this period of political turbulence and violence. Raja Hijau adopted the title of "peracau" derived from the Siamese royal title "phra chao". Early in her reign she saw off an attempted coup by her prime minister, Bendahara Kayu Kelat. She ordered that a dam be built to divert water to a dug channel to ensure supply of water to Patani. She ruled for 32 years, and brought considerable stability to the country.
During her reign, trade with the outside world increased, and European traders such as the Portuguese and Dutch came to the port. The majority of the merchants were said to be Chinese merchants, of which the most important of them, such as the leading commercial official Datu Sirinara, had converted to Islam and adopted Malay court etiquette. The first Dutch Company agents visited this region of what is now southern Thailand during her reign in 1602, while the English arrived in 1612. According to Jacob van Neck's writing in 1604, he reported a relatively prosperous state under Raja Hijau, who was "one well-disposed to merchants". The arrival of the European also led to conflicts, and the Dutch attacked English ships in Patani, which led to the withdrawal of the English from Patani even though Raja Hijau ordered that the English be protected. Nevertheless, as a result of increasing trade, Pattani prospered.
European visitors to Patani were impressed by the queen and the pomp and splendour of her court. An Englishman Peter Floris who visited Patani in 1612–1613 described the queen as a 'comely oldewoman' and 'tall of person and full of majestie, having in all the Indies not seenemany lyke unto hir'. When she went hunting, she was accompanied by over 600 boats. A Dutchman named Roelof Roelofsz described a procession in Patani in 1602 where the queen was greeted by around 4,000 men in arms, and the procession included 156 big elephants, 'some of which were very decoratively made up'. Jacob van Neck said her palace was decorated with 'golden panels and carved wooden decorations'. The Malay monarchy under her rule absorbed diversity of foreign traders into a polyglot elite united by the royal person, a Malay lingua franca, and a pattern of rules and sacred regalia passed down from courts such as Melaka and Pasai. Patani also become a centre of culture, producing high quality works of music, dance, drama and handicraft. Peter Floris described a dance performed in Patani as the finest he had seen in all of the Indies.
Raja Hijau died on 28 August 1616 after ruling for 32 years. She was given the posthumous title of Marhum Ketemangan. According to "Hikayat Patani", all the men were ordered to shave off their hair and the all the women trimmed their hair in mourning. She was succeeded by her younger sister Raja Biru.


New Party (Turkey)

The New Party (Turkish: "Yeni Parti", YP) was a former political party in Turkey that was founded on 23 June 2008. Adhering to the principles of Kemalism, the party merged with the Rights and Equality Party (HEPAR) in 2012 without contesting any elections. Former leaders include Tuncay Özkan, who led the party despite being imprisoned following the Ergenekon trials. The party's colours were primarily red and the party logo was that of the Sun.


Tomb of the Gwanggaeto

The Tomb of the Gwanggaeto (Traditional Chinese: 廣開土(王)陵 or 好太(王)陵, Korean: Gwanggaeto-(Wang)neung, Hangul: 광개토(왕)릉 또는 호태(왕) 릉), also known as the Pyramid of the Hotae, is thought to be the burial tomb of King Jangsu or his Father King Gwanggaeto, both kings of a kingdom of Goguryeo.


Anton Kutateli

Anton Sagirisdze or Anton Kutateli () was a 12th century Georgian archbishop of Kutaisi.
After the death of George III, the archbishop of Kutaisi, the worthy and blessed monk Anton Sagirisdze was invited, and asked him to take the crown in his hands, because according to church rankings, Imereti, was charged with the task of crowning the sovereign at the coronation ceremony. Encouraged by the confidence of the Queen Tamar and her supporters, Anton Kutateli, who directed the synod with the latter, wanted to prevent Michael IV from attending the synod, However the synod failed to prove that Michael was holding his office illegitimately and was unable to remove him. During the revolt of Queen Tamar's disgraced husband, George the Rus', around 1191, Anton Kutateli and other Church and secular dignitaries were sent to talk to the rebels to find out the reason for this rebellion. but their mission failed.


Flag of Chita Oblast

The flag of Chita Oblast, a former federal subject of the Russian Federation, is a horizontal green and red bicolour charged with a yellow chevron (a triangle at the hoist side). It was adopted on December 22, 1995.
The flag is the same as that of Zabaykalsky Krai, which was formed when Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug merged on March 1, 2008.


