The Mongols and the Armenians (1220-1335
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The Mongols and the Armenians (1220-1335), By Bayarsaikhan Dashdondog, Brill’s Inner Asian Library, Editors Michael R. Drompp Devin DeWeese, VOLUME 24
The present work tries to understand the connection between the various aspects of East and West in Medieval times by exploring relations between two nations, the Armenians and the Mongols , who began interacting with each other during the thirteenth century. During that time the Mongols became widely known to the world for building the most extensive land empire in human history that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Adriatic Sea, covering most of Asia all the way to Korea , excluding India and Eastern Europe, but including Hungary.
A Brief Historical Background of the Armenians and Mongols
The Mongols and the Armenians (1220-1335)
a background of the armenians and mongols 31 CHAPTER ONE A BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE ARMENIANS AND MONGOLS Before moving on to the relationship set up between the Mongols and the Armenians , it is necessary to give a short historical background about the origin, location and history of them. It is especially important to mention the historical conditions of the Armenians on the eve of the Mongol conquest , when Greater Armenia and Cilician Armenia existed separately from each other with no major political contacts, although with constant cultural, religious and trading links. The Mongols were dealing with two different vassal states, of which the Greater Armenians were their subjects, while the Cilician Armenians were their allies.
Mongol-Armenian Cooperation: Stage III (1265–1295)
The Mongols and the Armenians (1220-1335)
mongol-armenian cooperation 159 CHAPTER SEVEN MONGOLARMENIAN COOPERATION: STAGE III 12651295 As has been mentioned previously, the Mongol-Cilician Armenian partnership had great success at the beginning. However, conflicts within the Mongol Empire prevented the Mongol advance into the Near East , although the Mongols did not give up the idea of marching on northern Syria. Hűlegű 's successors made a series of approaches to various leaders to gain Latin support, including the Popes and the Kings of France and England. Meanwhile, the Mamluks became a more and more powerful adversary of the Il-Khanate and their hostility towards Cilician Armenia for being a Mongol ally intensified. The Christian States on the Syrian coast, seeking a chance of survival, saw in the Mongols a realisation of the Popes' dreams of 'Prester John .' 82 Over time, their hopes vanished with the conversion to Islam of the Mongols of the Golden Horde and the Il-Khans. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the development of Mongol-Armenian military collaboration during the Mongol conquest of the Syrian coast, which eventually grew into a relationship that implicated not only the Mongol Il-Khans and the Armenian lords, but also the Mamluk Sultans and the Christian powers in that particular period. After the death of Hűlegű , the Armenians carefully watched the accession of each Il-Khan and the policy that would follow. The Cilician Armenians tried to use every possible moment to draw the Il-Khans' attention towards their own interests in order to safeguard their lands and rights. In fact, they succeeded in this as long as the Mongols ' interest coincided with theirs and remained strong enough to invade the Syrian coast. Examination of the contemporary Armenian sources reveals that the Armenians expected that each Il-Khan would give serious attention to Mongol-Armenian affairs. 82 The Pope and the King of France were aware of the danger of assisting Mongol armies; however, the Mongols were their only means of breaking the Muslim bondage. The belief in Prester John had grown since 1141, when the Seljuks were defeated by a non-Muslim army from Central Asia , who they thought were Nesto
Early Medieval Armenia between Empires (Fifth-Eleventh Century CE): Dynamics and Continuities
Pre-Print, published in: Walter Pohl – Veronika Wieser (eds.), Emerging Powers in Eurasian Comparison, 200–1100. Shadows of Empire. Leiden – Boston 2022, pp. 263–288 (peer reviewed, https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004519916_010). The Caucasus region can be seen as an area 'in the shadows of empires' par excellence. From the first century BCE, the lands of the South Caucasus were located at the peripheries of two, at times even three competing empires, and also found themselves at the centre of confrontations between them: between the Romans and Persians (first century BCE to seventh century CE), the Byzantines and Arabs (seventh to tenth century), Ottomans and Persians (sixteenth to eighteenth century) and finally also the Russians (since the eighteenth century).
The End of Mongol-Armenian Relations (1295–1335)
The Mongols and the Armenians (1220-1335)
the end of mongol-armenian relations 193 CHAPTER EIGHT THE END OF MONGOLARMENIAN RELATIONS 12951335 With the death of Abaqa Khan, Tegűder , as a convert to Islam , transferred the Il-Khanate to the Sultanate. 1 The Mongol minority was absorbed slowly but steadily by the indigenous Islamic majority. The process of the Mongols ' conversion to Islam reached its peak during the reign of Ghazan Khan when he adopted Islam. Ghazan, as a Mongol Chinggisid, actually demonstrated that affairs of state could prevail over the ancestral tradition of religious tolerance. The accomplishment of the Mongols ' conversion to Islam was well received by the Muslims and is well documented in Muslim historiography. However, the reaction of the Christians, particularly Armenians , to this act is less known. In fact, the Armenians perceived the Mongols' conversion process in light of their national interest. Therefore, the arguments related to Mongol-Armenian relations after the Islamisation of the Mongol Il-Khans, the end of Mongol-Mamluk war during the reign of Öljeitű Il-Khan (r. 1304-1316), and the aftermath of the cooperation merits our attention.
The Mongols and the Armenians (1220-1335)
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Brill’s
Inner Asian Library
Editors
Michael R. Drompp
Devin DeWeese
VOLUME 24
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The Mongols and the Armenians
(1220-1335)
By
Bayarsaikhan Dashdondog
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2011
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This is an open access title distributed under the terms of the cc-by-nc License,
which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any
medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libraries
working with Knowledge Unlatched. More information about the initiative can be
found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dashdondog, Bayarsaikhan.
The Mongols and the Armenians (1220-1335) / by Bayarsaikhan Dashdondog.
p. cm. — (Brill’s Inner Asian library, ISSN 1566-7162 ; v. 24)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-90-04-18635-4 (hbk. : acid-free paper)
1. Mongols—History. 2. Armenians—History. 3. Mongols—Armenia—History.
4. Armenia—History—428-1522. 5. Mongolia—Relations—Armenia.
6. Armenia—Relations--Mongolia. 7. Middle East—History, Military. I. Title.
DS19.D37 2010
956.6'2014—dc22
2010042551
ISSN 1566-7162
ISBN 978 90 04 18635 4
© Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
This work is published by Koninklijke Brill NV. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints
Brill, Brill Hes & De Graaf, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Rodopi and Hotei Publishing.
Koninklijke Brill NV reserves the right to protect the publication against unauthorized use and
to authorize dissemination by means of offprints, legitimate photocopies, microform editions,
reprints, translations, and secondary information sources, such as abstracting and indexing
services including databases. Requests for commercial re-use, use of parts of the publication,
and/or translations must be addressed to Koninklijke Brill NV.
This book is printed on acid-free paper and produced in a sustainable manner.
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contents
v
To my mother, Ichinkhorloo BATJARGAL
and memory of my father, Samdan DASHDONDOG
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CONTENTS
List of Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Note on Transliterations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Note on Translations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Note on Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
List of Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xi
xiii
xiii
xiii
xiii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Previous Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Primary Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
2
6
Chapter One A Brief Historical Background of the
Armenians and Mongols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Armenians in Greater Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Armenians in Cilician Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Mongols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
31
34
37
Chapter Two Mongol Noyans in Greater Armenia (1220–1245) 43
The first Mongols in the lands of the Armenians . . . . . . . . . . 43
The advance of Chormaghan on Greater Armenia
(1222–1242) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
The Mongol noyans in the land of the Armenians . . . . . . . . . 55
The final Mongol conquest of Armenia by Baiju and its
impact on the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (1242–1245) . . .
60
Factors that impacted the Mongol conquest of Armenia . . . . 66
Chapter Three Strategic Submissions by the Armenians . . . . . .
Individual submissions and contacts of Greater Armenian
princes with the Mongol Khans and Il-Khans . . . . . . . . . . .
State submission and its development: The Armenian
Kingdom of Cilicia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conflicts of local interests in Greater Armenia in the
1240s–1270s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other factors influencing Mongol-Armenian relations . . . . . .
71
71
79
90
93
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Chapter Four Mongol Administration in Greater Armenia
(1243–1275) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Darughachis in Greater Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Mongol census-taking in Greater Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Tributes and Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Chapter Five Mongol-Armenian Military Cooperation:
Stage I: The Conquest of the Middle East (1258–1260) . . . . . .
Hűlegű (r. 1256–1265) and the Greater Armenian forces
against the Muslim supremacies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Mongol penetration into Upper Mesopotamia . . . . . . . .
The implementation of a Cilician Armenian dream . . . . . . .
121
122
132
135
Chapter Six The Il-Khans’ Wars and Mongol-Cilician
Armenian Collaboration: Stage II (1260–1265). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Joint ventures of Hűlegű and Het‘um I in Syria . . . . . . . . . . 143
The participation of the Armenians in the Il-Khanid war
against the Golden Horde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Chapter Seven Mongol-Armenian Cooperation: Stage III
(1265–1295) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The strongest pairing of Abaqa and Het‘um I against
Baybars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Greater Armenia and the struggle with the Golden Horde .
Lewon III and Abaqa against Baybars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Mongols’ appeal to Latin Christendom . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mongol-Armenian relations in the time of Tegűder A mad
(r. 1282–1284) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The second pairing of Arghun and King Lewon III against
Sultan Qalāwūn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The weakest link: Het‘um II and the Mongol Il-Khans:
Geikhatu (r. 1291–1295) and Baidu (1295) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter Eight The End of Mongol-Armenian Relations
(1295–1335) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The last chance to save the alliance: Het‘um II and the
Il-Khan Ghazan (r. 1295–1304) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The vanquished Armenian hope: Őljeitű (r. 1304–1316) and
his Armenian counterparts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The aftermath of cooperation: Lewon V (r. 1320–1341/1342)
and Abū Saīd (r. 1316–1335) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
159
160
166
169
171
175
179
184
193
193
203
208
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Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Dynastic Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Primary Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Secondary Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
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LIST OF ACRONYMS
AOASH
BSOAS
CAJ
CIA
E-ASPAC
EB
EI
IAMS
IJMES
JESHO
JRAS
JSAI
JSAS
JTS
HAP
HJAS
MNT
OCD
OUD
REA
RHC/DA.
RHC/OR.
SHM
SOAS
Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
Central Asiatic Journal
Corpus Inscriptionum Armenicarum (Divan Hay
Vimagrut‘yan)
Electronic Journal in Asian Studies on the Pacific
Coast
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia of Islam
International Association for Mongol Studies
International Journal of Middle East Studies
Journal of the Economic and Social History of the
Orient
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam
Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies
Journal of Turkish Studies
History of the Armenian People
Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
Mongolyn Nuuts Tovchoo (The Secret History of the
Mongols), classical text
Oxford Classical Dictionary
Oxford Universal Dictionary
Revue des Études Arméniennes
Recueil des Historiens des Croisades. Documents
Arméniens
Recueil des Historiens des Croisades. Historiens
Orientaux
The Secret History of the Mongols, trans. Urgunge
Onon, Curzon, 2001
School of Oriental and African Studies
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notes on contributors
xiii
NOTE ON TRANSLITERATIONS
The Armenian transliteration has followed the convention used in
JSAS, except that Ռ is transcribed Ŕ. For Arabic and Persian, the
English transliteration system used in IJMES is followed, except is
for Persian. For Mongolian, the system of Vladimirtsov’s
Comparative Grammar is adopted, except Q replaces KH in some
words that are already established with Q in English, like Quriltai
instead of Khuriltai; SH replaces Š, and GH replaces γ.
Well-known places and names are given in their accepted English
forms, in some cases in parenthesis along with the forms that are
found in the original sources.
NOTE ON TRANSLATIONS
The extracts of the sources, especially from Armenian, quoted in this
study are translated by the author of this work, unless a particular
translated edition is indicated.
NOTE ON BIBLIOGRAPHY
The titles of Armenian primary sources are given in Armenian along
with the first names of authors as far as possible.
LIST OF MAPS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Caucasia in the 12–13th century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xiv
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (1199–1375) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xv
The Mongol Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xvi
The Mongols Noyans in Greater Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
The Mongols in the Middle and Near East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii
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notes on contributors
Map 1. Caucasia in the 12–13th century.
xiv
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Map 2. Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (1199–1375).
introduction
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introduction
Map 3. The Mongol Empire.
xvi
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xvii
Map 4. The Mongols Noyans in Greater Armenia.
introduction
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Map 5. The Mongols in the Middle and Near East
xviii
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introduction
1
INTRODUCTION
This book is an invitation to a journey to the medieval world, which,
in author’s opinion, is the most picturesque period of human history
to embark back to, and it is definitely one of the fascinating moments
of the Great Mongol Empire. It is an interesting journey in many
ways: historically, geographically and culturally. It will take the
reader from the Inner Asian plateau to the Caucasus, Anatolia,
Middle and Near East; from a nomadic culture to sedentary civilisations; from a warrior’s mindset to the subjects’ survival policy.
The present work tries to understand the connection between the
various aspects of East and West in Medieval times by exploring
relations between two nations, the Armenians and the Mongols, who
began interacting with each other during the thirteenth century.
During that time the Mongols became widely known to the world
for building the most extensive land empire in human history that
stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Adriatic Sea, covering most
of Asia all the way to Korea, excluding India and Eastern Europe,
but including Hungary.
Conceptualising the Mongol conquest, Armenian historian Grigor
Aknerts‘i named the Mongols a ‘Nation of Archers.’ The phenomenon of the Mongol Empire has become the subject of extensive recent
academic publications.1 The relationship of the Mongols with their
subject peoples still remains the chief area of interest among modern
scholars. Likewise, this book explores the relationship between the
Armenians and the Mongols during the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries, which was developed quite differently between the Mongol
Empire and Greater Armenia on the one hand, and between the
Mongol Empire and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia on the other.
The fact that part of Greater Armenia, having been conquered before
by the Georgians, tried to sustain its sovereignty through the individual contacts of the Armenian princes with the Mongol conquerors, illustrates one pattern of their relations. Another pattern of the
1
We are indebted to the fairly recent works and valuable expertise of Thomas
Allsen on cultural exchanges within the Mongol Empire, Reuven Amitai on Mongol
and Mamluk relations, Peter Jackson on the relations between the Mongols and the
West, David Morgan on the Mongols’ rule and administration, Christopher Atwood
on the Mongol Empire, and many others.
This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the cc-by-nc License.
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2
introduction
Mongol-Armenian relationship was the accepting of tributary status
by the Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia without suffering Mongol
assaults. In both cases, the Armenians entered into direct contact
with the Mongols: The Greater Armenians acted as subjects of the
Mongols to assist the latter with further conquests of the Middle East;
the Cilician Armenians, being vassals, participated in conquests as
the Mongols’ partners, thus both of them enhanced Mongol imperial
ideology. As such, the Cilician Armenians not only played an essential role as a Mongol ally, but also contributed to the Mongol conquest of the Near East, intending to liberate the Holy Land, bringing
into political and religious confrontation the Christian West, the
Mamluk Sultanate and the Mongol Il-Khanate.
Based on the political course of the conquest and the actual presence of the Mongols in Armenian lands, the book aims to illustrate
that without local political ties it was impossible to rule the vast
domain and the interactions of the Mongol commanders with the
Greater Armenian princes brought gains for both parties. Besides
this, the basis of Mongol administration, which dealt with the complex issues of taxes and tributes of nomadic origin, was introduced
to the sedentary society of Greater Armenia. These affairs represented
a completely new challenge for nomads, as the guiding principle of
acquiring booty was no longer viable; awareness of this among the
Mongol rulers led to the establishment of economic institutions
instead. The physical participation of the Greater Armenians in
Mongol wars and the actual co-operation of the Cilician Armenian
monarchy in Mongol conquests were challenged in stages, since the
breakdown of the issues of Mongol-Armenian cooperation was
applied until the last Il-Khan. These themes form the subject of this
book and which I aim to achieve through the study of primary
sources written in Mongolian, Armenian, Persian and Arabic,
together with additional literature written on the subject.
Previous Scholarship
Despite extraordinary geographical mobility and ethnic-cultural
diversity of the Mongol Empire as a subject for study, research on
the Mongols and Armenians is relatively meagre and has generally
been undertaken only in the light of the damage brought by the
Mongols to Greater Armenia. The reasons for this are twofold. First,
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introduction
3
the historical events are often evaluated only in the light of local
conditions. Second, the sources are sometimes biased to conform to
the ideology of a particular time. Since the studies of the Mongols
are based on what was written by their vassals, most of the information about the conquerors and their image is understandably more
negative than positive. However, my approach is to look at the issues
relating to the Armenians as part of the larger framework of the
Mongol Empire and to highlight their role in Mongol affairs, which
was made possible by direct access to a range of sources.
Indeed, there is substantial modern scholarship on the subject of
the Mongol invasion of Armenia; however, their influence is usually
addressed as ‘destruction.’ The Soviet scholar H. Manandian was no
exception when exploring the subject in depth as a separate topic in
the third volume of his K‘nnakan Tesut‘iwn Hay Zhoghovrdi
Patmut‘yan (Critical View of the History of the Armenian People)
in 1952. The main consideration of this work concerning the Mongol
period in Greater Armenia is tackled as a dismal moment in the history of Armenia. His statement that the Armenians and Georgians
were at a much higher level of social development than the Mongols
and that the Mongols were unable to alter the social formation of
the Armenians was possibly dictated by the ideology of the time
when the work was written.2 Regardless of the fact that Manandian
believes that the Mongol nomads impeded Armenian culture by their
ferociousness, his detailed study of the initial Mongol conquest of
Armenia, the locations and names of the battlefields, and the economic issues of the country, especially regarding the trade circumstances under the Mongol governors, are worth consulting.
This seems to be a common approach taken by Soviet scholars in
seeing the Mongols only as a regressive force. The second volume of
the Sketches of the History of the USSR, edited by Grekov in 1953,
which covers the medieval period and relates to the issues of this
study, is also biased by Soviet ideology, comparing the Mongol invasion with a huge devastating machine that halted the progress of the
world. Surely, a polity of a ‘Tartar Yoke’ existed. A definition of this
kind is the most common; however, as every human is equally cultural, it limits the issues of cultural transmission of the Mongol
Empire, becoming a popular subject for recent research.3 In favour
2
3
Manandian, 1952:245.
Allsen, 2001:5.
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introduction
of Grekov’s work, his approach in highlighting the local conditions
under Mongol dominion in each region of the former Soviet territories is of value. Of greatest interest, the economic conditions of the
Caucasus region, including Greater Armenia, are examined in depth
to demonstrate the damage brought on by the Mongols. However, it
is clear that the volume uses a range of primary Armenian sources,
unfortunately without mentioning them in most cases.
Another prominent work, the Social Economic and Political
History of Armenia in the 13th–14th Centuries by L. Babayan, written
in 1969, as well as his chapters on the Mongol period in Greater
Armenia in the third volume of Hay Zhoghovrdi Patmut‘iwn (The
History of the Armenian People) written in 1976, remain the basic
works to consult, although they are not free from Marxist-Leninist
ideology either. Nevertheless, Babayan has extensive references to
the primary sources of the Armenian Houses and their history.
Moreover, he made a comparative study of Armenian and Persian
sources to find out that Armenian authors, such as Kirakos
Gandzakets‘i, Vardan Arevelts‘i and Step‘annos Orbelian, were
known to Rashīd al-Dīn, a discussion of which follows below in the
section on the sources.
Although indebted to the Soviet period, A. Galstyan has a different approach to the ones mentioned above. In his Armjanskije istochniki o Mongolakh (Armenian Sources for the Mongols), written in
1962, he examines the primary Armenian sources with an aim to
demonstrate that, in their writings, Armenian historians shared more
sympathy with the Mongols and particularly with the development
of Mongol-Armenian relations. The essential point in assessing
Galstyan’s work remains the fact that he is inclined to confirm the
possible existence of the actual document of the Mongol-Armenian
agreement of cooperation, mentioned by Het‘um Patmich‘ (Hayton).
Therefore, he makes extensive references to this document in his
Russian translation, based on the French and Latin texts.4
Another point of view is expressed by R. Bedrosian in his doctoral
dissertation “The Turco-Mongol Invasions and the Lords of Armenia
in the 13th–14th Centuries” in 1979 needs to be acknowledged as a
meticulous work. However, Bedrosian tends to see the Mongols or
external factors as a main motive in the decline of the Armenian
4
Galstyan, 1962:124–126 (n.164).
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Houses, although this process of the failing powers of the princely
Armenian Houses started much earlier.
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia has been studied by a number
of scholars in connection with the history of the Armenians or with
the Crusades and the history of Byzantium. The works by W. RudtCollenberg,5 T. Boase,6 C. Mutafian7 and G. Dédéyan8 have contributed greatly to the study of the political history of Cilician Armenia,
its internal and external affairs, and its involvement with the
Mamluks, Crusaders and Il-Khans. In particular, S. der Nersessian’s
textual study of the different editions of Smbat Sparapet’s Chronicle
known as the Royal Chronicle,9 along with the partial translation into
English, needs to be acknowledged. Her edition of the Chronicle discovered an important detail regarding the reason of the Mongol failure in Syria in 1260; this was explained by the excessive heat of the
place and sickness among the Mongol horses.10
With the invaluable scholarship of R. Amitai and A. Stewart, the
extensive Arab sources could be tackled in this study in which the
dynamics of Mongol-Mamluk relations and Mamluk-Cilician
Armenian affairs are highlighted.11
Peter Jackson’s assessment of Western sources for the Mongols
and especially his opinion of the Cilician Armenian source of Hayton
written in 1307 inspired this study to look at the reasons where and
for whom the primary sources were written.12
Recent research on the Mongols through Syriac sources by Pier
Giorgio Borbone, as well as an apologetic view of the facts and their
interpretation for a Muslim and Christian readership in Bar Hebraeus
by Denise Aigle, should be also mentioned.13
A wide range of modern Western and Russian scholarship on the
recent and early period was consulted with regard to the Mongols,
Armenians, Mamluks and the Crusades. In addition to these, the use
Rudt-Collenberg, 1963.
Boase, 1978.
7
Mutafian, 2001.
8
Dédéyan, 1996.
9
Der Nersessian, 1973.
10
Ibid., 370.
11
Amitai, 2004, 2005; Stewart, 2001.
12
Jackson, 2005a.
13
Borbone, 2004, 2005, 2006; Aigle, 2005:87–107.
5
6
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of the works of Mongol scholars, such as Sh. Bira,14 B. Shirendyb,15
Ch. Dalai,16 Sh. Choima17 and S. Dulam18 is brought into focus, some
for the first time, further enhancing scholarship on the Mongol
Empire. The main arguments of this study comment on these modern scholars and their hypotheses, and will be presented in due
course.
Primary Sources
The information from different historiographical traditions is often
contradictory and varies according to their views of certain historical
events, which are based on their culture, locality, time and style of
writing, as well as the character of the sources. While reading primary sources in the original is important, it is not enough. It is crucial to understand the patterns of thought of medieval Armenians,
Mongols and the neighbours who wrote about them.
Since there are no sources compiled by historians of the Mongol
dynasty for the Armenians, the issues connected with the MongolArmenian relationship are mainly based on what the Armenians and
others chose to mention in their historiographical traditions.
However, comparative reading of a large variety of contemporary
sources allows a reconstruction of the details of historical events that
can build a distinctive picture of the relationship between Mongols
and Armenians in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. For that
reason, the object of this study is to bring together essential knowledge of contemporary Armenian sources for the Mongols. The overall impact of this study is to add one more dimension to understanding
the relationships established between the conquerors and their subjects in the Mongol Empire.
Mongolian Sources
The Mongolian sources are limited to the Secret History of the
Mongols (Mongγol-un Niγuča Tobčiyan), the only surviving text,
14
15
16
17
18
Bira, 2002, 2006.
Shirendyb, 1966.
Dalai, 1992.
Choimaa, 2007.
Dulam, 1999.
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translated into many languages and several times into English.19 The
existence of this single source tends to be explained by the claim that
the Mongols were illiterate before the time of Chinggis Khan and
even after his reign.20 If this is a plausible view, how could these supposedly illiterate people have produced at their first attempt such a
significant work of historiography, literature and style as the Secret
History of the Mongols?21 Professor Kara implies that the writings of
the Uighurs from the ninth century and of the Kidans (Khitans) of
the tenth and eleventh centuries, who were a Mongolic-speaking
people that inhabited the southern region of Mongolia, were already
known.22 The Kidan words that are preserved in Chinese transcription, mostly in the Liao Shih (The Annals of the Liao Dynasty) compiled by the Mongolian historian T‘o-t‘o, helped to determine the
role of the Kidan language among the Altaic languages.23 The existence of Sogdian borrowings in the Mongolian language shows that
the Mongols adopted the Uighur script in the early period of the
Uighur state.24 Recent linguistic research by Ts. Shagdarsurung shows
that the Mongols borrowed their alphabet not from the the Uighurs,
but from the Sogdians directly and simultaneously as the Uighurs
did.25 The Sogdian-Uighur script, that goes back to the PhoenicianAramaic system of writing, was used in its fully-fledged form in the
chancellery practice of the Mongol state.26 Moreover, it is attested
that the Uighurs used the Orkhon script.27 This script is named after
the Orkhon valley in Mongolia.
The fact that there are no other extant works at our disposal does
not indicate the illiteracy of the Mongols. The royal chronicles that
were kept at the courts of the Khans were not permitted to be on
public display, so the histories were called Secret and the books
19
The Secret History of the Mongols was translated by Cleaves in 1982; by Onon
Urgunge in 2001; and the most recent English translation with a historical and philological commentary was done by I. de Rachewiltz in 2004 in two volumes.
20
Morgan, 1990:9.
21
Bira, 2002:40–42.
22
Kara, 2005:7.
23
Ibid., 8–9. The Liao Dynasty ruled over Manchuria, Mongolia and northern
China from 907 until 1125.
24
Okladnikov, 1983:116.
25
Shagdarsurung, 2001:25.
26
Bira, 2001:345.
27
Shirendyb, 1966:95.
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Golden.28 It is obvious that at the time of dissolution of any rule, the
royal chronicles, glorifying the deeds of former rulers, would be targets for destruction as much as their court or their leader. Therefore,
it is more prudent to assume a loss of sources rather than supposed
illiteracy. With regard to the limitation of the written sources in
Mongolian, some scholars suggest that knowledge of Mongolian is
the least important among the wide range of languages for the study
of the Mongol Empire.29 Considering the fact that the Mongols were
nomads whose lifestyle was not conducive to written activity, one
surely cannot ignore their oral tradition and insights, nor their
‘nomadic historiography,’ knowledge of which can be gained only
through knowing the language.30
The name of the author of the Secret History of the Mongols is not
known.31 It was written in the Year of the Rat (1228/1240/1252).32
Agreeing with Ozawa, I tend to believe that the first ten chapters
were completed in 1228 and, as historical events show, the last two
chapters might have been added later. In 2004, a group of Mongolian
scholars re-produced the classical text of the Secret History of the
Mongols that consists of 12 chapters and 282 paragraphs. This edition
does not resolve the issue of the authorship, nor the date of the
28
A copy of the Altan Debter (Golden Book/Register) was at the disposal of
Rashīd al-Dīn at the Il-Khanid court and was in circulation at the Mongol court in
China (Allsen, 2001:88).
29
Morgan, 1990:6.
30
The epics, and other űligers, orally-transmitted epic stories in verse, constitute
a bulk of narratives. For instance, Chinggisyn Er Hoyor Zagalyn Tuuj (The Story of
Chinggis Khan’s Two Horses), is a very famous story of the horses that Chinggis
Khan abandoned after his victory over his enemies. Chinggisyn 9 Őrlőgtei Őnchin
Huugiin Tsetselsen Shastir (An Orphan Child’s Debate with 9 Commanders of
Chinggis Khan) tells of a child who shamed the renowned generals of Chinggis Khan
by his wise advice. Both these narratives had morals that show the value of simple
things or behaviour, Mongolyn Uran Zohiolyn Deejis, 1959:39–42, 60–68.
31
There are disputes regarding the author of the Secret History of the Mongols.
The most recent study on dating the Secret History was done by I. de Rachwiltz
(2008:150–184). Ozawa denies the authorship of Shikhi Khutugtu claimed by Professor Haihish. According to Ozawa, the writer of the first ten chapters of the work was
a representative of the Borjigin tribe or of the Altan Urag (Golden Clan). He argues
that the writer was probably from the Őgedeids. The remaining two chapters were
written by representatives of the Toluids (Ozawa, 2002:110–138).
32
MNT, 2004:100. The date of composition of the work is disputed as well.
Among the possible Years of the Rat (1228, 1240 or 1252), scholars incline to 1228
(Rachwiltz) and 1252 (Atwood) as the more plausible years (see Ozawa, 2002:91–
108; Atwood, 2007:1–48; Rachewiltz, 2008:150–184). Bira considers that the Secret
History of the Mongols was probably written between 1228 and 1240 (Bira, 2001:345).
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composition; however, it suggests that there is no discrepancy in style
or language within the work as a whole. This edition provides some
clarification as to the names and tribes of the Mongols, and of geography and locations. Since the Chinese characters of the surviving
text had a corrupted transliteration, the rules of classical Mongolian
were adopted in transcribing not only the Mongolian words, but also
the poetic insertions that are so distinctive in the text.
The Secret History of the Mongols begins with the mythical origin
of the Chinggisid house from Bőrte Chino (Blue Wolf) and Goa
Maral (Beautiful Doe) in legendary times and continues until the
reign of Chinggis Khan’s first successor, Ögedei Khan (r. 1229–1241).
The work can be divided into three parts: the genealogy of the ancestors of Chinggis Khan; narrations of his life and deeds; and short
references to Őgedei Khan. The main emphasis is found in the second part, where accounts are given of historical events and data.33
This is the only surviving major source that expresses a Mongol perspective on the Mongol conquest and it is important for this study
as it provides a chance to compare the relevance of its contents with
other contemporary sources written by non-Mongols in the same
period.
Among the lost annals was a written work called Űnen Teűke
(True Annals).34 This work was a detailed chronicle of the deeds of
the Mongol Khans. Professor Dalai suggests that the lost True Annals
was mostly a continuation of the Secret History of the Mongols; however, in style it follows the canon of Chinese chronicle composition
and it was written in both the Mongolian and Chinese languages.35
The existence of such a book is mentioned in the Yűan Shih.36
Besides this, among the lost written works was the above-mentioned Altan Debter (Golden Book), which was circulated at the
Mongol courts in Iran and China. The Great Register of Qara-Qorum,
another work written in Mongolian and mentioned in the Yűan Shih,
was used to compile the latter.37 The Čaγan Teűke (White Annals)
that was in circulation during the fourteenth century was published
33
34
35
36
37
Bira, 2001:345.
Dalai, 1992:9.
Ibid., 9.
Yűan Shih, 1978 (§171, 103).
Dalai, 1992:10.
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in 1981 in Inner Mongolia.38 The authorship of the White Annals is
attributed to Qubilai Khan. It has 151 pages, with the narration following the tradition of Buddhist sutras. Dalai suggests that this book
was probably written in the 1280s–1290s, and it relates to the biography and history of the Mongol Great Khans until the reign of
Qubilai Khan.39 Bira suggests that the White Annals was written in
the 1260s–1280s.40
Another Mongolian source, written, however, in Tibetan, is the
Marbo (Red Book).41 It was compiled in 1363 by Tsalba Gungaadorj
(1309–1365) and it took him 17 years to complete; it has not yet been
translated into other languages. The Sheng-wu Ch’in-cheng lu
(Description of the Personal Campaigns of the Holy Martial) attributed to Tsagaan, written in Chinese in the thirteenth century, was
considered to be a copy of the Altan Debter.42 However, recent scholarship claims that this work is not a copy, but an independent work
that depicts the world conquest of the Mongols.43 To my great disappointment, the framework of my work and the language barrier did
not allow me to consult these sources.
Armenian Sources
The twelfth to thirteenth centuries formed one of the richest periods
in Armenian historiography, giving rise to more than ten historians
and chronologists, like Samuel Anets‘i, Mkhit‘ar Anets‘i, Matheos
Urhayets‘i, Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i, Vardan Arevelts‘i, Kirakos
Arban Buyantu Num-un Čaγan Teűkhe (White History of the Doctrine Possessing the Ten Virtues) (Köke-Qota, 1981).
39
Dalai, 1992:10–11.
40
Bira, 2001:399. The book was translated into German by Klaus Sagaster in
1976.
41
Choimaa suggests that Luvsandanzan in his Atan Tobchi borrowed an extract
on the son of Behir Bahatur, which is not found in the Secret Histories, from the Red
Book by Tsalba Gungaadorj and from the Blue Annals (Devter Ombo) written in
1476–1478 by Shonnubal. Gungaadorj, in turn, mentioned that the section of the
lineage of the khans was taken from the Mongolian source of ‘Great Annals’
(Choimaa, 2006:38).
42
A comparison study of the first chapter of Yűan Shih, entitled Taizu Shilu
(Biography of Tai Tzu), composed in 1303 with Sheng-wu Ch’in-cheng lu, shows that
these sources have much in common with the Jāmiʿ al-Tawarīkh (Compendium of
Chronicles) by Rashīd al-Dīn. Moreover, Sheng-wu Ch’in-cheng lu likely was a basis
for the Altan Debter, while the latter was a source for Jāmiʿ al-Tawarīkh (Choimaa,
2007:17–21).
43
Dalai, 1992:11–12; Bira, 2002:72–75.
38
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Gandzakets‘i, Grigor Aknerts‘i, Vahram Rabuni, Smbat Sparapet,
Het‘um Patmich‘, Step‘annos Orbelian, etc. This study uses Armenian
sources of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries where the information on the Mongols is extensive. However, Armenian sources for
the Mongols differ in their attitudes towards the Mongols, expressing
both neutral and personal views and depending on where they were
written, i.e., in Greater Armenia or in Cilician Armenia. Of the many
primary sources consulted, the most important sources with direct
access to Mongol-Armenian relations will be treated below according
to the chronological order in which they may have been written or
compiled.
The essential source for this study remains the Patmut‘iwn Hayots‘
(History of the Armenians) by Kirakos Gandzakets‘i (1200–1271)
which has 65 chapters that review the political history of Armenia
from its Christianisation until 1266/1267.44 It has several thematic
sections, such as political history and biographical accounts of clerics
in Greater and Cilician Armenia, as well as in Caucasian Albania.
Much of this work is devoted to the events of the historian’s own
day: The Mongol invasion and Mongol domination. From Chapter
11 onwards, Kirakos Gandzakets‘i gives an extensive and in-depth
account of the Mongols, starting from the emergence of the Mongols
in the lands of Greater Armenia, Georgia and then in Cilician
Armenia. The reason for this is that, in 1236, Kirakos was captured
along with his teacher Vanakan Vardapet45 by the Mongol commander Molar in a village called Lorut, south of Tavush Fortress,
where they had taken shelter from the Khwārazmian onslaught. On
Molar’s order, Kirakos was taken to serve the Mongols’ secretarial
needs, writing and reading letters during the whole of the Summer
of 1236.46 This gave him a certain understanding of the history and
44
In 1961, K. Melik‘ Ohanjanyan published a complete critical edition of the
work. The work was translated into French by E. Dulaurier in 1858 (extracts only),
by M. Brosset in 1870, into Russian by T. Ter-Grigorian in 1946 and A. Khanlarian
in 1976, and into English by R. Bedrosian in 1975/1986. For details on various editions and translations, see Thomson, 1995:141–142; Greenwood, 2007:245–246.
45
Vanakan Vardapet or Yovhannēs Tavushets‘i (1180–after 1251) was a scholar
and teacher of Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, Vardan Arevelts‘i and Grigor Aknerts‘i, and the
author of the History of the Tatars’ Invasion, which was lost (Galstyan, 1962:118 [n.
127]).
46
In the Autumn of 1236, Vanakan and Kirakos were taken to the fortress of
Gag, where only Vanakan Vardapet was allowed by the Mongols to be bought by the
local people for eighty dahekans (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:244–252). Dahekan is
Persian for dahgān, the name of the silver coin corresponding to the Greek drakhmē
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religion of the Mongols, as well as knowledge of Mongolian, which
he elaborates in Chapter 32.47
Several points can be highlighted in this work with regard to the
Mongols. The first relates to Mongol vocabulary. Kirakos spelled the
Mongol words in the way they were pronounced at that time, which
is itself one of the contributions of this Armenian author to Mongol
studies. An important point that caught my attention is the way
Kirakos interprets the words for ‘sea’ as naur-tangez, and ‘river’ as
moran-ulansu. ‘Sea’ in Mongolian is dalai, ‘lake’ is naur, ‘ocean’ is
tengez, and ‘river’ is mőrőn. Ulansu is an archaic expression for ‘river’
that is preserved in some dialects of Mongolian. However, for the
Mongols in both the past and present whose country was and still is
land-locked, the dual use of any water element is very common and
it is remarkable that Kirakos’ vocabulary shows this usage. The middle-Mongolian kőke (գոգայ) is given for ‘heaven,’ ‘God’ is given as
tengri, and el (էլ) and irgen (իրկան) for ‘earth.’ Around 70 words
and their meanings that Kirakos includes in his Mongol vocabulary
still await linguistic analysis, which will certainly contribute to the
study of middle-Mongolian.
