Paghtasar Dpir - Life As An Educator

Life As An Educator

Paghtasar Dpir has an imposing educational and historical output. In 1741 he is appointed head of the secular school of the Armenian Patriarchate in Kumkapu by Patriarch Hagop Nalian. The school is known to have blossomed during his tenure. For many years, Paghtasar Dpir serves as an educator of Armenian language, grammar, music and other topics. Between 1736 and 1760 he compiles and publishes a series of textbooks for the instruction of classical and vernacular Armenian language, which remain in use for nearly a century.

Paghtasar Dpir’s most important educational works are “Parzabanutiun Kerakanutian Karcharot Yev Diurimats” (A Simplified Grammar, Concise and Easy to Understand, 1736) in two volumes, a grammar of classical Armenian written in that language; “Girk Kerakanutian” (A Grammar Book, 1760), a grammar of classical Armenian written in vernacular Armenian; “Hamarot Meknabanutiun Tramabanutian (Concise Commentary On Logic, 1822); Zhamanakagrutiun (Chronology, 1951); and Hamarotutiun Patmutian Movses Khorenatsvo (Summary of Movses Khorenatsi’s History, not published).