Phetsarath Ratanavongsa

Prince Phetsarath Ratanavongsa ("Somdej Chao Maha Uparaja Petsaraj Ratanavongsa "() (19 January 1890 – 14 October 1959) was the 1st Prime Minister of Luang Phrabang in French Laos from 21 August 1941 to 10 October 1945, and Head of State of Laos between 12 October 1945 and 4 April 1946.
Biography.
Early life.
Phetsarath was born on 19 January 1890 in the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, the second son of Oupahat Bounkhong and his second wife, Princess Thongsy. One of his younger brothers was Souvanna Phouma. Bounkong's eleventh wife was the mother of Souphanouvong. Luang Phrabang became a French protectorate in 1893. Phetsarath went to study at the colonial Lycée Chasseloup-Laubat in Saigon and continued on in 1905 at the Lycée Montaigne and to the École coloniale in Paris. He returned to Laos in 1912, married Princess Nhin Kham Venne in 1913, and started working as an interpreter for his father.
Government service: 1914-1941.
In 1914, he became a clerk at the Office of the French governor in Vientiane. Two years later he was promoted to assistant secretary to the French governor. In 1919 he received the title of Somdeth Chao Ratsaphakhinay, a title held by his father and one of the highest ranks in the country. That same year he was named Director of Indigenous Affairs of Laos operating under the French governor in Laos.
As the country's last uparaja, he became a leading figure of modern Laos. He established the system of ranks and titles of the civil service, promotion and pension plans, and created a Lao consultative assembly, reorganized the king's Advisory Council. Phetsarath reorganized the administrative system of the Buddhist clergy, and established a system of schools for educating monks in Pali. He created the Institute of Law and Administration to train entry level officers (Samien) who would then move up the ladder as Phouxouei, Chao Meuang, and Chao Khoueng successively. He set up rules to reward, reassign, and promote deserving civil servants, and created the judicial system, including civil and penal codes.
Japanese occupation and Lao Issara: 1941-1957.
Phetsarath played a dominant role in Lao politics before and after the Japanese occupation. He was the Prime Minister of Luang Phrabang, beginning in August 1941, ascending in prominence under the promises for power from Japan. From 1941 to 1945, Phetsarath attempted to supplant officials in Laos and Vietnam, but in the regions of Vietnam, the resistance from the local proletariat was too strong.
In March 1945 Japan overthrew the French rule in all of Indochina, including Laos. On 8 April 1945 King Sisavang Vong had declared–under Japanese pressure and at the urging of Phetsarath–that his kingdom was no longer a French protectorate. Shortly thereafter however, on 28 August 1945, Japan surrendered.
In the ensuing power vacuum, Phetsarath moved to unite the southern provinces of Laos with Luang Phrabang. This put him at odds with the pro-French King Sisavang Vong, who had agreed with the French that he intended to have the country resume its former status as a French colony. Phetsarath sent a telegram to all Laotian provincial governors notifying them that the Japanese surrender did not affect Laos' status as independent and warning them to resist any foreign intervention. On 15 September Phetsarath declared a unified Kingdom of Laos which led the King to dismiss him from his post as Prime Minister on 10 October.
Phetsarath and other Lao nationalists then created the Lao Issara ("Free Laos") movement and took control of the country. The Lao Issara provisional assembly under Phetsarath proclaimed the deposition of the King and appointed Phetsarath as "Head of State". As the French retook control of Laos, Phetsarath fled in April 1946 to Thailand, where he led the Lao Issara government-in-exile. The group was dissolved in 1949 and its former members were allowed to return to Laos under amnesty.
Return: 1957-1959.
In March 1957, he returned to Vientiane where he received a wild welcome. On 10 April 1957, he traveled to Luang Prabang by car and was received by an enormous crowd of citizens, government officials, and members of the police and the army. On 16 April he paid a courtesy call to King Sisavang Vong and was given back his old title of Uparaja of the Kingdom of Laos. In December 1957 he visited Samneua and Phongsaly where Souphanouvong symbolically offered the return of the Pathet Lao's two regrouping provinces to the Kingdom of Laos.
He was offered an official government residence in Vientiane, but preferred to stay in his villa, Xieng Keo, in Luang Prabang with his Thai consort, Mom Aphiphorn. In early October 1959 the Phoui Sananikone Government decided to use Phetsarath's official residence in Vientiane as the new prime minister's office. They vacated the building and shipped his personal belongings by boat to Luang Prabang, which upset him immensely. On 14 October 1959 Phetsarath was taken ill to the hospital, suffering from a severe brain hemorrhage. A French doctor operated on him, but it was already too late. He never regained consciousness and he died at the age of 69.
In part because of his popularity and in part because of his perceived "shakti/shiva" power, many Lao people hang his picture in their homes.


Binnya E Law

Binnya E Law (, ; 1308–1348/49) was king of Martaban from 1330 to 1348. Placed on the throne by his half-sister Queen Sanda Min Hla, this son of King Hkun Law defeated Sukhothai's invasion in 1330–1331, ending Martaban's tributary status to the Siamese kingdom.
The rest of his reign was largely uneventful except for the fierce rivalry between E Law's son Binnya E Laung and Sanda Min Hla's son Binnya U. The king died soon after his son's death, and was succeeded by Binnya U.
Early life.
Binnya E Law was a son of King Hkun Law, and a nephew of King Wareru, the dynasty's founder. He was born on 13 March 1308. E Law only three years old in March 1311 when his father was assassinated in a coup organized by his aunt Princess Hnin U Yaing and her husband Gov. Min Bala of Myaungmya. The couple placed their eldest son Saw O (r. 1311–1323) on the throne but spared the children of Hkun Law. E Law had two half-sisters Sanda Min Hla and Tala Shin Saw Bok.
In the following years, E Law kept a low profile, and gained the trust of O's successor King Saw Zein (r. 1323–1330). Zein, who was E Law's first cousin and brother-in-law, first appointed E Law as governor of Sittaung and later governor of Pegu (Bago) by the late 1320s.
Reign.
Accession.
In 1330, E Law unexpectedly became king of Martaban. Circa April of that year, King Saw Zein was assassinated by Zein Pun, one of his senior officers. The king's chief queen Sanda Min Hla staged a counter coup a week later, and had the usurper executed. Queen Sanda then placed Saw E, son of King Saw O, on the throne, and made herself his chief queen. But the 16-year-old king quickly ran afoul of the powerful queen, and was poisoned 49 days later and died.
Queen Sanda now summoned her half-brother E Law to take over the throne. The chronicle "Razadarit Ayedawbon" relates that E Law was wary of his sister, and reluctantly came to Martaban (Mottama) by ship. He did not bring any of his concubines, and brought only his son Binnya E Laung. At Martaban, he was consecrated king with Sanda Min Hla as his chief queen. The 22-year-old king also raised his other half-sister Tala Shin Saw Bok (Sanda Min Hla's younger sister) as queen. It was June 1330.
War with Sukhothai.
E Law's immediate task was to contain the fallout from E's assassination. King Loe Thai of Sukhothai was greatly angered by the assassination of his grandson, and considered the brief truce achieved during E's short reign null and void. (Prior to E's restoration of ties, Martaban had been at war with its erstwhile overlord throughout the 1320s over the control of the Tenasserim coast. While Martaban took the coast down to the Tenasserim town in 1321, Sukhothai had been on the offensive since the mid-1320s, and retaken the coast up to Tavoy (Dawei) by 1330.) Martaban fully expected an invasion after the rainy season. The regime ordered defensive preparations along the expected invasion route: Sittaung, Donwun and Martaban.
Preparations paid off. According to the "Razadarit", when four Sukhothai regiments invaded along the expected route, they faced heavy resistance from Martanban defenses. Although Sukhothai troops eventually took Sittaung and Donwun, they were a spent force by then. Nonetheless, the depleted invasion army decided to march on to Martaban. It turned out to be a bad decision. The outnumbered invaders were decisively defeated en route by two Martaban armies consisted of nine regiments. E Law personally commanded one of the two armies. Only a few invaders escaped the carnage. So decisive was the defeat that Sukhothai would not send another invasion force. At any rate, Sukhothai and its successor Ayutthaya continued to claim Martaban and Moulmein as its possessions.
Post-war period.
The war with Sukhothai was costly. The fighting had destroyed the farms and able men throughout the region, and the country faced a famine. So chaotic were the conditions that one of the northern Burmese-speaking states may have raided Pegu. But Upper Burma itself was divided into multiple power centers, and was in no position to pose an existential threat to E Law's Mon-speaking fully independent kingdom.
The rest of E Law's reign was largely non-eventful. He may still have ruled in the shadow of Sanda Min Hla. He did not designate his only son E Laung heir-apparent as Sanda Min Hla's only son Binnya U also eyed the throne. The rivalry between the princes escalated in the 1340s when E Laung's health declined. The princes ended up fighting each other in an elephant-back duel in which U defeated E Laung. The king was furious, and had U arrested. But he released U at the request of Sanda Min Hla and Tala Shin Saw Bok. His son died from smallpox soon after.
Death.
The king died at age 40 in 1348/49 (or 44 in 1353/54). He was succeeded by Binnya U.