The second point is that his work deals in depth with the history
of his own age: The crushing of the Georgians by the Mongol armies
in 1220/1221 and the sacking of the cities of Gandzak (Ganja),
Shamkor (Shamk‘or), Lori (Loŕi), Ani, Karin (Erzurum) and of many
other districts, including Khachen.48 Kirakos is very explicit about
the extent of the destruction wrought by the Mongols in Greater
Armenia and Georgia, and also shows great concern about the
Armenian lords’ actions under Mongol pressure. He observes the
hopeless situation of Prince Awag in resisting the Mongols and his
decision to submit to them.49 The author also comments on the
breach of international etiquette in the handing over of Seljuk refugees to the Mongol commander Baiju by the Cilician Armenian King
Hetʿum I (r. 1226–1269), which was justified on the grounds of the
safety of his kingdom.50 He records that Hetʿum I followed the exam(Hűbschmann, 1962:133; Bedrossian, 1985:132). It is 50 dahekans in Vardan
Arevelts‘i (1991:146). Kirakos escaped captivity. Vanakan Vardapet and Kirakos
Gandzakets‘i were in Mongol captivity for about one year (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i,
1961:243–252; Davit‘ Baghishets‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:346).
47
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:271–275.
48
Ibid., 235–237, 241–243, 254–255, 258–262, 267–269.
49
Ibid., 254–257, 262–267.
50
Ibid., 285.
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ple of the Georgian king who went to the Mongol Khan to express
his submission. The Armenian monarch sent his brother Smbat to
the Mongol court and later he himself went to Mongolia.51 The
author also recounts Hetʿum’s campaigns in Syria and describes the
sacking of Baghdad by the Mongols.52
The third point is that Kirakos wrote his observations of early
Mongol administrative-fiscal policies in Armenia and Georgia prior
to the Mongol governor Arghun’s census of 1243/1244.53 Furthermore,
Kirakos notices the important fact that Hűlegű (1256–1265), on coming to Armenia, was a royal prince but not yet a Khan and so refers
to him as ‘Khan-like’ (ղանաձև) Hűlegű.54 According to Kirakos, the
Mongol army stationed in Armenia under the command of General
Baiju feared Hűlegű as if he were Khan.55 Unfortunately, his history
abruptly breaks off for unknown reasons after describing the war
between the Il-Khan Abaqa (1265–1282) and Berke Khan (1257–
1267) of the Golden Horde in 1266.
The fourth point is that Kirakos mentions the Mongol-Armenian
agreement, established between the Mongol Khan and the Cilician
Armenian monarch, the reference to which follows in later
chapters.
Finally, the work relies on oral reports of the informants and firsthand witnesses the historian met and interviewed, which reflect the
plausibility of this source. Since his main account is of the Zak’arid
princes’ deeds and their relations with the Georgians and the
Mongols, the work possibly was written for the Zak‘arids.
Nonetheless, some discrepancies over the location of certain events
are found in his history that contradict the accounts given by Muslim
historians, which will be mentioned later. As is common in medieval
historical records, Kirakos’ history is not free from fanciful tales
about the non-human shapes of barbarian peoples or their nonhuman behaviour.
Despite these, the Patmut‘iwn Hayots‘ remains one of the most
valuable thirteenth-century Armenian sources for the Mongols due
to its abundant information about the dynamics of Mongol-Armenian
relations.
51
52
53
54
55
Ibid., 314–317, 364–372.
Ibid., 377–384, 387–389.
Ibid., 312–314.
Ibid., 373.
Ibid., 375.
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Another significant source to complement Kirakos’ writings is the
work of Vardan Arevelts‘i (ca.1200–1271), entitled the Hawak‘umn
Patmut‘ean (Historical Compilation).56 Since Kirakos and Vardan
were students of the same teacher, Vanakan Vardapet, and they
wrote their histories at more or less the same time, the sources tend
to reinforce each other. However, the key point is that this source is
different in that Vardan introduces Armenian clerical attitudes
towards the Mongol invasion of Greater Armenia, which stands
alone among the Armenian sources. For this alone, it is important
to look at his biography. From the comments he left about himself,
we may conclude that Vardan Arevelts‘i was born around 1200 in
the region of Gandzak in north-eastern Armenia.57 It is also clear
that Vardan taught in several monasteries and then went to Jerusalem.
On his way back, he stopped in Cilicia and remained there for five
years.58
According to Kirakos Gandzakets‘i , in Cilicia, Catholicos
Kostandin Bardzrberdts’i (1221–1267) was very concerned about the
devastation of Greater Armenia under the Mongols, attributing these
sufferings to their sins. Therefore, the Catholicos entrusted Vardan
with an Encyclical Letter written for the ecclesiastics of Greater
Armenia, which was comprised of 25 points of instruction for the
religious canons.59 In 1246, Vardan travelled through the districts of
Greater Armenia collecting the signatures of the monks and lords
and then sent this letter back to the Catholicos.60
Vardan stayed for a while in the district of Kayen, teaching.61 He
returned to Cilicia later and remained there until 1251 and then left
for Greater Armenia again with a Letter of Spiritual Advice from the
Catholicos Kostandin for the congregations to help in the theological
disputes about the Son of God between Armenians and Roman
Catholics.62 He spent the rest of his life in Greater Armenia.
Unlike Kirakos’ writing, the Historical Compilation of Vardan falls
into the category of chronicles, rather than of histories, in the early
He also wrote on geography and Commentaries on Grammar, the Psalms, and
the Song of Songs; (Thomson in Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:5–7).
57
Ibid., 6.
58
Ibid., 6.
59
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:293–310.
60
Ibid., 310–311.
61
Ibid., 311.
62
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:148; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:329–338; Thomson, in
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:7.
56
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Armenian tradition and is based on a wide range of previous
Armenian sources.63 Vardan reviews in a very condensed manner the
general course of human history based on the narratives of Genesis
and brings the history of Armenia up to 1267. He engages with the
Mongols only at the end of his chronicle. He dates the first arrival
of the Mongols in the land of Greater Armenia to 1220 and describes
the division of the Armenian land into lots by the Mongol commanders, as does Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, albeit very briefly.64
More of his insights are also found in his narration of his visit in
1264 to Hűlegű in Tabriz. He depicts the Mongol Il-Khan as having
a very positive attitude towards the Christians. However, he was most
impressed by Hűlegű’s Nestorian Christian wife Doquz (Toquz)
Khatun, who is mentioned in his work with a degree of excitement.65
An important detail which is found in his source, along with those
of Step‘annos Orbelian and Kirakos Gandzakets’i, is the Il-Khan
Abaqa’s marriage to Maria Despina, the daughter of the Byzantine
Emperor.66 At this point, the script of the Historical Compilation for
some reason was lost and was found again by a relative of Vardan
18 months later in the bazaar of Tiflis. Vardan added only a few more
pages, however, and ended his Chronicle in 1267 with the death of
Catholicos Kostandin.67
This work is well addressed in terms of the author’s opinion of the
Armenian ecclesiastical position in relation to the Mongol invasion.
Vardan’s personal view of the first two Mongol Il-Khans, the Cilician
King’s visit to the Mongol court,68 and the attitude by which he dealt
with the information available to him reflects the plausibility of this
source.
Another important source which supports the main goal of this
study is the work of Grigor Aknerts‘i (1250–1335) or Akanets‘i,
entitled the History of the Nation of the Archers, or T‘at‘arats‘ Patmut‘iwn (Patmut‘iwn vasn Azgin Netoghats‘) in Armenian. His work
has long been accessible in French, Russian and English translations.69
Thomson, 1999:126; Thomson in Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:5, 9.
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:142–144.
65
Ibid., 149–150, 157–161; for the details, see Chapter 6.
66
Ibid., 161; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:399; Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:470. On
Abaqa and Despina, see Chapter 7.
67
Thomson, in Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:9.
68
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:148–148.
69
French translation by M. Brosset in 1851, Russian by Patkanov in 1871 and
English by Robert P. Blake and Richard N. Frye in 1954.
63
64
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The authorship of this source is associated with three different names:
Vardan Patmich‘, Maghak‘ia Abegha and Grigor Abegha Aknerts‘i.
N. Pogharean, in his introduction to the critical edition of 1974,
proved that the first two could not be the authors of the work,
however.70
Grigor Aknerts‘i in his History of the Nation of the Archers
describes the events relating to the Armenians from the reign of
Chinggis Khan down to 1271/1273.71 The work was written in 1273
in Akants‘ Anapat (the Hermitage of Akan) in Cilicia.72 Unlike traditional Armenian historiography, although the author introduces
himself as a student of Vanakan Vardapet, along with Vardan and
Kirakos, this source is far from being a universal history. Its main
consideration is the history of the thirteenth-century Cilician and
Greater Armenians. The analysis of this source, in terms of our main
topic, concerns the following:
First, unlike the work of Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, the History of the
Nation of the Archers has some discrepancies in dating some events
that occurred in Greater Armenia before the 1250s, such as stating
the first appearance of the Mongols in Armenia in 1214 instead of
1220, and the defeat of the Sultan of Rūm in 1239 instead of 1243.
The reason may well be that the author was not an eyewitness of
these events. Of course, these might be scribal errors as well.
Second point is that, from the 1250s onwards, Grigor accurately
provides some details on the Mongols, Mamluks and Armenians, on
a history that was well known to him and was connected to Cilician
Armenia, that make this source very important to this study, as well
as to researchers of this particular period.
Thirdly, Grigor Aknerts‘i contributes to Mongolian studies by
mentioning many names of the Mongol chieftains who governed in
Greater Armenia.73 Akinean, Alishan, Oskean and Blake suggest that
70
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:5–15. Prior to Pogharean, Vardapet Nersēs Akinean
and Fr. Hamazasp Oskean of the Vienna Mekhitarist Congregation raised the issue
of excluding the name of Maghak‘ia from the authorship of the work; Grigor of
Akanc‘, 1954:271–274.
71
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:28, 36.
72
Ibid., 54. According to Pogharean, the manuscripts are found in the
Hakobeants‘ collection of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem, MS no. 32 (v. 1,
Jerusalem, 1966:144–147); and MS no. 960, (v. 3, 1968:518, 527–528). Pogharean
found the Armenian text edited with an English translation and notes by Robert P.
Blake and Richard N. Frye with many misprints; Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:5–15.
73
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:26.
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Grigor had possibly used Vanakan Vardapet’s lost annals as his
source, which is possible. However, the series of Mongol names and
expressions, which are not found in other works, show that Grigor
added his own knowledge to his History of the Nation of the Archers.74
The fourth point is that the source has some colourful details of
the Mongol-Armenian relations, like the reception of the Cilician
Armenian King by the Mongol Khan, his readiness to fulfil all wishes
of the King,75 and the Mongol-Armenian treaty established by Smbat
Sparapet and the Mongol general Baiju.76
Another significant author is Step‘annos Orbelian (1250/60−1304),
the metropolitan of the province of Siwnik‘, who wrote the Patmut‘iwn
Nahangin Sisakan (History of the Siwnik‘ Province).77
The History of the Siwnik‘ Province has 73 chapters, starting with
the creation of the world, recounting the time of Sisak, the predecessor of the Orbelian House, until the author’s own days in 1299, when
the History was completed.
From Chapter 66 onwards, information on the Mongols is found.
Since Step’annos Orbelian personally interacted with the Mongols,
his history is essential for information on the Orbelians and their
relations with the Mongols that is not found in other works. His
opinion of the Il-Khans is in line with the policy of the Orbelian
House, which aimed to get power over other Armenian families
through the Mongols.78 From his work it is clear that Step‘annos
himself paid a visit to Arghun Khan (r. 1284−1291), who honoured
him. After the death of Arghun Khan, he had to visit Tabriz again,
this time to meet the Il-Khan Geikhatu (r. 1291−1295), who re-estabGrigor of Akanc’, 1954:6−8.
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:37−38.
76
Ibid., 31; see Chapter 2.
77
Relatively detailed information about his life is to be found in his work. In
Chapters 65 and 71 of the History of the Siwnik‘ Province, he writes about himself as
metropolitan and prelate. From childhood, he was brought up by the great prince
Smbat Orbelian. Tarsaich Orbelian was the father of the historian. Step‘annos Orbelian was ordained a priest in 1280 and in 1285 was sent to Hŕomklay, the Catholicosal See, to be anointed as a bishop. Before he arrived, however, news reached him
at Sis that Catholicos Hakob Klayets‘i (1268−1286) had died. Therefore, he spent
three months in Adana, as a guest of King Lewon III (1269−1289) until the appointment of a new Catholicos. On 14 April 1286 (on Easter day), Step‘annos was
ordained by Catholicos Kostandin as a bishop, the metropolitan of Siwnik‘, and spiritual leader of Eastern Armenia. In the same year, he returned home (Step‘annos
Orbelian, 1910:477−482).
78
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:410−420.
74
75
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lished the Orbelians’ rights. In connection with the accession to the
throne of Ghazan Khan (r. 1295−1304), Step‘annos was in Tabriz for
the third time when he was given more rights than under former
rulers.79 The source can be viewed as a narration of the glorious deeds
of the Orbelian House, although for the early part of his work,
Step’annos Orbelian probably used the sources of his predecessors,
namely Kirakos Gandzakets‘i and Vardan Arevelts‘i.
Apart from Step‘annos Orbelian, there is another Step‘annos
called Episkopos, a chronicler of the thirteenth century, who wrote
a Chronicle.80 He started his work from the events occurred in 1193,
when the Chronicle of Samuel Anets‘i ended.81 This source was mistakenly attributed to Step‘annos Orbelian and, in 1942, Ashot
Abrahamian published this Chronicle under the name of Step‘annos
Orbelian.82 Due to events described in common by Step‘annos
Episkopos and by Step‘annos Orbelian in the Patmu‘tiwn Nahangin
Sisakan, it was claimed that this Chronicle was written by the latter.
However, L. Khach‘ikian and V. Hakobyan expressed their doubts
and argued that it was a different Chronicle, written by Step‘annos
Episkopos of Siwnik‘.83
Step‘annos Episkopos’ Chronicle begins in 1193 with a short introduction and ends in 1290, thus covering almost 100 years; however,
due to confusion around its authorship, this Chronicle was left out
of the orbit of scholars’ use. Without a doubt, it is one of the most
important Armenian sources that relates events that occurred in
Greater Armenia, Georgia and Cilicia, and involves the Zak‘arids,
the Mongols and the Mamluks, as well as the Il-Khans.
This study uses the Chronicle of Step‘annos Episkopos and values
it for its details that are not found in other sources relating to the
historical events in the Caucasus, Cilician Armenia, and the Near
and Middle East. The Chronicle has some colourful moments regarding the depiction of the conquest of Karin by the Mongols and his
surprise about how quick and suddenly the country was found full
of Tatars and how these Tatars considered the manuscripts and
church utensils as their booty. These details are without doubt imporIbid., 482−483.
The Chronicle is held in Matenadaran, MS no. 8481; Hakobyan, 1951:32; Galstyan, 1962:n.80, 33.
81
Hakobyan, 1951:35−44.
82
Ibid., 33.
83
Ibid., 33−34.
79
80
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tant in order to understand the Armenians’ reaction to the Mongol
invasion.84 Therefore, the Chronicle of Step‘annos Episkopos indisputably augments the list of Armenian historical records for the
Mongol period.
The Annals, by an unknown author of the thirteenth century who
lived in Sebastia (Sivas) and was thus named Sebastats‘i, is another
source that requires our attention because previous scholarship has
paid insufficient attention to it.85 The importance of this source is
enormous; it gives a full account of the Mongol conquest of Armenia
and of its regional history. The Annals cover the period from the first
century AD until 1220. Then, after an interruption because the pages
describing the events of 1221−1254 were lost,86 the chronicle goes on
until 1300, which is corroborated better by other sources.
An important characteristic of the Annals of Sebastats‘i is that the
author describes historical events along with natural calamities that
preceded or followed warfare or the devastation of Armenian lands.
For example, he observes that the earth cracked and oozed black
water before the Mongol commander Chormaghan penetrated the
Caucasus, and notices the earthquake that occurred before the
Mongol governor Arghun started the census in Erznka and Sebastia
in 1254. The comet, which appeared in 1264, foretold the death of
Hűlegű Khan who died in 1265. After the death of King Lewon, a
great earthquake killed many people and, when Ghazan Khan battled
against the Mamluks, a severe famine followed in Sebastia in 1300.87
Some mysterious signs preceding the plunder of Gandzak described
by Sebastats‘i are very similar to what Kirakos Gandzakets‘i mentions.88 These few similarities in the descriptions in these two texts
may suggest that Sebastats‘i was well aware of Kirakos’ writing; however, it does not indicate that these texts are related to each other.
Step‘annos Episkopos in Hakobyan, 1951:35−42; in Gastyan, 1962:35.
Three manuscripts of Sebastats‘i that held in Matenadaran were published by
G. Manvelian and G. Abrahamyan in 1940 and later as the Minor Chronicles of the
Thirteenth−Eighteenth Centuries in the second volume by Hakobyan in 1956; extracts
of it were translated by Galstyan into Russian in 1962.
86
According to both Hakobyan and Galstyan, the text of the oldest of the three
manuscripts, attributed to Sebastats‘i in the Erevan Matenadaran, (no. 2174) goes as
far as the events of 1220 and was carried on by a continuator with some slips until
1309; the other two manuscripts each end in different years (1297 and 1300) (Hakobyan, 1956:115; Galstyan, 1962:106, n.1).
87
Hakobyan, 1956:139, 141, 148, 151.
88
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:235−237. For the example of the poplar tree, see
Chapter 2.
84
85
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The names of battlefield locations and the consequences of certain
events given by Sebastats‘i expand the information from other
sources, and suggest that he had access to some alternative information, making it as important as those mentioned above.
Before introducing the next sources, it is important to see from
the works described above that the Armenian historiography of the
thirteenth century, especially those written in the 1270s, are rich and
often very detailed in their information about the Mongol-Armenian
relationship. The six major authors offered for consideration above
deal in general with the issues of the Mongol invasion and the events
that occurred in the Armenian territories and beyond them. These
sources undoubtably reflect the growth of medieval Armenian historiography. In addition to that, they represent additional excellent
examples of world medieval historiography.
The following sources represent the historical writings of the
Cilician Armenians. The Chronicle of Smbat Sparapet (1208−1276),
a brother of King Het‘um I, is one of the major works on the
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and a valuable source for the Crusades
and the Mongol-Armenian affiliation, as well as for ArmenianByzantine, Armenian-Persian and Armenian-Arabic relations.89 The
first section of the Chronicle, which covers the period from 951 to
1162, mainly follows the Chronology of Matthew of Edessa (d. ca.
1140) and of his continuator Gregory the Priest. Smbat’s original
work covers the period from 1163 to 1272 and for an unknown reason terminates there. An anonymous writer continues the Chronicle
up to the year 1331.90
The Mongols are mentioned in the Chronicle of Smbat Sparapet
in connection with the flight of the members of the Seljuk Sultan’s
family to Cilicia. He also gives detailed information on the penetration of the Mongols into Khwārazmia, Central Asia and the Middle
East. The author is explicit about the capture of the city of Samarqand
since he stayed there on his way to the Mongol court in Qara-Qorum
and from Samarqand he wrote a letter to his brother-in-law, King
Galstyan, 1962:47−64.
Der Nersessian, 1973:353. There are three Armenian editions of the Chronicle
published in Moscow in 1856, Paris in 1859 and in Venice in 1956. Extracts from this
work were translated into French by V. Langlois in 1862, by E. Dulaurier in 1869,
and by G. Dédéyan in 1980, into English by Der Nersessian in 1973, and into Russian
by A. Galstyan in 1962 and in 1974 (Thomson, 1995:198−199). Smbat Sparapet is
also the author of a Lawcode and the translator of the Assises d’Antioche.
89
90
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Henry I of Cyprus or Henri de Lusignan (1218−1253). In his letter,
Smbat mentioned many places he passed through and many
Christians he saw scattered in the East.91
The interesting point of the Chronicle of Smbat Sparapet is that
the author offers his own reasoning behind the historical events to
many of which he was an eyewitness. Thus, he attributes the failure
of the Mongols in Syria in 1260 to illness among Mongol troops and
horses as a result of the hot climate.92 Since the source was written
for the Het‘umids, Smbat was well aware that this failure had a negative consequence for Mongol-Armenian military cooperation, as had
been established by the Het‘umids. Being delegated to attend Batu
Khan and then to travel to Mongolia to open negotiations with the
Mongol Khan, Smbat Sparapet has written a valuable work for
consultation.
Another important Armenian source that merits consideration is
La Flor des Estoires de la Terre d’Orient by Hayton.93 The author is
also known as Het‘um Patmich‘ (d. ca. 1311) or Het‘um the Historian.
This is a major source for the medieval history of Mongolia, as well
as the Middle East, and is as renowned as Marco Polo’s or William
Rubruck’s travel books.94 By order of Pope Clement V (1305−1314),
the Armenian monk Het‘um (Hayton), Lord of Korikos, a member
of the royal family, dictated this history in French in the city of
Poitiers in 1307. In the same year, it was translated into Latin by
Nicole Falcon (Nikoghayos Salkon),95 then in the last third of the
fourteenth century into Spanish96 and later it was re-translated into
French by Jean le Long in 1351.97 There are two Tudor English translations (probably made in the 1520s),98 as well as German, Italian
and Dutch versions. The edition I used the most is the second edition
of the translated version from Latin into Armenian by the Rev. H.
Mkrtich‘ Awgerean.99
Galstyan, 1962:64−66.
Der Nersessian, 1973:370; Halperin, 1985:48.
93
Hayton, 1869.
94
On Marco Polo and his travels, see Jackson, 1998b:82−101 and edition by
Komroff, 2003. On Rubruck, see Jackson, 1990, 1987a:92−97; Komroff, 1989.
95
Hetoum, 1529.
96
Hethum, 1934.
97
RHC, DA, 2, lvii; liii−lv.
98
Het‘um, 1988.
99
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951.
91
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This work is valued in terms of the historiography of the Western
Crusades, the Armenian Christians and Papal diplomacy.100 But also
it appeals to the Muslims and Mongols and is a remarkable account
of the history, culture, ethnology and geography of the people who
inhabited the Near and Middle East and Central Asia during the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
However, according to Bundy and Jackson, this work represents
early fourteenth-century Armenian propaganda aimed at promoting
the Latin-Mongol-Armenian relationship and reflects the engagement of the Armenian elite to justify their action to ally with the
Mongols.101 Indeed the author was not a contemporary of the first
submissions of the Armenians to the Mongol Khan and the final
section of this source deals with a proposal for a Crusade to reconquer Palestine, especially the Holy Land, in cooperation with the
Mongols and Armenians.
Putting aside this notion of appealing for a Crusade, I would
rather propose to look at La Flor des Estoires de la Terre d’Orient as
a source of Mongol-Armenian relations written by an Armenian historian, since this source is, according to Bundy, ‘the most sophisticated example of medieval Armenian historiography.’102
La Flor des Estoires de la Terre d’Orient begins with an account of
the 14 oriental kingdoms that existed in the thirteenth century, with
details of their inhabitants, natural resources and political status. The
part that relates to the Mongols begins with a description of the
realm of Cathay or Northern China.103 Many details of the Mongols
and their history, from this historian’s viewpoint, are found in this
work. For instance, Chinggis Khan in La Flor des Estoires de la Terre
d’Orient is a poor old man who had a vision of a white man riding
a white horse, and who addressed him as Chinggis. This white man
told Chinggis that, by the providence of God, he would rule over the
Bundy, 1987:223−235.
Ibid., 233; Jackson 2005a:120−121.
102
Bundy, 1987:233.
103
The term Cathay (Khitai) emerged after the fall of the T’ang dynasty
(685−907), when the empire was divided into regions under the domain of the
Tangquts, the Ch’i-tan, the Chin and the Sung (Shirendyb, 1966:95−103). After 947,
the people called Khitan were sinicised and became a native Chinese dynasty, the
Liao. In the twelfth century, the Qara-Khitai, a group of people who took refuge in
Central Asia after the overthrowing of the Khitan/Liao Empire, entered eastern Iran
but affected only Transoxania (Boyle, 1968:147−148). On Qara-Khitai, see Biran,
2005.
100
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Mongols. The enthroning ceremony of Chinggis, according to the
nomads’ tradition, was held on a black carpet.104 Lifting him up, the
Mongols named him Chinggis Khan. The administrative and military
systems of the Mongols were characterised in the History by the decimal system105 and by their obedience to the legislation, called Yasa.106
The story continues that God told Chinggis Khan to go west and
conquer countries. Before setting out, the Mongols had to kneel
down nine times and, as Het‘um emphatically states, from this, the
worship of the number nine started among the Mongols. After kneeling and worshipping, the sea receded to open the road to the west.107
The accounts of some of the Mongol customs in existence at that
time, as well as the myths and legends of Mongolian origin, are given,
as is consistent with reports by Marco Polo and other Western travellers. The issues of the faith, customs and behaviour of the Mongols
are reported in depth:
Murder and prostitution were not considered a sin among the Mongols, but taking the bridle away from the horse’s mouth is a mortal sin.
It is not shameful to flee if it is worthy. It is difficult to chase them, as
they are good archers from the rear. They know how to seize countries,
but they do not know how to keep them. They do not allow others to
lie, however they could lie freely. But in wartime, they keep their word.108
Despite the fact that the source was written for the special purpose
of persuading the Latin powers to ally with the Mongols, as well as
a few lapses on dates and details, the History of the Tatars still has
value as a contemporary source for the Mongols for several reasons.
First, it has a reconstruction of the history of Mongol-Armenian
relations as far as it was available for the purpose of attracting the
attention of Western kings.
104
In the Mongolian tradition, it is a white felt blanket. However, Het‘um
explained the choice of black colour, saying that ‘the Mongols never had fine cloth,
or maybe they were so foolish and vile that they did not know how to get it’ (Het‘um
Patmich’, 1951:33).
105
Any military unit was based on the decimal system, where the nuclear number
increased in multiples of ten to tumen, or 10,000. Each commander was in charge of
ten people. It was an easy way to be accountable and to take responsibility
(Shirendyb, 1966:109).
106
Yasa or Jasa is the derived version of the Mongolian Code of Law Ikh-Jasag.
The yarliks or decrees issued by the Khan should never conflict with the Yasa
(Shirendyb, 1966:129).
107
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:39.
108
Ibid., 74.
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Second, it is clear that the Mongols were seen by the Armenian
author as the Christians’ only allies against the Muslims in order to
liberate the Holy Land and to save the Crusader states along the
Syrian coast, thus resolving a long-standing battle against the Muslim
world. This was also a common point of view of the lords in both
Greater and Cilician Armenia.
Third, although the reference of Het‘um Patmich‘ to the preparations made to convert Möngke Khan to Christianity does not seem
to be historically accurate, this act is also mentioned by other
Christian travellers. Therefore, this source cannot be dismissed as
mere propaganda. As in the case of every medieval historian, we have
to understand and take account of his outlook and aims in making
use of the materials he records.
Fourth, one of the interesting points of this source lies in the fact
that the text of a Mongol-Armenian agreement between the Cilician
Armenians and the Mongols is included in detail. Although the
details of this agreement are not found in other sources, the actual
fact of his mentioning that the Armenians entered into an alliance
with the Mongols is supported by other Armenian sources written
long before Het‘um Patmich‘, in particular that by Kirakos Gandzakets‘i.109 This may reflect a belief held true at the time. Therefore, it
is impossible to exclude this source from our discussion if only
because the Armenian interpretation of historical events is put forward.
Besides these major sources, there are many minor ones, such as
the Chronicle of King Het‘um II, written in 1296, which covers the
period from the tenth century until his own ruling days. The work
was continued by different people up to 1351.110 Due to this work,
the issues of Mongol-Armenian cooperation under Mamluk pressure
became possible to discuss. The Chronicle of Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i
(1222−1291) goes up to 1289, though the dates are not specified. At
the end of his Chronicle, there is some information about the
Mongols, starting from the first raids of Jebe and Sűbedei into Greater
Armenia until the enthronement of the Il-Khan Arghun (1284) and
the death of the Cilician King Lewon III (1289). Mkhit‘ar has some
details that are not found in other Armenian annals, such as Hűlegű
For more details, see Chapter 2.
Extracts of the Chronicle are translated in Hakobyan, 1951:65−101; in Galstyan, 1962:71−78.
109
110
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killing all the Chaghataids (ջաթանս; who were the Chinggisid
princes) and Tegűder fleeing to Swanetia to escape execution.111
Some other Armenian authors are also worth noting. Frik (d. ca.
1300), the Armenian poet of the thirteenth century, is the author of
many Poems, written in colloquial Armenian, and was originally
from Siwnik‘ but wandered and died in Cilicia. His reference to the
conditions of the Armenians under the Mongols and his sympathy
towards the Il-Khan Arghun makes this source worth studying.
Nersēs Palients‘, the chronicler of the fourteenth century, reports the
historical events relevant to the Mongol-Mamluk-Armenian relationship and to the Armenian Catholicosate in Hŕomklay.
The Armenian colophons are important sources for this study,112
not only because of their detailed information about the year and
place the manuscripts were made, along with the copyist’s and recipient’s names, but also due to their references to the dates of the
Mongol destructions or census-taking; this includes, for example, the
colophon of the Gospel of the monastery in Getik dated in the early
1230s.113
More particularly, I found them useful for their explicit references
to the Mongol Il-Khans (e.g., the colophon of the Armenian Gospel
from Vaspurakan dated 1304),114 and the political and economic conditions under which the manuscripts were copied, as well as their
descriptions of the circumstances of a particular event that was characteristic of a certain village, town or monastery (the colophon written in Glajor monastery in 1314).115 They were also helpful in
establishing the family relationships of some of those who were mentioned as patrons or recipients.116
In general, although the Armenian colophons of the thirteenth
century describe the Mongol invasion as a human disaster, they
express more neutral views about the Mongols, whereas the Armenian
Mkhitar Ayrivanets‘i, 1860:68.
The colophons are collected and published by Khach‘ikyan in 1950 in the
Colophons of the Armenian Manuscripts of the Fourteenth Century, by Mat‘evosyan
in 1984 in the Colophons of the Armenian Manuscripts of the Thirteenth Century, and
selectively translated into English by Sanjian in 1969 in the Colophons of Armenian
Manuscripts, 1301−1480.
113
Matʿevosyan, 1984:183.
114
Sanjian, 1969:48.
115
Ibid., 58.
116
Even in the thirteenth century, historians like Stepʿannos Orbelian made great
use of the colophons in their works (Bedrosian, 1997:52).
111
112
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manuscript colophons of the early fourteenth century interpret the
Mongols as God’s chastisement for human sins.
In spite of there being no direct link to the subject of MongolArmenian relations, the large collection of inscriptions of western
and eastern Armenia represents another important source for this
study. These inscriptions explore the details of taxes and tributes
levied in Greater Armenia in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries
(e.g., the inscription of the city of Ani, dated 1270 or the edict of
Abū Saʿīd [r. 1316−1335] in Ani), as well as the deeds of certain
people inhabiting a certain area, and the memorials they left behind
(e.g., the inscriptions in Gandzasar, dated 1280 and 1286).117
Muslim Sources
This study uses a range of Muslim sources mainly with regard to the
Mongols, although there are also some references to Greater Armenia
and more to Cilician Armenia. If the majority of Armenian sources
for the Mongols fall into the category of chronicles with a chain of
events related to their dates, the Muslim sources, especially the
Persian ones, are more like histories dedicated to a specific people,
area or theme. Even the titles of the works speak for themselves. The
major work remains the Jāmiʿ al-Tawarīkh (Compendium of
Chronicles) written in 704−710 H. (1305−1310/1311) by Rashīd
al-Dīn (ca. 645−718 H./ 1247−1318), a general history of the world
from the earliest time to 1310−1311 with special accounts devoted
to the Mongols.118 This is the first systematic and comprehensive
history of the known world and is unique in its research methods.119
When Rashīd al-Dīn was commissioned to compose the history of
the Mongols by the order of the Il-Khan Ghazan (1295−1304), he
clearly needed some sources and informants for consultation and
advice. The collaboration of Rashid al-Dīn, the Il-Khan’s vizier and
Bolad Chinksank or Pūlād Chīnksānk, the Great Khan Qubilai’s representative in Iran, on state business is well known.120 However, less
well known is his role in the writing of Jāmiʿ al-Tawarīkh. A thorough examination of the facts described in this famous work suggests
117
The Annals of the Inscriptions by K. Kostaneantsʿ and the eight volumes of
Corpus Inscriptionum Armenicarum published in Erevan from 1960−1999 remain
the foremost collections of Armenian inscriptions.
118
For the complete reference to this source, see Melville, 2008a:462−468.
119
Jahn, 1967:79−87; Boyle, 1971:19−26; Morgan, 1982b:119−121.
120
Allsen, 2001:72−80.
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that Bolad was much more than an informant and it is likely that the
Compendium of Chronicles was a joint venture with Rashīd al-Dīn.121
Scholars believe that Rashīd al-Dīn is most likely to have used the
Secret History and the lost Altan Debter (Golden Book), the compendium of ritual texts for the Chinggisids mentioned above, copies of
which were at the Mongol courts in Iran and China.122 According to
Babayan, the Armenian scholar, among his many sources Rashīd
al-Dīn also used the works of the Armenian authors of Kirakos
Gandzaketsʿi, Vardan Areveltsʿi, Step’annos Orbelian and Hetʿum
Patmichʿ. Babayan made this suggestion after making a comparative
study of some extracts of the above-mentioned authors’ works.123
Indeed, Rashīd al-Dīn’s description of famine in the city of
Martyropolis (Mayyāfāriqīn), while Hűlegű’s army besieged the city,
follows Kirakos Gandzaketsʿi without any alterations.124 However,
Babayan’s claim to see parallels between Stepʿannos Orbelian and
Rashīd al-Dīn’s accounts of affairs between Arghun Khan and Bugha
are debatable.125 First of all, the extract he compares is attributed to
Stepʿannos Episkopos, not to Stepʿannos Orbelian.126 Although the
text is more or less the same and the order of narration is similar, it
is not identical. Rashīd al-Dīn has more details of the events and
names.127 Nonetheless, the similarities in the narration of Tegűder’s
(Negűder) rebellion against Abaqa Khan and its aftermath in Grigor
Aknertsʿi and in Rashīd al-Dīn are striking.128 Therefore, the assumption that Rashīd al-Dīn used the works of the Armenian historians
is more than convincing, especially for the narration of historical
events that took place in the Caucasus and nearby regions.
The final version of Jāmiʿ al-Tawarīkh included a history of the
Mongol and Turkic tribes, the history of Chinggis Khan, his ancestors and successors, a history of Biblical prophets, and the emergence
of Islam, the Caliphates and the major sultanates, with an extensive
description of genealogy and geography along with the accounts of
Bira, 2001:397; Allsen, 2001:79, 85−88, 96−97.
The Altan Debter and the Secret History of the Mongols were two independent
works, by no means identical (Morgan, 1990:12).
123
Babayan, 1965:81−94.
124
Ibid., 91; Kirakos Gandzaketsʿi, 1961:385−386; Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946:55.
125
Babayan, 1965:92.
126
Stepʿannos Episkopos in Hakobyan, 1951:48−49; Stepʿannos Episkopos in Galstyan, 1962:41−42.
127
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946:119−122.
128
Grigor Aknetsʿi, 1974:63−65; Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946:72.
121
122
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the Chinese, Jews, Turks, Indians and Franks. Unlike the mainstream
of non-Armenian sources, the Jāmiʿ al-Tawarīkh refers to the
Armenians separately from the Georgians but as part of a larger
canvas of Mongol subjects, which is very valuable.
Before Rashīd al-Dīn, there were Persian authors who wrote about
the Mongols. The most famous of them is Juvaynī (623−681 H. /
1225−1283) who wrote the Ta’rikh-i Jahān-Gushā (History of the
World Conqueror) in the 1260s.129 Juvaynī’s family was employed by
the Mongols. His father was Amir Arghun’s deputy over a large area,
including Georgia and Armenia, and his brother was a Minister of
Finance under the Il-Khans, Hűlegű and Abaqa. Juvaynī himself travelled twice to Mongolia. The information he gathered on the Mongols,
Qara-Khitais, Uighurs and Khwārazmians gave him a chance to commence his history of the career and life of Chinggis Khan, followed
by warfare, law and customs. The Mongol invasion of Islamic lands,
the Ismāʿīlīs and other historical events are included in his history.
Juvaynī is not explicit about the Armenians. The facts that reflect
Greater Armenia in his history are hidden under a general reference
to Georgia, even when he talks about the Khwārazm-Shah Jalāl al-Dīn
and his activities, destruction and executions in Armenia.
Another source, the abaqāt-i- Nāirī (Nasiri Tables) was written
in 1259−1260 by Jūzjānī (589−664 H. / 1193−d. after 1265), contemporary with the Mongol conquest.130 This is a history of the Ghurids
in Afghanistan, written in India, outside the Mongol sphere of influence. The 23rd and last section (Tabaqa) contains information about
the Mongol invasion.131 The source is mainly consulted for the first
stage of the Mongol invasion of Greater Armenia. Jūzjānī considers
the Mongol disaster as God’s judgement on the sins of the Muslims;
however, he sees in the fall of the Ismāʿīlīs the triumph of orthodox
Muslims.132 Although there is no direct connection between this
source and the Armenian sources, the notion of seeing the reason
for the Mongol conquest as a punishment for sin is relevant. The
Armenian view of this point will be introduced in due course in this
study.
