Jalaleddin: A Portrayal of His Incursion

First published in 1878 in the Armenian language by the prolific writer Raffi, Jalaleddin follows the story of a young man with nothing to lose as he embarks on a journey through the valleys and peaks of the Anatolian Mountains to rediscover a treasure he lost long ago. Based on events that took place during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, this short yet vivid narrative intensely portrays the human spirit in all its capacity for love and hate, war and peace, civility and wildness, and destruction and self-sacrifice.

The author of this work, Raffi, is a treasure of Armenian literature and the father of the Armenian historical novel. This bold new translation features extensive new footnotes and an afterword, giving readers insight into the historical context of this powerful story. This translation was based on the original issues of the Tiflis-based Armenian newspaper Mshak, in which Jalaleddin was originally published.