University of Santo Tomas Baybayin Documents

The University of Santo Tomas Baybayin Documents or UST Baybayin Documents are two 17th century land deeds written in Baybayin script.
Due to their historical significance, the documents were declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Archives of the Philippines Director Victorino Manalo during the "Second Baybayin Conference" at the Museum of the Filipino People, Manila on 22 August 2014. It was the first declaration made the Philippines' national archives and the first paper document declared as a National Cultural Treasure.
It is the fifth declared National Cultural Treasure for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) after the declarations on UST Main building, UST Central Seminary building, Arch of the Centuries and UST Open Ground.
Baybayin.
Baybayin historically refers to a Brahmic syllabic script used for the Tagalog language and was used in the Philippines before and early into the Spanish conquest. It uses three characters for standalone vowels and fourteen for consonants. As an alpha syllabic script, its character can either stand as a single consonant or vowel, or an entire syllable. Related syllabic scripts are still being used by the Palaw'an and Tagbanua peoples in the Palawan island as well as the Hanunuo and Buhid Mangyan peoples in the Mindoro island.
Description.
The UST Baybayin documents cover two legal real estate transactions in 1613 (labelled as "Document A "dated February 15, 1613) and 1625 (labelled as Document B dated December 4, 1625) which are the "longest and most complete documents completely handwritten in baybayin". The two documents are part of a book compilation of baybayin documents dubbed as the "biggest collection of extant ancient baybayin scripts in the world". They are also the oldest known deeds of sale for land in the Philippines during the Spanish colonization.
The 1613 documents established Don Andres Capiit as the land owner after buying an irrgiated land in Tondo from Doña Catalina Baycan as described in "Document A". He was married to Doña Francisca Longar who bought the land in Mayhaligue (now Santa Cruz, Manila) from Doña
Maria Silang as described in the 1625 document ("Document B"). When Capiit died sometime between 1613 and 1625, Longar was remarried to Don Luis Castilla, who sold some lands to the University of Santo Tomas in 1629. When the ownership of Castilla was contested in court, he showed "Documents A "and "B" as proof of ownership. Since the university already acquired the land, the deeds of sale were later transferred into the university's custody.
The baybayin documents were first shown in the public during the tricentennary of the university in 1911. That same year, the documents were first published in "Libertas", a daily newspaper published by the university.
Management.
The Archives of the University of Santo Tomas ("Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomas", or simply UST Archives) at the Miguel de Benavides Library take care of the documents. The original baybayin documents are not available to the public and only replicas of the documents are made available through the university archives' bulletin board in the fifth floor of the Central Library.


Bokor Hill Station

Bokor Hill Station (, "Sthani Phnum-bokko", ) refers to a collection of French colonial buildings constructed as a temperate mountain luxury resort and retreat for colonial residents in the early 1920s atop Bokor Mountain in Preah Monivong National Park, about west of Kampot in southern Cambodia. Abandoned for long periods of time, modern infrastructure has made the location easily accessible as re-development is taking place. It was used as the location for the final showdown of the movie "City of Ghosts" (2002) and the 2004 film "R-Point". To the north-east are the Povokvil Waterfalls.
History.
The Damrei Mountains have long been considered sacred and venerated by the Cambodians.
The hill station was built as a resort by colonial French to help the french military who were stationed in that region. They were desperate for some relief from the oppressive heat that is characteristic to this part of the world. So is was, in the early 1920's, Bokor Hill, a small resort town was built especially for the occupying french soldiers.|-anonymous-|. Nine hundred lives were lost in nine months during the construction of the resort in this remote mountain location.
The centrepiece of the resort was the grand Bokor Palace Hotel, inaugurated in 1925. It has been complemented by the villa of the "Résident Supérieur", a post office (now demolished), and a catholic church. It is also an important cultural site, showing how the colonial settlers spent their free time.
Bokor Hill was abandoned first by the French in late 1940s, during the First Indochina War, because of local insurrections guided by the Khmer Issarak.
It was only in 1962, for the reopening of the "Cité du Bokor", that a casino was established in the new hotels near the lake, (Hotels Sangkum and Kiri). Some buildings were added at this time: an annex for the palace, the mayor's office and a concrete parasol.
The Bokor mountain was abandoned again in 1972, as Khmer Rouge took over the area. During the Vietnamese invasion in 1979, Khmer Rouge entrenched themselves and held on tightly for months. In the early 1990s Bokor Hill was still one of the last strongholds of Khmer Rouge.
Transportation.
Thanks to modern infrastructure high Bokor can now conveniently be reached via National Highway 3 near the town of Kampot. The ascent previously required a grind on an old road that took 1.5 hours to complete. However, as at December 2011, construction was essentially completed on the new sealed road from National Highway 3 up to the hill station. The road is special in its use of battered slopes and drainage systems in an attempt to prevent landslides. Construction was also well under way on a number of buildings in the hill station area, with the area being partially signed and popular with Cambodian and foreign tourists.
Modern day.
Now abandoned, with the exception of the old post office, most of the buildings are still standing. The strategic importance of the location is underlined by the fact that the Cambodian authorities maintain a ranger station on the site. The only other historic building currently in use on the site is a small temple. There is also a waterfall which tends to be dry in high season and in full flow during rainy season. About 10 km before on the way for Bokor Hill Station there is the "Black Palace" ("Damnak Sla Khmao"). It was a little summer palace of King Sihanouk, abandoned some decades ago.
The site is owned by the government but is now under 99–year lease to the Sokimex Group who are undertaking to relay the road and redevelop the site, repairing the old hotel and casino along with new buildings (hotels, hospital, restaurants, golf clubs etc.). The project was announced on Jan 19th 2008, construction of the road and resort was expected to take 30 months at a cost of US$21 million. The Thansur Bokor Highland Resort hotel opened in 2012. The subsequent re-development is budgeted at US$1 billion over the next 15 years after which a further application may be submitted to create a larger Bokor city, the plans for which are unknown.