For full reference to Juvaynī’s work, see Melville, 2008b:378−382.
Jūzjānī, Juvaynī and Rashīd al-Dīn are discussed in detail in Morgan,
1982b:109−124.
131
Jūzjānī, 1970:869−1296.
132
Ibid., 935, 1187−1211.
129
130
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29
Apart from these major sources for the latter period of the
Il-Khanate’s administration, this study also consulted Va!!āf.133 For
the geography of Gurjistan Vilayet and the administration of taxes
by the Il-Khanate, use was made of the Nuzhat al- Qulūb (Pleasure
of the Hearts) (ca. 740 H. / 1340) and the Ta’rīkh-i Guzīda (Selected
History) (730 H. / 1330) by "amd Allāh Mustawfī Qazvīnī (ca.
680−744 H. / ca. 1281−1344).134 These Persian sources are constructive in giving a broader picture of Mongol administration in Iran,
which allow me to examine some details concerning Greater Armenia.
The principal Arabic sources related to this study refer mostly to
the Cilician Armenians and their relations with the Mongols and
Mamluks, such as the Kitāb al-Mukhtaar (Compendious Book) by
Abu’l-Fidā’ (d. 1332)135 or the Dhail ta’rīkh Dimashq (Continuation
of the Chronicle of Damascus) by Ibn al-Qalānisī (1070−1160),136
along with al-Maqrīzī, Ibn Shaddād and many others. The al-Kāmil
fi’l-ta’rīkh (Complete History) by Ibn al-Athīr (1160−1233) is useful
to compare the first appearance of the Mongols in Greater Armenia
with the situation in Islamic countries.137 Nasawī is consulted in connection with Jalāl al-Dīn Khwārazm-Shāh.138 The Arabic sources
assisted my work by providing more details on Mongol-Armenian
joint actions in Syria. In contrast to the Armenian sources where
anti-Muslim notions are not very prominent, the anti-infidel
approach in Arabic sources is quite conspicuous. Regardless of their
didactic tone, the Arabic sources are full of direct information relating to the Mongols and their ventures in Syria, which confirms in
general what is mentioned in the Armenian sources of the relevant
period.
133
Va!!af was a Persian official (panegyrist) who continued Juvaynī’s History
from 1257 to 1328 (Saunders, 1971:257). Va!!af’s style is extremely convoluted compared with the clarity and simplicity of Rashīd al-Dīn (Morgan, 1988:166, 1990:21).
On Va!!af’s literary achievements and on the critical edition of Tajziyat al-amar,
see Pfeiffer, 2007:107−129.
134
On Mustawfī and his works, see Melville, 2003b:631−634.
135
The French translation of Kitāb al-Mukhtaar is included in RHC/Or.,
1872:1−115, 181.
136
Gibb, 1932.
137
The extracts are translated into French in RHC, Or.1, 1872:187−744.
138
Nasawī, 1996.
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introduction
Other Sources
To supplement the major sources, I have used other works of contemporary Western travellers, such as Marco Polo, Carpini and
Rubruck, as well as some Chinese sources, the Yűan Shih and the
Liao Shih in translation or as quoted. The second volume of The
Georgian Sources for Armenia and the Armenians, including Kʿartʿlis
Chovreba (History of Kʿartʿli), compiled and translated into Armenian
by L. Melikset-bek in 1936, added to my understanding of the
Georgian side of events because a substantial proportion of the
important officials at the Georgian court were Armenian.139 This
study found the Melikset-bek’s edition useful in considering the
actual relationship between the Georgian kings and their vassals, the
Greater Armenian lords.
Syriac sources available in English translation are used in this
study with regard to Mongol-Christian and Muslim-Christian relationships. The French translation of the History of Mar Yaballaha III
by anonymous author and the two volumes of The Chronography of
Gregory Abū al-Faraj by Bar Hebraeus (translated by Wallis Budge
in 1932) undeniably assist in comparing Syriac and Armenian
Christian sources.
139
Bedrosian has a detailed introduction to the Anonymous Chronicle included in
the History of Kʿartʿli (Bedrosian, 1979:8−10).
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CHAPTER ONE
A BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE
ARMENIANS AND MONGOLS
Before moving on to the relationship set up between the Mongols
and the Armenians, it is necessary to give a short historical background about the origin, location and history of them. It is especially
important to mention the historical conditions of the Armenians on
the eve of the Mongol conquest, when Greater Armenia and Cilician
Armenia existed separately from each other with no major political
contacts, although with constant cultural, religious and trading links.
The Mongols were dealing with two different vassal states, of which
the Greater Armenians were their subjects, while the Cilician
Armenians were their allies.
The Armenians in Greater Armenia
The history of the Armenian people goes back to Hittite and Assyrian
times and it has formed a part of the history of the north-eastern
region of the Mediterranean world, existing and being influenced by
Aegean-Anatolian, Mesopotamian, Iranian, Hellenistic and RomanoByzantine civilisations.1 A description of earlier Armenian geography is given by Strabo (63/64 BC–24 AD), the Greek geographer and
historian.2 The historical Armenian plateau is the highest among
the three land-locked plateaus that form the northern part of the
Middle East. In the west, it borders with the Anatolian plateau, and
in the south-east with the Iranian plateau.3 Mount Ararat (Masis)
is about 17,000 feet (about 5,200m) above sea level and represents
the highest point not only in Armenia, but also in West Asia. The
southern frontiers of Armenia reach the lowland steppes of Syria and
Mesopotamia; to the north, they extend to the trench plains of South
Caucasia (Georgia and Azerbaijan) backed by the great wall of the
Toumanoff, 1966:593; Redgate, 2000:2−6, 18−24.
Strabo, XI, xiv, 1969:317−341. On the geography of Armenia according to
Strabo, see Syme, 1995:27−83.
3
The subsequent description of Armenia follows Hewsen, 1997:1−17.
1
2
This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the cc-by-nc License.
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chapter one
Caucasus mountain range which stretches between the Caspian and
Black Seas. Hewsen notes that the natural frontiers of the Armenian
plateau are clearly defined in the east, the north-west and the south,
while the borders in the west, the south-east and the north are
obscure.4 This point enables us to make an assumption that the
people inhabiting those frontier areas would have had reasons not
only to mingle with each other, but also to fight for possession and
control of these lands.
Scholars’ views differ on the origin of the Armenian people. Some
agree that the Armenians were not the original inhabitants of the
plateau.5 The predominant view is related to the migration of people,
particularly the Indo-European Hittites, to Transcaucasia and Asia
Minor at the beginning of the second millennium BC. According to
some historical and archaeological studies, they migrated into the
Armenian plateau, forming a federation of people known as the
Armens. This version of the Armenians’ origin is suggested by Russell,
who through linguistic research into the other inhabitants of the
Armenian plateau, such as the Phrygians, Persians, Babylonians, etc.,
proposes that the people who moved from far south-eastern Europe
into Anatolia became the Armenians.6 However, according to another
hypothesis, which suggests no mass migration, it is considered that
the proto-Armenians were the native inhabitants of this territory
situated on the highlands of the Anatolian plateau between the Black
and the Caspian Seas. This recent account of the Armenians’ origin,
though having its supporters, has not gained wide approval.7
However, the common outcome of both hypotheses is that by the
development of bronze in the Middle East, the Armenian people
ended up inhabiting the region around the Biblical Mount Ararat.8
From the middle of the second millennium BC to the thirteenth
century AD, the Armenian plateau lay at the crossroads of rival
Hewsen, 1997:2.
Ibid., 2.
6
Russell, 1997:19−24.
7
Ibid., 24.
8
Mount Ararat, towering over the great river valleys of Araxes (Armenia), Lake
Van (in present day Turkey) and Lake Urumiah (in present day Iran) has the status
of a holy site to the Armenians. One of the six major Armenian rivers, the Araxes,
watering the vast Ararat plain and passing through many of the great cities of Armenian antiquity, has played a considerable part in the national life of the Armenians.
It is the only true river of modern Armenia and it has become, like Mount Ararat, a
national symbol to the Armenian people.
4
5
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empires: Assyrian, Median, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sasanian, Arab,
Seljuk and Mongol to the south and east, and Seleucid, Roman,
Byzantine and Crusader to the west.
The migration of Turks to Asia Minor that occurred between the
eleventh and fifteenth centuries also directly involved a change in the
policy, demography and economy of the Armenian people who populated vast areas across that region. From ca. 1016 onwards, most of
the Armenian highlands underwent several invasions of various
Turkic speaking people from different regimes.9
The growing Georgian military power in the late eleventh century
established temporary supremacy in eastern Asia Minor. Georgia was
transformed into a powerful pan-Caucasian empire.10 (see Map 1).
During the reign of David the Builder (1089−1125), the Armenian
territories of Loŕi, Agarak, the Kiurikian holdings, eastern Gugark,
western Utik, Gag, Kavazin, Kayan, Terunakan, Norberd, Tavush
and many others were freed of nomadic Turkomans by the Georgian
army from 1110−1123.11 Ani was taken in 1123.12 Several noble
Armenian families, joining the Georgian army, participated in the
liberation of their country from the Turks.13 During the reigns of
Demetrē I (1125−1155) and Georgi III (1156−1184), the Georgian
conquest continued, when the Armenian lords of the Zakʿarian
(Mkhrgrtseli), Orbelian (Orbeli), and Artsruni (Mankaberdeli) were
brought within the ruling structure of the country. When the
Georgian Bagratids achieved their apogee under Queen Tamar
(1184−1213), the Armenian Zakʿarid brothers Zakʿarē and Iwanē
were appointed as the commanders of the Armeno-Georgian armies.14
In the first decades of the thirteenth century, north-eastern
Armenia was under the rule of the Zakʿarid family. The land was
received by the Zakʿarids as the reward from the Georgian crown for
their military service.15 Although the Zakʿarids paid tributes to the
Georgian court, Armenian economic and cultural life reached new
heights.16 The lands of Loŕi, Ani, Aragatsotn, Bagrewand, Tsaghkotn,
Kogovit, Surmari and other north-western territories were under the
Cahen, 1968:27, 32−50.
Toumanoff, 1966:623.
11
Babayan, 1976:525.
12
Bedrosian, 1997:251.
13
Ibid., 88.
14
Step’annos Orbelian, 1910:391−392; Kirakos Gandzaketsʿi, 1961:162−163.
15
Babayan, 1976:541−542.
16
Bedrosian, 1997:253, 255.
9
10
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chapter one
jurisdiction of the amirspasalar (commander-in-chief) Zakʿarē and
his son Shahnshah. Subject to the Zakʿarid House were the families
of the Vachutians, Pahlavunis, Mamikoneans, Artsrunids and
others.17
The eastern areas Bjni, Gegharkʿunikʿ, Vayotsʿ-Dzor, most of
Artsakh, Siwnikʿ, Nakhichevan, Dwin and Erevan were under the
jurisdiction of the atabeg (atabek) Iwanē Zakʿarian and his son Awag.
First Dwin and later Bjni were centres of this division. The subjects
of Iwanē’s family were the Orbelians, Khaghbakians, Dopians, HasanJalalians and others (see Map 4).18 The representatives of these major
Armenian families entered into direct contact with the Mongols in
order to retain their conquered lands, the discussion of which follows
in next chapters.
The Armenians in Cilician Armenia
In the history of the Armenian people, the Cilician period is defined
principally through the actions of two Armenian families, the
Ŕubenids and the Hetʿumids;19 by the political union with Byzantium
and the Catholic Church; and by the involvement in the Frankish
Crusades.
Geographically, the area was surrounded by three mountain
ranges: the Taurus Mountains, the Anti-Taurus Mountains and the
Amanus Mountains (see Map 2).20 Topographically, it consisted of
two distinctive regions: The one, Cilicia Pedias, a fertile plain bounded
by the Taurus and Anti-Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean
Sea, and the other, Cilicia Tracheia, a stony, rugged region that
stretched to the west. The Taurus Mountains, reaching heights of
about 11,500 feet (3,500m) separated Cilicia from Cappadocia and
were a natural means of defending the land from the north and the
west. In particular, the mountains protected the land from neighbouring countries, and the main entry from the Taurus Mountains
was by the Cilician Gates, a long and narrow pass leading to the city
of Tarsus. Through this Gate, Alexander the Great, as well as the
17
18
19
20
Babayan, 1976:543.
Stepʿannos Orbelian, 1910:397; Babayan, 1976:546−550.
On the Pahlawunis (ca. 1071−ca. 1149), see Dédéyan, 1996:169−173.
The geographical description of the terrain follows Mikaelean, 1952:5−14.
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Crusaders, entered Asia Minor.21 Abū al-Fidā’, an Arabic geographer,
writing in the fourteenth century, comments that the kingdom of
Little [Cilician] Armenia is called the Bilād Sīs, the northern frontier
of which stretches from Balīs besides the Euphrates to Tarsus and
the Mediterranean Sea.22 Access to the Mediterranean Sea in the
south was the potential advantage of this location.
In medieval European historiography, this land was called Ermenie,
Armenia or Lesser Armenia, causing some confusion in the naming
of different states of Armenia.23 In order to differentiate Cilicia of
the eleventh to fourteenth centuries from Lesser Armenia, which
existed from the first century BC to the south and south-west of
Pontus, modern historians refer to Cilicia as the Armenian Kingdom
of Cilicia. In this work, Cilician Armenia stands for the territory of
the Armenian Principality (1080−1199) and the Armenian Kingdom
of Cilicia (1199−1375; see Map 2). Contemporary Armenian historians referred to Cilicia (Kilikia) also as Ashkharh Kilikioy (Cilician
Land), or Ashkharh Kiliketswots (Land of the Cilicians)24 or Koghmank‘ Kiliketswots (Country of Cilicians).25
Over the centuries, Greeks, Arabs and Jews populated the region.
The Byzantine Emperor Justinian II (685−695), due to the threat
from the rapid spread of Islam and as a measure of defence against
it, started to implement a policy of relocation of the native population and their mass transfer deeper into the empire.26
Among the earliest Armenian settlers in Lambron (Cilicia) was
Oshin from the House of Het‘um, as well as Baron Gogh Vasil (Basil
the Robber) and many other noblemen.27 When the Seljuk Sultan
Mikaelean, 1952:11.
Abu-l Fidā, quoted in Le Strange, 1890:27.
23
RHC/DA, 1869. The term Lesser Armenia has denoted either Armenia Minor
since the third century BC or the provinces of Armenia west of Euphrates, which,
after the administrative reorganisations of the Roman Emperor Justinian I
(527−565), were named as Armenia I and Armenia II (see Hewsen, 2001, 1997:1−17.
24
Smbat Sparapet, 1869:610, 667.
25
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:27, 354.
26
Byzantine policy encouraged the emigration of the Armenians from their
main lands to the western part of the Euphrates. This flow continued during the
Arab invasion (from the seventh to the ninth centuries) as well as the Seljukid incursion (eleventh century), when the repressive taxes levied by new governors caused
massive Armenian immigration into Cilicia (Der Nersessian, 1962:631).
27
The Armenian lieutenant Gogh Vasil inherited Raban and Kesun upon the
death of Philaretus in 1092. He also held Hŕomklay for a time (Der Nersessian,
1962:632).
21
22
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Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantine emperor in the battle of Manzikert
in 1071, the Armenians, especially the chieftains, came to hold the
strategic fortresses and, consequently, positions of dominance in
Cilicia.28 In other words, an Armenian Principality emerged in this
territory, which was under the control of the two main Armenian
families already mentioned, the Ŕubenids and the Het‘umids. The
conflict between two princely families over each others’ territories
troubled the Catholicos Gregory III (1113−1166), who, after his failure to reunite them, sought refuge in Hŕomklay (Qal’at ar-Rūm)
where later, in 1151, the See of the Cilician Armenian Catholicos was
transferred.29
On the eve of the Mongol conquest, the prosperous and powerful
reign of Lewon II (1187−1219), known as King Leon (Leo I) the
Magnificent (r. 1199−1219)30 promoted the economic development
of Cilicia through several trade routes: Syria-Konya-Constantinople;
Tabriz-Marash-the Mediterranean; and the Persian Gulf-SyriaCilicia, which converged towards the Cilician ports of Ayas (Lajazzo),
Korikos and Tarsus.31
His reign was continued by the joint rule of his daughter Zabel
(Isabel) and Het‘um I (1226−1269), the son of Kostandin of Lambron,
finally bringing the two contending Ŕubenid and Het‘umid families
into an alliance.32 The period of Het‘um’s rule marked a golden age
in Cilician Armenia. He strengthened the Armenians’ ties with the
Frankish states, especially with the Kingdom of Cyprus and the
Principality of Antioch through family marriages.33 Nevertheless,
peace was relative. Het‘um faced problems on his eastern frontiers.
The Mongol expedition approached Asia Minor.
Bournoutian, 1997:276.
Hŕomklay was offered to Gregory by Beatrice, the wife of Joscelin II, Count of
Edessa / Courtenay (d. 1159), who was imprisoned by the Turks. Later, Gregory
purchased it from his son, Joscelin III (1159− 1200) for 15,000 dahekans (Der
Nersessian, 1973(I):338.
30
Der Nersessian, 1973(I):340.
31
Toumanoff, 1966:633.
32
Zabel, Queen of Armenia (1219−1252), Lewon’s daughter from his second
marriage to Sybille Lusignan of Cyprus.
33
Burger, 1988:xvi.
28
29
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37
The Mongols
According to archaeological discoveries, the vast steppes of the
Mongolian plateau have been populated since 800,000 BC.34 The
Mongol, Turkic and Tungusic pastoral tribes made this plateau their
homeland, which lay between the northern edge of the Tien Shan
and the southern end of the Altai Mountain range. The Mongolian
plateau is divided into taiga forest in the north, steppes and river
valleys, which stretch from west to east, and the desert area in the
south. The excessive heat of the Gobi desert in summer and the bitter
wind from Siberia in winter made the Mongol tribes settle and master the steppes or the grassy plains that were located between the
mountain ranges, where the Onon, Orkhon, Tuul and Kherulen rivers flowed. The development of herding in Mongolia dates from 2000
BC, long before the construction of the Great Wall in China (ca. 209
BC) that was used to protect the Chinese border from the nomadic
peoples that swept across the region.35
From ancient times, various peoples have inhabited the territory
of modern Mongolia, before or besides the Mongols proper. The
earliest kingdoms were the Xiongnu (Hsiung-nu /Hun /Hunnu) (209
BC−93 AD),36 the Xianbis (Hsien-pi) (the first to the third centuries),37
the Jujan or Juan-Juan Empire (the fourth and fifth centuries) and
the Turkic Khanate (the sixth to the seventh centuries) with its centre
in the Orkhon valley.38 In 745, the Turkic Khanate was replaced by
the Uighurs. The capital of the Uighur Khanate was Qara-Balgasun
or Ordu Baliq on the right bank of the Orkhon River. Uighur Khan
Peilo (d. 756) and his heir Moyun-Chur (746−759) sat on the throne
in 747 and succeeded in expanding his territories from the Altai
Mountains in the west to the Khingans in the east, from the Gobi in
Tseveendorj, 2003:57−66.
Barfield, 1989:20−24, 28−30.
36
On Huns, see Maenchen-Helfen, 1973; Thompson, 1996. Much later, when
the northern branch of Huns broke into four groups, the very last remnants of Huns
travelled to the far west and became known to Europeans. Their notorious leader
Attila (AD 406−453) caused terror in Europe and created an ephemeral state in Central Europe, which collapsed after his death (Shirendyb, 1966:82).
37
While Xianbis absorbed some Huns, the southern Huns moved to China and
Central Asia (Shirendyb, 1966:82). More on steppe pastoralism and the interactions
of steppe empires with neighbouring Chinese dynasties in late BC and early AD in
Barfield, 1989:20−24, 32−45, 85−101, 120−127.
38
Shirendyb, 1966:88. On early steppe Empires and their relations with China,
see Barfield, 1989:20−97, 120−127.
34
35
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chapter one
the south to the Sayan Mountains in the north.39 The economy of the
Uighurs was based on animal husbandry, hunting as well as agriculture, since some of them practised a sedentary lifestyle. Those who
were settled were also engaged in the construction of buildings.40 The
outstanding achievement of both the Uighurs and the Mongols was
the adoption of a script based on the Sogdian alphabet, which was
derived from Aramaic.41 Although the Uighurs were Buddhists,
through the transmission of Sogdian culture, Manichaeism was
declared the state religion in 763. At the end of the tenth century,
Nestorian Christianity entered Uighuria. Nevertheless, the majority
of the Uighurs practised Shamanism.42 In 840, the Yenisei Kyrgyz
tribes took the Uighur capital and expelled the native population.
Some of the Uighurs fled to Western Turkestan and Dzungaria, some
were absorbed by the Kyrkyzs, while others fled to Manchuria.43
The empires of Kyrgyzs (in the ninth century) and Kidans (Khitans,
during the tenth and eleventh centuries) were the masters of the
steppe until their role passed to many other Turkic and Mongol pastoral tribes of the Mongolian plateau of the twelfth century. Among
these tribes the Naimans, Keraits, Merkits and Tatars were the most
powerful. Mention must be made of the Oirats, Taiji’uts, Onggirats,
Jalayirs, Onguts, Besuts and many others who were amalgamated
into the Yeke Monggol Ulus (the Great Mongol State) in 1206. The
man who led this nation to victory was Teműjin (Temuchin) of the
Borjigin obogh (clan, tribe), better known by the title Chinggis Khan
(r. 1206−1227).44 The representatives of these tribes made a great
impact on the history of the Mongols and the Mongol Empire and
for that reason, where it is possible, I give the tribes’ names along
with the names of the Mongols stated in this work.
Shirendyb, 1966:92−93.
Ibid., 94; Morgan, 1990:44−48.
41
Before the invention of the Uighur script, the Uighurs used the Orkhon script
(Shirendyb, 1966:95).
42
Okladnikov, 1983:116.
43
Shirendyb, 1966:93.
44
Teműjin means the smith and the most popular explanation for his title as
Chinggis Khan is that it stands for the Oceanic Khan or Universal Ruler. Another
explanation for this name is that it derives from the Mongolian word ‘chinga’
(strong, solid, powerful) to mean unbeatable and firm (cf. Tsevel, 1966:823; Lessing,
1973:189). The etymology and meaning of Chinggis is still a subject of dispute. For
the various explanations of Chinggis, see De Rachewiltz, 1989:281−298.
39
40
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a background of the armenians and mongols
39
With the assistance of his relatives and friends, Chinggis Khan
was able to build up a disciplined army that expanded a steppe confederation into a world empire. The great achievement of Chinggis
Khan in uniting the Mongol steppe tribes under one rule was dictated
by his instinctive sense of survival, in terms of both politics and
economics. For the most part, the union was the result of the emerging need to develop a nomadic infrastructure throughout the Inner
Asian plateau. In addition, there was a power vacuum in most lands
conquered by the Mongols. China was disunited and relatively weak
due to the internecine strife between the Chin (Jin) and Sung dynasties.45 Central Asia was fragmented into several khanates and citystates. In the Middle East, the ʿAbbasid dynasty that had ruled from
Baghdad for five centuries was in decline. Russia was also disunited
and fragmented. All of these areas suffered from a lack of centralised
control, which was exploited by the Mongols.
The Yeke Monggol Ulus was the largest contiguous land empire at
its apogee in the mid-thirteenth century (see Map 3). After Chinggis
Khan’s death in 1227, the conquered territories were ruled by his
sons, by his senior wife Börte and by his grandsons. These territories
later became autonomous separate Mongol Uluses (States). The Ulus
of Jochi (1237−1357), later known as the Golden Horde (Altan Ordyn
Ulus) or Qipchak Khanate (1243−1502) was the inheritance of
Chinggis Khan’s eldest son Jochi and grandson Batu. It included at
its peak most of European Russia from the Urals to the Carpathian
Mountains, with its southern borders on the Black Sea and its key
base in the Pontic and Caspian steppe and its capital at Sarai.46 The
Chaghatai Ulus or Chaghatai Khanate (1224−1678) formed the inherited territories of the second son of Chinggis Khan, Chaghatai, who
controlled Transoxiana or most of what is now Central Asia. The
Il-Khanate (1256−1353) that included Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Asia
Minor and the Caucasus was ruled by the offspring of Tolui Khan,
the youngest son of Chinggis. The Toluid Qubilai (Kublai) Khan
(1260−1294) declared Mongol rule in China in 1271, which became
known as the Yűan Empire or the Yűan Dynasty that lasted until
Morgan, 1990:50−51.
In the Quriltai (Great Assembly) of 1235, it was decided to launch an expedition to Russia and Eastern Europe. In 1236, Batu started his conquest of Russia. The
Golden Horde ruled over Russia from 1243 to 1480.
45
46
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chapter one
1368 and expanded into Korea, Japan, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam
and Java (Indonesia).47
According to Morgan, ‘the major difference between the Mongols
and previous conquerors is that no other nomadic empire had succeeded in holding both the Inner Asian steppe and the neighbouring
sedentary lands simultaneously.’48 It is always challenging to understand how the Mongols were able to establish the largest land empire
in world history with a population of about two million,49 when
China alone had a population of a hundred million.50
The Mongols’ intention to create a world empire was driven by
their successful campaigns for expansion.51 Ratchnevsky, analysing
Chinggis Khan’s actions, indicates that there were prevailing political
and military reasons.52 Scholars agree that each of Chinggis Khan’s
decrees to launch expeditions was based on specific circumstances,
such as the assault on his diplomatic missions, trade disputes or the
breakdown of agreements.53 Nevertheless, Chinggis Khan was vengeful, taking revenge on the Taiji’uts, the Tatars and the Tangquts.54
Verbal insults against the Mongols by Gűrbesű, the Queen of the
Naimans, were avenged.55 However, Chinggis Khan and his descendants launched attacks only after giving full warning of their intention.56 Mongol war techniques and tactics were surely connected to
military organisation, and scholars agree that during sieges, the
Mongols mastered the art of raiding independently several surrounding cities and places so that the rumours of terror would shock the
entire population; this was true of Mongol tactics in Greater Armenia
47
Qubilai’s election in May 1260 was contested by his brother Arïgh Böke, who
was proclaimed the Great Khan in June 1260 (Rossabi, 1988:53, 136).
48
Morgan, 1986:5.
49
Saishiyal, 1987(I):564−565. During the time of Chinggis Khan, the population
of the eastern steppe, modern Mongolia, was somewhere between 700,000 and
1,000,000 (Allsen, 2001:5).
50
The population of China in the Sung and Chin periods was over 100 million
(Langlois, 1981:20). No steppe power had ever fought against Chinese dynasties so
persistently, like the Mongols (Barfield, 1989:198).
51
Ratchnevsky, 1991:160.
52
Ibid., 121.
53
Allsen, 2001:17; Ratchnevsky, 1991:170;
54
MNT, 2004:37(§148−149), 39(§153−154), 84(§249).
55
Ibid., 54(§189).
56
Ratchnevsky, 1991:129−130.
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41
as well. Chinggis Khan used terror as a strategic weapon. Purposeful
terror with fewer losses was as useful as siege-craft.57
Chinggis Khan, who, according to Fletcher, after reaching a certain
level of power, deviated from the ‘supratribal’ ruler,58 established the
institution of loyalty through three important ties: anda, the tie of
sworn brotherhood; khuda (quda), the tie of marriage; and nöker,
the tie of friendship.59 This institution proved itself and worked as a
basic concept to recruit people when he needed reliable support.
Organising a military decimal system, where the units were divided
into tens, hundreds and thousands, increasing up to ten thousands
(tűmens), Chinggis Khan broke the patriarchal tribal clan (obog) network, intermixing the tribes under 95 elite commanders.60 These
commanders were appointed from different social strata: tribal chiefs,
humble herdsmen and even vassal members. The most faithful followers and nökers (friends) formed the kheshig (kesig),61 the imperial
guard, recruited from across tribal boundaries, which became a
‘nursery of the new Empire’s ruling class.’62
When Chinggis Khan set up the administration of his Empire, it
bordered with the Chin Empire to the southeast, the Tangqut kingdom of Hsi-Hsia to the south-west and the kingdom of Qara-Khitai
(Liao) to the west.63 These neighbours sought to destroy this newlyemerged kingdom, while it was still weak, so Chinggis decided to
launch a pre-emptive strike. The weakest of them was the kingdom
of Hsi-Hsia, and it was the first to experience Mongol attacks. The
invasion of the Chin Empire followed. Learning that Western Liao
planned to attack him, Chinggis Khan turned his attention to QaraKhitai in 1218.64
This expansion brought the Mongols into direct contact with the
territory of the Khwārazm-Shāh, Qara-Khitai’s western neighbour.
Embassies were exchanged between the two rulers. In the same year,
Ratchnevsky, 1991:160; Hildinger, 1997:128.
Fletcher, 1986:20.
59
MNT, 2004:17(§92−93), 21(§105), 26(§118), 45−46(§170−171), 78−79(§238),
66(§203).
60
Ibid., 74−75(§220−225).
61
Ibid., 55(§191), 75(§226). On Kheshig in Iran, see Melville, 2006a:135−163.
62
Morgan, 1986:90.
63
The Chin Empire was located in northern China, with its capital at Peking
(Beijing); the Kingdom of Tangqut lay in the upper reaches of the Yellow River,
ruled by a people of Tibetan origin.
64
MNT, 2004:85−86(§250−253).
57
58
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chapter one
1218, a great caravan of Muslim merchants with about 500 camels
loaded with gold, silver, Chinese silk, sables and other goods was
sent to Khwārazm-Shāh by Chinggis Khan. Accompanying them were
several Mongols sent on a special mission to the Khwārazm-Shāh’s
court. The local governor of Utrār, the border city in Khwārazmian
territory, massacred the travellers, which was the direct cause of the
Mongols’ advance into Central Asia and further into the Middle
East.65 The Mongols penetrated Transoxiana, Afghanistan and
Khurasan. The Mongol generals Sűbedei and Jebe then pursued the
Khwārazm-Shāh westwards, bringing the Mongols to Armenia in
1220.
65
Barthold, 1977:397−398.
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mongol noyans in greater armenia
43
CHAPTER TWO
MONGOL NOYANS IN GREATER ARMENIA 12201245
The Mongols entered the Caucasus only at the beginning of the thirteenth century after their occupation of territories in Central Asia
and defeat of the Khwārazmia.1 By that time, the Mongols were hardly
known to the region including the Armenians; Armenia was not on
the Mongols’ list of priorities either. The political circumstances of
Armenia on the eve of the Mongol conquest embodied different powers in different regions. Thus, the Seljuks (Saljuqs) of Rūm had been
in power in the western part since the end of the twelfth century;2
the Georgian Bagratid dynasty ruled the northern and eastern parts
since 1089; and the political domination of the Ayyubids was still
functional in some parts of the south since 1208. Only some of the
southern territories were under the control of the Armenian ishkhans
(princes).3 Of these, the Tornikids/Mamikonians ruled in Sasun and
the Artsrunids in the districts of Mokk‘ and Rshtunik‘ in Vaspurakan.4
The First Mongols in the Lands of the Armenians
Greater Armenia stayed under Mongol lordship for more than one
hundred years, from 1220 to 1344.5 In his doctoral thesis on the
1
After the massacre of the merchants and of the Mongol Embassy, Chinggis
Khan sent his envoys to the Khwārazm-Shāh protesting at his deceitful action and
demanding the surrender of Īnālchik, the governor of Utrār, but his envoys were
killed by order of the Shāh, according to Nasawī, or were freed after their beards had
been shaved, according to Ibn al-Athīr (Barthold, 1977:399).
2
The first Seljuk Turks arrived in Caucasia probably in the late 1020s (Peacock,
2005:211).
3
For details, see the Introduction and Map 1. Cf. Hewsen, 2001:107–109.
4
Ter-Ghewondyan, 1955:85–96. Contemporary Armenian sources refer to the
lords as the ishkhans, the princes. To my knowledge in the sources, which were at my
disposal, there is no single reference claiming them as nakharars. There is disagreement among scholars about the duration of the nakharar system both as a concept
and as terminology; however, it is highly unlikely that the nakharar system, which
existed in Armenia from antiquity, lasted until the Mongol invasion (Adonts,
1970:183; Garsoïan in Hovannisian, 1997:150). Therefore, I use the term ishkhans for
princes and lords.
5
Manandian, 1952:244.
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chapter two
Turco-Mongol invasions of Armenia, R. Bedrosian analyses the
Mongol conquest of Armenia within a chain of co-related TurcoMongol incursions into Armenia that occurred at the beginning of
the thirteenth century, after the Seljuks, although he states that these
invasions were hardly coordinated.6 Overall, he identifies them as
‘invasion-migration.’7 Disagreeing with this view, which is more
relevant to the Seljuks, I have tried to analyse the actual size of the
Mongol army that invaded Armenia. It is difficult to assess the number of Mongols who came to Greater Armenia or their physical presence during the conquest. Without doubt, it fluctuated within the
limits of the nomadic army that included households, women and
children.8 It is also debatable as to whether these armies aimed to
settle in Armenia or to move forward following the conquest.
Therefore, this study examines the Mongol conquest of Greater
Armenia as a separate matter, excluding its connection with the conquests of Armenia by the Khwārazmians, by the Seljuks or by some
Turkomans later in the abovementioned period, but considering it
instead as an essential part of the Mongol conquest of the world.9
The Mongol occupation of Armenia proceeded in several wellcoordinated phases: scouting expeditions; initial allotment of
Armenian land under Mongol lordship; and the final invasion.
According to Armenian sources, the first Mongols emerged in
Armenia in 1220 (669 Arm.).10 The years given in Grigor Aknerts‘i
as 1214 (663 Arm.)11 and in Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i as 121112 are not
supported by any other sources and need to be considered as scribal
errors as they both describe the battle of Georgio-Armenian troops
against the Mongols near the river Kotman, which took place in the
Bedrosian, 1979:94.
Ibid., 64.
8
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:203. For the actual size of the Mongol armies, see
Turnbull, 1980:22–24. The whole Mongol population did not participate in actual
conquest, but only the army (Hildinger, 1997:11).
9
The invasion of the Caucasus by the Qipchak Turks in 1222 was not part of
the Mongol conquests. Defeated by the Mongols, they withdrew to the Caucasus. The
Khwārazm-Shāh Jalāl al-Dīn penetrated Armenian lands several times from 1225 to
ca. 1230, fleeing from the Mongols. However, it was rather a consequence than a part
of the Mongol conquests.
10
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:38; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:201; Vardan
Arevelts‘i, 1991:142.
11
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:22.
12
Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i, 1860:65.
6
7
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winter of 1220–1221.13 The most corroborated dates for this event
are recorded by Vardan Arevelts‘i (ca. 1200–1271) and by the anonymous author from Sebastia in his Chronicle. The latter states that, in
the year 669 Arm. (1220), 20,000 Tatars under Commander Sűbedei
came to the land of Gugark from Albania (Aghvank‘).14 The account
given in Kirakos Gandzakets‘i that the Mongols came to Albania
through the Derbent (Darband) Gates, is contradicted by the Muslim
sources of Ibn al-Athīr (1160-1233), al-Kāmil fi’l-ta’rīkh, and Rashīd
al-Dīn (ca. 645/1247–718/1318), Jāmiʿ al-Tawarīkh. According to
them, the Mongols more correctly came to Armenia from the direction of Tabriz through the Mughan (Mūghān) Steppe.15
The occupation of the lands of the Armenians was not a main
concern of the Mongols. If one follows the general scheme, it is obvious that the decision to launch a Mongol expedition was made at the
quriltai (assembly) or by the order of Chinggis Khan. From the
sources, it is understood that, in the year of the Hare (1219), in pursuit of ‘Alā’ al-Dīn Mu ammad Khwārazm-Shāh (r. 1200–1220),
Chinggis Khan sent General Jebe as a vanguard, Sűbedei as Jebe’s
rearguard and Toghachar (Toghuchar) as Sűbedei’s rearguard.16 It is
worth noting here the triple figure of commanders. Triplication was
one of important numbers in Mongol custom, especially in a military
context, and it meant coordination and a prudent approach.17 Three
persons were designed to act as one, hence 30 or 300 or even 30,000
persons, according to the decimal system of the nomadic army. The
Secret History of the Mongols has several sets of triples, like this set
of Jebe- Sűbedei-Toghachar, or Chormaghan- Ogotor- Mönqetű,
who will be mentioned later.
13
Kotman (Touz) is a river near the fortress of Terunakan (Manandian,
1952:183–184). The name of the place of battle is recorded differently in the Armenian sources; it is the river Kotman in Vardan Arevelts‘i, the river Kroman in
Step‘annos Episkopos and the plain of Kotman opposite the castle of Terunakan in
Grigor Aknerts‘i.
14
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:137. Aghvank‘ in the Armenian sources refers
to Caucasian Albania (Barkhutareants‘, 1902:9).
15
Ibn al-Athīr, 1940:140; Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1, part 2):227.
16
MNT, 2004:90(§257); Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1, part 2):209. On Jebe and
Sűbedei, see below, p. 54. Toghachar in Muslim sources is identified as Toghachar
Kűregen, a son-in-law of Chinggis Khan (Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:174; Nasawī, 1996:91).
