“From the life of the braves of Lori…”
According to the family tradition, the Toumanians are descended from the Hamazaspian branch of the Mamikonian ministerial house, which migrated from Taron in the 10-11th centuries and settled in the village Dsegh of Lori.
This is confirmed by several bibliographic and lithographic sources of the 13th-17th centuries, in which the surname Toumanian and Mamikonian are mentioned as the same family name.
Toumanian considered himself descended from Mamikonians – the reason that some of his letters from the 80s and 90s has the stamp “Hovhannes Tumanyants-Mamikonyan”.
Moreover, in 1887 the poet wrote the “behavior” of his ancestors titled “Gortsq Harants” (Fathers' deeds), on the basis of available, reliable sources and traditions for the study of genealogy. Later, in the 90s, he made a genealogy of his family, which reaches up to the seventh generation before Toumanian – the poet's great-grandfather Barkhudar's parents Tuman and Geokchak: Tuman - Barkhudar - Mehrab - Hovakim - Hovhannes agha (the poet's grandfather) - Aslan (Ter-Tadevos – the poet's father) - Hovhannes (the poet himself).
Toumanian started to write his ancestors’ "behavior" with Tuman's and Geokchak's son Barkhudar, then he referred to Barkhudar’s first born son Mehrab more detailed. Mehrab's birth date is indicated in 1740 in the Toumanian family list. “The Patriarch of Lori canyon” embodied in itself the inviolable moral principles of the brave one. He was a smart, alert and brave patriarch; tall and burly, with a strong voice and a long beard covered with henna. Mehrab was married to Shahruban, the village head Ghazar of Ghazakh’s daughter, and died at a very old age. On an occasion, Toumanian mentioned that Mehrab lived for 120 years; therefore the date of his death should be 1860.
Toumanians inherited his name as a nickname – “Mehrapank”, and "Ghuzghuni Nation"– for longevity.
We also learn from the Toumanian family documents, that Mehrab was Dsegh village head and was called “Yuzbashi”.
A significant part of “Gortsk Harants” concerns Mehrab's eldest son, Hovakim Yuzbashi. He was also one of the Lori knights and after his father's death he assumed the patriarch position with all the skills of a leader. He got his famousness especially in 1826-1827 during the Russo-Persian war. Historical documents testify to Hovakim's brave deeds, thanks to which the Russian government recognized his authority in the Dsegh region and granted a state position and rank to Hovakim's son, Hovhannes – the poet's grandfather.
Khachatur Abovyan's creative imagination and personal impressions allowed him to give an epic description of Hovakim's Herculean character in his novel "Wound of Armenia", and Toumanian described Hovakim's father, Mehrab, in the story "From the Life of the Brave".
Hovakim's eldest son followed him, Hovhannes Hovakim Toumaniants (Hovhannes Agha) (1795-1868), the poet's grandfather.
In 1826-1827 he served in the Russian army as a Persian language translator during Russo-Persian war. According to the documents, Hovhannes Agha was awarded a high officer's rank and medals for his military exploits and bravery in a number of wars. In addition, he took an active part in building roads in various places in Armenia. Thanks to him, the Lori population started to candles instead of oil lamps. He brought from Russia a mirror, pictures, etc.
According to contemporaries, Hovhannes Agha – endowed with high human qualities – enjoyed the people’s love and respect. He was hospitable, talkative and fun-loving.
The Toumanian lineage was also called "Aghonk" after him.