Chhittaraja

Chhittaraja was Shilahara ruler of north Konkan branch from 1022 CE – 1035 CE.
Chhittaraja succeeded his uncle Arikesarin some time before 1026 CE, when he issued his Bhandup plates. Chhittaraja was a patron of art and literature. He built the magnificent temple of Shiva at Ambarnath near Kalyan. He patronised Soddhala, the author of the Udayasundarikatha. (Dept. Gazetteer: 2002)


Thora Oehlers

Thora Oehlers (2 September 1913 – July 1990) was a Singaporean physician. she was "the first Eurasian girl scholar in Singapore" to win a Queen's Scholarship in 1933, and served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during World War II.
Early life.
Thora Augusta Maude Oehlers was born in Singapore, one of the twelve children of contractor George Rae Oehlers and Frances Maude Clarke. Her grandparents came from Germany, Portugal, Britain, and Malaya. Her older brother, Sir George Oehlers, was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore. Her younger sister Mae Noeline Oehlers was principal of the Raffles Girls' School.
Thora Oehlers was a student at the Raffles Institution, a bright and athletic young woman, when she became "the first Eurasian girl scholar in Singapore" to win a Queen's Scholarship in 1933, for study in England. She was the second girl in Singapore to win the honor, after Maggie Tan in 1930.
Career.
Oehlers trained as a physician at the London School of Medicine for Women, and stayed in London during World War II, serving as a lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps. She went to Belgium with the British Liberation Army in March 1945, and served at a military hospital in Ostend, and at medical stations in Egypt and Palestine. She returned to Singapore after demobilization, and became a Lady Medical Officer in Singapore in 1947. She resigned as a Lady Medical Officer in 1950.
Personal life.
At age 45, Oehlers married British civil engineer William Peter Winston in 1959. Her husband served in the Indian Army during World War II. She died in 1990, in her seventies, in England.


Ayamezuka Kofun

The is a keyhole-shaped "kofun" burial mound located in the Takenomachi neighborhood of Nishikan-ku, Niigata in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1938.
Overview.
The Ayamezuka Kofun is located on the tip of a plateau on the east foot of Mount Kakuda, a 482-meter hill in far western Niigata city, within the grounds of a Buddhist temple called Kanzen-ji. It is a , which is shaped like a keyhole, having one square end and one circular end, when viewed from above. The tumulus has a total length of 53 meters, making it one of the largest in Niigata Prefecture, and marking the northern limit at which keyhole-shaped "kofun" have been found on the Sea of Japan coast. The posterior circular portion has a diameter of 33 meters and height of three meters, and the anterior rectangular portion has a width of 18 meters and height of two meters. The tumulus was surrounded by circumferential moat, with dirt from the moat used to partly construct the tumulus.
The internal structure of the "kofun" is not clear, and it appears that it did not have a stone-lined burial chamber, and as the tomb has been robbed in antiquity, the amount of surviving grave goods is minimal. The tomb was opened in 1812 during the Edo period, at which time a bronze mirror with a pattern of dragons was discovered. This mirror is 22.7 cm in diameter and is a Niigata Prefectural Important Cultural Asset. Other known artifacts include one jade "magatama" and seven cylindrical beads, and it was recorded in Edo period records thats some iron objects had been discovered. From these items, it is estimated that the tumuli dates from the 5th century. During the Edo period, local folklore attributed the tomb to the wife of Minamoto no Yorimasa, Ayame Gozen, hence the "kofun"'s name.
It was excavated again in 2002 to 2003, during which time a number of pottery shards were found from the moat area. A number of the artifacts recovered from the tumulus are at the Niigata City History Museum and are collectively designated an Important Cultural Property of Niigata Prefecture.
There is another tumulus, the , a circular-type () with a diameter of 21 meters, located a short distance from the Ayamezuka Kofun. Also on the same plateau, 500 meters to the west, is the Minami-Akasaka Site, which contains traces of a settlement which was contemporary to the building of these two tumuli. Zoku-Jōmon period pottery from either Hokkaido or the northern Tōhoku region have been found at this site, indicating that at least a portion of its inhabitants were either from northern Japan, or had extensive interaction with the northern peoples. As the settlement and the "kofun" are contemporary, it is likely that the chieftains of the settlement was the builders of these tumuli.
The Ayamezuka Kofun was used as a sutra mound from the end of the Heian period to the Muromachi period, and the surviving sutras recovered from the site are collectively designated as National Important Cultural Property. The tumulus is located in a rural area about 30 minutes on foot from Maki Station on the JR East Echigo Line.


Didnauri

Didnauri () is a Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age archaeological site in Georgia, located in the steppes of the Shiraki Plain in the country's southeasternmost municipality of Dedoplistsqaro. The National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia, which supports the ongoing field works, has described it as "the largest ever ancient settlement" unearthed in the South Caucasus. The site is inscribed on the list of the Immovable Monuments of Cultural Heritage of Georgia.
The Didnauri site was discovered, in 2014, through satellite imagery in the western part of the Shiraki Plain used as croplands. Preliminary digs revealed ruins of a large settlement, which was dated by a team of Georgian archaeologists to the period of 12th to 9th century BC. The settlement is encompassed by a 1.5 km-long and 7 m-wide defensive wall made of clay and wooden logs, "unique in its scale and design", as described by the expedition led by the archaeologist Konstantine Pitskhelauri. The pattern of destruction of the wall suggests an unexpected natural disaster, presumably an earthquake. Among other ruined structures unearthed were several buildings, including those apparently used for religious rituals, a water supply system, and four tombs, which contained the early 10th-century BC artifacts such as ceramic vessels, stone tools, and bronze items. One of the tombs belonged to an upper-class warrior who was buried with his dagger and had an arrowhead, not of local origin, lodged in his stomach area.


