Aghayan was born in Bolnisi village (also known as Bolnis-Khachen),[2][3]Tiflis Governorate (now Georgia). He received his early education in Bolnisi, and at the age of thirteen he entered to the Nersisyan SchoolinTiflis. He left the school after one year because of his family's financial problems. Aghayan traveled between Tiflis, Moscow, and Saint-Petersburg. In Moscow he cooperated with Hyusisapayl journal of Stepanos Nazarian, also worked as typesetter.
Throughout his life he pursued many careers and professions. He was a hunter, a factory worker and a farm labourer before he joined fellow writer Mikael Nalbandian in the Armenian cultural and intellectual revival of the 19th century.
In 1867 he returned to the Caucasus, worked as the manager of Etchmiadzin publishing house, and as an editor of “Ararat” monthly (1869-1870) of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. In 1870 he returned to Tiflis and dedicated himself to teaching. He taught in Akhaltskha, Alexandropol, Yerevan and Shushi, and supervised Armenian parochial schools of Georgia. As a teacher he supported the democratization of education. Aghayan demanded clearing schools from the influence of clergy. He is an author of textbooks for Armenian schools and works on education. He also collaborated on "Aghbyur", an illustrated monthly for children.
In 1895 he was arrested on charges of belonging to the Hnchak Party, exiled to Nor-Nakhichevan and then Crimea (1898-1900). He was then under the control of the tsarist gendarmerie until the end of his life. In May 1902, celebrated the 40th anniversary of his literary activity. In 1905 he took part in the October rally in Tiflis, calling for the tsar to be overthrown.
He obtained great popularity in the sphere of children’s literature. Aghayan has translated works of Alexander Pushkin and Ivan Krylov.