Toghachar was from the noble Qongirat tribe, the male repressentatives of which
used to marry the girls of Chinggis Khan’s family (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952[Vol. 1, part
1]:162).
17
For the symbolic meanings of the number three, see Dulam, 1999:45–78.
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According to Rashīd al-Dīn’s narration of the Jāmiʿ al-Tawarīkh,
Chinggis Khan ordered the generals to return through Dasht-i
Qipchak (Qïpchak) and to join him in Mongolia only after the capture of Sultan Mu ammad.18 In fact, as a result of the Mongol siege,
the Khwārazmian Empire fell, causing its rulers to flee. Since
Mu ammad Khwārazm-Shāh had fled to a lonely island in the
Caspian Sea and died there in 1220 and his son Jalāl al-Dīn (1220–
1231) had fled to India in 1221,19 the Mongols, after passing through
Hamadan, withdrew to the Mughan plain.20
It is interesting to speculate why the main attention of these generals, who were sweeping across Iran, was suddenly focused on another
direction, towards Armenia and Georgia. Probably the severe winter
of 1220–1221 made Jebe and Sűbedei choose the Mughan plain as a
winter camping ground, which was found to be suitable for launching reconnoitring expeditions westwards, in which Armenia was
discovered by the Mongols for the very first time.
Therefore, it is important to note that the abovementioned expedition of the Mongols to Khwārazmian territory signified not only the
incursion of the Mongols into Western Asia, but also their emergence in the Caucasus. Through the Caucasus, they launched campaigns against the Qipchaks, Bulgars, Mordvins and the Bashkirs in
1229–1237. Then they devastated Rus’ [Russia] in 1238–1240 and
entered the territories of Eastern Europe in 1240–1242.21
In earlier literature relating to the Mongol conquest, the Mongols
were frequently represented as a monolithic barbarous force under
the name Tatars (Tartars). Actual study of the Mongol invasion of
Armenia reveals that, under the general name ‘the Mongols’ or ‘the
Tatars,’ there existed a range of individuals or groups of people representing different tribes at different times and thus different powers
pursuing different goals.
Armenian sources record the names of the first Mongols to appear
in Armenia as the generals Jebe and Sűbedei.22 Jebe, also known as
Jirgudai, was from the Besűt tribe.23 He was the one who resisted
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1, part 2):209.
For Jalāl al-Dīn’s conquest of Panjāb and Sind, see Jackson, 1990b:45–54.
20
According to an Arabic source, there was a cold winter and snow in Hamadān
(Ibn al-Athīr, 1940:137).
21
Buell, 1992:19; Jackson, 2005a:40.
22
ЕШъШм (Jap‘ai) in Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i, 1860:65; ЗШЩШЫШ (Sabada) in Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:240.
23
It is the Yisűt tribe in Rashīd al-Dīn, 2002:151.
18
19
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Teműjin24 in the fight in Khuiten (Köyitan) in 1202, shooting an
arrow from a mountain top and wounding Chinggis Khan. However,
in the Secret History, it is noted that Jebe wounded the so-called
‘yellow war-horse with the white mouth’ supposedly belonging to
Chinggis Khan.25 When Jirgudai later came to submit to the Khan
and confessed that it was he who had shot the arrow from the mountain top, Chinggis Khan valued his courage, accepted him as a man
worthy of being his companion and called him Jebe or ‘arrowhead.’26
In the quriltai of 1206 on the bank of the river Onon when Chinggis
Khan was proclaimed the Great Khan of all the Mongols, Jebe was
granted the title of Miangatyn Noyan or Commander of a Thousand.27
Ninety-five commanders were appointed that day. Among them was
Sűbedei, known as Sűbedei-Baghatur, who was from the Urianqat
tribe.28
After Toghachar was dismissed for disobeying orders,29 Jebe with
one tuman (tűmen/tūmān; ten thousand) soldiers and Sűbedei with
Teműjin was already honoured with the title Chinggis in 1189, after reaching
agreement with Altan, Quchar and Sacha-beki, the chiefs of the Mongol tribes
(MNT, 2004:28[§123]; SHM, 2001:100).
25
MNT, 2004:36(§147); SHM, 2001:121. The reference to the ‘yellow war-horse’
in MNT is more allegorical than representative, for according to Mongol custom, it
was taboo to address the Khan directly and here the white-mouthed horse is a symbolic representation of the Khan (MNT, 2004:35[§145]; SHM, 2001:118). It is supposed that because of this taboo, Rashīd al-Dīn later suggests in his version that Jebe
wounded the white horse, which was ridden by Burji Noyan, not by Chinggis Khan
himself (Rashīd al-Dīn 1952[Vol. 1, part 1]:194).
26
MNT, 2004:36, 90(§145, 257); SHM, 2001:118, 250. For types of arrowhead,
see MNT [military terms], 2004:246. In 1204, Jebe successfully fought Kűchlűg, a
Naiman refugee prince. In 1211, 1214 and 1231, he led the Mongol army against
China (MNT, 2004:266–267).
27
Jebe was a commander of the 48th thousand out of abovementioned 95 thousands. In 1211 and 1214, Jebe was sent to investigate China (MNT, 2004:266).
28
MNT, 2004:65(§202). Sabada Bahadur (ЗШЩШЫШм ϼШзШЫпщч) in Kirakos
Gandzakets‘i, 1961:204. Sűbedei was a commander of the 52nd thousand (MNT,
2004:267). He was a brother of Jelme, a commander of the 9th thousand (MNT,
2004:254); Jelme was a close friend of Teműjin [Chinggis Khan], who saved
Teműjin’s life three times, including during the incident in Khuiten (MNT,
2004:35(§145); SHM, 2001:98).
29
Toghachar disobeyed the order of Chinggis Khan to act peacefully as the rearguard of Jebe and Sűbedei in their reconnoitring expedition in 1219 and infringed on
the territories of Amīn Malik (Amīn al-Mulk, a cousin of a Qanglï Turk, malik of
Herāt; Boyle, 1968:318; Nasawī, 1996:215–216). Due to this, Chinggis Khan wished
to have Toghachar executed but forgave him and demoted him from his command
(MNT, 2004:90(§257); SHM, 2001:250). According to Rashīd al-Dīn, Togachar was
killed in battle by the highlanders of Ghūr soon after (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1,
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another tuman marched towards Arran/Arrān. On their way, they
met the Georgian and Armenian army and defeated them. Armenian
and Muslim sources do not name the location of this first Mongol
battle with the Caucasians. According to Rashīd al-Dīn and Ibn
al-Athīr, the Mongols defeated a Georgian army of 10,000 men (half
the size of the Mongol army) on a short reconnoitering expedition
and returned to Tabriz.30 According to Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, many
well-organised soldiers suddenly passed from Caucasian Albania to
Armenia putting to the sword ‘men and beasts.’ They came up to the
city of Tiflis and then they went to the borders of the city of Shamkor.31
The Muslim sources do not give the exact date of this military incident. Armenian sources say that this battle took place in December
1220 and January 1221.32 According to Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, after
this battle, Jebe and Sűbedei dwelt in a very safe place, known by the
Mongols as Beghamej, which was between the cities of Partaw
(Bardaʿa) and Bailakan (Bailaqān) in Arran.33 This they used as a base
from which to launch attacks.
According to the Muslim sources, Jebe and Sűbedei then besieged
Maragha, Hamadan, Nakhichevan, Ardabil, Sarab and Bailakan in
August–September 1221. Then Jebe and Sűbedei attacked the city of
Ganja (Gandzak), from where they went again to Georgia and
crushed the Georgians.34 Consulting the contemporary Armenian
sources, it becomes clear that the second and big battle occurred on
the plain of Khunan, according to Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, and on the
banks of the Kotman river, according to Vardan Arevelts‘i and
Step‘annos Episkopos.35 Manandian’s study shows that both the
Khunan valley and the river Kotman can be found along the banks
of the river Kur.36
part 2):220. As Nasawī and Juvaynī state, he was killed in battle by an arrow near
Nīshāpūr in November 1220 (Nasawī, 1996:93; Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:175).
30
Ibn al-Athīr, 1940:137; Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1, part 2):227.
31
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:201.
32
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:38; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:201; Vardan
Arevelts‘i, 1991:142.
33
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:202–203.
34
Ibn al-Athīr, 1940:137–142; Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1, part 2):227–229.
35
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:38; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:201; Vardan
Arevelts‘i, 1991:142.
36
Manandian, 1952:183. According to Hakobyan, Kotman is the right tributary
of the river Kur (Hakobyan, 1951:55). Galstyan states that it is the modern river
Touz, which passes through the fortress Terunakan (Galstyan, 1962:114[n. 81]).
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Thinking that the Mongols would stay in Arran until the Spring,
the Georgians began gathering an army, asking for help from the
governors of Azerbaijan (Āzarbāījān) and Khlat (Akhlāt)**,37 but Jebe
and Sűbedei did start their expedition to Georgia. They also had some
Turkish and Kurdish reinforcements.38 In the plain of Khunan, the
army of Lasha (r. 1213–1223), the Georgian king and Iwanē Zak‘arian,
the atabeg, met two tumans of the Mongol army.39 With 5,000 men,
Jebe set up an ambush while Sűbedei went forward with the rest of
the army. When the battle started, the Mongols used their old expedient of feigned retreat and the Georgians chased them up to the
river Kotman until Jebe’s sudden advance from the ambush ended
the battle.40 The king and Iwanē fled, leaving Prince Vahram Gagets‘i
to fight on the right flank.41 Having pursued the rest of the Georgian
army, the Mongols withdrew soon after.
It is worth mentioning here that Jebe and Sűbedei carried a cross
among their front line. This ruse is referred to in Western scholarship
in relation to King David’s army and Prester John.42 The Georgian
queen, Rusudan, and the atabeg, Iwanē Zak‘arian, must have been
confused to see a cross in the hands of the invaders. According to
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, false information had preceded the Mongols
that they were Christians who carried a portable tent-church and a
miracle-working cross and had come to avenge their fellow-Christians from the tyranny of the Muslims.43 The Armenians were not
ready to face the Mongols. A complaint about the Mongol invasion
was addressed to Pope Honorius III (1216–1227) by Iwanē and later
it was left to the queen to explain the reason why no precautions
Ibn al-Athīr, 1940:137.
Ibid., 138.
39
According to some sources, it was a Georgian army of 60,000 men (Step‘annos
Episkopos, 1951:39; Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:21).
40
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:203; Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1, part 2):228.
41
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:142.
42
In 1141, when the Seljuk Sultan Sanjar was defeated by a Qara Khitan
Emperor, it was believed that a Christian king called John, who was also an ordained
priest, existed in Central Asia. The Latin world wanted to believe in this legend and,
from the 1160s, circulated within Catholic Europe a Letter of Prester John, a forgery,
which was copied and translated into several languages during the next two or three
centuries (Jackson, 2005a:20–21). In 1221, when the Crusaders were in Egypt,
another legend spoke of the Mongols as the army of a mysterious David, the Christian King in India, who was on his way to aid the Crusaders (Morgan, 1990:178). On
various articles about Prester John, see Spuler, 1960:29; Beckingham and Hamilton,
1996; Morgan, 1996:159–167; Rachewiltz, 1971:30–40; Jackson, 1999a:711).
43
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:202.
37
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were taken.44 It is not clear whether the ‘cross’ idea was executed
deliberately as a consequence of good intelligence gathering, with the
intention of misleading the Armenians and Georgians, or whether
the Mongol front-line was composed of representatives of Nestorian
Christian tribes. However, as Jackson states, this strategy remained
one of the tactics of Mongol diplomacy and warfare.45
In 1222, when the Mongols returned to Armenia and Georgia,
their scouts found that the Georgians and Armenians were ready to
fight, so they decided not to wage war and went ‘somewhere else.’46
In fact, the troops of Jebe and Sűbedei went to the Gates of Derbent.47
On their way to Derbent, they besieged the city of Shamakha in
Shirvan. After many days of brave defence by the inhabitants, the
city fell to the Mongols.48 In 1223, after defeating the Russian troops
on the river Kalka, Jebe and Sűbedei departed to the east to join
Chinggis Khan.49 Their scouting expedition through Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Georgia and the Northern Caucasus to Russia was completed. The army of Jebe and Sűbedei did not stay in Armenia any
longer.50
The Advance of Chormaghan on Greater Armenia (1222−1242)
After the withdrawal of the Mongols from the Caucasus, the political
condition of the region was very tense. In 1222, the Qipchaks, pursued by the Mongols, crossed into Georgia, Shirvan and Arran. The
44
Mutafian, 1999:149; Jackson, 2005a:49. Reality showed that the Mongols were
not saviours of the Christians at all. This disappointment for the Armenians gave rise
to the idea that the Lord in his anger had roused the Mongols in order to rebuke
them (Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:20).
45
Ibid., 49.
46
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:142.
47
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:203.
48
Ibn al-Athīr, 1940:141.
49
The withdrawal from the Caucasus probably had to be sanctioned by Chinggis
Khan and approved by the quriltai (great assembly) of January/February 1221 which
was held near the river Benaket (Syr Darya) when Chinggis Khan decided to go back
to Mongolia (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952[Vol. 1, part 2]:226).
50
Afterwards, Sűbedei headed the expedition to North China in 1233 (Munkuev,
1965:66). He marched on Carpathia towards Hungary and Poland in 1241 (Liddell
Hart, 1927:22). Sűbedei died in 1248, when he was 72/73 years old (Yűan Shih,
Chapter 121, 1a–5a). Jebe probably died after 1231, when he was sent by Ögedei to
invade Northern China (MNT, 2004:95[§272]).
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Georgio-Armenian lords, after their defeat of the Qipchaks, continued their expeditions to the city of Gandzak and to Azerbaijan in
1222–1225.51 However, they faced another danger from Jalāl al-Dīn
Khwārazm-Shāh. In 1225, after his failure to find shelter in northern
India, Jalāl al-Dīn returned to Iran, taking part of Khuzistan and then
Azerbaijan (Maragha and Tabriz).52 Taking advantage of the situation
following the Georgians’ defeat by the Mongols, he also took the
cities of Dvin, Gandzak, Nakhichevan, Loŕi and Tiflis.53After a short
break, in 1226 he failed to capture Ani, Kars, Khlat and Manazkert
(Manzikert/Malāzgird).54
The next Mongol general to be sent in pursuit of Jalāl al-Dīn
Khwārazm-Shāh was Chormaghan (Chormaghun) (fl. 1218–1242).
Chormaghan came to Armenia as a conqueror after invading Turkistan and northern Iran. The lands he controlled in Iran and
Transcaucasia later paved the way for the Chinggisids to establish
the Il-Khanate in the 1250s. In the Secret History of the Mongols, he
was known as Chormaghan Qorchi (Quiver-bearer) of the Öteged
tribe,55 or of the Sunit tribe according to Rashīd al-Dīn.56
When Jochi, Chaghatai and Ögedei, the three eldest sons of
Chinggis Khan, joined the latter in |āliqān in 1221, after they brought
the Khwārazmian capital Gurganj into submission but failed to set
aside a share for Chinggis Khan, the latter condemned them.
Chormaghan Qorchi, along with two other qorchis, Qongqai and
Qongtaqar, supplicated Chinggis Khan as follows:
Like young falcons about to enter training, your sons are on the point
of learning how to go to war. Why then do you reprimand your sons
and constantly dishearten them? We fear that your sons, being afraid,
will neglect their thoughts. Our enemies extend from where the sun
sets to where it rises. When you incite us, your huge sheep-hounds
[generals], go out against the enemy, Heaven and Earth increase our
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:138; Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:142–143.
Ibn al-Athīr, 1940:153–155; Manandian, 1952:187.
53
Melikset-bek, 1936:52–53; Ibn al-Athir, 1940:158–159; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i,
1961:226. Gandzak city was plundered many times in 1225, first by the Georgians
(Ibn al-Athīr, 1940:151), followed by the Khwārazm-Shāh, pursued by the Mongols,
and later, in 1231, by Chormaghan (Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:144).
54
Manandian, 1952:190.
55
SHM, 2001:253. Qorchi is transcribed as йпщчрв (ghurchi) in Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:279.
56
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1, part 1):98.
51
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strength and our one wish is to bring you gold, silver, satin and other
goods, together with people and kinsmen. If you ask, ‘Which people?’
we reply that the presence of Caliph-sultan of the people of Baghdad
is reported in the west—let us go to war against him… He [Chinggis
Khan] sent Chormaghan to attack the Baghdad people and the Caliphsultan.57
From this account, it is apparent that firstly, Chormaghan was a
high-ranking commander very close to the great Khan, even able to
petition him, and secondly, that Chinggis Khan sent Chormaghan to
complete the conquest of north-western Iran. Since Chormaghan was
quite sure about the wealth of that region, one can speculate that he
had already participated in the expeditions to the Middle East and
knew the terrain and most likely was with Jebe and Sűbedei in their
first reconnoitering raid to the Caucasus.58
The fact that Chormaghan was sent to this region by Chinggis
Khan is confirmed by Grigor Aknerts‘i. In his narrative, he says that
Chormaghan departed from Armenia and went back to Chinggis
Khan, who approved his peaceful proposal to stay in the land of
Armenia and ‘gave Č’awrman his kindly wife Aylt‘ana Xat‘un [Altuna
Xatun] and dubbed him Č’awrmaghan.’59
Later, in 1229, Ögedei Khan (r. 1229–1241), who succeeded his
father as Great Khan, sent in 1229 another two commanders, Ogotor
and Mönqetű, as rearguards for Chormaghan while the latter was
campaigning against Jalāl al-Dīn.60 According to Juvaynī, Ögedei
dispatched armies to all the countries of the world and sent
Chormaghan with a number of amirs and 30,000 warriors to
MNT, 2004:91(§260); SHM, 2001:252.
The same conclusion has been reached by May, 1996:14.
59
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:25. Babayan argues that Chormaghan departed to meet
Ögedei Khan not Chinggis Khan, who died in 1227, and that Grigor Aknerts‘i mistook the names of the Mongol Khans (Babayan, 1969:144). In my opinion, his argument is not plausible, since the Secret History of the Mongols supports Grigor’s
statement (MNT, 2004:91[§260]; SHM, 2001:252). The event described by Grigor
Aknerts‘i does not suggest that it happened after 1227 and examples of Chinggis
Khan presenting a wife to his generals and vassals are found frequently in the Secret
History of the Mongols. Cleaves suggests that ghan / qan added to Chorman may be
used to indicate precisely the degree of affection and intimacy applied in the Armenian text. For names, see Cleaves, 1954:151, 132–175. Aylt‘ana (Altuna) Xatun or
Eltina Xatun (in Kirakos Gandzakets‘i) was a pro-Christian wife of Chormaghan
who held authority after her husband’s deafness in 1242 (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i,
1961:290).
60
MNT, 2004:147(§270); SHM, 2001:262. The set of triples applies in this case as
well.
57
58
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Khurasan (Khurāsān) and Iraq, where Sultan Jalāl al-Dīn was still
active.61 In September and October 1229, Jalāl al-Dīn Khwārazm-Shāh
took Khlat.62 Soon after retreating from the onslaught of Chormaghan,
Jalāl al-Dīn fled to Amida. He was probably killed there in 1231 by
local bandits.63 The most powerful opponent of the Mongols in this
region was thus eliminated.64
In 1230, three years after Chinggis Khan’s death, Azerbaijan was
already permanently reoccupied under Commander Chormaghan.65
He set up his camp with all its families, goods and herds in the fruitful and fertile plain of Mughan.66 Ögedei-Khan issued a decree that
Chormaghan should remain in that land as garrison commander.67
Azerbaijan was found to be a very suitable place to settle. Strategically,
it was important because of its pasturelands. Moreover, it was a
crossing point connecting Iran with Armenia and Georgia.
Mongol activity in the Caucasus, recorded in connection with
Chormaghan in 1231, started with the conquest of the city of
Gandzak. There is disagreement in Armenian sources over the date
of capture of the city of Gandzak by Chormaghan. Mkhit‘ar
Ayrivanets‘i says nothing about the capture of Gandzak. Grigor
Aknerts‘i states that it happened three years after the Kotman valley
battle (in 1224), which is less certain.68 Sebastats‘i says it happened
in 1229.69 Kirakos Gandzakets‘i does not give any precise date, stating
that, after the capture of the city the Mongols departed and a few
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:190.
Nasawī, 1996:240–243.
63
According to Vardan Arevelts‘i, Jalāl al-Dīn fled towards Amida (modern
Diyarbakir/Diyārbakr) and died there (Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:144). According to
Nasawī, Jalāl al-Dīn was captured in the mountains of Amida and was killed by the
Kurds (Nasawī, 1996:287).
64
At that time, Chormaghan occupied most of Iran above the 32nd parallel.
Chormaghan already controlled Khurasan, Mazandaran, Kirman, and Fars as well as
Ray, Qum and Hamadan. Isfahan held out until 1237 (May, 1996:23, 31).
65
Patton, 1991:52.
66
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:234–235.
67
As tamghachi, in MNT, 2004:96(§274); SHM, 2001:267. The Great Khan,
knowing that the land was said to be good and its possessions fine, ordered Chormaghan to send him each year yellow gold, gilt, naqut (gold brocade), brocades, damask, small pearls, large pearls, sleek Arab horses with long necks and legs, dull brown
work-horses, camels, small–humped camels, pack-mules and riding mules (MNT,
2004:96(§274); SHM, 2001:267. When Khurasan was subjugated, Ögedei-Khan was
told about the wrestlers of Khurasan and Iraq, and he sent a messenger to Chormaghan and ordered him to send one of them (Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:227).
68
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:21.
69
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:139.
61
62
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years after the destruction of Gandzak the Mongol army divided up
the lands of Armenia, Georgia and Albania by lots. He continues that
the city remained desolate for four years and then the Mongols
ordered the citizens to rebuild it.70 Based on Step‘annos Orbelian’s
Chronicles, Manandian argues that Gandzak was plundered by
Chormaghan in 1231.71 The most plausible year of 680 Arm. (1231)
is found in the Annals by Step‘annos Episkopos72 because the capture
of Gandzak happened after Chormaghan had disposed of the remnants of the Khwārazm-Shāh in 1231 and the great camp of Chormaghan was transferred to the city of Gandzak, which had previously
been devastated and afterwards restored.73
In Armenian sources, the name of the city of Gandzak is recorded
in two different ways, Gandzak and Gandzak-shahastan [shahristān].
Vardan Arevelts‘i and Sebastats‘i mention Gandzak-shahastan.74
According to Sebastats‘i, in 1229, ‘countless multitudes under the
leadership of Charmaghan entered Gandzak-shahastan, seized it and
brutally slaughtered the inhabitants, taking women and children into
captivity. Mystical pictures of their plunder appeared: the earth
cracked and black water came out; a poplar tree (ծառ մի սոսի)
called chandari, which was near the city turned around and stood
again as before; this has happened three times, then it fell and did
not stand any more.’75 A similar story is found in earlier work of
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, where he describes Gandzak as a city densely
populated with Iranians and a small number of Christians. He says
that before the Mongols arrived, ‘an extremely large poplar tree (ծառ
մի սօսի), chandari, had turned around three times; suddenly the
T‘at‘ars arrived and besieged the city of Gandzak with numerous war
machines from all sides for a week. After the capture they departed.’76
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:235–237.
Manandian, 1952:194.
72
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:40.
73
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:26.
74
Shahastan is an Armenian borrowing from Persian shahristān, large fortified
city (Sanjian, 1969:453). Patkanov claims that Gandzak-shahastan in Armenian
sources stands for the city of Tabriz, which is not relevant to our case (Patkanov,
1873:117(n.10). However, in Orbelian, Tabriz is called Davrezh shahastan
(Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:419). In Vardan Arevelts‘i the scribe mistook the year, in
1225, Gandzak was taken by Jalāl al-Dīn, not by Chormaghan (Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:138).
75
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:139. One assumes that this natural phenomenon was an allegorical prediction of disaster or calamity.
76
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:235–237.
70
71
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Armenian sources provide only scarce information about Chormaghan’s activities in the Caucasus from 1231 until 1236. One of the
Armenian colophons, dated 1231, states:
In this year appeared a nation called T‘at‘ar, [which] caused the Persian
king [Jalāl al-Dīn] to flee, who plundered the land of Persia and reached
the Mediterranean lands as far as the places Edessa and Samosat,
slaughtered many Turks, Kurds and Christians, and besieged many.77
Step‘annos Episkopos states that, in 680 Arm. (1232), the Mongols
entered Khlat and destroyed much.78 Kirakos Gandzakets‘i mentions
only the fact that the disorder in Armenia increased because
Commander Chormaghan had become deaf from his wounds. His
disability may explain why Chormaghan did not complete his task
of subduing the ‘people of Baghdad’ and the caliph, which was a
major reason for him to be sent to Western Asia by the order of
Chinggis Khan.79 However, from 1232 he was steadily approaching
to Greater Armenia. Until 1242, Chormaghan was in charge of all
affairs in the region. After his sickness, his wife, together with his
children, and officials, held authority in the region.80
The Mongol Noyans in the Land of the Armenians
As stated earlier, according to Juvaynī, Chormaghan came to the
region with an army of three tumans or 30,000 men.81 The number
of this detachment assumes that there were three main commanders
in charge of a tuman or 30 commanders in charge of every 1,000
soldiers, although it is not clear how many of them Chormaghan
placed in Armenia. However, it is fortunate that Armenian historians
provide some of the names of Mongol noyans (commanders) to
whom Armenian land was allotted in 1236. These noyans in a short,
one-year period conquered the northern and eastern parts of
Armenia, which were under the Georgian crown. According to contemporary Armenian sources, Georgian and Armenian lords chose
less destructive ways to resist the Mongols. The Georgian Queen
Rusudan (r. 1223–1245) was a witness to Chormaghan’s presence in
77
78
79
80
81
Mat‘evosyan, 1984:175.
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:40.
MNT, 2004:91(§260), 94(§270).
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:265.
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:190.
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the region. She and many lords of Georgia and Armenia fled to their
fortresses in fear of the Mongols.82 This withdrawal gave the Mongols
a chance to chase the fugitives using their own famous tactics:
Dividing districts up among themselves and conquering them one
by one. This implies that the Mongols knew the terrain well before
they conquered it.
Grigor Aknerts‘i records that ‘110 chieftains’ with winter residences in Mughan divided the country and that ‘thirteen chieftains
divided the countries of the Georgians and the Albanians, highland
and lowland, among themselves.’83 The main organiser of this conquest remained Chormaghan, who, at that time, had established himself on the shores of Lake Geghark‘unik‘ (Sevan).84 According to
contemporary Armenian sources, Chormaghan sent out his military
detachments under various noyans to capture the key fortresses of
the Armenian lords. Kirakos Gandzakets‘i gives extended accounts
of the Mongol noyans’ siege of the cities and fortresses one by one
and of the techniques they applied.85 The following includes descriptions of the Mongol noyans’ conquest of the Armenian lands according to their order of submission.
The lands of Awag Zak‘arian, the son of Iwanē, were taken by
Itughata Noyan from the Jalayir tribe, whose name is also given as
Tulata (Dolata).86 Awag Zak‘arian fled to his fortress Kayen along
with the people of the district. Itughata Noyan and his men blocked
the access to water of the fortress and commanded the ‘people to
come down and live among them,’ which was another technique
applied by the Mongols to force castles and their inhabitants to surrender.87 Kirakos Gandzakets‘i describes the way the inhabitants and
animals, cut off from the water supply, began to suffer from thirst
and the Mongol noyan gradually took their horses and all their livestock, which were valuable to the Mongols.88
The lands of Vahram Gagets‘i, a nephew of Iwanē’ Zak‘arian, consisting of the city of Shamkor, the fortresses of Tavush, Katsaret‘,
Terunakan, Ergavank‘, and the impregnable forts of Gavazin and
Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i, 1860:66.
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:26.
84
Ibid., 255.
85
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:241–243, 253–255, 258–261.
86
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1, part 1):98; Dolata Noyan, in Vardan Arevelts‘i,
1991:144.
87
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:255.
88
Ibid., 255.
82
83
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Gag89 fell to the lot of Molar Noyan, or probably Molghor Noyan,
who was from the Sunit tribe (see Map 4).90
The Mongols’ main tactic in taking the cities was to surround the
location or block the entrance to the city, as Molar Noyan did with
the city of Shamkor. The city was under the authority of Vahram and
his son Aghbugha, who were in Gardman at the time of the Mongol
siege and who refused to help the residents of Shamkor despite their
appeal. Moreover, Vahram ordered them not to resist. Molar Noyan
ordered his men to fill the trench that surrounded the city walls with
wood and branches so that they might easily climb onto the walls.
However, at night the citizens of Shamkor hurled down fire and
burned the brushwood. Seeing this, Molar ordered each soldier to
bring a load of soil and to throw it into the trench until it reached
the level of the wall.91 After the capture of Shamkor, Molar Noyan
attacked the Kiurikian Prince Vasak‘s fortress of Matsnaberd and
Nor Berd.92
The Zak‘arid city of Loŕi fell into the hands of Chaghatai Noyan
of the Arulat tribe.93 It is recorded in the sources that Chaghatai had
heard about the fortifications of Loŕi because Prince Shahnshah
Zak‘arian had kept his treasury there.94 Prince Shahnshah himself
fled westwards to Adjaria with his family, leaving the city under the
supervision of his father-in-law.95 After all his preparations, Chaghatai
Noyan ordered his men to dig at the base of the walls of the city until
they collapsed. This was another effective Mongol tactic for besieging
cities and fortresses. Chaghatai Noyan took the city and Shahnshah’s
treasure and he did the same to the cities of Dumanis, Shamshulde
and Tiflis.96
89
Ibid., 241, 263. On the Zak‘arid Princedoms, see Babayan, 1976:541–550. The
first cousin of Iwanē and Zak‘arē Zak‘arians, named also Zak‘arē, ruled lands in
Tawush, P‘aŕisos and Gardman. The centre of his realm was Gag fortress. This line
became known as Vahramean after Zak‘arē Gaghets‘i’s son, Vahram of Gag (Babayan, 1976:541).
90
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1):100.
91
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:241–242.
92
Ibid., 243; Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:144.
93
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1):100.
94
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:144; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:253.
95
Melikset-bek, 1936:54.
96
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:253–254.
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In the same way, the city of the Surb Mari (Holy/Blessed Mary)
fell under Qara Noyan or Ghara Baghatur from the Baarin/Sukanut
tribe.97 The city had been under the rule of Shahnshah [and Awag].98
The cities of Ani and Kars, the centres of Zak‘arid authority, were
looted and captured by Chormaghan, who used the catapults and
siege techniques in bringing down the fortresses.99
The same applied to the territories of Utik: Gardman, Charek (the
northern part of Artsakh), Getabak and Vardanashat (southern
Utik),100 fell into the hands of Ghatagha Noyan, who was perhaps
Ghadaqan Qorchi or Qatagan, a relative of Jebe, from the Besűt tribe.101
The lands of Khachen, namely the fortress of Khokhanaberd, fell
to Jukh-Bugha Noyan.102 He waged war against fortified places filled
with fugitives and the people of Prince Hasan Jalal, a nephew of
Zak‘arē and Iwanē, using a massive army with many siege machines
and weapons, enslaving or killing those he defeated.103
In almost all cases in which the Mongols undertook a siege, this
was followed by negotiations with the Armenian lords, requiring
them to submit in exchange for sparing their possessions, including
their lands and people. However, it was not always true that, after a
voluntary submission, the Mongols kept their promises, as happened
with the city of Kars. After learning what the Mongols had done to
Ani, the inhabitants of the city of Kars hastened to give the keys of
the city to them in the hope that they might be spared. Nevertheless,
the destiny of Kars was similar to that of Ani, though not because of
the booty that attracted the Mongols. Perhaps in order to discourage
densely populated cities from confronting and resisting in future, the
Mongols slaughtered the inhabitants, took some residents into captivity, and then ravaged and ruined the city.104 However, after the
Mongols had left the cities, the troops of the Sultan of Rūm, Ghiyāth
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1):189; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:260–261.
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:41.
99
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:258-59.
100
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:144.
101
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1):195; Ghadaghan Qorchi in Juvaynī/Boyle,
1997:590.
102
The origin of Jukh-Bugha is uncertain.
103
This information is not found in primary sources, but is mentioned in Chamchiants, 1789/1984:210.
104
This slaughter might have had the opposite effect, encouraging resistance or
revolt, because the population would be killed anyway.
97
98
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al-Dīn Kay Khusraw II (1237–1246), arrived and mercilessly led into
slavery those who had escaped the Mongols.105
On the whole, the Mongols took fortresses and cities without having to engage in large battles. The occupation of the Armenian lands
in general did not last long. The Armenian lords were clever enough
to show their loyalty to the conquerors and in this way did get back
their lands, as was the case with the Orbelians, who retained Siwnik‘
province106 which had fallen into the hands of Aslan (Arslan) Noyan.107
This happened in a very exclusive manner: In 1236, Elikum, the
eldest son of Liparit and one of the Siwnik‘ princes, fortified the
impregnable fortress of Hrashkaberd. Having found that it was
impossible to capture this fort, Aslan Noyan sent messengers to
negotiate with Elikum, saying that as he would not leave this land,
given him by God, ‘the sooner you and your family come out to us
the better and you will be rewarded.’ Elikum agreed with this proposal and asking for his safety to be assured, he went with many gifts
to Aslan Noyan. Seeing this, the Mongol commander received Elikum
with honour and, moreover, appointed him as a leader of his troops.
Aslan Noyan and Elikum subjugated all lands up to the city of Ani:
Vayots‘ Dzor, Eghegis up to Ereron, a village situated opposite Garni.
However, all these lands Aslan Noyan returned to Elikum saying that
‘both those taken by the sword and those purchased by gold are
equally the dominion of the people, now whatever place may be
taken by my sword will be your patrimony.’108 After that, these lands
came under the dominion of the house of the Orbelians.
Single or individual submissions by Armenian lords and their
direct negotiations with local Mongol governors made it easy for the
Mongols to divide and rule. However, this brought about a unique
situation where the land was formally under Mongol overlordship
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:260.
After the death of King Gregory IV (ca. 1105/1124–ca. 1166), the territories of
the kingdom of Siwnik‘ passed to the Muslims. Around 1200, Elikum I Orbelian
received the Siwnik‘ districts of Chahuk and Ernjak (Julfa) from the atabeg of Azerbaijan. Liparit, the son of Elikum was granted by the Georgian Queen T‘amar the
districts of Orotn (Vorotn) and Bargiwshat in addition to Hrashkaberd in Chahuk.
Elikum II (d. 1243) obtained from the Mongol noyan Aslan Vayots‘ Dzor and Egeis
in 1236. Elikum’s brother Smbat II (1243–1273) received from the Mongols Orotn,
Egegis, Vayots‘ Dzor, Urts, Vedi and other lands (Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:404;
Hewsen, 1975–1976:220–221; Grigoryan, 1990:65–69, 84–89).
107
According to Armenian and Muslim sources, the origin of Arslan is impossible to identify.
108
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:404.
105
106
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but was actually ruled by local Armenian lords. The forms of administrative institutions in Greater Armenia will be analysed in Chapter
Four.
To sum up, the course of 1236, the Mongol commanders conquered the Georgian territories of the Zak‘arids, along with the
regions of Geghark‘unik‘ (Sevan), Arts‘akh, Siwnik‘, Khachen, and
Utik‘; the cities of Ani, Kars, and Kayen; Shirvan with the city of
Shamakha; Arran with the cities of Gandzak (Ganja) and Shamkor;
Mughan and Azerbaijan (see Map 4). Thus, the Mongols’ conquest
of eastern and northern Armenia progressed either by force or by
negotiation and met with no major opposition.
The Final Mongol Conquest of Armenia by Baiju and Its Impact on
the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (1242−1245)
As was mentioned, the Mongols’ conquest of eastern and northern
Armenia progressed either by force or by negotiation and met with
no major opposition. From 1242 to 1245, the Mongols advanced
further to the west and south of Armenia. At the beginning of 691
Arm. (1242), because of his deafness, Chormaghan was replaced by
Baiju Noyan from the Yisűt/Besűt tribe.109 After Baiju had assumed
authority, he mustered troops from all of the peoples under his
dominion and went to the western part of Greater Armenia, which
at that time was under the dominion of the Sultan of Rūm, Ghiyāth
al-Dīn Kay Khusraw II (r. 1237–1246).110 In 1242/1243, Baiju first
besieged T‘eodupolis (Karin/Erzurum), erecting numerous catapults
and ordering his men to demolish the city walls.111 According to
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, he demolished the city walls and mercilessly
109
It is ϼШрпщ (Bach‘u) in Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:26; ϼШрпщйпщчрв (Bach‘ughurchi) in Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:279; and ϼШрШщ нпщвн (Bach‘aw nuin) in
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:147. Western travellers depicted his name as Baachu
(Rubruck in Komroff, 1989:200–201; Rubruck, 1990:263). Baiju was a relative of
Jebe; he was appointed as commander by Ögedei Khan and participated in the capture of Baghdad with Hűlegű (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952[Vol. 1, part 1]:99). Baiju is one of
the Mongol noyans with extensive references in Arabic, Seljuk, Persian and Armenian sources (Korobeinikov, 2002:126–129). In 1254, one of Baiju’s residences was
in the city of Kars (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:367). Baiju stayed as chief commander in Armenia until 1257 (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:374). Mamluk sources
say that Baiju was converted to Islam (Melville, 2009:51–101).
