Storia do Mogor 350: II.

350

Ibid., Vol. II., pp. 30-33.
Ter Stephannos, Bishop of Julpha, pupil and disciple of Tor Dauith (David), after the death of his teacher, by the desire and unanimous election of the people of Julpha was ordained prelate in the year 1684.
In the first year of his prelacy he imposed the diocesan tax, or contribution, upon the clerical priests of India, issuing a Bull concerning this, in which, after severely reprimanding the insubordination of those priests who had gone to India without a Bull or order from the prelate, he adds, saying : 'This tax we have laid upon the priesthood in India in the same manner as it is levied upon the priests here, and it is our will that each priest give yearly two tomans to his impoverished and tribute-burdened Church.' He exerted himself diligently to pay off the tribute of the Church of Julpha, which had been imposed by Shãh Sulaimãn, and, in respect of this having paid 400 tomans, he obtained a farmãn of freedom, although the tribute itself was not completely paid off until the time of the prelate Moses.
In the time of Stephannos a great disturbance arose between the Gregorians and the Armenian Papists of Julpha. The Shahrimaneans aided and protected the Papists, and desired to propagate their tenets amongst the Gregorian Armenians of Julpha by means of a prelacy of the Jesuit Fathers. Stephannos, with the other magistrates of Julpha, vigorously opposed them, and, appealing to the king Shãh Sulaimãn, obtained a farman for the expulsion of the Fathers and the demolition of their church. Of these matters I shall give a full account in their own place.
Stephannos printed in the Convent of the Universal Saviour a book against the Papists called 'Hakacharouthiun' ('Counterblast'), concerning which the Papists falsely alleged to the alien Government that the words of the book were against the doctrine of the Koran. On account of this they obtained 200 tomans damages, whilst on the other side other 200 tomans had to be paid as a bribe to the alien Government. Of these sums 200 tomans were obtained from the magistrates and notables of Julpha, whilst the rest was assessed on the poorer people.
In the year 1697 Stephannos received a letter, bearing the signatures of all the bishops of Holy Echmiadzin, urgently entreating him to accept the see of the catholicate, the Catholicos Nahapet having been expelled. Having obtained, therefore, a mandate from the people of Julpha and a decree from the king Shāh Sulaimān, he proceeded to Echmiadzin. Here, however, he did not prosper. He was denounced and slandered to the alien governor of Erivan by the partisans of Nahapet, who induced the latter by bribes to transmit their accusations to Shāh Sulaimān. The king condemned Stephannos to pay a fine of 1,000 tomans (which was discharged by the Convent of the Universal Saviour), and caused him to be thrown into prison, where he died under torture on January 4, 1698.
After Stephannos had resigned the prelacy of Julpha, and had succeeded to the See of Echmiadzin, the Convent of the Universal Saviour was still liable for debts amounting to 1,000 tomans, which had been contracted in the time of his prelacy on account of various works of public and private utility, as well as for 1,000 tomans in respect of fines over and above the before-mentioned burden.
Ibid., Vol. II., pp. 34, 37.
Tēr Alexander, Bishop of Julpha, by the desire of the people of his diocese succeeded to the see in the year 1669. He governed his spiritual flock with excellent policy until 1706, in which year, having been elected Catholicos of Echmiadzin by the hierarchy of the Armenian nation, in accordance with a royal decree he left Julpha, and proceeded to Echmiadzin to take possession of the throne of the patriarchate. . . . He died on November 22, 1714.
Ibid., Vol. II., pp. 49, 50.
Tēr Movses, after the resignation of Bishop Alexander in 1706, by unanimous election succeeded to the See of Julpha. . . . He died on March 1, 1725.