Mangkunegara VI

Mangkunegaran (March 1, 1857 – 1916) was the prince of Mangkunegara from 1896 to 1916.
History.
Early life.
His original name was R.M. Suyitno. He was the fourth son of Mangkunegara. As an adult he took the name K.P.A. Dayaningrat. He is the younger brother of the fifth Mangkunegara. He was born to Raden Ayu Dunuk. He is the grandson of the third Mangkunegara on his mother's side. When Mangkunegara V died after falling from a horse. His throne was unlawfully taken by his brother.
Reign.
Mangkunegara VI was enthroned on 21 November 1896. He prioritized economic development. A crash came because the price of sugar fell, due to emerging competition from Brazil. Mangkunegara VI adjusted and repaid much of the debt incurred under his predecessor. Mangkunegara VI enacted a number of cultural policies. Namely, he obliged men to cut their long hair and made saluting unnecessary. He also brought tables and chairs into meetings that had previously been conducted sitting on the floor and allowed the people to embrace Christianity. He became an independent power parallel to Kasunanan Surakarta. Mangkunegara became a new competitor in the fight over Kasunanan Javanese culture.
Economics.
Traditional sectors of rural economy modernized, affecting coffee, indigo, sugar cane and sugar production. in the Praja.
At one point Spoorweg Nederlandsch Indische Maatschappij (Dutch private railroad) was foreclosed for failure to pay taxes.
Policy.
Praja policy was applied to allow the monarchy to act as both ruler and merchant. The policy was later adopted by Kasunanan Surakarta and Yogyakarta Sultanate. Traditional land holdings were overturned and turned over to plantations.
The Legion was reorganized. Commander Major Mangkunegaran was enthroned with the rank of Colonel. Mangkunegara VI removed the position of Vice Commander for budget reasons.
Regional security.
The bandit gangs that operated around Mangkunegaran increased their activities. Budget limitations kept the King from actively dealing with them. The Praja Police were responsible for security. The gangs looted and committed murder and rape.
Along the border with Kasunanan, Mangkunegara VI had conflicts with Resident of Surakarta.
Java's expansion began in 1830 with the proliferation of plantations. The gangs were disappointed in the kingdom. "Robber" refers those who forcibly plundered victims, while "plaster" refers to robbers who were relatively inactive.
In 1872 the region recorded 24 events conducted by robbers and plasters. On 15 November 1883 robbers killed a woman in the village of Kretek Jacks, Sragen.
Wayang Wong.
Wayang wong is a performing art tradition first developed by Mangkunegara who reigned 1757–1795. Wayang wong became a valuable learning model, conveying social knowledge as well as entertainment.
Wayang wong became a tradition of reduced activity. Wayang wong was developed by Gan Kam and supported by the regime. Gan Kam was of Chinese descent and had a close relationship with the royal family at the time of Mangkunegara V. Gan Kam Duke successfully lobbied to be allowed to perform wayang wong outside the palace.
Rescue action in puppet arts was pioneered by Prince Sambernyawa.
Wayang wong developed outside the palace. The royal family encouraged its development until Mangkunegara Kasunanan and Sultanate. In Kasunanan, Sunan Pakubuwana X (1893–1939) allowed performances in Balekambang, Garden Night Market Sri Wedari and Alun Alun in Surakarta. In the Sultanate of Yogyakarta, Sultan Hamengkubuwana VII (1877–1921) supported the art form.
Resignation.
Governance is a show with many changes and ends with the anti-Dutch tensions and tragedy. Mangkunegara VI have children; K.P.A. Suyono
Handayaningrat and B.R.Ay. Suwasti Hatmosurono. When Mangkunegara VI wished to make his son as a possible successor, he was on the veto by a group of relatives of the Prince and the Netherlands. Finally Mangkunegara VI resigned and settled in Surabaya.
Mangkunegara VI is the only king in Mangkunegaran who resign of his own free will (Media Communication Family Ex-HIK Yogyakarta, 1987). In testimony Partini Mangkunegara VI said that on January 11, 1916 quietly resign and go with the whole family to Surabaya (Singgih, Pamoentjak, Roswitha, 1986)
In Surabaya son and daughter Mangkunegara VI of KPA Suyono Handayaningrat and RMP Hatmosurono active in the movement of Budi Utomo and together with Dr. Sutomo founded the political party named Parindra.
When Mangkunegara VI died buried in Astana Utoro Nayu Surakarta. In Mangkunegaran that reigned next is his nephew namely RMA Suryasuparta as Mangkunegara VII. Mangkunegara VI chose Surabaya as a place in the old days to prepare his son and daughter continue the concept of state that can not be implemented through a Duchy.
Work achievement.
Mangkunegara VI's accomplishments included:
Heritage Mangkunegara VI.
In his reign, give relic Mangkunegara VI which until now frequently visited by the tourist is Sapta Tirta. Sumber water bath in this bath pablengan has seven kinds of natural resources which were located very close together, namely: Warm Water, Cold Water, Living Water, Water Off, Soda water, water Bleng, and water Mind your Mind.