110
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:279; Manandian, 1952:219.
111
Grigor Aknerts‘i wrongly dates the siege of Karin by Baiju to 688 Arm. (1239).
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put everyone to the sword. Baiju’s army destroyed goods and property and set fire to the city in revenge for the perceived insult to the
Mongol ambassadors sent to demand a peaceful submission. At that
time, the city was densely populated by several different communities, Christians and Muslim.112 With regard to the Christians, it is
said that in the city there were many valuable Gospels written in
gold; the Mongols took the valuable ones and sold them cheaply to
the Christians amongst their troops, who then distributed them to
their own district churches and monasteries.113 The Armenian Princes
Awag, Shahnshah, Vahram’s son Aghbugha, and Dop‘i’s son Grigor
Khachenets‘i, ransomed from captivity as many men, women, children, bishops, priests and deacons as they could.114
After the two-month siege of Karin (Erzurum), the key to expansion to Asia Minor, Baiju destroyed many other districts under the
rule of the Sultan of Rūm and returned to Mughan with much booty.115
He spent the Winter at his base in Azerbaijan, but in the Spring of
1243, he returned to crush the forces of the Seljuk Sultan of Rūm,
Ghiyāth al-Dīn Kay Khusraw at Köse Dagh, near Erznka (Erzinjan/
Erzincan).116
The cause of this battle that occurred in June 1243, according to
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, was the boastful and threatening words of
Ghiyāth al-Dīn who said that next Summer the Sultan would come
over the Mughan plain with his women and soldiers to Winter there.117
When the Mongols heard this, after grazing their horses, they gradually gathered their troops and approached the camp of the Sultan,
which was near the village named Ch‘mankatuk or Köse Dagh.118 The
Sultan was there ‘with a countless multitude, with women and concubines, gold and silver’ and all his valuable possessions.119 He had
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:279.
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:28.
114
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:280.
115
Ibid., 280. Step‘annos Episkopos states that, after the capture of Karin, the
Mongols took with them many of the writings [manuscripts] and church ornaments
(Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:41).
116
Cahen, 1968:138.
117
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:281.
118
According to Armenian sources, the battle took place on a plain situated
between Karin (Erzurum) and Erznkay[n] (Erzinjan) (Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:29).
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i names the place Ch‘man-katuk, which Manandian believes is
the present
day village of Chimin, east of Erznka (Manandian, 1952:215). The place
(Bald Mountain or Köse Dagh) by Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946:33.
is called
119
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:281–283.
112
113
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appealed for reinforcements to his vassals and allies, the rulers of
Aleppo, Trebizond, Nicaea, Cilician Armenia and the ‘Frankish’ warriors and knights from the Crusader states. According to Het‘um,
the historian, the Sultan promised gifts to all.120 However, the Cilician
Armenian reinforcements delayed joining him and the Sultan went
without waiting for them.121 The delay was caused by the fact that
there was a disagreement among the Cilician Armenian lords about
this war.122 King Het‘um I had seen already that the Mongol army
was a far more serious opponent than the Seljuk sultan. The size of
the Sultan’s army was 160,000 men according to Grigor Aknerts‘i.123
Friar William of Rubruck gives a different number. In his journey
from Mongolia in 1254/1255, he passed through the valley in which
he says 200,000 men of the Sultan were defeated by the Tatar army
of 10,000.124 Het‘um, the historian, has 30,000 for the size of the Tatar
army for this incident.125
Although the Mongols were outnumbered, General Baiju divided
his soldiers, putting them under pre-eminent and brave commanders. To avoid treachery, he mingled the troops who were made up of
various nationalities. Then, selecting the most valiant and brave ones,
he organised a vanguard, which battled with the Sultan’s troops,
causing the Sultan to flee.126 If Kirakos attributes the success in Köse
Dagh to Baiju’s profound knowledge of warfare, Grigor Aknerts‘i
attributes the victory to the Georgio-Armenian army.127 According
to Āqsarā’ī, the cause of the Seljuks’ failure in Köse Dagh was disunity within the Sultanate.128 Ibn Bībī is in agreement with this; he
says that various discords and upheavals within the Seljuk state led
to the defeat.129 The Anonymous Seljuk author blames the Seljuk
sultan for his passivity and his amirs for their imperious advice,
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1842:38.
Cahen, 1968:137.
122
Ibid., 270.
123
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:29.
124
Rubruck in Komroff, 1989:205. The more reliable number for the Sultan’s
army is 80,000 and 30,000 for that of the Mongols; Rubruck, 1990:272.
125
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1842:38.
126
The Sultan escaped to Ankara seeking further assistance, while his mother,
wife and daughter sought refuge in Cilicia. Kay-Khusraw died in the winter of 1245–
1246 (Cahen, 1968:138, 271).
127
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:281–283; Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:29.
128
Āqsarā’ī, 1944:61–62.
129
Ibn Bībī, 1956:510–512; Melville, 2006b:158.
120
121
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which aided the Mongols’ triumph in Köse Dagh.130 The sources put
forward the advantages and disadvantages for the battle from their
own points of view.
After this victory at Köse Dagh, the Mongols under Baiju besieged
Caesarea (Kayseri/Qaysāriyya) in Cappadocia.131 Then they came to
Sebastia (Sivas); since the inhabitants had surrendered in advance,
coming out with gifts and presents, the people were spared, although
part of the city was looted. After conquering the city, the Mongols
set up overseers and left.132
The defeat of the Seljuks at Köse Dagh had important political
consequences for the history of Asia Minor.133 It was the turning
point which led to the submission of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rūm to
the Mongols.134 Baiju established himself as the representative of the
Great Khan in the lands of Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Syria, Rūm
and Western Iran.
By 1243, the major cities of central Asia Minor, Erznka, Melitene
and Divriği had also fallen to the Mongols. In 1244, Baiju started to
launch a number of raids on Ayyubid territory, as he moved south.
In 1245, Baiju Noyan captured Khlat, which was under the political
domination of the Ayyubids, and also Amida, Uŕha (Ruha/Edessa),
and Na!ībīn (Nisibis).135 After the submission of the Seljuk Sultanate
to the Mongols, Baiju held an important position among Mongol
representatives in West Asia. In May 1247, Baiju received an embassy
from Innocent IV (1243–1254) headed by the Dominican monk
Ascelin.136 According to the letter sent to Pope Innocent IV in July
1247, Baiju had a residence in Sisian, near Nakhichevan.137 In 1254,
Melville, 2006b:158.
When the inhabitants did not surrender, the Mongols took the cities forcibly
and put the populations to the sword, destroying whatever was in the cities and leaving them deserted (Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:147).
132
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:281–283; Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:147; for overseers, see Chapter 4.
133
Cahen, 1968:138.
134
In 642 H. (1244), the Seljuks issued a new coinage in Rūm to pay tribute
money to the Mongols (Kolbas, 2006:123).
135
In 694 Arm. (1245), the Mongols captured Khlat, and handed it over to
T‘amt‘a, the sister of Awag, who was a former ruler of the city after her marriage to
Ashrap‘ Melik (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:292–293). She was sent to the Mongol
Khan and stayed there for many years (Sebastats‘i in Galstyan, 1962:26).
136
Saint-Quentin, 1965:94–118.
137
Ibid., 115; Lupprian, 1981:190; Rubruck, 1990:31; Korobeinikov, 2002:126.
130
131
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one of his residences was in the city of Kars.138 Baiju stayed as chief
commander in Armenia until 1257.139 Later, in 1258, he participated
actively in the Mongol campaign against the caliph of Baghdad.140
By the middle of the thirteenth century, all of Greater Armenia
had fallen under the rule of the Mongol noyans. Further names of
Mongol noyans who were allotted Armenian lands are given by
Grigor Aknerts‘i, namely Khul/Xul, (who ‘called himself a brother
of God’), Balakhē, Tut‘ar, T‘agughar, Ghataghan, Bawraghan, Asut‘u
(who was the companion of the Khan), Chaghatai (who was surnamed Khan), Sanit‘ay, little Chaghatai, Asar, Xut‘t‘u, T‘ut‘tu,
Awgawtai, Xojay, Xurumchi, Xunan, T‘enal, and Angurag.141 Many
on this list are not found in other contemporary Armenian sources.
Since the names are mentioned briefly, it is difficult to identify who
was whom, although Awgawtai, Xojay, Xurumchi, Angurag and
many others might have been well-known people in Mongol and
Muslim sources. Yet another spelling of Ghataghan as Ghada-khan
who raided the city of Khamakh in 705 Arm. (1256) is found in
Sebastats‘i.142 Step‘annos Episkopos mentions the same Ghada-khan
who destroyed the city of Erznka in 706 Arm. (1257).143 In his
Chronicles, the seventeenth-century author David Baghishets‘i gives
the names of Իսկրար (Iskrar) Noyan and Ղուտուն (Ghutun)
Noyan, together with Chormaghan.144 It is worth noting that a
Mongol noyan Eljigidei is mentioned by Kirakos only once as ԵլչիԳադա (Elch‘i-Gada), whilst he talks about the revolt against Möngke
Khan by the Mongol princes. It implies that the Mongol commander
Eljigidei (Eljigidai)145 was not well known to the Armenians. Eljigidei,
who had previously participated with Chinggis Khan in his expedition to Tangqut and China, was ordered by Gűyűk Khan (1246–1248)
138
139
101.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:367.
Ibid., 374. On Baiju’s activities in Anatolia after 1257, see Melville, 2009:51–
For the Mongol conquest of Baghdad, see Chapter 5.
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:26, 38.
142
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:142.
143
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1962:35.
144
Davit‘ Baghishets‘i, 1956:346.
145
According to Rashīd al-Dīn, there was a Mongol commander called Eljigidei,
who was from Jalayir tribe and who was sent to Iran with instructions to assume
supreme command in demolishing the Muslim forts, beginning with the Ismāʿīlīs
(Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1):95, 1960:120, 1996:50, 570. For Eljigideis, two Mongol
generals, see Jackson, 1998a:366–367.
140
141
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to replace Baiju.146 Gűyűk appointed Eljigidei as his representative
in the west, responsible for Anatolia, Georgia, Armenia, Aleppo and
Mosul. He was dispatched to head the reinforcements for the Mongol
armies already stationed there, so that the local rulers would be
directly answerable to him for their tribute.147 However, his name is
known initially from his message sent to Louis IX (1226–1270) in
1248, in which he wished success for the Crusade and gave assurance
of protection for Christians under Mongol rule.148 While he was on
the road to Iran, Eljigidei received news of the death of Gűyűk Khan
and stayed where he was to see who would take the throne. Möngke
Khan (1251–1259) was enthroned with the assistance of Batu Khan
(d. 1255), the son of Jochi (d. 1227).149 According to Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, learning that Eljigidei was among the rebel princes who were
against his enthronement, Möngke Khan ordered Eljigidei to be sent
to him. Eljigidei was seized and killed because among the rebel noyans were his two sons.150
In Cilician Armenia, the advance of the Mongol armies on the
Sultanate of Rūm was watched with due care. Once the Mongols
reached Erznka, a city close to the boundary of Cilicia, they destroyed
it cruelly in revenge for the residents’ resistance;151 the Armenian
King Het‘um I made a decision that greatly aided Cilician Armenia.
On the one hand, he faced possible problems from Rome, as the
papacy questioned the legitimacy of his marriage and insisted on his
formal submission to the Roman Catholic Church.152 On the other
hand, Iconium (Konya) and the Egyptian Sultanate waged war
against the Near Eastern Crusader states and threatened to attack
small Cilicia as the next target.153 Besides that, Het‘um was aware of
Greater Armenia’s devastation at the hands of the Mongols, because
thousands of Armenians had fled to Cilicia from Greater Armenia
MNT, 2004:305.
Melville, 2009:51–101.
148
Jackson, 1998a:336, 1999:713–714. The envoys of Eljigidei claimed that Eljigidei and Gűyűk Khan were Christians. The letter was forwarded to Louis’ mother,
Queen Blanche in France, who in her turn forwarded it to the English King Henry III
(1216–1272) (Jackson, 2005a:98–99).
149
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:357.
150
MNT, 2004:305.
151
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:147. According to Sebastats‘i, Erznka was captured
once by the Mongols in 1231 (Galstyan, 1962:24).
152
Bundy, 1987:227.
153
Der Nersessian, 1969:49.
146
147
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in order to escape the Mongol savagery.154 Similarly, he also learned
that Georgia had been spared after the Georgian king’s submission
to the Mongols. Therefore, there were two options open to Het‘um:
Either he could choose an alliance with the papacy, which was in
conflict with the national religious interest of the Armenians, or form
an alliance with the Mongols before they overran his land. Both
options were risky but the Armenian nobles and clergy supported
Het‘um’s decision of voluntary submission to the Mongols.155 This
was the most important event of the reign of Het‘um I. He ruled
Cilician Armenia for 44 years, the longest reign of any Cilician king.
His brother Smbat Sparapet (Constable) and his father Baron
Kostandin (Constantine), who lived for many years during his son’s
reign, played a great part in King Het‘um’s success. His own people
respected Het‘um as a wise monarch.156 Unlike his Western allies,
Het‘um did not waste time, but shrewdly analysed the shift in world
and regional politics.157 At this time, the world experienced the fall
of the Chin dynasty of the northern China and annexation of Korea
(1231–1234) to the Mongols; the occupation of northern Iran (1230–
1233); the conquest of central Russia (1237–1239); and the invasion
of Ukraine, Poland and Hungary (1241). Now, the Mongols had
overrun Anatolia. Het‘um sought an alliance with the Mongols,
understanding the necessity of establishing a new strategy to balance
the Cilician position. He must have realised that by fostering a
friendship with his immediate aggressor he could resist the neighbouring Muslim states and safeguard his relationship with the
Catholics. Without delay, he sent his delegation, headed by Baron
Kostandin, to Caesarea in 1243, in order to open negotiations with
Baiju and Altuna-khatun, the wife of the late Chormaghan.158
Factors that Impacted the Mongol Conquest of Armenia
It is obvious that the lack of centralised power in the territory of
Armenia attracted the Mongols, who were driven at that time by the
imperial ideology of world conquest. Greater Armenia was found to
154
155
156
157
158
Galstyan, 1976:30.
Bundy, 1987:227.
Burger in Het‘um, 1988:xvi.
Boase, 1978:25; Burger in Het‘um, 1988:xvii.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:285. For the negotiations, see Chapter 3.
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be on the crossroads connecting Iran with Anatolia and the Caucasus
with the Russian steppes. Besides that, the Arran and Mughan fertile
plain was just nearby and was used by the Mongols as a safe place
to retreat to and from which to launch new campaigns. Therefore,
from the strategic point of view, Greater Armenia was chosen as an
important location to hold. Mongol scouting expeditions found
Armenia a suitable place from which to mount campaigns not only
into Georgia, but also into Anatolia, which was accomplished in
1243, bringing the Seljuk Sultanate of Rūm into submission. Armenia,
as part of the region, was now incorporated into the Mongol Empire.
The attachment of Armenia to the Mongol Empire was brought
about by conquering Armenian strongholds one by one, as the ishkhans took refuge in their fortresses. Pursuing the Armenian lords,
the Mongol noyans brought them into submission either by the
sword or through negotiation. The success of the invasion can be
studied from various perspectives. Politically, the very passive rule
of the Georgian Queen Rusudan and the absence of a unified defence
policy for the country contributed to the victory of the Mongols in
Armenia.
In practice, the Mongols’ adoption of certain models of military
tactics achieved success in the case of Greater Armenia as well.159 The
target for attack was discussed carefully and sufficient time was allocated to preparing men and horses, as happened with Baiju before
his march to Köse Dagh. The timing of expeditions was always related
to the animals’ grazing season, since the core of the Mongol army
consisted of cavalry. Attacks on small citadels preceded attacks on
key or big cities and fortresses, as in case of Molar Noyan in Armenia.
The population of occupied lands was used as a supporting labour
force or a home guard that reinforced the Mongol infantry, as was
the case in Armenia, and these home guards participated in
Chormaghan’s and later in Baiju’s conquests.160 Often, they were used
as ‘human arrow shields’ and for handling the most dangerous war
vehicles.161 Military weapons used by the Mongols were more
This general pattern for battles was applied in Central Asia and southern Russia (Vernadsky, 2001:122–126).
160
A local or domestic army was always in the vanguard, such as Awag’s detachment used by Chormaghan to take Ani and Kars. Later on, Armenian and Georgian
troops under Commander Baiju were placed in the front lines in the battle of
Ch‘mankatuk (Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:29).
161
Koh Byong-ik, 1969:154.
159
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advanced than their opponents, especially for besieging fortresses.162
The mobility of the lightly-armed Mongol army was a crucial factor
in defeating its more heavily-armed opponents.163
Psychologically, the Armenians were not ready to face the Mongols.
As Kirakos Gandzakets‘i states, the Armenians’ hopes for the Mongols
to be the avengers of the Christians from the tyranny of the Turks
turned out to be false.164 Realising that the new enemy was unbeatable, they decided that God had given the Mongols power and the
only way that was left for the Armenians was to reconcile themselves
to this and to be obedient.165
With the advance of the Mongols on non-Mongol territories, a
system of conquest emerged. As Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, Grigor
Aknerts‘i and other contemporary Armenian sources indicate,
Armenian lands were divided by the Mongols into lots during their
conquests. This partition can be analysed from several viewpoints:
Firstly, it was a part of the Mongols’ military tactics, by which they
safeguarded not only mobility for themselves, but resisted their
opponents’ consolidation. Secondly, as the sources indicate, the division was informal. The Armenian lords retained their occupied lands,
a fact that allows one to state that Mongol rule in Greater Armenia
from 1236 to 1243 resulted in almost no change in the lifestyle of
Caucasian Armenians.166 The method of land division that occurred
in the earlier stages of Mongol expansion may be explained also by
the nomadic mindset of the steppe people, in which the concept of
maintaining the conquered land and its people had not yet been
developed. At this stage, the Mongols sustained supremacy over their
conquered lands in a passive way, rather than with direct rule. In our
case, the existing indigenous system of Armenian rule was preserved
at the local level but was taken under Mongol lordship.167 This ‘indirect rule’ relates to the third point of view, in which the Mongols
162
For more on Mongol siege machines, see Kennedy, 2002:132–136; Kirpichnikov, 1976.
163
Liddell Hart, 1927:32.
164
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:202. For Prester John, see Morgan, 1996:159–170;
Jackson, 1997:425–432. For ‘King David’ or the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, see Jackson, 2001a:93–105, 2005:143.
165
Ibid., 23.
166
Bedrosian, 1979:116.
167
The category of territorial ruling among the Mongol noyans was applied also
in the Chaghatai Khanate and in the Ulus of Jochi /Golden Horde (Koh Byong-ik,
1969:157).
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considered the conquered territories in general as their personal possessions.168 Regardless of this notion, the Mongol penetration of
Greater Armenia was a ‘conquest’ and by no means a ‘migration’ as
Bedrosian indicates.
This system of personal territorial possession is particularly illustrated in the case of Greater Armenia before 1256; there was a direct
relationship between the Armenian lords and the Mongol noyans.
Early Mongol commanders exercised great freedom in acting and
making decisions regarding local matters. Each had autonomous
power in their respective areas that perfectly served the Armenian
lords.
Tracing the names of the Mongol chieftains who conquered
Armenia, I found that none of them was from the Chinggisid dynasty
or the Borjigid tribe. This fact was taken into account later when
Prince Hűlegű of the Chinggisid lineage was sent to Iran, and Armenia was incorporated as part of the Il-Khanate.
168
Schurmann, 1956:305.
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strategic submissions by the armenians
71
CHAPTER THREE
STRATEGIC SUBMISSIONS BY THE ARMENIANS
By examining the establishment of the Mongol protectorate in nonMongol lands, one can see that a conventional set of demands was
made for newly-conquered peoples or lands. These demands included
the local king’s or lord’s personal presentation at the Mongol court;
the delivery of hostages, usually sons of the nobility; the provision
of armed forces; the submission of household registers and payment
of taxes; and the provision of stations (yams) for the Mongol governors. The first of these requirements, the personal visits of Armenian
lords to the Mongol court represents the most interesting matter
along with their policy towards the new reality of the Mongol presence in their lands between 1236 and 1256 and their individual and
collective decisions to ally with the Mongols making explicit use of
this cooperation. Conflicts that existed among the Armenian princes
which led to local revolts against the Mongol regime and the Georgian
crown in 1245 and 1259–1261, did not hinder the actual factors to
facilitate a Mongol-Armenian alliance.
Individual Submissions and Contacts of Greater Armenian Princes
with the Mongol Khans and Il-Khans
During and after the completion of the Mongol conquest of the
Caucasus, some of the Georgio-Armenian princes, recognising the
authority of the Mongols, decided to support the Mongol regime and
in this way to secure their rights and lands. One of the key decisions
of the lords, either on Mongol demand or on a voluntary basis, was
to visit the Mongol Great Khans. This factor is identified by Dr.
Bedrosian as one of the methods of the ‘de-nakhararisation’ of
Greater Armenia, by which the Mongols aimed in various ways to
remove powerful men from the Caucasus.1 This statement is debatable, firstly because the process of ‘de-nakhararisation’ had been
1
Bedrosian, 1979:195.
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started before the Mongols’ arrival.2 Secondly, it only reflects external
factors of the process; in my opinion, there was an internal factor as
well. Apart from being required by the Mongol overlords, the travels
of the Armenian lords to Mongolia also aimed to resolve personal
or local matters and the far-reaching result of these journeys was to
remove their own potential Georgian or Armenian competitors from
the political arena, an aim which perfectly suited Mongol policy.
Awag (d. 1250), the son of Iwanē Zak‘arian (d. 1234), was the first
Caucasian noble to submit to the Mongols. Kirakos Gandzakets‘i
gives a detailed account of how this happened.3 In 1236, Awag, seeing
that the Mongols continued to besiege his stronghold, Kayen, even
after taking his daughter and gifts, sent one of Khachen’s nobles,
Grigor called Tghay to meet the Mongol leader Chormaghan, who
was camped at the time by the shores of Lake Geghark‘unik‘ (Sevan).
When the great Commander Chormaghan heard about Awag’s intention to submit, he ordered his troops to stop besieging the fortress.
Soon after, Awag was received by Chormaghan. An interesting conversation between Awag and Chormaghan followed, which can be
interpreted from different angles. I am interested in seeing how the
interaction between the conqueror and his subject proceeded. The
Mongol commander asked Awag why he had not come earlier, when
he crossed the borders of his land. Awag replied:
That time you were remote, my father was alive and he served you [the
Mongols] in all ways, and since he has died, I will serve you according
to my ability, and now, as you have come to my land, here I come to
you.4
As has been said previously, Awag’s father Atabeg Iwanē Zak‘arian
faced the Mongol advance into Armenia. He fought against Jebe and
Sűbedei. There is no record in contemporary Armenian sources of
the exact relationship between Iwanē Zak‘arian and the Mongols;
however, Awag’s answer shows that his father had already given service to the Mongols. Chormaghan told a proverb to Awag: ‘I came
to the dormer window, you did not come. I came to the door, behold,
you have come.’5 This proverb is associated with a famous Mongolian
saying, sűkh dalaital űher amrakh (the cow rests until the axe swings),
2
3
4
5
Adonts, 1970:183.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:254–257.
Ibid., 256. Iwanē Zak‘arian died in 1234 (Manandian, 1952:410).
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:256.
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which means ‘to rest until real danger comes.’ When the Mongol
commander ordered a meal in Awag’s honour, he sat the latter below
all his nobles. Awag was offered a large quantity of meat ‘both from
clean and unclean animals’ and khmuzs (kumis), fermented mare’s
milk, but Awag said that the Christians were not accustomed to eat
such food or to drink such a beverage; they ate meat from permitted
animals and drank wine.6 Therefore, Chormaghan gave an order to
bring what he requested. The next day, Awag was seated above many
nobles, and day after day, he was honoured more and more until he
sat among the ranks of the great lords.7
The plausibility of this conversation is contentious, but surely,
Kirakos wants to highlight the pride and bravery of the Armenian
prince and the details of his submission. Referring to the customs of
the Mongols and Armenians, Kirakos tries to engage with the cultures of both sides and thus to show the diversity of the people coming into contact for the first time. We can assume that the Mongol
recognition of Armenian nobility by the Mongols was a very important start in the relationship between conqueror and subject. Perhaps
the way Awag was received by the Mongols had a significant influence on the other lords’ decision-making.
Indeed, Awag Zak‘arian was the first Caucasian lord to exemplify
individual submission to the Mongols. This act secured Awag’s land.8
He obtained a status of invulnerability for all his dominions and
established a strong friendship with Chormaghan. In return, Awag
was obliged to take his troops with him to march against the city of
Ani and to participate in the conquest of the west [Asia Minor].9
After the escape of Queen Rusudan to Swanetia out of fear of the
Mongols, Awag became the most influential figure at the Georgian
royal court.10 He was de facto ruler of Armenia, and the Mongol
administrators sent him to the Great Khan. The exact date of Awag’s
6
Ibid., 256. Friar William of Rubruck gave the same answer to the Mongol
host’s offer, namely that the Christians do not drink kumis, and that once they had
drunk it they would renounce their Christian faith (Rubruck in Komroff, 1989:77).
The same answer was given by al-Kāmil Mu ammad, the Ayyubid ruler of Mayyāfāriqīn to Mönkge Khan (Jūzjānī, 1970:1266).
7
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:254–257.
8
Ibid., 257.
9
Awag participated in Baiju’s conquest (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:280).
10
Ibid., 238. Queen Rusudan, being under constant pressure from the Mongols,
took poison voluntarily and left a will entrusting the kingdom to Awag Zak‘arian
(Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:316).
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journey to Mongolia is not known, although he paid this visit before
the replacement of Chormaghan by Baiju, presumably in 1240/1241.
According to Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, Awag himself was happy to make
this journey so that his visit would help the situation in his country.11
In fact, the Great Khan, presumably Ögedei Khan, received the
prince with affection, gave him a Mongol wife and sent him home.12
It is worth mentioning that the practice of giving vassals a Mongol
girl in marriage was exercised extensively by Chinggis Khan and his
successors.13 However, to my knowledge, there are no records in the
Armenian historical annals or church council documents about the
regulation of Mongol-Armenian marriages. In view of the fact that
the children of such marriages were baptised, one can conclude that
these mixed marriages were accepted by the Armenian Church.14
After his return from the Mongol court, Awag restored his lordship over his dominion. Nevertheless, in 1245, with increasing anarchy caused by tax collectors, as Kirakos Ganzakets‘i testifies, Awag
fled to Queen Rusudan, who was still living in a fortress. The Mongols
considered this action as rebellion, so Awag wrote a letter to the
Khan explaining that his action was not a revolt, but that he was only
escaping from disorder. A messenger called Tonghus-aqa came from
Gűyűk Khan to Awag with proof of his immunity. In return, Awag
was obliged to convince the Queen to submit voluntarily to the Great
Khan.15 However, Queen Rusudan died in 1245 before this order
came; Awag himself died in 1250.16
Awag’s submission had a domino effect on the other lords. The
Armenian princes, such as Shahnshah (d. 1261), the son of Zak‘arē,
Vahram Gagets‘i (fl. 1240–1250) and his son Aghbugha, and Hasan
Jalal, the prince of Khachen, all followed his example in 1236.
On seeing that the other lords retained their lands, the Armenian
princes of the Orbelian, Pŕoshian, Dop‘ian, Vach‘utian and Jalalian
houses aimed to cooperate with Mongol administrators in order to
retain their principalities, which had been under the suzerainty of
Ibid., 262.
Ibid., 263.
13
MNT, 2004:78(§235), 79(§238–239).
14
Vasil Tatar, the son of Smbat Sparapet by his Mongol wife, was baptised and
knighted in 1265 and was a general-in-chief of the Cilician Armenians (Smbat Sparapet in Der Nerssessian, 1973:373–374).
15
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:266.
16
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:148; Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:140.
11
12
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the Zak‘arids during the previous century.17 It was understood that
they could regain their own land from the Mongol commanders, as
mentioned in the previous chapter concerning a deal between Elikum
Orbelian and Aslan Noyan.18 This desire of the Armenian lords was
welcomed by the Mongols who gave them enchű (injű) status, that
of the Khan’s personally-owned people, which in Orbelian’s History
of the Siwnik‘ Province is interpreted as տէրունի (tēruni) or lordly.19
Although this status meant that the Mongols imposed some direct
obligations on these lords, it did give the latter, who had previously
allied with the Georgian King, and their lands some privileges, such
as immunity in terms of tax and sovereignty vis-à-vis the Mongols.
The outcome of this act brought about the detachment of ties they
had formed earlier, for the princes started to alter their attachment
to the Georgian King, allying themselves with the Mongols.
This was true as well for Hasan Jalal Dawla (d. 1261) of the
Khachen province, the next Armenian noble to support the Mongols.
Receiving honour and trust from the Mongols, Hasan Jalal arranged
his own affairs in practice. According to the Armenian source, he
was the one who supported the Mongol elchis, or messengers, and
did whatever was possible for them, whether this meant providing
food or horses.20 Perhaps because of this, or because he exercised
some privileges in arranging his own and Mongol affairs, Amir
Arghun (d. 1275/1277), the administrator of Mongol taxation, dis-
17
Hovsep‘ean, 1928:16–17. Iwanē Zak‘arian granted the Orbelian house the
lands in eastern Vayots‘ Dzor, in Kotayk‘, Geghark‘unik‘ and Kayen in 1184
(Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:397). In the 1210s, the Pŕosians or Khaghbakeans helped
the Zak‘arians in the re-conquest of Vayots‘ Dzor, Bjni and Dvin (Dwin). As a
reward, they were given lands in western Vayots‘ Dzor, Shahapunik‘, Varazhnunik‘
and parts of Kotayk and Ayrarat. The head of the Vach‘uteants‘ family, Vach‘ē was a
loyal follower of Zak‘arē who gave him all the districts of Aragatsotn, Shirak, Nig and
Anberd as far as Eraskhadzor. Iwanē’s sister Dop‘i married Hasan, the prince of
Arts‘akh in eastern Armenia, receiving a large area on the southern shore of Lake
Sevan and the district Sot‘k in Siwnik‘. They were known as Dop‘ians’. Another sister
of Iwanē married Vakht‘ang, the lord of Khachen province; the house took on the
name of Jalalians after Hasan Jalal (Babayan, 1976:546–550).
18
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:402–403.
19
Ibid., 409; For enchű/injű, see Scherbak, 1997:194; cf. Doerfer, 1963(Vol.
1):220–225. The etymology of enchű is Mongolian emčű, which means a private
property (Lessing, 1973:635). Shiraiwa suggests that injű/ īnjū is Persianised form of
the Mongolian emčű and Rashīd al-Dīn gave the term three meanings, namely ‘personal property,’ ‘crown land’ and ‘immediate vassal’ (Shiraiwa, 1988:371–376).
20
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:269, 284.
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liked him and treated him harshly.21 In 1251, in order to escape from
Amir Arghun, Hasan Jalal paid a visit to Sartakh (r. 1255–1256) of
the Golden Horde.22 Sartakh took Hasan Jalal to his father, Batu
Khan (r. 1205–1255), who returned to Hasan Jalal his patrimony of
Ch‘araberd, Akanay and Karkaŕn, which previously the Seljuks and
the Georgians had taken from him.23 Using his close relationship
with Sartakh, he succeeded in separating Khachen from Georgia and
the Zak‘arid Princes, as reflected in his title. Armenian inscriptions
of Mama-Khatun, the daughter of Hasan, in Gandzasar, dated 1280
and 1286, mention his name as ‘Prince of Princes, the Lord of
Khachen.’ In the inscription of Amaghu-Noravank‘, dated 1292,
Mina-Khatun, the other daughter of Hasan, refers to her father as
‘Great King.’24
In 1255, when Sartakh went to visit Möngke the Great Khan,
Hasan Jalal joined him with his family, as is mentioned in the colophons of a Gospel in 1261.25 He was granted enchű status by Möngke
Khan in 1255. In return, he was obliged to perform military service
every year.26 His position was secured by the marriage of his daughter
to Bora Noyan, the son of Chormaghan.27 However, his daughter’s
marriage could not guarantee his life. In 1261, because of his failure
to pay tax to the Mongols, and mainly because he had lost the protection of Sartakh who died in 1256, Hasan Jalal was tortured and
killed by Amir Arghun in Qazvin.28
Another prince to whom Möngke Khan granted enchű status was
Smbat Orbelian of the Siwnik‘ province, who visited Qara-Qorum in
1251/1252. He went there to secure his land from Gontsa, the wife
of the late Awag, who had infringed on his territory. In the narration
Ibid., 373.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:358. This was a master stroke of Hasan Jalal, to use
the conflict between two Mongol powers in Iran and Russia. The Caucasus became
an occasional arena of conflicts between the Il-Khanate and the Golden Horde from
1261 until 1266.
23
Ibid., 1961:359.
24
Orbeli, 1963:158; CIA, 1982:80.
25
Mathevosyan, note 258, pp. 311–312; Orbeli, 1963:155–156, 163 (note 26).
26
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:269. Hasan Jalal had already participated with
Baiju in the battle of Ch‘man-katuk (Köse Dagh) between the Seljuks of Rūm and the
Mongols in 1243 (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:283–284).
27
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:391.
28
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:152. Hasan Jalal’s son At‘abek brought his father’s
body to be buried in Jalal’s ancestral cemetery at Gandzasar monastery (Kirakos
Gandzakets‘i, 1961:390–391).
21
22
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strategic submissions by the armenians
77
of his journey written by Step‘annos Orbelian, Smbat, in return for
a valuable precious stone (a ruby) presented to the Great Khan,
retained the lands of Vorotan up to the boundaries of Borotna and
Bghen, within which the Siwnik‘ court of Tat‘ew was located. Besides
this, he received Eghegis with the district of Vayots‘ Dzor; P‘oghahanos; Urts, Vēdi with the valley of Ererawn, and many villages in
Kotaik and Geghark‘uni.29
Just before the vital shift of Mongol power from Baiju to Hűlegű
in Greater Armenia, Smbat Orbelian secured sovereignty over his
dominions from the Zak‘arid suzerains and the Georgian king by his
second journey to Möngke Khan in 1256.30 The independence of the
Orbelian prince was reflected in his title as ‘King Smbat‘ in the
inscription in Noravank in 1275.31 Smbat remained an important
vassal of the Mongols in the time of the Il-Khans. He was sent by
Hűlegű Khan (r. 1256–1265), the first Mongol Il-Khan, to Ala Taq
(Daŕn Dasht) to assist the latter in building a large royal palace.32
Having support from Hűlegű Khan to implement his political
goals, Smbat Orbelian encountered a serious opponent, Sadun
Artsruni /Mankaberdeli (d. 1284), the atabeg and army commander
of Awag. Seeing that Smbat possessed strong ambition, Sadun
Artsruni decided to support Gontsa, the wife of the late Awag, who
later married the Georgian King David (r. 1259–1270).33 While Smbat
was in Qara-Qorum, Sadun replaced him as the guardian of Khoshak,34
the daughter of Awag and Gontsa, according to an anonymous
Georgian source of the thirteenth century, and he was consequently
recognised by the Georgian Court.35 Thus, Sadun became an influential figure in the political arena. Later, he was also recognised and
honoured by Hűlegű when he defeated the most valiant Mongol
wrestler.36 The wrestling match at the Mongol Court was perhaps
equivalent to the Christian knights’ jousting tournaments. Being a
successful wrestler in the ring meant being a good warrior in the
field. Therefore, according to Grigor’s perception, Sadun’s victory
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:411.
Ibid., 414.
31
Kostaneants‘, 1913:118; Grigoryan, 1990:72, 75.
32
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:415.
33
Melikset-bek, 1936:58.
34
The names of Khoshak and Sadun, the atabeg, are found in the inscription of
the church of the Mother of God in Noratus (Avagyan, 1978:277).
35
Melikset-bek, 1936:58.
36
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:49.
29
30
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impressed the Mongols. This may serve as another example of an
Armenian historian’s insights into the development of MongolArmenian relations, as well as may illustrate Armenian lords’ internal
rivalry.
When Abaqa Khan (r. 1265–1282) succeeded to the Il-Khanid
throne, Sadun befriended Shams al-Dīn Juvaynī, the āib-dīvān
(executed in 1284), whom Khoshak, Sadun’s protégée, married in
1269.37 After Hűlegű’s death, Smbat Orbelian lost his influential role
in the political life of Armenia and Sadun became the favourite of
Abaqa Khan. Moreover, he strengthened his position as atabeg of
Georgia.38 The cities of Kars, Telavi and Bailaqan were separated from
royal Georgian control and given to Sadun Artsruni.39
In order to re-establish the Orbelian House’s authority, a brother
of Smbat, Tarsaich, showed his loyalty to Abaqa Khan by participating many times in his battles.40 On becoming regent in 1270, Tarsaich
enthroned young King Demetrē II (r. 1270–1289) on the Georgian
throne.41 Tarsaich was welcomed by Arghun Khan, who gave Demetrē
all the territories of the Zak‘arids, Gagets‘i and Sadunians (Artsrunids).42 Demetrē also appointed Tarsaich as atabeg of the Georgian
lands.43
As can be seen, the above examples are cases of individual submission and of negotiations to ally with the Mongol Empire. Individual
contacts between Armenian lords and either the Mongol Khan or
his representatives during the early period of the Mongol presence
secured Greater Armenia from major Mongol repression. Later,
obtaining support from the Il-Khans, the Armenian lords once again
secured authority over their Houses and lands.
37
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:418. Khoshak and Shams al-Dīn Juvaynī had a
daughter Khuandze and a son Zak‘arē (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946:115–116; Melikset-bek,
1936:60; Babayan, 1969:175).
38
Melikset-bek, 1936:60.
39
Ibid., 60.
40
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:423. The first wife of Tarsaich, Aruz Khatun, was
not a Mongol (as Babayan and others suggest) but an Ismaelean (мЅфлШмЮгШшщпшн)
from Siwnik’ (Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:416).
41
Ibid., 426.
42
Ibid., 426.
43
Ibid., 426.
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79
State Submission and Its Development: The Armenian Kingdom
of Cilicia
If the princes of Greater Armenia dealt with the Mongols through
their individual submissions to the Mongol Empire, the king of the
Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia followed a different paradigm. The
Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia held a unique historical position
among the Christian states of the Levant, with its ties to the kingdom
of Cyprus and principality of Antioch, and its very tense diplomatic
relations with the Papacy. The attempt by Rome to force the Armenian
Church to adopt Catholicism44 together with the direct threat from
Egypt, made King Het‘um I await the outcome of the battle in Köse
Dagh or Ch‘man-katuk (Չման-կատուկ) with great interest. Once
it was clear that the Sultanate of Rūm had become a vassal of the
Mongols, the Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia chose to begin negotiations with the Mongols prior to their advance on Cilician lands. In
1243, King Het‘um sent his brother Smbat Sparapet, the Armenian
commander from 1226 to 1276, along with his father, Baron
Kostandin, to Baiju to propose their ‘obedience.’45 Baiju, who was
advancing on Western Asia Minor, demanded that Cilician Armenia
deliver to him the mother, wife and daughter of the Seljuk Sultan.46
For an account of this, we have the Chronicle of Smbat Sparapet,
which states the details of the negotiations.47 Fearing that the Mongols
would progress onto his land, Het‘um decided to hand over the
Sultan’s relatives. For its assistance to Outremer, Cilician Armenia
was constantly under pressure from the Seljuks. The Syriac source of
Bar Hebraeus reacts to this incident critically, saying: ‘This most
hateful and blameworthy act appeared in the sight of all kings as a
thing which should never have been done.’48 This act was the reason
Bundy, 1987:227; Der Nersessian, 1947:15.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:285; Smbat Sparapet, 1868:649; Bar Hebraeus,
1932(II):408; Davit‘ Baghishets‘i, 1956:346.
46
Kay-Khusraw II, whose wife and daughter had sought refuge at the Armenian
court at the time of the Mongol attack on Konya (Iconium) (cf. Cahen, 1969:138).
47
When the talks began, the Mongols threatened Het‘um’s delegation with an
ultimatum: Either the refugees of the Sultan should be handed over or the Mongols
would devastate their country (Smbat Sparapet, 1868:649). Bar Hebraeus records this
act differently, stating that Baron Kostandin (Constantine), the father of King
Het‘um, himself revealed the secret whereabouts of the Sultan’s relatives to please the
Mongols (Bar Hebraeus, 1932[II]:408).
48
Bar Hebraeus, 1932(II):408. Modern scholars discuss this act as well. Some
accuse Het‘um of breaching the code of eastern hospitality by surrendering his
guests to Baiju (Gordlevskii, 1941:36–37).
44
45
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that some Armenian nobles rebelled against Het‘um, joining the
Seljuks and occupying a few Armenian fortresses.49 However, Het‘um
was determined to submit to the Mongols and, by handing over the
Sultan’s family and turning the Sultanate of Rūm into his irreconcilable enemy, he gained Mongol confidence. Het‘um’s foreign policy
towards the Mongols started in Caesarea and paved the way for
securing the survival of the Armenian kingdom in Cilicia. He reached
an agreement whereby Cilician Armenia recognised its dependence
on the Mongol Empire and was obliged to supply forces and provisions when necessary, and also to send a delegation to the Mongol
court. The Mongol commander, in turn, promised to provide military
protection against attacks by Muslim neighbours.50
According to this agreement, as Armenian sources claim, Baiju
sent Smbat Sparapet to the Great Khan Gűyűk.51 Smbat Sparapet and
his father Kostandin left Cilicia in 1246 for the Mongol court at
Qara-Qorum, where Smbat, as the ambassador of the Armenian king,
on his behalf made his submission to Gűyűk.52 The following story
narrated in detail by Grigor Aknerts‘i is an example of the Armenian
historian’s intention to explore the cause and the process of these
events:
The pious and Christ-crowned king of Armenia, Het‘um, with his
father endowed with all wisdom, and [with his] God-fearing brothers
and princes, entered council, and decided in their own minds to
become subject to the Tatars and to pay taxes and xalan,53 and not
allow [the Mongols] to enter their own God-created and Christian
country, and so it happened. After they first saw Baiju, the commander
of the Tatars, they confirmed treaties of love and submission. Then
after that, they sent the brother of the King, the sparapet of Armenia,
Baron Smbat to Sayin Ghan [Great Khan Gűyűk], who was seated on
the throne of Chinggis Khan, and he went with God’s blessing to see
Sayin Ghan, because this Ghan was pious and very fond of Christians.54
49
Boase, 1978:25. The Armenian noble, Constantine of Lambron, sought to
revolt against King Het‘um and appealed to Kay-Khusraw. After the affirmation of
Mongol protection over Cilician Armenia, Constantine took refuge with his Turkish
friends (Cahen, 1968:270–271).
50
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:31–32; Galstyan, 1976:31.
51
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:31.
52
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:48; Davit‘ Baghishets‘i, 1956:346.
53
For xalan or qalan, a tax imposed on military service or on land use, see
Chapter 4.
54
Gűyűk had strong leanings towards Christianity, though he actually remained
a Shamanist.
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Because of this, his race called him Sayin Ghan, which in their language
means ‘good Ghan.’
Sayin Ghan, seeing the Sparapet of Armenia, rejoiced very much
because of his Christian faith, and even more because of the skilful and
wise words, which the Sparapet of Armenia, Smbat spoke before him.
And he [Sayin Ghan] made him a subject prince, and gave him a big
yarlax55 and golden p‘ayzays56 and a Tatar xatun [wife],57 and this was
for them [the Mongols] an expression of great love; whomsoever they
[the Mongols] loved and respected, they gave in marriage a wife from
among their honoured women. Thus, having bestowed great honour
on the Armenian Sparapet, they sent him to his lands, to see Het‘um,
the Christian king of Armenia, ordering him [Het‘um] to go himself
and see him [Great Khan]. The pious King Het‘um, seeing that Baron
Smbat, his brother, was favoured with such honour and respected by
the Ghan, rejoiced greatly, even more for having obtained documents
freeing [from taxation] the country and monasteries and all Christians.58
There is an opinion that Smbat Sparapet did not reach Gűyűk Khan
or the Mongol Court and that he only journeyed to Batu Khan of
the Golden Horde.59 The reason for such an assumption is that the
name Sayin Khan was usually associated with Batu Khan, grandson
of Chinggis Khan.60 Therefore, it is concluded that Smbat Sparapet
visited Batu Khan, since after Gűyűk‘s death, Batu Khan (r. 1227–
1255), according to seniority among the Chinggisids, was in charge
of all affairs until the enthronement of Möngke Khan.61 It is hard to
agree with this view because the association between Sayin and Batu
Khan does not mean that the other Khans could not be referred to
as ‘good’ or Sayin, as was the case with Gűyűk Khan.62 From the cited
episode, it is clear that Smbat Sparapet undertook his journey in
1246, so it is very likely that he reached Mongolia before Gűyűk
Khan’s death in 1248.63 Secondly, the act of submission, which was
55
Yarligh (Jarlig), a decree and a patent guaranteeing immunity (cf. Doerfer,
1963(Vol. 4):153.
56
Paiza, a metal tablet that served as a passport guaranteeing safe passage (cf.
Doerfer, 1963(Vol. 1):239.
57
By this Mongol wife, Smbat had a son called Vasil Tatar (Smbat Sparapet in
Der Nerssessian, 1973:373, 374; Galstyan, 1958:xi).
58
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:31–32; cf. R. Blake and R. Frye’s translation, 1954:313,
315.
59
Manandian, 1952:220.
60
Grekov and Yakubovsky, 1937:103.
61
Manandian, 1952:220.
62
Cf. Cleaves, 1954:425.
63
On foreign delegation at Mongol court in 1248, see Bar Hebraeus, 1932(Vol.
2):320–322; Carpini in Komroff, 1989:40–44.
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accompanied by the grants of yarligh and paiza, indicates a royal
reception.64 Moreover, the giving of a Mongol woman in marriage
and thus the creation of a vassal as son-in-law is more a royal gesture
than that of a ruler of one of the Uluses, as was seen in the case of
Awag Zak‘arian.65 Chinggis Khan exercised this practice widely
among his subordinates and subjects and thus pursued his
diplomacy.66
Furthermore, a brief account of Smbat‘s journey to Mongolia can
be found in a letter from Smbat to his brother-in-law, Henry I Lusignan of Cyprus, written in 1248 at Samarkand.67 According to Galstyan, this document is attributed to Smbat because the term
Constable is used in the text for the sender of this message. It is
known that, between 1226 and 1276, only Smbat Sparapet held the
office of Gundstable (Armenian version of Constable) in the Armenian
Kingdom of Cilicia. This letter is important for the detailed description of the places Smbat passed through during his journey to the
Mongol court, which took him more than eight months in each
direction. The letter also mentions political conditions in Mongolia,
stressing that there had been several years of interregnum after the
death of the present Khan’s father (Great Khan Ögödei [r. 1229–
1241]).68 Smbat says that since the Mongol princes were dispersed
all over the kingdom, it took five years for them to gather and to
crown the successor (Gűyűk Khan).69 In his letter, Smbat also points
out a chapel built in front of the Great Khan’s court, which allegedly
64
There were cases when Mongol governors or residing princes granted paiza or
yarligh to their vassals; however, the privileges they granted were more of economic
concern, like taxation or compulsory labour. Thus, Sartakh granted these privileges
to Hasan Jalal and to Nersēs, the kat‘oghikos of the Caucasian Albanians, as well as
to churches and mosques (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1962:358). Later, these unsanctioned acts by princes were abandoned by the central court by sending Amir Arghun
to the region to bring order to the peripheries of the Mongol Empire (Juvaynī/Boyle,
1997:507). Hűlegű was also dispatched to put an end to the provisional regime of the
Mongol military rule and fiscal administration in the region (Rashīd al-Dīn,
1946:23).
65
Although Prince Hűlegű gave a Mongol wife to the Ismā‘īlī Imam Rukn
al-Dīn Khur-Shāh, Hűlegű sent the latter to the Mongol court in Mongolia for
approval (Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:721–722).
66
MNT, 2004:78, 79, 84 (§235, 238, 248).
67
Jackson, 2005a:98. Galstyan suggests that the letter was written in 1247 (Galstyan, 1962:64, 122–123 [note 155]).
68
A Russian translation of Smbat Sparapet‘s letter to King Henry I Lusignan of
Cyprus is found in Galstyan, 1962:64–66.
69
Ibid., 66.
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indicates that the Khan and his people had become Christians.70 The
most interesting part is the ending of his letter. He tells Henry that
the Pope had sent his mission to the Khan inquiring whether he was
Christian, at which the Khan told him that God knew it, and if the
Pope wished to know, he should come and find out for himself.71
From this letter, we conclude that Smbat visited Qara-Qorum in
1248. Smbat‘s contemporary, Bar Hebraeus, in his Chronography
clearly states that the Sultan of Rūm, Rukn al-Dīn, the Constable of
Cilician Armenia, the Georgian crown princes, the senior and junior
Davids and many other ambassadors from Asia and Europe went to
Great Khan Gűyűk.72 Indeed, Smbat could possibly have met those
who were in Mongolia after Gűyűk’s coronation ceremony, such as
the Papal ambassador Friar Plano Carpini,73 the Alamut delegation
of Shihāb al-Dīn and Shams al-Dīn,74 the officials of Cathay (Northern
China) and Korea, as well as amirs of Transoxiana, Khurasan, Iraq,
Lur, Azerbaijan, Shirvan, the Sultanate of Rūm, and Georgia. Besides
these, there were the Russian ambassador, Prince Yaroslav of Suzdal,
the ambassadors of Aleppo, Mosul and Baghdad.75 They all had different purposes in visiting Qara-Qorum. Thus, in delivering the
Pope’s letter to Gűyűk Khan, Plano Carpini had three goals: First, to
convert the Mongol Khan to Christianity, second to establish an alliance of friendship, and third, to assess the real threat to Europe posed
by the Mongol Empire.76
The Cilician delegation came to the Great Khan to make a vow of
peace and to become a subordinate state. They were well received
Ibid., 66. This letter was presented to King Louis IX (1226–1270) on his arrival
in Cyprus with the Seventh Crusade in 1248, who found it important enough to be
forwarded to Pope Innocent IV (1243–1254) (Jackson , 2005a:98).
71
Galstyan, 1962:66; Jackson, 2005a:98.
72
Bar Hebraeus, 1932(Vol. 2):320–321.
73
The Franciscan Plano Carpini left Lyons in April 1245. After travelling for fifteen months across Russia and the steppes of Central Asia, he reached the Imperial
camp near Qara-Qorum in August 1246 to witness the Quriltai that elected Gűyűk
to supreme power (Carpini in Komroff, 1989:40–41).
74
Daftary, 1998:150.
75
Carpini in Komroff, 1989:41.
76
The Great Khan Gűyűk, who had many Nestorian Christians among his advisers, received the Papal envoy kindly. However, after he read Pope Innocent IV’s letter, requiring him to accept Christianity (the Latin text in Lupprian, 1981:179–181),
he wrote a reply ordering the Pope to acknowledge his suzerainty and to come with
all princes of the West to do him homage. This letter dated November 1246, written
in Qara-Qorum in Persian, still exists in the Vatican archives (the Latin version in
Lupprian, 1981:182–189) (Pelliot, 1923:3–30, 1924:225–335).
70
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and after a four-year journey, which also confirms that their journey
was not to Batu Khan of the Golden Horde, they returned to the
Armenian capital at Sis in 1250.77 Unfortunately, the Chronicle of
Smbat Sparapet, despite being one of the most important Armenian
sources for the history of Cilician Armenia, the Crusades and the
Mongols, contains little information about his visit to Mongolia.78 It
states only that ‘in 697 [Arm.] (1248) I, Smbat Gundstable, went to
the Tatars, and in 699 [Arm.] (1250), I returned to my brother, King
Het‘um.’79 Galstyan agrees that it is obvious that the date of 1248 for
Smbat‘s journey to Mongolia is a scribal error.80 This could well have
been the date of his arrival in Qara-Qorum.
The success of the Cilician Armenian delegation in negotiating
with the Mongols is a matter of interest. Through their intelligence
network, the Mongols came to know well the internal and external
preoccupations of the region.81 They knew that Cilician Armenia was
a small Christian state that was in conflict with surrounding hostile
Muslim sultanates and that the Armenians needed an alliance with
those who were more powerful. On the other hand, the Sultanate of
Rūm was still ‘a stumbling block’on the way to the Mongol expansion
beyond the borders of their empire, and having a loyal vassal state
to rely on would be an advantage for the Mongols. This situation
assured the success of the first stage of Mongol-Armenian negotiations.
The Great Khan sealed a memorandum with the Cilician delegates,
ensuring that no-one would oppress the Armenian princes and that
they might rule their kingdom without fear. However, there was one
demand: King Het‘um was requested to visit the Mongol Court personally.82 Therefore, following this ‘invitation,’ Het‘um I visited the
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:44.
Smbat‘s Chronicle is known as the Royal Chronicle or Cilician Chronicle (Der
Nersessian, 1973:365).
79
Smbat Sparapet, 1869:651. Armenian tradition says that Smbat was a wise
Armenian Sparapet or Gundstable [Constable] (Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:31–32).
80
Galstyan, 1962:121(note 139). The discrepancy in dates between different editions of the Chronicle is studied in Der Nersessian, 1973. A manuscript of Smbat‘s
Chronicle, dated 1315 and published in 1956 in Venice is used by Galstyan, 1962.
The manuscript quoted in this study (no. 1308, the Library of San Lazaro) is less
informative. There are several lacunae in this manuscript and many parts are missing
(cf. Der Nersessian, 1973:353).
81
Cahen, 1968:273.
82
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:366–367; Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:31–32; Davit‘
Baghishets‘i, 1956:346; Galstyan, 1976:31.
77
78
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court of the Mongol Khan in Qara-Qorum, making a journey of
3,500 miles in 1253/1254.83 Qara-Qorum at that time was not only
the capital of the Mongol Empire, but also a centre of diverse cultures
and religions. It was the destination for ambassadors, travellers, missionaries and merchants. As has been said above, there were representatives of the Caliph, the Seljuk Sultan, diplomats from the
Byzantine court and from other parts of the world.84 This was where
the Armenian king had his meeting and dialogue with the Great
Khan.
Many contemporary Armenian authors document this historical
episode. Grigor Aknerts‘i states that King Het‘um went to Mongolia
because of his love for the Christians and even more because of his
concern for his own land.85 Vardan Arevelts‘i confirms that He’tum
made a victorious trip to Mongolia.86 Kirakos Gandzakets‘i records
the journey of King Het‘um to Qara-Qorum with emphasis given to
the historical geography of Central Asia along with zoology, mineralogy, aspects of Buddhism, folklore and tales.87 He gives a list of sixteen localities through which Het‘um passed, some of which are
recorded only in his history.88 Het‘um Patmich‘, the historian known
as Hayton, provides extensive references to King Het‘um’s journey.89
Modern scholars have examined the routes of the journeys taken by
King Het‘um and other travellers of that period, such as Carpini and
Rubruck.90 Attempts have been made to reconstruct the routes of
these travellers. According to Boyle, the itinerary of the Armenian
king through Uighur country along the right bank of the Syr Darya
(Sīr-Daryā) seems to have been the normal highway for the medieval
travellers.91
83
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:49; Chahin, 1987:284. The journey of
Het‘um began at Sis and was sanctioned first by Baiju Noyan in Kars, who dispatched him to the gate of Derbent to Batu and Sartakh of the Golden Horde, who
sent him to Mongolia (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:366–367). This relay dispatch of
visitors via Baiju and then Batu Khan was implemented for the lords of Greater
Armenia (Awag, Hasan Jalal and others) as well.
84
Rubruck in Komroff, 1989:187.
85
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:37.
86
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:149.
87
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:364–372.
88
Gandzakets‘i, 1961:366–372.
89
The History of the T‘at‘ars (1307) by Het‘um Patmich‘ is also a remarkable
ethnographic and geographical account (Bundy, 1987:223–235).
90
Bretscheider, 1887:164–172; Boyle, 1964:175–189.
91
Boyle, 1964:177.
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The Mongol Great Khan Möngke received King Het‘um (r. 1226–
1270).92 According to Smbat Sparapet, the Mongol Khan in this
reception ‘fulfilled all requests of the Armenian King.’93 Kirakos
makes a very clear point about this visit, stating that King Het‘um
remained in Möngke Khan’s ordu for 50 days and the Mongol Khan
gave the Armenian king a noteworthy edict ( հրովարտակ
նշանաւոր) that ‘no one should harass him or his country.’ Moreover,
he indicates that Möngke Khan gave him a document (գիր) proclaiming freedom for the Church everywhere.94 Based on what these
sources refer to, it is clear that the Cilician king made his submission
to the Mongols.
However, it is interesting to find out what was requested by the
King and what kind of document was given to him. If we assume
that the ‘edict’ mentioned by Kirakos was a yarlikh (surely not a
paiza, a metal tablet of authority), then what stands for document
(գիր) that was given to the Armenian king? Unfortunately, the contemporary Armenian sources do not solve this problem. The only
source that highlights this issue is the early fourteenth century work
of Het‘um Patmich‘, known as Hayton.
In order to establish the degree of the plausibility for this source,
it is worth taking an overview of related issues addressed in this
work.
According to Het‘um Patmich‘, Möngke Khan welcomed the
Armenian king graciously on account of his voluntary submission
and his desire to establish peace and an alliance with the Mongol
rulers.95 The following is an extract from Het‘um Patmich‘s history
on the agreement sealed by both parties. It is said that the Armenian
king put the following seven points to the Mongol Khan to be agreed:96
92
Möngke, the eldest son of Tolui, was elected as the fourth Khan of Mongolia
at the quriltai of 1251. He decided to complete and consolidate the Mongol conquest
of China and Western Asia respectively and to control matters directly in Iran and
the Caucasus (Shirendyb, 1966:125–126). According to Het‘um Patmich‘, the Armenian King Het‘um was received in Almalik (Ameghek) by Möngke, not in QaraQorum (Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:45).
93
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:49.
94
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:367.
95
The partial translation of the source into Russian by Galstyan in 1962, is
related to the agreement of Möngke Khan and King Het‘um and based on the French
original and the Latin version (Bundy, 1987:223–235).
96
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:45. This translation is by the author of this study from
the Armenian version edited by Awgerean (cf. Galstyan, 1962:68).
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87
1. To be converted to Christianity and to be baptised;97
2. To establish peace and friendship between them;98
3. In all Tatar lands to establish Christian churches and to let the
Armenians be free from any taxes and other oppressions;99
4. To take from the hands of the Turks the Holy Land and holy tomb
and to give them to the Christians;100
5. To suppress the Caliph of Baghdad, who was the chief of a sect;
6. All Tatars to help them in time of need;
7. Every province of the lands of the Armenians, where the Turks
ruled, to be given back.101
Some scholars see the purpose of this work and this agreement itself,
especially the two clauses relating to the baptism of Möngke Khan
and to the liberation of the Holy Land and its restoration to Christian
possession, as sheer fantasy on the part of Het‘um Patmich‘ who
desired to ‘set Western-Mongol relations on a new footing.’102 This
claim is based on the fact that such an agreement is not found in
other contemporary sources, including the sources written by
Armenian authors, like Kirakos Gandzakets‘i.103 However, as has
been said above, Kirakos clearly referred to the visit and to a document being issued.
We can see that the existence of Het‘um’s document cannot be
proved. However, the whole nature of the agreement brought into
consideration by Het‘um Patmich‘ may serve as an illustration of the
development of Mongol-Armenian relations and it commands attention. Even if the terms of the agreement are wishful thinking on the
part of Het‘um Patmich‘, it remains interesting to know what his
ideal objectives were. Since these objectives were in fact consistent
with the actual course of the relationship between the Cilician
Armenians and the Mongols in their early stages and whether these
97
Friar William Rubruck met an Armenian monk called Sergius [Sargis] in
Qara-Qorum, who was going to baptise Möngke Khan on the Feast of the Epiphany
in 1254 (Rubruck in Komroff, 1989:138).
98
The Russian translation of Galstyan gives us more details. The second point is
translated as ‘peace and friendship between Christians and Tatars’ (Galstyan,
1962:68).
99
This point has been translated ‘In all land occupied by Tatars or those that will
be captured later’ in Galstyan, 1962:68.
100
Saracens instead of Turks (Galstyan, 1962:68).
101
‘All lands dependant on the Armenian Kingdom and those captured by the
Saracens and those under the Tatar’s supremacy to be retained’ in Galstyan, 1962:68.
102
Jackson, 1980:486.
103
Ibid., 486.
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individual clauses existed or not, they can serve as an explanation of
the relationship in the long term.
To confirm his account of events, the Armenian author gives
details of the Mongol Khan’s reaction to the Armenian King’s offer.
According to Het‘um Patmich‘, Möngke Khan requested clarification
of the clause (no. 6) that related to Mongol help when needed.
Presumably, King Het‘um I could not predict exactly when he would
need Mongol help but obviously Het‘um’s aim was not merely to
preserve his own kingdom and to obtain protection for the Christians
under Mongol rule, but to enlist the Khan’s help in freeing the Holy
Land from the Muslims.104 If we follow Het‘um Patmich‘, he says that
the assurance given by Möngke’s predecessor Gűyűk Khan was
renewed and expanded. This implies that earlier, there was a certain
agreement, possibly a memorandum, written or oral between Gűyűk
Khan and Smbat Sparapet. Although almost nothing is known about
the Mongol conditions, according to Het‘um Patmich‘, Möngke
promised to liberate the Holy Land, delegating these duties to his
brother Hűlegű, to whom Batu and other Mongol noyans stationed
in Russia and Rūm should give assistance. Moreover, the Great Khan
agreed to free Armenian churches and monasteries from taxation in
territory under Mongol supremacy.105 In return, one can assume that
the Mongols required from the Armenians all that they asked from
their other vassals and allies: Obedience, tributes and support with
provision and soldiers.
Mikaelean is possibly the first scholar to argue for the existence
of such a document. He gives importance to the wider spectrum of
this agreement, i.e., the issues of peace between the Christians and
Mongols proposed by the Armenian King.106 Galstyan confirms that
Het‘um Patmich‘ used the sources that were available to him through
his uncle, Smbat Sparapet, who led the first Armenian delegation to
the Mongol court. He makes extensive references to this document
in his Russian translation based on the French and Latin texts.107 In
addition to this, it is worth noting that the baptism of Möngke Khan
was not just in the mind of Het‘um Patmich‘. Rubruck mentioned
that there was an attempt to baptise Möngke Khan in Qara-Qorum,
104
105
106
107
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:45–46.
RHC/DA, 1869(Vol. II):297; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:367.
Mikaelean, 1952:310–314.
Galstyan, 1962:124–126 (note 164).
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in 1254, when he met the Armenian monk Sergius [Sargis].108 We
can therefore suppose that Het‘um Patmich‘ was following the course
of historical events and reflecting the common beliefs or ideas of the
time. His aim was to provide evidence for the terms of the agreement
being carried out and thus to confirm the submission of the Armenian
monarch to the Mongols.
King Het‘um returned home in 1256, encouraged by Mongol
promises. On his way out and back, he passed through Greater
Armenia, where many local princes and ecclesiastics welcomed him.109
It was the first time that a ruler of Cilicia had come into direct contact with the mother country.110 On his return, in October 1256,
Het‘um immediately exercised Mongol backing over the territories
of the Sultanate of Rūm, near the city of Arakly. He went there with
an army of up to 100,000 people, including all his relatives with their
azats (nobles) in revenge for the devastation of the fortress and
church of Murand by the Seljuks.111 Evidently, the Seljuks were no
longer seen as a threat by the Cilician Armenians after the latter
concluded their alliance with the Mongols.112
King Het‘um tried to win the Latin princes over to the idea of a
Christian-Mongol alliance but could convince only Bohemond VI of
Antioch, who to some degree was Het‘um’s vassal through his marriage to his daughter Sybille.113 Despite the refusal of the Latin
Christian states to follow Het‘um’s example and adapt to changing
conditions by allying themselves with the new Mongol Empire, the
Mongol-Cilician Armenian alliance was established and was beneficial as long as the Mongols stayed in power in the nearby region.
Rubruck in Komroff, 1989:138–146.
His visit to Mongolia was appreciated in Greater Armenia. On his way to
Mongolia, King Het‘um stopped in the village of Vardenis (Vayots‘ Dzor) with his
host Prince Pŕosh Khaghbakian (Babayan, 1976:618).
110
Der Nersessian, 1962:653.
111
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:49–50. An army of 100,000 seems to be
exaggerated. The largest joint Mongol-Armenian forces did not exceed 60,000. The
joint Armeno-Georgian forces that participated in the Mongol campaigns in Syria
did not exceed 30,000 men (see Chapter 7).
112
Mikaelean, 1952:326.
113
Boase, 1978:25; Der Nersessian, 1969:49.
108
109
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Conflicts of Local Interests in Greater Armenia in the 1240s−1270s
While Het‘um was gaining some results from his cooperation with
the Mongols and regaining some fortresses that had been taken from
him by the Seljuks, the antipathies that existed between and within
the noble families in Greater Armenia came to a climax. This situation, which was extremely common in all subjugated lands, suited
the Mongols’ policy, since they were seeking loyal vassals on the one
hand and aimed to disrupt the unity of the Armenian lords on the
other. Thus, to punish Awag Zak‘arian for his escape, his land was
given to his cousin Shahnshah.114 By incorporating certain lords into
their own court and administration, the Mongols, following their
imperial policy, boosted the territorial and political ambitions of the
Orbelians and Artsrunids at the expense of the Zak‘arids and the
Georgian Bagratid dynasty in the 1260s. Moreover, the royal Georgian
House was affected greatly by enthroning two Davids. Previously,
Queen Rusudan had fled to Abkhazia and then to Swanetia with her
young son David Narin (Junior), whom she had placed on the
throne.115 She sent David on her behalf to submit to Batu Khan (r.
1227–1255), who was in control of the Mongol troops in Russia and
the Northern Caucasus at that time.116 Batu Khan sent David Narin
to the Great Khan. In 1246, the Mongols brought Bagratid David
Ulu (Senior), the illegitimate son of the Georgian King Lasha, from
Caesarea to the throne in Tiflis.117 They sent him to the Great Khan
as well. They were both received by Gűyűk Khan, who decreed that
they should rule the kingdom in turn, first David (1247–1270, from
1259 he reigned over the eastern part of Georgia), the son of King
Lasha as the elder of the two; then, following his death, his cousin
David Narin (1245–1293, from 1259 he ruled the Kingdom of
Imereti), son of Rusudan. The Great Khan divided the treasury of
the kingdom into three parts: the priceless throne and the stunning
crown allegedly belonging to Khosrov, father of Trdat the Great, the
king of the Armenians, which had fallen to the Georgians, would be
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:265.
David (Narin) was a son of the Georgian Queen Rusudan and the Seljuk
Prince of Erzerum, a grandson of Kilij Arslan II, who embraced Christianity on his
marriage in 1224 (Toumanoff in Hussey, 1966:626).
116
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:315.
117
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:33; Orbelian, 1910:420–421; Rusudan sent David to her
daughter who had married Ghiyāth al-Dīn, the Sultan of Rūm, where he was imprisoned (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:315–316.
114
115
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sent to the Khan; and the remainder would be divided between the
two Davids. On their arrival, with the assistance of Awag, David Ulu,
the son of Lasha, was placed in Tiflis, and the other one in Swanetia.118
Hence, the Mongols were able to defuse the opposition by taking
advantage of the internal strife within the kingdom.119
The severe taxation policy and the arbitrary nature of Mongol rule
along with its rigorous requirement to participate in Mongol campaigns by acting as human shields were the key reasons for the
Georgio-Armenian princes’ rebellion of 1249.120 According to the
Georgian sources examined by Melik‘set-bek, in 1249, the GeorgioArmenian princes, including Shahnshah, Vahram Gagets‘i and many
others along with their troops, gathered in Tiflis in order to convince
King David (Ulu) that with such a great army, they could attack the
Mongols suddenly and exterminate them.121 Prince Awag intercepted
this plot. On discovering this rebellion, the Mongols arrested the
participants. The Mongols demanded that the rest of the princes
demonstrate their loyalty to the Khan. King David and the other
princes responded quickly to Chaghatai Noyan’s call but in accordance with their custom, the Mongols bound their hands and feet
tightly with thin cords and kept them for three days in punishment
for their rebellious plan.122 Even the mother of Prince Awag came to
Chaghatai to assure him of her son’s loyalty. The Mongols spared the
life of the king and some princes in exchange for a ransom paid by
Awag. However, they killed many who had rebelled and some that
had not rebelled, especially in the land of the Georgians.123 The
Mongols also captured King David (Narin) the son of Rusudan,
probably because of his rebellion. He was imprisoned in the province
of Haband, from where he escaped to Swanetia, where he stayed until
his death in 1293.124 The revolt was suppressed by Noyans Baiju and
Angurag.125
Ibid., 317.
The same practice of joint rule was introduced in Anatolia between two sons
of Kay-Khusraw. Such arrangements of division in ruling by the Mongol government were typical in other provinces of the Il-Khanate (Melville, 2009:51–101).
120
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:35.
121
Melikset-bek, 1936:56.
122
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:319–320; Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:36.
123
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:148.
124
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:406–407.
125
Melikset-bek, 1936:57.
118
119
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In 1251, before King Het‘um set out on his journey to Mongolia,
the Armenian Catholicos Kostandin (1221–1267), hoping to gain
from this diplomatic mission strong backing for Cilician Armenia to
resist the Mamluks and the Seljuks, sent a letter to Greater Armenia
asking people to abstain from rebelling against the Mongols and their
governors.126 This appeal worked; however, the next revolt of the
Armenian princes occurred in 1259–1261. In 1259–1260, a Mongol
tax called qubchur was introduced in Georgia and Armenia, which
became a heavy burden for the Caucasian lords. Some of them had
to mortgage their estate to pay this tax.127 This led to a rebellion of
the princes against whom the Mongol ostikan (governor) Arghun
conducted a military operation.128 Since Amir Arghun failed to catch
the Georgian King David who fled to Abkhazia because of the heavy
burden of taxes along with other impoverished princes of the provinces, he mercilessly ruined many Georgian provinces.129 According
to Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i, in 1261, Arghun destroyed much of
Georgia.130
Nevertheless, the revolt of 1259–1261 also had another aspect.
Although it started as a rebellion against the conquerors, later it
became a conflict among the lords as well. Smbat Orbelian’s ambition
for the subjection of the territories of Awag and his vassals, the
Pŕoshians and Vachutians, and his exploitation of Amir Arghun’s
patronage brought the discontented lords to Gontsa, the Queen of
Georgia. In the absence of Smbat, they attempted to encroach upon
his lands and rights. On completing his journey to Mongolia and
obtaining support from Amir Arghun, Smbat Orbelian put an end
to this revolt. Gontsa was drowned on the orders of Hűlegű Khan.131
Although Prince Shahnshah was freed for a ransom, his son Zak‘arē
was killed.132
Even later, the local conflicts continued. At the beginning of the
1270s, after the death of Smbat Orbelian, the Khaghbakian-Pŕoshians
decided to separate their own province of Ernjak in Vayots‘ Dzor,
which had been taken by the Orbelians, from the diocese of Siwnik‘.
By that time, Pŕosh Khaghbakian, the founder of the Pŕoshian lin126
127
128
129
130
131
132
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:293–310.
Ibid., 293–310. For qubchur tax, see Chapter 4.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:389.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:389–390.
Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i, 1860:68.
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:418.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:391–393; Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:152.
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eage, had already strengthened his position and his House through
Hűlegű by participating in the Mongol conquest in the Middle East.
He wanted to reinstate the episcopacy of the Khaghbakians, including Ernjak.133 However, the struggle, which concerned religious and
economic issues, ended in favour of the Orbelians who were backed
by the Mongol governors.134
Despite the relative dearth of sources, several instances of individual contacts between the Armenian lords and the Mongols can
be traced. As has been shown, there was very close collaboration
between Awag Zak‘arian through Chormaghan and Gűyűk Khan,
Hasan Jalal through Sartakh and Möngke Khan, Smbat Orbelian and
Möngke Khan and Hűlegű, and Sadun Artsruni and Hűlegű and
Abaqa Khan. These partnerships paid significant dividends for both
the Armenians and the Mongols. Geographically, the relationships
established between the Greater Armenian lords and the Mongols,
had a tendency to develop from north to south. This can be explained
by the fact that the relationships between the Armenian lords and
the Mongols were more intense in the northern territories of Greater
Armenia during the reign of the Great Khans. The presence of Batu
Khan and his offspring in the territories to the north of Greater
Armenia and their supervision of the Caucasus was a strong motive
for keeping the Zak’arids in power before the establishment of the
Il-Khanate. By the time the Mongols settled in Iran, the influence of
the northern Armenian Houses had faded and the southern Houses
in Khachen and in Siwnik‘ had become stronger. The southern
Armenian lords benefited from being closer to the centres of the
Il-Khanate. The shift of Mongol power from north to south reflected
the transfer of power in Greater Armenia as well. This situation
suited the Mongols too because they would need reliable and loyal
vassals to pursue their further imperial goals.
Other Factors Influencing Mongol-Armenian Relations
Mongol-Armenian affairs were influenced by many other factors.
One of the methods of maintaining good relations was the use of
diplomatic marriages between the Caucasian nobility and the
Mongols. The sources mention several examples where the Armenians
133
134
Hovsep‘ean, 1928:16–17, 36–45; Babayan, 1969:215.
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:364–365.
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took Mongol spouses. Awag was given a Mongol wife by Gűyűk
Khan.135 Bora Noyan, the son of Chormaghan was married to the
daughter of Hasan Jalal.136 Smbat Sparapet was given a Mongol wife
and had a son by her called Vasil Tatar, who died in a battle with
the Sultan of Egypt in 1269.137 The daughter of the Georgian King
Demetrē was married to Bugha Noyan.138 These marriages facilitated
support for Mongol rule and also served the Armenians’ cause.