Thuy Trang

Thuy Trang ( ; December 14, 1973 – September 3, 2001) was a Vietnamese-American actress. She was known for her role as Trini Kwan, the first Yellow Ranger on the original cast of the television series "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers".
Trang's father was a South Vietnamese army officer who fled the country in 1975 after the fall of Saigon, leaving his family behind. When Trang was six, she and her mother and brothers boarded a cargo ship bound for Hong Kong, a difficult journey during which Trang became very ill. They reunited with Trang's father in the United States in 1980 and settled in California. She enrolled at the University of California, Irvine to study civil engineering, but switched her focus to acting after a talent scout spotted her.
Trang was chosen for "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers", her first major role, after participating in an audition process that included about 500 actresses. Like the other cast members, Trang only portrayed her character in scenes when she was out of her Power Rangers uniform; the in-costume fight scenes were footage adapted from the long-running Japanese television series "Super Sentai", with Trang's voice dubbed over the action. Trang appeared in 80 episodes in the series, which included the entire first season, and the first twenty episodes of the second. She performed many of her own stunts, and repeatedly got hurt on the set.
Trang left "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" in the middle of the second season, along with fellow cast members Austin St. John and Walter Emanuel Jones, due to contractual and payment disputes. She had a brief appearance in the film "Spy Hard" (1996), and played one of the lead villains in the film "" (1996). Trang had planned to appear in several films along with St. John and Jones, but none were ultimately made. Trang died in a car accident at age 27.
Early life.
Thuy Trang was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on December 14, 1973, to father Ky Trang and mother Be Trang. She had two brothers and one sister. Her father, a South Vietnamese army (ARVN) officer, was tasked with protecting Saigon from communist North Vietnamese army. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, he was forced to leave his family behind and fled the country, immigrating to United States. Trang and her family lived in a detention camp as her father petitioned the U.S. government for political asylum for his family. They fled Saigon when Trang was two years old.
In 1979 when Trang was five, she and her family secretly boarded a cargo ship bound for Hong Kong. It was a very difficult journey, with people packed tightly due to limited space, lacking in food and water. The trip lasted about eight or nine months, and at least four people died. Trang went long periods of time without eating and fell ill, with her mother having to force food down her throat while she was unconscious to keep her alive. At one point, the other passengers wrongly believed Trang to be dead and wanted to throw her body overboard to make more room for the other refugees, but her mother prevented them from doing so. Trang's family and her father were eventually reunited in the United States in 1980, and settled in the city of Fountain Valley, California.
Trang did not speak English upon first arriving in the United States and had to learn it. Trang began studying Shaolin kung fu, and eventually received a black belt. Trang said of studying kung fu:
It's really good because it builds a lot of character and it makes me stronger as a person, especially going through all the stuff I went through, coming over here to America. I just teaches me a lot about who I am and what I am, and about respect, discipline, patience, and perseverance, and endurance.
Trang's father died in 1992 when she was 18. She graduated from Banning High School in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles, and enrolled at the University of California, Irvine to study civil engineering, planning to follow her father and siblings into the field. Trang's hobbies included playing tennis, jogging, and reading romance novels. She also had a dog named Nia. Trang switched her focus to acting after a chance run in with a talent scout while hanging out with friends. This led to an introductory acting class at UCI in 1992 where she was spotted for a commercial for the Church of Scientology, even though she herself was a Buddhist. Trang, the first person in her family to study acting, said she intended to later finish her education despite undertaking an acting career.
Career.
"Power Rangers".
Trang earned her first major role in 1993, as Trini Kwan, the Yellow Ranger in the original cast of the TV series "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers". Her agent arranged for her to participate in an audition process that included about 500 actresses of various races. Casting director Katy Wallin said the day of Trang's screen test, "Thuy was so nervous that she almost couldn't complete her final callback." She was paired with Jason David Frank, the martial arts instructor and actor who went on to portray the Green Ranger Tommy Oliver, during the audition. It took place before a room of about 20 executives and required each actor to read the part and present their physical skills. Wallin told Trang to run into the room screaming, jump onto the audition table, and perform a karate move. Trang did so, then quietly stepped off the table, did her reading, and walked out of the room. Wallin said of her screen test: "I loved her and was very proud of her fearless approach to becoming the Yellow Ranger." The pool of finalists for the part was narrowed down to 10 actresses, then five, then three, before Trang was finally selected.
The role was originated by actress Audri Dubois in the pilot episode before Trang took over the part. After securing the role, Trang moved from Fountain Valley to Los Angeles to be closer to the set of the show, which she found to be a major adjustment. Trang described her character as having "quick hands and a peaceful soul", and felt the character was inspiring for viewers who have long desired an Asian superhero: "Asians are not portrayed in the media very well, and there are not many roles for Asian people except for the stereotypes – gangsters, hookers, things like that. A lot of older Asian people come up to me and say that I'm doing a service to the Asian community."
While Trang and the other cast members appeared in scenes with the characters out of the Power Rangers costumes, the in-costume fight scenes were footage adapted from the long-running Japanese television series "Super Sentai". In that series, the Yellow Ranger was a male character, but the American show producers wanted more female characters in their cast, so they changed the character to a female during out-of-costume scenes and dubbed Trang's voice over the male actor's performance in the Japanese scenes. This is why the Yellow Ranger costume does not have a skirt like the Pink Ranger, who was female in both the Japanese and American versions of the show. The decision to put Trang, an Asian American actress, into the role of Yellow Ranger has received criticism and been the subject of jokes due to the connotation of yellow as an ethnic slur. Producers have said that race had nothing to do with colors of the costumes.
Trang appeared in 80 episodes in the series, which included the entire first season and a portion of the second season. Trang performed many of her own stunts. She jogged and exercised regularly during her time on the show to stay in shape, and received training from martial arts experts on the set, including Jason David Frank. New to the acting profession, Trang said she learned a great deal during her time on the show: "I'm finding that acting is all about being honest and truthful in every moment. The camera is so close that it sees everything, so if you're truthful and honest, the audience will know." She believed the show conveyed positive messages to children, particularly about teamwork and having self-confidence. Trang became close friends with co-star Amy Jo Johnson, and the two would often have slumber parties at each other's houses. They were together when the 1994 Northridge earthquake struck, which badly frightened both women, but they were forced to go to the studio for filming that day anyway; no scenes were ultimately shot because the crew did not arrive. Trang repeatedly got hurt on the set of the show, and often had to be physically carried by others during shooting because of injuries. Jason David Frank said of her injuries: "She put her all into the scenes, so sometimes things happen."