It would be very useful to find some contemporary ecclesiastical
sources permitting the Armenian aristocracy to have a polygamous
marriage to a Mongol as well as a Christian wife. The only observation that can be made is that the state of being a vassal or being under
the military and political dominion of the conquerors, meant that
the Armenian Church had to deal with this phenomenon through
unwritten rules or regulations, since it allowed the baptising or
knighting of the children born from such marriages, as is illustrated
in the case of the son of Smbat Sparapet.139 Vasil Tatar was buried
in September 1269 in the holy Monastery of Mlich’.140
According to the statements of Armenian historians, the monks
and lords of Greater Armenia were also employed by the Mongols
as their diplomats and secretaries. Thus, in a village called Lorut,
south of the Tavush fortress, Molar Noyan captured the cleric Kirakos
Gandzakets‘i, who was to serve his secretarial needs, writing and
reading letters throughout the Summer of 1236.141 In 1246, Lord
Vahram Gagets‘i was sent to Caesarea to represent Baiju in negotiations for the liberation of David, the son of King Lasha, from prison.142
The priest Barsegh was known as Batu Khan’s emissary (դեսպան);
he accompanied King Het‘um (r. 1226–1270) on his journey through
Caucasian Albania and the Gate of Derbent to Batu’s headquarters.143
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:263.
Ibid., 391.
137
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:9, 122. Vasil Tatar was baptised and
knighted in 1265 and was a general-in-chief of the Cilician Armenians (Smbat Sparapet in Der Nerssessian, 1973:373, 374).
138
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:48–49.
139
Smbat Sparapet in Der Nerssessian, 1973:373, 374.
140
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:64.
141
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:243–252. Vanakan Vardapet and Kirakos Gandzakets‘i were in Mongol captivity for one year (Davit‘ Baghishets‘i, 1956:346).
142
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:33.
143
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:366, 370; Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:49.
135
136
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The Armenian Church supported the collaboration of the
Armenian lords with the Mongols. Undeniably, the fact that some
of the Mongol chiefs had Nestorian Christian wives assisted the
Christians in the Caucasus. Thus, in 1242, the help of Altuna Khatun
made possible the return of Nersēs, the Catholicos of Caucasian
Albania to his seat. While Nersēs was hidden in the monastery of
Khamshi in Awag’s territory, Altuna Khatun invited him to her camp
in Mughan. With Awag’s permission, he visited her on a special day
when she was celebrating the weddings of her two children. Altuna
Khatun asked her two brothers, both Christians and newly arrived
from Mongolia, to honour the Catholicos and afterwards she gave
Nersēs the document with the altamgha (red seal), proving his
immunity from any Mongol harassment.144 In 1247, when Catholicos
Kostandin (1221–1267) of Cilicia saw the ruins of Armenia and the
sufferings of the people, he circulated canonical orders throughout
the districts of Armenia to all bishops, monks and princes to bring
church affairs into order. He sent gifts of silk clothes, expensive
mantles and quantities of gold for the monastery of St. T‘adeos in
Greater Armenia. After the construction work had been completed,
the monastery was opened with the assistance of the Mongol commander, Angurag Noyan, who had Summer quarters near this monastery.145 In the early 1250s, Smbat Orbelian received a decree that
freed all the churches and priests of Armenia from taxes. With the
encouragement of General Baiju’s Christian wife, Smbat renovated
Siwnik‘s religious seat, Tat‘ew.146 The Armenian monk Sergius
(Sargis), who played a very active role in the court of Möngke Khan
in Qara-Qorum, even attempted to baptise the Mongol Khan in
1254.147 In 1264, Hűlegű received some Armenian clerics, including
Vardan Vardapet, in order to explore the disposition of the ecclesiastics towards the Mongol policy.148 These examples of support for
Christianity show that both in Greater Armenia and in Cilicia, the
Mongols dealt sufficiently with Christian issues. They illustrate the
circumstances in which Mongol-Armenian collaboration might be
carried out more easily.
144
145
146
147
148
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:290–292.
Ibid., 311–312.
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:412.
Rubruck in Komroff, 1989:138–146.
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 2001:204–209.
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It is important to stress that the Armenian sources that are at our
disposal can reveal two different patterns of submissions by the two
different Armenian territories to the Mongols. Greater Armenia was
conquered by the Mongols but Cilician Armenia surrendered voluntarily. In both cases, nevertheless, they became vassals, with different
obligations.
However, the Greater Armenian lords decided to deal with this
new pressure by taking individual approaches and responsibilities.
The surrender of Greater Armenia proceeded by individual and separate territorial submissions. With regard to this, it is worth stressing
that these individual submissions were made in a timely way, before
the Mongols devastated the whole country, giving them a chance to
safeguard most of the Armenian lands.
As a result, the use of Mongol power guaranteed several Armenian
lords not only security in their own lands, but also an extension of
their patrimony by removing their local opponents from the political
arena. If the first rebellion in the Caucasus was against the repression
of the Mongols, the second can be considered an internal clash
between lords who were under the Georgian crown and those princes
who were under Mongol patronage. In the long run, this policy of
the local princes suited the Mongols. They preferred to have their
own suzerainty over the Armenians and to see the Armenian lords
attached to them rather than to the Georgian court, ensuring that
the Georgio-Armenian lords were more disunited.
The strategy of the Greater Armenian lords towards the Mongol
presence was cooperative rather than confrontational. In fact, the
assistance given by Awag Zak‘arian to Chormaghan and Gűyűk
Khan; Hasan Jalal to Sartakh and to Möngke Khan; Smbat Orbelian
to Möngke Khan and Hűlegű; and Pŕosh Zak‘arian and Sadun Artsruni to Hűlegű and Abaqa Khan illustrate effective Mongol-Armenian
partnerships.149
Seeing the shift of power in Asia Minor and being influenced by
the example of Georgio-Armenian lords, the Armenian Kingdom of
Cilicia also made a decision to submit before any Mongol intrusion
into their land. The whole state thus became a Mongol vassal. In
order to achieve the status of an ally, the Cilician monarch personally
visited the Mongol Khan. This visit would later have strong political
149
7).
There were ‘duos’ of Mongol and Cilician rulers as well (see Chapters 5, 6 and
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strategic submissions by the armenians
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implications for his country. Actual historical events show that this
decision by the Cilician Armenians to express their loyalty to the
Mongol authorities and Great Khans was just in time.
If we believe the Armenian sources, the submission was ensured
by the establishment of a certain agreement between the Mongols
and the Cilician Armenians. Although the existence of such a document is questionable, the whole nature of the ‘agreement’ illustrates
the possible course and objectives of Mongol-Armenian relations and
serves as an explanation of the relationship in the long term.
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mongol administration in greater armenia
99
CHAPTER FOUR
MONGOL ADMINISTRATION IN GREATER ARMENIA
12431275
Besides political context, the issues of Mongol-Armenian relations
cover another aspect, the administrative and economic issues as well.
As has been said previously, Cilician Armenia was not conquered by
the Mongols and, from the time of Möngke Khan, the country maintained a degree of independence, both politically and economically.
With regard to the taxes paid by the Cilician Armenians, to my
knowledge, contemporary Armenian sources do not explicitly mention any of them even briefly. However, from what is mentioned by
"amd Allāh Mustawfī Qazvīnī, it is understood that Cilician Armenia
paid an annual tribute of 30,000 dinars to the Il-Khanid treasury at
least by the end of the Il-Khanid period.1 In comparison with the
400,000 dinars that was paid annually by the Seljuk Sultanate to the
Mongol court,2 the Cilician Armenian tribute looks much lighter. Of
course, like the other vassal states of the Mongol Empire, besides
paying the annual tribute, Cilician Armenia was obliged to supply
troops to support Mongol military actions.
While the sources do not mention Mongol taxes levied on the
Cilician Armenians, they explicitly discuss those imposed on Greater
Armenia. In order to stress the importance of this point, I would like
to draw attention to the actual policy of Mongol taxation in Greater
Armenia, specifically regarding an examination of the military and
administrative institution called darughachi, which has a duty of taking a population census. A survey of the various taxes and tributes
levied in Greater Armenia during the Mongol period could help in
our understanding of situation.
1
2
Qazvīnī, 1915:100.
Melville, 2009:51–101.
This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the cc-by-nc License.
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Darughachis in Greater Armenia
The matter of economic sustainability became a vital concern for the
Mongols with their expansion into northern China, Transoxiana,
Khurasan and then the Caucasus, when the time for plunder and rich
booty was over. Controlling and ruling these lands necessitated the
establishment of a governing system. The complexity of this administrative measure, or the ruling over semi-sedentary and sedentary
societies, was in fact a new challenge for the Mongols themselves.
The Secret History of the Mongols records:
After conquering the Sarta’ul [Muslim] people, Chinggis Khan issued
a decree placing resident commanders (darughachis) in all different
cities. From the city of Űrűnggechi [Gurganj] came a father and son,
called Yalavachi [Yalavach] and Mashut [Mas‘ūd] of the Hurumsi
[Qurumchi] clan of the Sarta’uls. They told Chinggis Khan about the
custom and law of the balghasun [city].3
To judge from this passage, the Mongols were keen to learn about
sedentary culture. Indeed, based on their experience in dealing with
Chinese cities like Namjing and Jingdu from 1214,4 and after having
found new ways of governing the cities of Central Asia, the Mongols
put forward the idea of establishing an administrative institution,
which could evolve from a military machine into a civilian office.
This was the system of governors called darughachis, which was also
introduced in Armenia.5 The structure of this system varied in each
country, based on local conditions.6
MNT, 2004:92(§263). Ma mud Yalavach, a Khwārazmian Turk, was in charge
of administering most of East and West Turkestan. In 1241, he was put in charge of
North China. His son Mas‘ūd Beg replaced him as the Mongols’ chief administrative
officer in Central Asia (Allsen, 1983:252).
4
MNT, 2004:85–86(§251–253); SHM, 2001:238–240. Namjing (Nanjing) is
present day Kaifeng in Henan Province (Onon Urgunge, 2001:239). Later in 1234,
Ögedei Khan appointed resident commanders in these cities (MNT, 2004:96[§273];
Ostrowski, 1998:262–263).
5
Darugha is a governor, and the Turkic-Mongol suffix chi indicates the agent
who performs the function (Ostrowski, 1998:262). Cleaves suggests that darughachi
or darugha constitutes one of the key terms in the administrative vocabulary of thirteenth to fifteenth century Mongolian texts (Cleaves/Darugha, 1953:238).
6
Buell considers that, though it is certain that the first darughachis were
appointed by the Mongols for China (seemingly as early as 1214), the area of the
Mongol Empire, in which the darughachi system was first fully developed was
Turkestan (Buell, 1979:133).
3
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Before discussion of the darughachis institution, we should consider how the Mongol Empire was organised. The eventual administrative division of the Mongol Empire among the sons and relatives
of Chinggis Khan formed separate successor states called ulus.7 The
number of uluses was not limited only by the territories of Chinggis
Khan’s four sons. The territories given to Chinggis Khan’s brothers
and the rest of his family members were uluses as well.8 Chinggis
Khan gave all the lands to the west of the Irtysh, the Aral Sea and
the Amu Darya to the Ulus of Jochi.9
However, Georgia and Armenia were not included in the Ulus of
Jochi.10 They were under the supervision of the Mongol noyans who
were interested in keeping the Caucasus area within the orbit of the
vast Mongol domain.11 It is hard to know who was in charge of
Arran, Shirvan and Azerbaijan (Atrpatakan). Va!!af states that
Azerbaijan and Arran were territories of Batu and his line.12
Nonetheless, from 1236 to 1258, these territories represented separate regions ruled by a Mongol governor-general. The first Mongol
governor-general in this region was Chormaghan.13 The Mongolian
text of the Secret History clearly says that Chormaghan was appointed
by Ögedei Khan as tamghachi, which is translated into English as
‘garrison commander.’14 Rashīd al-Dīn states that Ögedei Khan sent
Chormaghan to this region as lashkar-tammā along with an army of
40,000 soldiers.15 According to Rashīd al-Dīn, the lashkar-tammā was
7
On successor uluses of the Mongol Empire, see the Introduction and Jackson,
1999a:709.
8
MNT, 2004:80–81(§242–243); Jackson, 1999b:36.
9
The Ulus of Jochi or later the Golden Horde was the inheritance of Chinggis
Khan’s son Jochi and grandson Batu with its key base in the Pontic and Caspian
steppe and its capital at Sarai. In the quriltai of 1235, it was decided to launch an
expedition to Russia and Eastern Europe. In 1236, Batu started his conquest of Russia. The Golden Horde ruled over Russia until 1480 (Halperin, 1985:100).
10
The initial Ulus of Jochi included the vast territories of West Siberia, Kazakhstan and the lower basin of Syrdarya (Vernadsky, 2001:144).
11
Tizengauzen, 1884:245; Va!!āf, 1856:93.
12
Va!!āf, 1856:93.
13
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:482–483.
14
MNT, 2004:96(§274); SHM, 2001:267. Presumably, the institute of military
governor was called in Mongolian tamghachi [tamgha + chi], the holder of the state
tamgha (seal). This is different from the tamghachi as tax collector (cf. Doerfer,
1965(Vol. 2):565–566.
15
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol.1, part 1):98–99. Seemingly, tammachi (tanmachi in
the Yűan Shih) was in charge of the military formation called tammā, which operated as security forces in the occupied lands. There is another definition of this term,
which says that lashkar-tammā was an auxiliary force that consisted of various
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known as the head of a special garrison of selected soldiers who were
sent out from the main body of the imperial army for permanent
residence in certain places.16 Regardless of the differences in the naming of this office, Chormaghan held the post of military governor.
Georgia and the territories of the Zak‘arids, Greater Armenia
(southern and western Armenia), along with Shirvan, Arran and
Mughan, and Azerbaijan were first known as the five vilayets of
Chormaghan. Within Armenia, as Grigor Aknerts‘i points out, at the
local quriltai (assembly) called by Chormaghan, the Mongol noyans
divided Armenia into three parts: northern (Georgia and the
Zak‘arids’ principality); inner (western Armenia); and southern
Armenia.17
The Georgian and Zak‘arid holdings, including Ayrarat, Siwnik‘
and Arts‘akh, were known as the Gurjistan vilayet (province of
Georgia) which had been divided into eight tumans, five of which
belonged to the Georgians. The remaining three tumans were
Armenian, i.e., the territories of the Zak‘arids of Ani and Kars; of
the Awagids in Siwnik‘ and Arts‘akh; and of the Vagramids (Gag,
Shamkor and the surrounding area).18 The tuman was an administrative unit, and, being derived from its basic military meaning, was
able to mobilise 10,000 soldiers.
The governing model was different in each vilayet. In general, the
Mongols tried to use local, already existing, social formations.19 For
instance, from 1236 until 1246, the Mongols did not intervene in the
governing structure of the Za’karids. In the absence of Queen
Rusudan, Eastern Georgia and Armenia were ruled by the Zak‘arid
princes, ishkhans.20 Apparently, they were appointed as heads of
tumans.21 By this, local custom coincided with that of the Mongols.
Only in 1246, the Mongols brought David, the son of the Georgian
nationalities, and only the commanders were Mongols (see Doerfer, 1963[Vol.
1]:255–256; cf. Ostrowski, 1998:264–270).
16
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952(Vol. 1, part 1):99.
17
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:26.
18
Babayan, 1969:120.
19
Manandian, who wrote his work in Soviet times, considers that the Mongols,
being nomads, in terms of social development were at a lower level than the Armenians and the Georgians, therefore they were unable to change the existing formation in all the lands they conquered (Manandian, 1952:245).
20
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:263.
21
According to the local terminology, the head of tumans were ākims and
maliks (Babayan, 1969:120).
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King Lasha, from Caesarea; his reign lasted until 1270.22 Therefore,
Eastern Georgia and Zak‘arid Armenia were double vassals of the
Georgian King and of the Mongol Khan.23
In contrast, by the second half of the thirteenth century, the
Mongol system of ownership was introduced in southern and western Armenia, known as the vilayet of Greater Armenia.24 The Mongols
used this land as their Summer and Winter base. Local governors
were dismissed and the Mongol nobility owned the land as enchű /
injű, a land allotted to the ruling family.25 However, within the vilayet
of Greater Armenia, some principalities of the Taurus Mountains,
particularly the T‘oŕnik branch of the Mamikoneans in Sasun, and
the Vaspurakan branch of the Artsrunids in Mokk and Ŕshtunik, as
well as some mountainous Kurdish and Seljuk families, saved their
lands by recognising the Mongol rulers and entering into vassalage.
The Artsrunid island of Akht‘amar, and the cities of Erzinjan (Erznka)
and Khlat (Akhlāt) also preserved their autonomy. The centre of this
vilayet was the city of Karin (Erzurum).26
As elsewhere, the Mongol administration in the Gurjistan vilayet
set two goals in order to mobilise the wealth of all subjugated countries, to conduct a census and extract taxes.27 These goals were implemented by the new institution of governors, darughachi or basqaq.
As has been mentioned above, the term tamghachi describes a
personal representative of the Khan who held the state seal tamgha,
and Chormaghan, as the tamghachi of the region, exercised full
power with a wide range of functions: Political, military, civil, and
administrative, as well as financial. According to Kirakos Gandzakets‘i,
he was also a judge (yarghuchi).28 Both tamghachi and yarghuchi were
appointed by the central government; they were in charge of monitoring administration and justice.29 This can be illustrated by a
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:33; Orbelian, 1910:420–421.
Only from 1256 until 1344, Armenia was a part of the Hűlegű’s appanages.
24
Babayan, 1969:121.
25
Ibid., 121. For more details on enchű (injű), see Lambton, 1953:78; Scherbak,
1997:194–195; Doerfer, 1965(Vol. 2):220–225.
26
Babayan, 1969:121.
27
The identification of natural resources was also the purpose of a census
(Allsen, 1987–1991:32).
28
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:275. Yaruga or jaruga in Mongolian means ‘lawsuit,’ ‘litigation,’ and yarghuchi (yarugha+chi) is a ‘judge’ (Lessing, 1973:1037; cf.
Doerfer, 1975[Vol. 4]:64–66).
29
Ratchnevsky, 1991:176.
22
23
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passage from the Secret History of the Mongols. When Batu, the
grandson of Chinggis Khan, complained to Ögedei Khan about the
claim of Gűyűk and his colleagues regarding the issue of seniority
between Batu and Gűyűk, Ögedei became very angry with Gűyűk
and refused Gűyűk an audience, saying:
I shall make of him a scout,
So that he must climb
City walls like mountains,
Until his ten fingernails drop off.
I shall make of him a tamghachi,
So that he must climb
Hard-pounded city walls
Until his nails of five fingers splinter.30
On the basis of what was said about Gűyűk, the next Great Khan, it
can be supposed that the position of tamghachi was an arduous one
in the echelons of power. It can also be assumed that the main duty
of tamghachi was to combat and besiege cities.31
The tamghachis were supported by local governors, darughachis,
the heads of garrisons left behind in conquered towns and districts.32
Juvaynī states that Ögedei Khan issued a decree (yarligh) that the
leaders ( presumably, darughachis) and basqaqs (bāsqāqs) from
every place should accompany the levy and render assistance to
Chormaghan.33 In secondary literature, the term darughachi is
glossed as ‘an official who is entrusted with a seal.’34 Here, an issue
may arise about the relative ranks of tamghachi and darughachi;
nevertheless, whether tamghachi or darughachi, it relates to the institution or office created by the Mongols to interact with local society
in conquered countries.35 There was no obvious trace of any similar
institution functioning in the Mongol homeland, so, apparently, this
office was intended to deal with non-Mongols in non-Mongol lands.
The darughachis were the most important officials, exercising great
power in the area to which they were assigned and they were responMNT, 2004:97(§276); SHM, 2001:269.
Ostrowski, 1998:263.
32
MNT, 2004:96(§273–274, 281).
33
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:482.
34
Ratchnevsky, 1991:259(note 177); Doerfer, 1963(Vol. 1):319–323.
35
Buell’s hypothesis supported by Morgan on the Khitan origin of darughachis
is unproven historically and philologically (Endicott-West, 1989:151[note 55]).
However, Ostrowski tends to see more Chinese influence in the origin of this institution (Ostrowski, 1998:276–277).
30
31
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sible for conducting the census, collecting taxes, being in charge of
the courier service, and of levying troops from among the local
people.
The Mongolian darugha or darughachi is derived from the root
daru, which means to press or suppress, and could be interpreted as
oppressor.36 Semantically, the Turkish equivalent of darughachi is
basqaq; the Arabo-Persian version is shana.37 In Armenian sources,
it appears as ostikan (governor): ‘They left evil ostikans in charge of
the land,’38 or as shana: ‘They took Erznkay first of all and left a
shana.’39
Since this darughachi had soldiers under his command and the
office was in a transition stage from military to civil, in Armenian
sources they are also referred to as chieftain (գլխաւոր) or chief of
chiefs (աւագաց աւագ): ‘They left a chieftain (glkhavor) called Ghara
Buqa.’40 In Orbelian, awagats‘ awag (chief of chiefs) stands for
darughachi: ‘Buqa, who was called awagats‘ awag,’41 and pasghag
(basqaq): ‘They have gathered in Tiflis to Arghun [Aqa], who was
vazir and pasghaq [overseer] over all lands and was appointed by the
great Khan.’42
The official function of darughachi and basqaq was not clearly
defined, although it is believed that the term basqaq was used in the
eleventh century.43 Scholars claim that darughachi and basqaq are
recorded separately44 and that the rank of basqaq was subordinate to
that of darughachi.45 This view has been based more on which nation36
For more on darugha, see Cleaves, 1953:237–255; Vernadsky, 1953:211–212,
219–220; Doerfer, 1963(Vol. 1):319–323; Vásáry, 1978:201–206; Allsen, 1981:41;
Morgan, 1982a:129; Ostrowski, 1998:262–277.
37
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:44(note 3), 105(note 24); Morgan, 1990:108–109. Some
scholars refer to darughachis as the officers in charge of taxes and to shahnas as civil
governors (Grekov, 1953:686). The term daruga was used in afavid Administration
(Minorsky, 1943:141).
38
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:361.
39
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:30.
40
Ibid., 23.
41
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:430. Buqa Chink‘san[k], from the Jalayir tribe,
rebelled against Arghun Khan and was killed by the latter in 1289 (Step‘annos
Episkopos in Hakobyan, 1951:49).
42
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:412.
43
On the origin of the institution of basqaqs, see Vásáry, 1978:201–206.
44
Endicott-West in her study of the office of darughachi (ta-lu-hua-ch‘ih) in
China, believes that the functions of the offices of basqaq and darughachi varied
(1989:18–19, 35).
45
Spuler, 1943:303; Vásáry, 1978:201; Ratchnevsky, 1991:138–139.
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alities held this office rather than on the basis of function.46 Some
explain that darughachis were Mongol persons or persons regarded
as equivalent to the Mongols,47 while basqaq were local officials.48
Others say that a darughachi was often a Uighur and sometimes a
Persian.49 Summing up these views, it can be said that darughachis
possessed the authority to take decisions and dealt with administration in general, while the routine work of administration was delegated to basqaqs.50 According to Chinese sources, the taxation system
in China was based on the homestead principle, therefore darughachis were appointed by Ögedei Khan in order to control the situation
in addition to local tax collectors.51 As elsewhere, the Mongols
adopted a policy of appointing two government officials to one post
in order that they could control each other. In the case of Greater
Armenia, this post was assigned to Oirat Arghun Aqa and Jochid
Töre Aqa (T‘ora Agha in Armenian sources).52
The governors or darughachis were assigned to deal with the
administrative problems of the whole city or region under the supervision of the rulers. The general scheme of Mongol administration
in Zak‘arid Armenia, before its annexation to the Il-Khanate had the
following structure (1236–1256/58):
Great Khan
– Georgian King
– Princes (ishkhans) or heads of tumans
In other parts of Greater Armenia, it was as follows (1248–1256/58):
Great Khan
– Governor-General (tamghachi)
– Darughachi / basqaq
46
Though the roles of the offices often overlapped, one suggests that tammas
(Mongol) and basqaqs (Persian and Turkic) were military overseers, while shanas
(Persian) and darughachis (Mongol) were civilian officers (Ostrowsky, 1998:262–
277; Lane, 2003:166).
47
Initially, at the time of setting up the Il-Khanate, Oirat Arghun, known as
Arghun Aqa and Uigur Körgűz were entrusted with great power (cf. Morgan,
1990:109–110). For Chinese examples, see Endicott-West, 1989:86–87.
48
Ratchnevsky, 1991:138.
49
Grousset, 1970:243.
50
Lambton, 1953:424. Basqaqs’ main duty was the inner protection of the subjugated lands and this institution lasted in Rus’ until the 1320s (Vásáry, 1978:201;
Vernadsky, 1953:220).
51
Munkuev, 1965:47.
52
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:261–262.
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In the successor states, it was as follows (1256/58–1344):
Great Khan
– Blood prince (ruler of Ulus)
– Darughachi / basqaq
The actual number of darughachis in the Caucasus is unknown. In
some areas of the empire, the number of officials was high. For example, in 1231, when the Korean capital Kaesong had been taken by the
Mongols, 72 darughachis were placed under the Mongol protectorate
to run it.53
The whole institution of darughachis / basqaqs was set up to maintain a far greater use of population and natural resources. This system
applied to Georgia and Armenia right from the beginning of the
conquest, based on the Mongols’ prior experience of this institution
in China.
As elsewhere, the establishment of the institution of darughachi
in Armenia had far-reaching consequences. The darughachis started
to conduct a census of the population, and a registry of land, livestock and possessions. This was a starting point for the permanent
economic use of Greater Armenian territories. The introduction of
the Mongol fiscal administration influenced the political status of
Armenia, developing it from a vilayet to an administrative province
of the Mongol Empire.
Mongol Census-taking in Greater Armenia
The Mongol census, taken throughout the 1250s in all parts of the
Mongol Empire, was a decisive moment for the regulation of the
economy in the conquered lands, because it was designed to control
and mobilise human and non-human resources. It had importance
for Armenia as well, because it signified a new stage in the history
of the Armenian people, the process of their affiliation to the Mongol
Empire. Before the actual censuses, the Georgio-Armenian princes
were obliged to pay tax and to provide all necessities, including
horses, guides, dwellings, food and carts to the Mongol governors
who held the paiza (tablet of authority).54 However, among the
53
54
Grousset, 1970:259.
Manandian, 1952:246.
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censuses taken in Armenia in the 1250s,55 the most important census
was that of 1254, which was intended to put Armenia under the
central registration of the Mongol Empire.
The census of 1254 was conducted by Amir Arghun or Arghun
Aqa,56 and implemented by Buqa57 in Greater Armenia. In general,
data collection was based on the household.58 Unfortunately, the
Armenian sources do not give any reliable details about the size of
the population. According to Manandian, the number of peasants
during the reign of King David VII Ulu (1247–1270), the son of
Lasha, was about one million, and the whole population of Georgia,
including Armenia, was four to five million.59 However, the Armenian
sources are very informative in terms of the sex or age of people
entered in the Mongol registers. The youngest was eleven,60 or fifteen61, and the oldest was sixty years old.62 The registers covered all
the male population and excluded women.63 However, according to
some sources, taxes were levied on women and children as well.64
The entry of women and children later into the Mongol rolls can
be explained by the fact that the registration of the male population
was carried out separately, and the reason for this is the utilisation
of manpower for military service. An anonymous Georgian chroni55
According to Vardan Arevelts‘i there was a Mongol census-taking in Armenia
in 1243/1244 (Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:147–148). This information seems plausible,
since there was a census taken in Iran in 1240 (Allsen, 1987:130).
56
Arghun’s father Taichu was the Commander of a Thousand (Juvaynī/Boyle,
1997:505). Rashīd al-Dīn states that Arghun’s father, whom he does not name, in
time of famine, sold his son in exchange for a leg of beef to a certain Kadan of the
Jalayir tribe (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1952[Vol. 1, part 1]:95). For Arghun’ career, see Lane,
1999:458–482, 2003:177–212. Kolbas identifies Arghun Aqa as the man who shaped
Iran in the middle period of Mongol rule (Kolbas, 2006:121).
57
Buqa was from the powerful Jalayir tribe, and was titled Chink‘san[k] (‘minister’ in Chinese) in 1286. Being so elevated, he sought to conspire against Arghun
Khan in 1290. The intrigue was discovered and Arghun killed Buqa and all his male
offspring. The Georgian King Demetrē was also killed on the plain of Mughan on the
bank of the River Kur, for he had married his daughter to Buqa (Step‘annos Episkopos in Hakobyan, 1951:48–49). Buqa caused the Armenians great suffering, which
was described by Frik, the Armenian poet of the thirteenth century, in his verse
About Arghun Khan and Buqa (Frik, 1952:38–43).
58
Allsen, 1987:119.
59
Manandian, 1952:251.
60
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:362.
61
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:37.
62
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:362; Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:37.
63
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:362.
64
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:141; Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:148.
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cler, relating Arghun’s census of 1254, says that Arghun had to calculate the number of cavalry men and soldiers who could participate
in raids along with noyans, and he registered one out of every ten
peasants who had good land.65
The other anonymous Georgian source states that the Mongols
were taking one man from ten peasant houses for military service.66
Northern or Zak‘arid Armenia was obliged to provide 30,000 horsemen. From this account, it is estimated that the population of
Zak‘arid Armenia reached around 270,000 peasant houses.67
During the process of conducting the census, in the key cities, the
Mongols set up so-called divans, the chancery where davtars, or registry books, were kept.68 Grigor Aknerts‘i records:
A Tat‘ar chieftain, Arghun by name, came by the command of Manku
Ghan [Möngke Khan] and took a census of the eastern country for the
taxes. From this time on, they were taking taxes according to the number of heads of the people, as many as were inscribed in the books.69
According to Orbelian, the divans were reported to be in QaraQorum, Tiflis and in Davrezh (Tabriz).70 Bitikchis, the scribes or
secretaries, ran the chancery.71
The category of male adults exempt from registration was the
clergy. The Armenian sources state this explicitly. By not being
included in the rolls, the Armenian clergy exercised a great deal of
freedom from corvée and military obligation and received immunity
from poll tax. This situation was common elsewhere in the Mongol
Empire, and can be considered a political tool for the Mongols to
attract ecclesiastics to cooperate with them.72
Because the census imposed obligations on the registered population, such as 50 spitak or silver coins from each accounted person in
Armenia, there were attempts to avoid the registration. In order to
Manandian, 1952:251.
Anonymous Georgian source quoted in Manandian, 1952:250–251. For common figures in Mongol raids, see Amitai, 1987:236–255.
67
Grekov, 1953:682.
68
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:411,427.
69
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:37. In China, the registry books were called blue registers (Allsen, 1987:119).
70
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:408–411, 426.
71
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:275.
72
Allsen, 1987:121.
65
66
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discourage this, cruel penalties were imposed on those who attempted
to escape the census-takers.73
The census pursued not only fiscal and military goals, but was also
an inventory of the skills of the population. In Greater Armenia, as
elsewhere in the Mongol Empire, all artisans, whether in cities or
villages, were registered and taxed.74 The census was also a survey of
the economic resources of empire, or in the broadest sense, it was a
preparation for further conquest.75
According to Allsen, census-taking in this vast empire denoted an
imperial policy geared up for the long-term systematic exploitation
of subject people.76 The census of 1254 in Armenia followed this pattern and therefore had a practical result. In 1256, the Caucasus was
incorporated as a part of the hereditary territories of Hűlegű or the
Il-Khanate.77
There were a few more censuses conducted in Armenia, probably
in 1273 [1275], according to Step‘annos Episkopos,78 and in 1314,
according to the colophons, in which it is said that, in 1314 (763
Arm.), the [Mongol] census-takers arrived in Vayots‘ Dzor, and they
registered even a month-old child.79 At the beginning of the fourteenth century, there was almost no control coming from the central
imperial administration, therefore the census-taking was conducted
by the Il-Khanid court and it seems that it was carried out to include
every newborn child. In this sense, the roll aimed at the policy of
mass taxation to project future resources to support the Mongols’
further campaigns.80
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:37.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:362.
75
Allsen, 1987:124.
76
Ibid., 125.
77
Manandian, 1952:244; Babayan, 1969:153; Bedrosian in Hovannisian, 1997:
259–260.
78
Step‘annos Episkopos in Hakobyan, 1951:44.
79
Khach‘ikyan, 1950:104; Sanjian, 1969:58.
80
The general poll-tax (sar-shumārā) introduced by the Mongols in Iran must
not be confused with the jizya, the ancient poll-tax based on Muslim law and exacted
from non-Muslims. After the Mongol conquest, jizya ceased to exist but was restored
by Öljeitu in 1306 (Petrushevsky, 1968:533).
73
74
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Tributes and Taxes
The census identified the actual number of people that could be taxed
systematically. The taxation itself required a system, especially if it
related to vast territories like the Mongol Empire. Due to Möngke
Khan, the fiscal system of the Mongols was augmented and gradually
unified towards the second half of the thirteenth century. Studying
the comparative perspectives of Russia and the Mongol Empire,
Halperin once said that it is impossible to compare the levels of taxation in different Mongol successor states. Both Iranian and Mongol
taxes flourished in the Il-Khanid territories; however, no-one can
identify which was which. Surely, the Mongols would not mistakenly
levy tax on furs in China or rice in Russia.81 The same can be said
for Armenia. In order to introduce the economic condition of Greater
Armenia during its supervision by the Mongol noyans and the
Il-Khans, it is intended to list some taxes, levied by the Mongols in
Armenia, which are found in the Armenian sources, and which
might help to clarify the nature of Mongol taxation in conquered
territories.
Among the taxes and levies that the Mongols introduced in
Armenia, there was a typical Mongolian tribute called qalan and a
levy called qubchur. Later, under Hűlegű, a tax called taghar was
brought into Armenia.82
1. As has been mentioned before, the census covered mostly the male
population, although there were cases that included women, children and the elderly.83 This registration obliged the Georgian and
Armenian princes willingly or unwillingly to give tribute to the
Mongols in order to provide cavalry troops for Mongol military
action.84 This service was called qalan or khalan in the Armenian
sources.85
Qalan in Grigor Aknerts‘i and Rashīd al-Dīn was rendered as a
tribute of military service or a payment for exemption from MonHalperin, 1983:244–246.
Qupchur is khap‘chur in Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:374.
83
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:141; Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:148. Supposedly,
this act of imposing tax on women and children in Armenia was questioned at the
central court by Arghun Aqa (Allsen, 1987:167).
84
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:26.
85
Ibid., 26, 35.
81
82
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gol military service.86 The root khal (khalaa) in Mongolian perhaps
meant and today means replacement, and it is usually used for the
recruitment of soldiers.87 Therefore, qalan was the tribute paid to
recruit soldiers on an occasional basis as was practised everywhere,
including Georgia, Armenia and Iran. As was noted in Armenian
sources, two men out of ten were obliged to serve in the Mongol
army.88 According to this obligation, the Georgio-Armenian army
participated in Hűlegű’s conquests of Baghdad in 1258 and Syria
in 1260.89 Qalan may correspond to the Armenian tribute known
as hetsel, the cavalry vassal obligations.90
2. Another Mongolian tax introduced in Armenia was qubchur, originally a herd tax.91 Qubchur (gobchur) in Mongolian meant a tribute on flocks and herds and the root qubchi still means in modern
Mongolian ‘to put a saddlecloth on the back of an animal.’92 Originally, Ögedei Khan had decreed that each military tuman must
contribute one three-year-old sheep from every herd to the royal
court and one sheep out of a hundred to the poor and needy every
year.93 Therefore, initially, the rate of qubchur in all conquered
lands was one per cent.94 This tax grew more complicated during
the Il-Khanid period, when it became a levy or additional tax
imposed on the conquered population. Later, it stood as a general
term for tax, in some cases meaning poll-tax.95 Qubchur was collected many times a year if the original levy did not provide a sufficient fund, even 20 or 30 times, if we believe the Persian source.96
86
However, according to Petrushevsky, qalan and qubchur in Iran were used
instead of kharaj (Petrushevsky, 1968:532). The thirteenth century Persian poet Pūr-i
Bahā, the panegyrist of the Juvaynī family, in 1264 wrote a ‘Mongol’ ode that was
translated by Minorky. This poem is an account of historical events that occurred on
the frontiers of Khurasan with a vast number of Mongol technical terms including
taxes in Iran under Mongol dominion (Minorsky, 1964c:274–305).
87
Tsevel, 1966:647; Lessing, 1973:916. Qalan is also associated with another
Mongol tribute called alban (Smith, 1970:48; Lambton, 1988:200).
88
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:49; Grekov, 1953:682.
89
For the campaigns of Hűlegű and other Il-Khans, see Chapter 5.
90
The term hetsel is found in one of the undated inscriptions of Ani (Kostaneants‘, 1913:221; Babayan, 1969:251).
91
For qubchur or alba qubchur, see Schurmann, 1956:325–330; Doerfer,
1963(Vol. 1):387–391; Lambton, 1988:199.
92
Tsevel, 1966:146; Lessing, 1973:363.
93
MNT, 2004:99(§279).
94
Petrushevsky, 1968:530.
95
Allsen, 1987:153; Lambton, 1988:199.
96
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946(Vol. 3):248.