Trang left "Power Rangers" in the middle of the second season, along with fellow cast members Austin St. John and Walter Emanuel Jones, due to contractual and payment disputes. The actors were receiving non-union pay, in the amount of about $60,000 per year without any compensation for merchandising for the show, which was estimated to be worth about $1 billion. Trang, St. John, and Jones were all represented by agent Ingrid Wang, and they requested more compensation and union recognition. Amy Jo Johnson later expressed regret that she and the other cast members did not join the three departing cast members in calling for union wages and recognition, wondering if all of them standing together may have led to a different result. Within the show, the actors' departure was explained by their characters being chosen as representatives in an international "Peace Conference" in Switzerland. Trang, St. John, and Jones released a joint statement about their departure:
"Opposites Attract", the 20th episode of season two, was the final "Power Rangers" episode in which Trang personally appeared; her character appears in episodes 21 through 28, but only in costumed form and not portrayed by Trang. Trang's character's departure was explained in the two-part episode "The Power Transfer", in which the powers of the Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers are transferred to new characters using an ancient magical artifact called Sword of Light. Archival and deleted footage of St. John, Jones, and Trang were used in these episodes. Trang was replaced as the Yellow Ranger by Karan Ashley, who was chosen from an audition process that included 4,000 actors in five cities seeking the three vacated roles. Jackie Marchand, a writer and producer with the series, said the departure of the three actors was "a difficult shift, and it was pretty intense at the office". Margaret Loesch, president of Fox Children's Network, released a statement about Trang and the other departing actors: "We will always consider them part of the "Power Rangers" family." Trang said of her departure: "The show was great, it gave me a lot of experience; but it's time to move on, and I'm focusing on doing feature films and becoming more serious of an actress."
Post-"Power Rangers".
On January 4, 1995, Trang and her "Power Rangers" co-stars St. John and Jones hosted an informational session about martial arts at the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C., where they taught basic techniques to Newt Gingrich and other members of the United States House of Representatives from the 104th United States Congress. Trang and St. John were interviewed on "The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts", a 1995 documentary that explored the history of Asian martial arts and the role they have played in the Hollywood film industry. Trang made cameo appearances in martial arts videos made by St. John and Jones. Trang, St. John, and Jones also planned to unite for a live touring stage and arena show. She made a guest appearance at the Little Saigon Tet Festival, an event honoring Vietnamese culture, in Westminster, California, on February 4, 1995. During the festival, she spoke about her time on "Power Rangers", other aspects of her career, and her experiences trying to break into film and television as an Asian-American actress.
Trang's first film role was a manicurist in the 1996 movie "Spy Hard." Trang was mistakenly credited as playing a masseuse in the film; her screen credit was accidentally switched with Tara Leon, who played a masseuse in the same short scene but was credited as a manicurist. Trang later played a lead villain, Kali, in the feature film "", also released in 1996. She was not cast until very late in the pre-production process, right before filming began. Trang played Kali, a member of a gang led by notorious drug kingpin Judah Earl, who killed the protagonist, mechanic Ashe Corven, and his eight-year-old son after they witnessed Judah's henchmen murdering a fellow drug dealer. Trang's character was killed by a resurrected Corven after a fight scene. Dougal Macdonald, a writer with "The Canberra Times" who was otherwise critical of the film, described Trang as "deliciously evil". Other reviewers were more negative about Trang's performance: "The Advocate" writer John Wirt called her "a flop", and Jon Bowman of "The Santa Fe New Mexican" said her "sneer is her most pronounced feature".
Trini Kwan was included as a cameo in an early draft of "" (1997), but Kwan's scene was cut from the final film. Trang had planned to appear in several films in the mid-1990s along with her "Power Rangers" co-stars St. John and Jones, including "Cyberstrike", "Act of Courage", and "Children of Merlin", the latter of which was to be developed by Landmark Entertainment Group. None of the three films were ultimately made. Additionally, Trang was expected to appear in a TV show called "The Adventures of Tracie Z", which also never came to fruition, though a pilot was apparently filmed.
Death.
On September 3, 2001, Trang was traveling with her friend, the actress and model Angela Rockwood, for whom Trang was to be a bridesmaid in her upcoming marriage to Dustin Nguyen. They were passengers in a car traveling on Interstate 5 between San Jose and Los Angeles, driving back late at night after having visited Rockwood's maid of honor in San Jose. The driver, another bridesmaid named Steffiana de la Cruz, struck some loose gravel in a groove along the side of the street, and lost control of the vehicle. The car swerved violently across the road before hitting the roadside rock face, flipping several times before hitting the safety rail and plunging over the bank and into a second rock face. Rockwood was thrown 35 feet out of the car and survived, but severed her spinal cord and was paralyzed from the neck down. The driver also survived the accident. Trang suffered internal injuries and after a paramedic inserted a tracheal tube in her throat, blood began gushing out due to internal bleeding. A helicopter arrived to take her to the hospital, but she died along the way.
Trang's body was cremated a week later on September 10, and her ashes were either scattered or interred at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California, though there is no headstone for her. Her "Power Rangers" co-stars Amy Jo Johnson and David Yost attended the funeral and memorial service. Fellow co-star Jason David Frank could not attend due to the death of his older brother, but he sent his condolences to Trang's family. Walter Emanuel Jones said of Trang: "It hurt my heart to lose her. She was way too young and had so much more to share with the world. ... Her energy drew you in, and her smile made your heart feel safe." Johnson said: "I'll always remember her spunky, strong personality. She was such a bright light. It's hard to believe she's gone." The episode "Circuit Unsure" of "Power Rangers Time Force" was dedicated to Trang's memory.
In September 2016, some fans were offended by marketing posters for the new "Power Rangers" film, which they considered disrespectful to Trang's memory. The promo showed an image of the Yellow Ranger (now played by singer Becky G) standing on her Zord, along with the text "Driver's Ed not required." Several fans responded on the social media platforms Facebook and Twitter that the message was offensive because Trang died in a car accident, with some users replying with the hashtag "#JusticeforThuy". The official Twitter account of the "Power Rangers" franchise removed the posts in response to the criticism, although international distributor eOne Films, which had also released the same tweets, did not remove them.
During one scene in the "Power Rangers" film, the Trini Kwan character wears a T-shirt with "1973" on it, the year of Trang's birth, as an homage to the original actress. Austin St. John, Trang's co-star from the original series, said of the new film: "One of the hardest roles for me to accept was Trini's role because Thuy is gone now. It would be tough for me to see anybody in that role."


Bana Kingdom

The Banas were a dynasty of South India, who claimed descent from kingMahabali. The dynasty takes its name from Bana, the son of Mahabali. The Banas faced opposition from several neighbouring dynasties and served some major dynasties such as the Cholas and Pandyas as feudatories, sometimes after they were subjugated by them. They also served as Samantas to some dynasties such as Chalukyas. The Banas had their capital at various places at different times, including Kolar and Gudimallam. The earliest mention of the Banas in authentic historical records is in the middle of the fourth century AD, and as the feudatories of the Satavahana and early Pallavas.
But from the actual literature history (Mysore State Gazetteer 1968), The Mahavalis or Brihadbanas who ruled the present Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts of Karnataka are the descendants of King Banasura or King Bana, son of King Mahabali. King Brihadbana was the grandson of Mahabali. Last known ruling king of this generation was King Sambayya under Nolamba Lordship.They were in constant conflicts with Nolambas and Western Gangas of the Kolar region. They had Vaidumbas as their allies. They had the present day Avani region (a small village in Kolar District) as their capital.
They had a black flag and a bull crest as their emblem. An inscription of the period 339 AD found in Mulbagal Taluk describes all in Sanskrit and begins with the praise of Shiva whose throne is said to be on the lofty peak of the mountain called Nandi, obviously the present Nandidurga, a hill considered to be the personification of Nandi, the bull of Shiva. The inscription records the grant of the village Mudiyanur (also called Chudagrama, a Sanskritised forw of Mudiyanur) to 25 Brahmins by Vadhuvallabha-Malladeva- Nandivarma, son of Vijayaditya Deva and grandson of Nandi- varma, a promoter of Mahabali's dynasty. The king, who was in the town of Avanya (Avani), is said to have made the Bana dynasty prosperous and has been compared with Bodhisatva.
The Banas seem to have been a strong power almost upto the Decline of end of the 9th century. In the battle of Soremati about 874, Banas they, together with the Vaidumbas, are said to have defeated the Gangas and the Nolambas. Further, their inscriptions of 898, 905 and 909 A.D. mention no overlord. But all the same, the Banas had adversaries on all sides, and their power was continually being undermined since the close of the 9th century. They ultimately appear to have lost their independence by the first half of the lOth century at the latest.. If the Nolamba king Mahendra (c. 870-897) is described as the destroyer of the Mahabali family, the Chola king Viranarayana or Parantaka claims in 921 to have uprooted by force two Bana kings and conferred the title of Banadhiraja on the Ganga prince Prithvipathi II, who helped him in this task. In 961, which is the date of the latest Bana inscription in this district, we find one King Sambayya ruling a small district under the Pallava king Iriva Nolamba or Dilipa. But the Banas did not disappear altogether from the political history, as is evident from the references to them in some later literary works and inscriptions. Stray Bana records have been found outside this district, particularly in the south, upto as late as the first quarter of the 16th century A.D. The history of the Banas, who, during a period of more than a thousand years, moved from district to district, from the Andhra-desha in the north to the Pandya country in the far south where they were governors of Madurai under the Vijayanagara kings, is particularly interesting in that it illustrates the long survival of a dynasty by migrations.
Boundaries.
The Bana Kingdom was made up of various regions at different points in time and was known by the following names:
In medieval Andhra.
The Ganga king, Prithivipati II was conferred the title "lord of the Banas" by Parantaka I Chola after he defeated the Banas. After the Chola King, Parantaka I deprived the Banas of their Andhrapatha kingdom between 909-916 AD, the Banas were subsequently found ruling various parts, such as Nellore, Guntur and Anantapur, as chieftains in medieval Andhra.
In Nellore.
An inscription found in Sannamur brought to light a Bana family ruling in the north of Nellore district in the 11th century AD. The Bana king's name was Aggaparaju (also spelled Aggraparaju alias Aggappa). Aggappa claimed descent from Mahabali, and lordship over Paravipura and Nandagiri. Nothing is known of his predecessors. Aggappa may have ruled as a feudatory of the Chalukya prince, Vimaladitya.
In Konidena.
Churrabali I or Churaballiraja I of the Banas was ruling in Konidena in the 12th century AD. Churaballi II alias Churabbiraju II, served as a Mahamandaleshwara and bore a long prasasti and titles similar to that of Aggapparaju. Hence it is suggested that he was a descendant of Aggappa Raju. Churabbiraju's only record from Konidena dated 1151 AD mentions him as "Mahamandalesvara Berbaha Churraballi Raju". His epithets mention he belonged to Vashista gotra. He claimed lordship over Paravipura and Nandagiri and ruled in a part of Kammanadu.
Brihatphala.
Based on the copper plates of Jayavarman Brihat-Phalayana, it has been suggested that Brihat-Phala means the same as Brihad-Bana, where 'phala' and 'bana' both have the same meaning as 'arrowhead'. The Brihat-phalayanas ruled in regions around Masulipatnam around the 3rd century AD. Additionally, the Saka Mahakshatrapas of Ujjain claimed Brihatphala (Bahaphala) gotra and were linked with the Ikshvakus. A record of the Ikshvakus of the Guntur-Krishna region mentions that a queen named Varma Bhatarika, the wife of Maharaja Ehuvula Chantamula, and daughter-in-law of Maharaja Chantamula, is said to have belonged to Bahapala (that is, Brihat-phala or Brihatphalayana) gotra and is said to have been the daughter of a Mahakshatrapa. It may therefore be surmised that Brihatphala was possibly used as a gotra name to indicate descent from Brihad-Bana.
Bana kings.
Some Bana kings mentioned in various historical sources are:
In Sangam literature.
An ancient Tamil poem of the Sangam period, describes a scene in front of a Vanar Palace as below: <br>
Poets are leaving the palace with plenty of gifts from the King, while the arrested rulers of smaller regions of the Kingdom, who have failed to pay tribute to the King and waiting for the King's pardon happen to see the poets leaving with expensive gifts which are actually things seized by the King from them. One of them, seeing the gifts, says that it is his horse that one the poet takes away, while another one points out to his elephant, similarly and so on goes the poem, capturing the might of ancient Vanars. This poem explains the wealth and power of Southern Vanars. Kalki, in his historic novel Ponniyin Selvan, describes a scene in which the protagonist, Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan, who he claims to be of Vanar descent, broods over the fall of his clan, singing this poem.
Titles.
The Bana Chieftains had different titles in different regions at different times. Some of them include Vanar, Vanara, Vanavarayar, Vanakovarayar, Ponparappinan. Some of the Banas claim as "Vaana-Kulothoman" and "Ganga-kula-uthaman".kaangeyar.etc.