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It was levied in coins, in accordance with the wealth of the person
and his ability to pay.97 In the case of Armenia, it was 60 spitak
(silver coins) per head.98 It is worth noting that revenue collection
in the form of money was preferred within the Mongol Empire,
because it was economically feasible to ship cash over great distances and convert it into some other type of goods or services.99
3. Taghar was a levy on food and provisions. In West Asian sources,
it also meant an extraordinary levy to sustain the imperial army
while on campaign.100 Taghar in Mongolian is a sack or a bag, used
mostly for provisions.101 This was a widespread tax in the territories
of the Mongol Empire, where the economy was based on agriculture. The culminating point of this tax had been reached in China
during the period of the Yűan Dynasty, where the taghar as a levy
on crops was taken from each male head and from each land.102 The
following describes taghar in Armenia:
Hűlegű commanded that the tax called t‘aghar be collected from each
individual listed in the royal register. From such they demanded one
hundred litrs [pound] of grain, fifty litrs of wine, two litrs of rice and
husks, three sacks, two cords, one spitak [silver coin], one arrow, let
alone the other bribes; and one in every twenty animals plus twenty
spitaks.103
Juvaynī relates that the dispatch of taghars of flour for provisioning
the army covered an area from ‘Armenia to Yezd [Yazd] and from
the land of Kurds to Jurjān,’ which was procured by the elchis
(envoys) who were in charge of their transportation.104 The year
1256 was when Armenians played a part in the Mongol war with
the Ismāʿīlīs by providing most of the provisions for the Mongol
armies.105 If all the food levies of ulagh (see further) and taghar
were imposed with no exception, it seems that Greater Armenia
97
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:517. A hexagon-shaped coinage for the imperial tax qupchur was minted in Tabriz (Kolbas, 2006:196).
98
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:37.
99
Allsen, 1987:172.
100
Ibid., 186.
101
Doerfer, 1965(Vol. 2):512–519; Tsevel, 1966:509; Lessing, 1973:764.
102
Yűan Shih, Chapter 93, in Dalai, 2003:219.
103
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:374–375. 1 litr of wine is equal to 2/5 litre, 1 litr of
rice is 0,5 kg (Manandian, 1952:277).
104
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:621. For the provisioning of large armies campaigning
over extraordinary distances, see Smith, 1984b:223–228.
105
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946:30.
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faced economic crisis in 1256. The repercussions of these taxes
brought famine to Armenia.106
4. Besides these three major taxes, there were other taxes. One was
called the tamgha, a toll on commercial goods, as well as a licence
for commercial acts.107 The collector of this tax was called the
tamghachi, for he put a tamgha (seal) on goods for sale, similar to
a customs’ stamp.108 In the Armenian inscriptions of the city of
Ani, dated 1270 (719 Arm.), the tamgha was used together with the
baj, the local Armenian term for the custom, or duty tax.109 The
precise rate of the tamgha is not known. It was levied at varying
rates and a substantial part of the revenue of the empire was derived
from it.110 Initially, it was levied at ten per cent of the value of each
commercial transaction.111 In 1257, the Genoese frequently traded
through Kars involving Zak‘arid Armenia in the Black Sea trade.112
Caravan routes passing through Trebizond, and the cities of
Erzurum, Berkri, and Khoi in Greater Armenia, were connected
with the Italian trading republics.113 Apparently, this was a very
profitable business for the Mongols if we consider that Hűlegű’s
conquests were financed under the tamgha tax.114 The trade usually
was centralised near the royal court, therefore the tamgha maintained the Il-Khanid court, army and civil administration.115 On
the other hand, the burden of the tamgha caused the Il-Khan Ghazan to cut this tax by half, from ten to five per cent of the value of
each transaction in towns.116
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:142.
For the tamgha, see Doerfer, Vol. 2, 564–565. For the commercial taxes in the
Il-Khanate, see Pemler, 1985:157–177.
108
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:277.
109
Kostaneants‘, 1913:221; Basmadjian, 1922:23, 337. The Armenian baj may
derive from the Persian term bāj, a tribute on trade ships (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946(Vol.
3):25.
110
Lambton, 1986:84 (Nuzhat al-qulūb, text 1915). Qazvīnī mentioned twenty
cities in Iran where the tamgha was levied (Strange, 1919:113).
111
Petrushevsky, 1968:532.
112
Manandian, 1965:187. Armenia had had trade relations with Genoa since the
beginning of the thirteenth century (Alishan, 1893:437–438).
113
Manandian, 1952:260–263.
114
Kolbas, 2006:201. Hűlegű’s Syrian campaign was subsidised by Anatolia as
well, where the annual tribute reached the sum of 20 tumans in cash, 3,000 gold bars,
1,000 horses and mules, and 500 rugs and satin textiles (Āqsarā’ī, 1944:62–63, 73).
115
Boyle, 1968:508.
116
Ibid., 532.
106
107
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The basic tax terms that were used and introduced by the Mongols, namely qubchur, qalan, taghar and tamgha, had different
meanings in different places. Thus, qubchur in Iran meant also a
poll tax levied on the subject population.117 On every occasion that
a census was held, the qubchur was reassessed. Being fixed at the
rate of 70 dīnārs per 10 persons (7 dīnār per person) in 1258, based
on a new census, the qubchur ranged in scale from 500 dīnārs for
a wealthy person to one dīnār for the poor.118 Thereafter, the imposition of the census and poll tax qubchur seems to have become a
regular procedure. Under Ghazan Khan, the qubchur was paid by
villagers in two equal installments, at Nou Rūz and at the Autumn
solstice, and by nomads only at Nou Rūz.119 In the North Caucasus,
the qubchur, apart from being a cattle tax, was also a head (poll)
tax, collected in coins or silk. Since these regions had no local coinage, this levy was assessed on livestock in the area.120 Qalan in Iran
under Rashīd al-Dīn lost its original Mongol meaning of military
duty, and was probably a levy of labour service.121 Taghar in Iran
was a fodder or forage tax paid in grain, at a rate of 100 mans,
which equalled one ass load.122
5. Ögedei Khan established the postal system (yams) throughout the
empire to provide urgent dispatches of decrees, revenues and taxes.
The arbitrary tax yam for the elchis/īlchīs (envoys, messengers) had
been levied at the expense of provincial inhabitants. On this occasion, Kirakos Gandzakets‘i says:
And then they [the Mongols] began to harass them [the Armenian
princes] through taxation, by travelling to and fro, and by soldiership, and even more than this, they placed them under duress, but
killed no-one.123
Hundreds of cavalrymen often accompanied the elchis.124 The passage of the envoys, and expenditure on their food and service were
additional duties met by the local inhabitants. Kirakos continues
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:551.
Ibid., 524.
119
Lambton, 1953:80.
120
Allsen, 1987–1991:33.
121
Lambton, 1988:200. Qalan in Iran was used as the obligation to the ruler
(Schurmann, 1956:334). Qalan and its Perso-Arabic substitute mal in the narrowest
sense has a meaning of agriculture tax (Allsen, 1987:154).
122
Petrushevsky, 1968:533. Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:609.
123
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:263.
124
Lambton, 1953:82.
117
118
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that the Armenian prince Hasan Jalal prudently arranged his land
and business for the needs of the Mongol travellers, who were coming to him, whether for food or something else; he made ready
whatever he could to meet the needs of the Mongol elchis.125
6. In mentioning the tribute levied for postal couriers and their
horses, the Armenian historians meant the levy called ulagha /
ulāgh. Ulagha existed in Mongolia until the beginning of the twentieth century and meant relay transportation. Various combinations of this term provided the Mongolian language a rich
vocabulary, such as ulagha nekhekhu which meant to accompany
someone travelling by relay in order to return the horses, or ulagha
zar bichig that meant a travelling warrant for obtaining relay
horses.126 The efficiency of couriers was a matter of special importance; therefore, in the territory of the Il-Khanate, ulagha was a tax
levied at a certain constant rate every year. During the Mongol
period, this tax was described by some Muslim sources as a
‘national calamity.’127 The reason for such a definition may relate
to the scarcity of horses available to maintain this duty in addition
to the supply of horses for the army.
In addition to these taxes, during Mongol rule, there was another
Mongol tax called susun or shusun (provision tax) found in the
undated inscription of Shirakavan.128 There was one more tax of
Mongol origin called nemeri/nemari, which in Mongolian means
‘added’ or ‘associated.’ This was an extraordinary tax abandoned by
Abū Saʿīd (r. 1316–1335) which was inscribed in one of his edicts in
Ani.129
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:269.
Tsevel, 1966:587; Lessing, 1973:869.
127
Petrushevsky, 1968:536.
128
Kostaneants‘, 1913:247; Manandian, 1952:284.
129
The edict is written in Persian on the walls of Manuche mosque in Ani and
has no date. Barthold suggests that the date of the inscription is between 1319 and
1335, probably towards the 1330s (Barthold, 1966:319). Babayan suggests the date as
1319 (Babayan, 1969:178). The text of the edict says that according to the order of the
Il-Khan, except for the tamgha, all other unlawful taxes, such as qalan, nemeri, and
tarkh should be abandoned in the city of Ani and other regions of Georgia (Barthold,
1966:318). The Persian text, reproduced by Alishan, reads the tax nemari as
thamadi with the translation left blank (Alishan, 1893:56).
125
126
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In connection with the taxes, it is worth mentioning about another
Mongol term tarkhan (darkhan),130 which was also found in Armenian
sources; it was either juridical document verifying tax immunity or
a title given to a person who was exempt from taxation.131 In addition
to the clergy, rich Armenian merchants were granted tarkhan documents, like Asil Umek, who lived first in Karin, then in Tiflis; or the
sons of the wealthy houses of Saravan, Shnorkhavor and Mkrtich‘.132
Many taxes of non-Mongol-origin are mentioned in the sources
as well.133 The mal, which was a property or possession tax, was
assessed by measurement.134 According to Babayan, the mal in
Armenia evolved from a land tax to a possession tax because the land
tax was replaced by the qalan.135 A certain portion of revenue from
the mal was divided between the local landowner and the Mongol
divan.136 Interestingly, the tax on vineyards and orchards in the
Armenian inscription of Talin in 1267 and in Mren in 1273 was
called the khalan.137 This surely was not related to the military tax
qalan we described above, since in the inscriptions of Ani in 1036,
this tax had already been mentioned.138 The Muslim agriculture and
land tax known as kharaj was also levied in Armenia.139 In the
account of the martyrdom of St. Grigor, Bishop of Karin, it is stated
that, in addition to the poll tax of seven or eight dahekans (gold
coins), people paid the kharaj from the age of 12.140 The ‘alafa (fodder) and the ‘ulufa (food) were arbitrary taxes imposed on local
populations to host visiting messengers.141
Besides these taxes, the Armenian peasant had to continue to serve
corvées to his lord or the clergy, since the main husbandry of the
The tarkhan was exempted from obligations of tribute to his lord, and was
given a certain degree of juridical immunity (Schurmann, 1956:323).
131
In modern Mongolian, there are the expressions darkhan avraga, or champion of champions for wrestlers, and darkhan ber, or the daughter-in-law who gives
birth to three sons successively, by which she obtains immunity for herself in the
family of her husband.
132
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:363; Orbelian, 1910:395.
133
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:493; Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:25.
134
Lambton, 1988:358.
135
Babayan, 1969:249.
136
Grekov, 1953:683.
137
Babayan, 1969:252.
138
Kostaneants‘, 1913:20; Manandian, 1952:282.
139
On kharaj coinage, see Kolbas, 2006:180.
140
Ter-Davtyan, 1973:277.
141
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946(Vol. 3):248.
130
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Armenians was based on labour rent.142 There were many other taxes,
such as akhsrt‘amar and kapal (commercial taxes), dřnagir (tax
imposed at the city gates), t‘arkh (tribute to provide provisions for
the army), kasanik (tax on artisans), aghlkak (tax on sheep), hazr
ezin or hasara (tax on oxen), and hambrelē (tax on cows), imposed
in Armenia during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.143
Based on the above, it can be concluded that the Mongol tax system differed from that which existed in the sedentary societies of
Armenia or Georgia before the Mongols’ arrival. Mongol taxes
imposed in Mongolia can mostly be classified into two major categories: tributes, levied on individuals or households and paid to their
immediate lord (qalan, qubchur, taghar, tamgha); and corvées,
imposed on individuals or households in order to permit the execution of some functions for the ruler or lord (ulagh, yam, nemeri).
With the establishment of Mongol rule, the taxes imposed in
Armenia can be divided into four major categories: commercial
taxes; land taxes;144military corvées (occasional); and taxes with quotas set in currency, the revenues of which apparently went to the
Court or the owners.
Modern scholars who are working on the fiscal system of the
Mongols practised in different parts of the Mongol Empire are trying
to make distinctions between tribute, levy and tax.145 This is a complicated issue but it is obvious that the Mongol taxation policy in the
territories of the Il-Khanate, including Armenia, evolved from being
an occasional tax based on census to a more systematic one.146
142
For the main source for taxes levied in Armenia before the Mongol rule, see
Mkhit‘ar Gosh (1130/1140–1213).
143
Manandian, 1952:281–283; Babayan, 1969:251–263.
144
From the second half of the thirteenth century, land categories within the IlKhanate were changed into divan or state land; enchű or private land, given to the
ruling family and nobles; vaqf, land permanently given to clergy and religious institutions; milkī or privately owned land, which could be sold and bought, inherited
and presented; and iqāʿ or the military fief. In the Il-Khanate, the majority of military iqā were in Azerbaijan: Namely in Shirvan and Gushtāsfī (the lower reaches of
the rivers Kur and Arax). Gushtāsfī had an irrigation network over fields and villages. The Pīshkīn district was under iqāʿ, the annual revenue of which was 50,000
dīnārs, while the revenue from other districts was only 5,000 dīnārs (Qazvīnī,
1915:382, 392–396). For the iqā system in the Islamic Middle East, see Amitai,
2001:152–171.
145
For Mongol taxation, see Grekov, 1953:679–685; Lambton, 1953, 1986–1988;
Smith, 1970:46–85; Sinclair, 2000:39–52.
146
If the Mongol fiscal obligations in China during the Yűan Empire and in Iran
after the Ghazan Khan’s updated tax reform brought a unified system to these states,
it did not happen in Russia (the Golden Horde) (Schurmann, 1956:309).
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A system of dual taxation existed: The Mongols levied their taxes in
addition to the existing ones. The exhaustive list of taxes mentioned
randomly in the Armenian sources is concluded by some of them as
follows:
From those who had nothing to give, they took their sons and daughters according to demand.147
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i reports that artisans, anglers, miners and manufacturers were heavily taxed.148 As has been said earlier, increased
Mongol and local taxation in 1245–1246, drove some nobles from
their lands and made them flee to fortresses.149 This severe taxation
policy was one of the reasons for the Georgio-Armenian princes’
rebellion of 1249.150 The Mongol tax qubchur introduced in 1259–
1260 was a cause not only for rebellion by the Caucasian lords, but
also for mortgaging their estates to pay this tax.151 The salt mine in
Koghb province was a very profitable business for the Mongols probably due to the high tax on salt.152 In 1261, some of the lords were
killed because of their failure to pay tax.153 As a result of the general
census in Greater Armenia taken in 1275, all tax privileges were
revoked and taxes were now levied not on the household, as before,
but by head, by size of property, and on cattle as well.154
Without claiming that Mongol administrative measures, introduced in Greater Armenia were systematic and that the various terminologies were fully consistent for this whole period, this chapter
listed the variety of taxes levied in Greater Armenia alone because
no such evidence can be found in the contemporary sources for
Cilician Armenia. The Mongol period was in many ways a disaster
in Greater Armenia because the control of all economic resources
was the Mongols’ priority. However, they were aware that, without
maintaining proper economical bases, they would not have any
means to sustain the conquered territories. Therefore, the reforms of
Möngke Khan in 1254 aimed to stop illegal taxation by the governors
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:374–375.
Ibid., 362–363.
149
Ibid., 266, 313, 319.
150
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:35; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:312–314; Melikset-bek,
1936:56.
151
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:362.
152
Ibid., 363.
153
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:152; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:390–391.
154
Garsoïan, 1997:128.
147
148
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and princes for their personal aggrandisement. The Khan knew that
numerous taxes might cause tax-paying subjects to escape and thus
ruin the imperial economy.155 Although his policy brought order, the
nature of the taxes was not altered.
The occasional taxes of a nomadic society that were extended to
sedentary societies underwent some modifications. The new fiscal
system comprised both traditional fiscal obligations and Mongol tributes.156 This made it easy for the two systems to exist side by side,
and in fact, this double system was a heavy burden on the conquered
population.157 The introduction of the Mongol fiscal administration
in Armenia made possible a change in the political status of Armenia
from a vilayet to an administrative province of the Il-Khanate.
The exhaustive list of Mongol and local taxes suggests that the
taxation issue was a primary concern for the Greater Armenians. As
the Mongol period progressed, tributes increased and this is reflected
in the Armenian sources, from which the overall picture of the nature
of Mongol administration is taken. A detailed classification of all tax
terms and terminologies that evolved over the Il-Khanid period
would require a comparison with other regions of the empire, something which cannot be undertaken here. Nevertheless, the evidence
provided by the Armenian sources should be a useful addition to the
detailed studies provided, for example, for the province of Fars in
southern Iran.158
The hardship imposed on Greater Armenia by the Mongols can
be contrasted with the much more favourable situation enjoyed by
Cilician Armenia. Regardless of these, both Armenias participated
in the Mongol conquest of the Middle East.
Allsen, 1987:144.
On the evolution of the Mongol revenue system, see Allsen, 1987:144–188;
Schurmann, 1956:376.
157
Lambton, 1986:84.
158
Lambton. 1986/1987; Aigle, 1997.
155
156
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CHAPTER FIVE
MONGOLARMENIAN MILITARY COOPERATION:
STAGE I: THE CONQUEST OF THE MIDDLE EAST
12581260
As has been said earlier, during his journey to Mongolia in 1253/1254,
the Armenian King Het‘um agreed to ally with the Mongol Empire
and submitted the Mongol Great Khan. The implementation of this
agreement occurred only when the Chinggisid lineage imposed its
own supremacy, later known as the Il-Khanate, over the Caucasus,
Asia Minor, Iran and Upper Mesopotamia after 1256.
The main allies of this campaign were King Het‘um from Cilicia,
the Greater Armenian lords under the Georgian King David Ulu and
the Mongol Prince Hűlegű,1 who promoted himself as a founder of
the Mongol dynasty in this region. Hűlegű aimed to restrain the two
independent powers of the eastern Islamic world: The principality of
the Ismāʿīlī imams in Māzandarān (|abaristān)2 and the ‘Abbasid
Caliphate of Baghdad. This move against these Islamic powers perfectly suited the Armenians’ wishes. The timing was appropriate;
although there were several local politically-influential dynasties in
Persia and Syria, there was no centralised power in that region at
1
Hűlegű was the fifth son of Tolui Khan by his chief wife Sorqoqtani Beki.
Tolui Khan, known as Ulugh-Noyan in Muslim sources, was otchigin (the youngest)
of the chief sons of Chinggis Khan. He was a great winner of battles, for no princes
conquered as many lands as he did, some alongside his father, including Bukhara,
Samarqand, Badakhshan, Khurasan, Merv, Maruchuq, Sarakhs, Nishapur, Quhistan
and Herat (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1971:163–165). He died from illness in the campaign
against the Jűrchen-Chin in 1232 (MNT, 2004:95–96[§272]). Sorqaqtani Beki gave
her orphaned children an education not only in good manners, but also in army
training (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1971:168–169). Two of her sons, Möngke (r. 1251–1259)
and Qubilai (r. 1260–1294) became the Great Khans and her son Hűlegű (r. 1256–
1265) became the first Il-Khan. The senior wife of Hűlegű was Doquz (Toghuz) Khatun, who had previously been a wife of Tolui. She was a powerful woman who was
held in great respect. Since she was from the Nestorian Kereit tribe, she constantly
supported the Christians. For Doquz Khatun, see Spuler, 1972:121–122; Melville,
1996c:475–476. Hűlegű allowed her to build churches and to carry a movable
church-tent within her camp (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:678). She saved many Christians
from death during the sack of Baghdad.
2
The Ismāʿīlīs maintained a strong state of their own from 483 H. (1090) to 654
H. (1256) (Hodgson in Boyle, 1968:422).
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that time.3 Therefore, these two Islamic regimes became the target
for the Mongols after they had extended their power into the territories of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rūm, as the result of their victory at
Köse Dagh. However, Hűlegű decided to advance further and conquer Syria and Egypt. The achievement of Hűlegű as a conqueror
follows along with the narrative in what way Mongol-Armenian
cooperation was carried on.
Hűlegű (r. 1256–1265) and the Greater Armenian Forces against the
Muslim Supremacies
At the end of 1256, Prince Hűlegű of the Chinggisid lineage came to
govern Iran, Rūm and the Caucasus. The initial assistance that
Hűlegű received from the Armenian lords occurred during his confrontation with the Ismāʿīlīs.4 In 1256, David VII Ulu, the King of
Georgia (r. 1247–1270) with Armenian and Georgian auxiliaries took
part in the Mongol conquest of Alamut.5
Armenian Provision of Aid to the Mongols
In 1251, Baiju Noyan, who was a supreme Mongol figure in Iran, the
Caucasus and Anatolia, made complaints about the Ismāʿīlīs and
about the Caliph of Baghdad to Gűyűk‘s first cousin and successor
Möngke Khan.6 This information given by Rashīd al-Dīn is supported by Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, who, in his Patmut‘iwn Hayots
(History of the Armenians), states that the Ismāʿīlīs killed Chaghatai
Noyan, one of the Mongol generals in Armenia and a friend of Awag
Zak‘arian in the 1240s.7
Morgan, 1990:145.
The Ismāʿīlīs were a branch of the Shīʿī sect of Islam, a radical sect and one of
the main divisions of the Muslim faith from the tenth century. At the end of the
eleventh century and the beginning of the twelfth, the members of this sect in Syria
and Iran had been driven from the cities and had taken refuge in the mountains of
northern Syria and northern Iran. In Iran, they had established a series of castles on
rugged peaks in remote areas. Their defence was secured by fortifying themselves in
remote mountains and by the use of suicide assassins to dispose of enemy leaders
(Kennedy, 2002:164).
5
Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i, 1860:67.
6
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:684. Based on the complaints of Shiramun, the son of
Chormaghan, Gűyűk had previously expressed his disappointment to the Caliph
Ambassador (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:570).
7
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:264, 275. For Chaghatai Noyan and Awag Zakarian, see Chapters 2 and 3.
3
4
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Information about the Ismāʿīlīs reveals that there was both a diplomatic and military relationship between the Mongol khans and the
Ismāʿīlī leaders from the early decades of the thirteenth century;
emissaries of Imām Jalāl al-Dīn "asan (1210–1221) visited Chinggiz
Khan to express their goodwill as early as 1219.8 This probably
explains why, during the first Mongol invasions of Khurasan in
1220–1221, the Mongol force did not raid the region of Kūhistān
and many refugees, including Na!īr al-Dīn al-|ūsī (1201-74) found
shelter there.9 In 1246, ʿAlā al-Dīn Mu ammad (r. 1221–1255) dispatched another mission, led by two senior Ismāʿīlī dāʿīs (missionaries), to Gűyűk Khan for the occasion of his enthronement ceremony.10
But, by that time, something had changed in the Mongol attitude
towards the Ismāʿīlīs, the real cause of which is not clear. It is only
known that, as Rashīd al-Dīn attests, Gűyűk gave a very angry reply
to the letter brought by the ambassadors of Alamut, and he dispatched reinforcements to the Mongol armies already stationed
there, with instructions to reduce Muslim forts, beginning with the
Ismāʿīlīs.11 Gűyűk intended to follow afterwards but his death prevented him.
The relationship of the Ismāʿīlīs with the Mongols deteriorated as
a result of complaints about the military and political activities of
the Ismāʿīlīs in the region. These complaints were received at the
Mongol court not only from Mongol commanders, but also from
ʿulamā’, the Sunni scholars.12 In addition, there was a direct threat
from the Ismāʿīlīs in Mongolia. In his travel record, Friar Rubruck
mentions 400 assassins who arrived at the court of Möngke Khan
under various disguises with the purpose of killing the Khan.13
8
Juvaynī, 1962:248; Jamal, 2002:45. From the very moment of his accession, the
Ismāʿīlī Imām Jalāl al-Dīn "asan professed Islam and strictly forbade his people
from adhering to the heresy urging them to follow the rites of the Shariʿa. He became
known as Jalāl al-Dīn the Neo-Muslim (Juvaynī, 1962:243).
9
May, 2004:233. On Na!īr al-Dīn al-|ūsī and the Ismāʿīlīs, see Dabashi,
1996:231–245.
10
Juvaynī, 1962:205; Daftary, 1998:150.
11
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:50, 570
12
Jamal, 2002:46.
13
Dawson, 1955:184; Morgan, 1990:148; Rubruck, 1990:222. The number 400
seems to be a symbolic number. Besides this, as Jūzjānī recounts, all the people of the
city of Qazvīn made great preparations for warfare with the Ismāʿīlīs of Alamut, due
to daily conflicts that were taking place between the Qazvīnīs and the Ismāʿīlīs. Qāī
Shams al-Dīn Qazvīnī, the sincere Imām, according to Jūzjānī, who attended Gűyűk
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One can find the same notion in the afar-Nāma (ca. 1335) of
Mustawfī Qazvīnī, where the Qāī from Qazvin warns of the danger
from the Ismāʿīlīs at Möngke Khan’s court. Moreover, according to
Mustawfī Qazvīnī, the choice of Hűlegű to be sent to Iran was
approved by the Qāī.14 It is uncertain whether the Qāī had such an
influence on the Mongol court. This is surely a later interpretation;
however, the source speaks for the close relationship between the
two parties.
Indeed, Möngke Khan recognised that the Ismāʿīlīs might pose a
serious threat to the trade routes and communication. He also realised that there were lands nearby in Iran conquered during the time
of Chinggis Khan and not yet belonging to him. Therefore, according
to Rashīd al-Dīn, he decided to allot these lands to his brother
Hűlegű, who was expected completely to subjugate Iran, Syria, Rūm
and Armenia.15 Hűlegű was also dispatched to put an end to the
provisional regime of Mongol military rule and fiscal administration
in the region.16
According to Juvaynī, Hűlegű set out ‘from Qara-Qorum against
the Heretics into the land of the Tājīks in the year of the Ox (1253).’17
Hűlegű did not reach Iran before the beginning of 125618 but he had
dispatched in advance an army of 12,000 men from Mongolia in 1252
under the command of Ket-Buqa of the Naiman tribe, the Nestorian
Christian, to join the Mongol garrisons already camping in Iran.19
Ket-Buqa crossed the Oxus in 1253 and the initial confrontation
between the Mongols and the Ismāʿīlīs occurred in Kūhistān when
Khan’s coronation ceremony, travelled several times to Mongolia, until the time of
Möngke Khan, to obtain aid in his fight with the Ismāʿīlīs (Jūzjānī, 1970:1189).
14
Qazvīnī, 1999:1118–1120; Lane, 2003:16.
15
Hűlegű was instructed to apply the law of Chinggis Khan in the territories
between the Amu Darya and Egypt (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:685).
16
Ibid., 686.
17
He was accompanied by two of Jochi’s grandsons, Balaghai and Quli, and one
of his great-grandsons, Tutar (and by one of Chaghatai’s grandsons, Tegűder)
(Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:707; Juvaynī/Boyle, 1962:91). Möngke Khan also sent another
brother, Qubilai, to consolidate Mongol conquests in China including Khitai,
Machin, Karajang, Tangqut, Tibet, Jurje, Solanga, Gaoli and a part of Hindustan.
Qubilai later became a founder of the Yűan dynasty in China and succeeded Möngke
as Great Khan (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:685; Boyle, 1968:340).
18
Exercising his seniority among the Chinggisids, Batu Khan forbade Hűlegű
from crossing the Oxus River (Amu Darya); only after the death of Batu in 1255, did
Hűlegű move towards Iran (Trepavlov, 1993:81).
19
Ket-Buqa Noyan had the rank of ba’urchi (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:686; Juvaynī,
1962:95). The ba’urchi, I believe, was a Mongol officer in charge of food safety for the
Great Khans, rather than a simple cook/steward.
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Ket-Buqa attacked several Ismāʿīlī strongholds, putting their inhabitants to the sword before laying siege to Girdkūh castle.20
In 1256, Hűlegű came to Iran through the Chaghatai Ulus,21 crossing the Amu Darya and passing the eastern borders of Transoxiana,
Herat and Kūhistān.22 On his arrival at the Persian bank of the Amu
Darya, news about him coming to destroy the Ismāʿīlīs was spread
to the Lords of Rūm, Fars, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Arran, Shirvan and
Georgia. All of them came to him with many gifts to acknowledge
their services.23 Since Georgia was named, it is understood that the
Armenian princes did the same.
According to the Armenian sources that confirm the picture given
by the Persian historian it is understood that the actions against the
Ismāʿīlīs were unavoidable. The reference given in the Chronicle of
Smbat Sparapet, states that in the year 702 (1253), when King Het‘um
I went east to Möngke Khan, he had to dress as a cattle driver in
order to pass through the lands of the Ismāʿīlīs in Cappadocia.24
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i gives an interesting account of the Ismāʿīlīs or
Mulheds:25
There was a nobleman, called Orghan … who was killed in Gandzak
by the Mulheds [heretics], who were accustomed to kill people secretively. Some people approached him [Orghan] while he was walking
on the street, as if someone had threatened them and they approached
him for justice. Having a piece of paper in their hands they showed it
to him, shouting and begging: ‘Justice, justice!’ When he [Orghan]
stopped and wanted to inquire about who had assaulted them, they
jumped upon him from here and there, and with the sword which they
had concealed, stabbed and killed him … They killed many people and
fled through the city, because this nation was accustomed to behaving
in such a way. They encroached upon the fortified places called T‘un
and T‘anjak as well as the forests of Lebanon, taking their blood-price
from their prince, whom they worshipped instead of God … They went
many times wherever their prince sent them being frequently in various
20
Boyle, 1968:341. Girdkūh only surrendered after about 20 years in 1271 in
Abaqa Khan’s time (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:766).
21
The territories north of the Pamir and T’en Shan mountains, held by Chaghatai, the second son of Chinggis Khan (Manz, 1999:4).
22
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1997:612–618. According to Baiāwī, Hűlegű spent the winter
in Khurasan, and then he set off for Kūhistan (Melville, 2007:52–58).
23
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:688.
24
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:49.
25
Being regarded as a heretical sect of Islam, the Ismāʿīlīs were referred to as
Mlheds (ЎгзЬЫ) [mulids] by Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:149, and Hashishik‘ (ЊШововы)
by Het‘um Patmich‘, 1956:70.
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disguises until they found the appropriate moment to strike and then
to kill whomever they wanted. Therefore all the princes and kings
feared them and paid tax to them. And they [the Ismāʿīlīs] strictly followed the orders of their prince and did whatever he said, even to
commit suicide. Thus, they killed many dignitaries who did not pay
them tax, as well as killing this impious man [Orghan].26
This extract may explain why the Armenians were later involved in
the Mongol fight against the Ismāʿīlīs, as they were the main providers of foodstuffs for the Mongol armies.27 When messengers were
sent to all subjugated lands to procure food for the Mongol army
and its horses, it was decided to transport provisions from Armenia
to Yazd. Everyone in these territories without exception was forced
to pay the food levies of ulagh and taghar,28even in Greater Armenia
when the whole country faced a severe famine in 1256.29 It seems
that in addition to the political reasoning, there was an economic
reason why the Armenians were interested in the elimination of
Ismāʿīlī power.
The Mongol model of siege tactics and negotiations led to the
defeat of the Ismāʿīlīs.30 It was on 19 November 1256 when the last
of the Ismāʿīlī imams, Rukn al-Dīn, submitted31 and Hűlegű’s victory
was recognised as a great service to orthodox Islam.32 It is noted by
Bar Hebraeus as follows:
And by means of these blessed captures God had mercy on all the kings
of the Arabs and Christians who lived in terror and trembling through
the fear of the Ishmaelites who were carriers of daggers and were shedders of innocent blood.33
After his victory over the Ismāʿīlīs, Hűlegű decided to live in the
Mughan plain that had previously been occupied by Baiju Noyan;
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:226–228.
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:695.
28
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1962:112. For the ulagh and taghar, see Chapter 4.
29
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:142.
30
On the pattern of Mongol tactics, see Chapter 2.
31
Juvaynī/Boyle, 1962:133. The Syrian Ismāʿīlīs escaped Mongol rage; some
Ismāʿīlīs remained in Iran and fled to India in the nineteenth century, establishing
there the seat of the Nizārī Ismāʿīlī imamate. Their ultimate successor, the Aga Khan,
is still the head of the sect (Daftary, 1998:4; Morgan, 1990:151).
32
Boyle, 1968:345. In the eleventh century, Sunnī scholars began to establish
orthodox colleges, madrasas, to rival the Ismāʿīlī mission schools organised in Cairo
and elsewhere. The madrasa system was extended to Baghdad and later to Egypt
(Lewis in Hussey, 1966:658–659).
33
Bar Hebraeus, 2003:423.
26
27
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therefore, Hűlegű ordered Baiju to move to the inner lands of Rūm
(in Bithynia), vacating Caucasian Albania, Georgia and Armenia for
himself.34 According to Vardan Arevelts‘i, the Armenians and the
Georgian King David welcomed Hűlegű.35 The replacement of Baiju
by Hűlegű and thus the shift of Baiju’s base from Mughan was a
strategic change in the nature of Mongol rule in the region. It was
the beginning of the formation of a new Mongol state to be known
as the Il-Khanate. Being of direct Chinggisid lineage, Hűlegű took
control and supremacy over the Mongol noyans stationed in Rūm,
Iran, Afghanistan and the Caucasus. According to Grigor Aknerts‘i,
after the victory over the ʿAbbāsid Caliph, Hűlegű dispatched his
envoys to the Great Khan Mönkge to ask for his next orders. Mönkge
Khan sent back his judges to install Hűlegű as a Khan of that land.
When the messengers reached Hűlegű, they convened a quriltai, or
assembly, to which all the noyans stationed in the region were invited.
Some of them submitted to the command of Hűlegű, while some
refused.36 Hűlegű’s next move was directed against the ‘Abbasid
Caliphate of Baghdad, a domain of Sunnite Islam in ʿIrāq-i ʿArab, to
the accomplishment of which the Armenian lords contributed
greatly.
An Armenian Envoy Sent to the Caliph
Rubruck states in his account that he saw the ambassador of the
Caliph of Baghdad at the court of Möngke-Khan. However, according to Rubruck‘s narration, two contradictory accounts are given to
explain the Caliph’s ambassador’s presence in Qara-Qorum. First,
Rubruck was told that the Caliph of Baghdad had made peace with
the Mongols, and the ambassador was to give 10,000 horses to the
Mongol Army.37 Second, Mönkge Khan refused to make peace unless
the ‘Abbasid Caliph destroyed his fortresses, to which the ambassador replied: ‘When you remove all your horses’ hooves, we shall
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:374; Bar Hebraeus, 2003:424–425. Baiju was
ordered to move west into the territories of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rūm which were
disputed between the two sons of Kay-Khusraw II. Since ʿIzz al-Dīn Kaykā’ūs (Kay
Kāwūs) was defeated by the Mongols at Aqsaray in 1256, his younger brother, Rukn
al-Dīn Qilich (Kılıc) Arslan was recognized as ruler (Cahen, 2001:184–186).
35
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:149.
36
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:44. No similar reference is found in Persian sources,
allowing the Armenian source to consider a justification of Hűlegű’s rulership.
37
Rubruck in Komroff, 1989:187; Rubruck, 1990:247.
34
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destroy all our fortifications.’38 Based on these two statements, one
can assume firstly that Rubruck had visited Mongolia during 1253–
1255 and, secondly, that there were contacts between Mongolia and
the Caliphate of Baghdad while peace prevailed. Nevertheless, the
character of this relationship changed towards hostility due to the
expansion of Mongol power from Iran into Iraq. If we believe the
Secret History of the Mongols, the conquest of Baghdad was set up as
early as 1221 during the time of Chinggis Khan when he was stationed in |ālighān, and Chormaghan and other commanders suggested bringing down the ‘Abbasid Caliphate.39 This idea was carried
through the reigns of the succeeding three Great Khans and was
implemented only in the time of Hűlegű.
Nonetheless, there is an alternative scholarly view on this matter,
where the Mongol move against Baghdad connected with the ambition of Hűlegű, who wished to consolidate the Middle East under
Mongol control. Hűlegű’s anger may have turned the Mongols
against the ‘Abbasid Caliphate, when the latter refused to send troops
to assist the Mongol fight against Ismāʿīlī power.40 This opinion seems
not to be well founded for two reasons. Firstly, it disregards the
Mongols’ plan of 1221 and, secondly, it devolves responsibility for
the whole conquest of Baghdad solely to one person’s anger or ambition. It is worth remembering that, in the mid-1250s, the central
court of the Mongol Empire was still in charge of peripheral business
and that the ideas conceived by Chinggis Khan were carried
forward.
Detailed information on the stages of the Mongol advance to
Baghdad is found in a Persian chronicle, which states that from
September 1257 onwards, Hűlegű and Caliph Mustaʿ!im (r. 1242–
1258) exchanged several messages in which the Caliph refused to
accept the Mongols’ warning and to hand over his domain.41 Hűlegű
established contact with the Caliph’s governor of Dartang and the
commander Ket-Buqa persuaded him to hand over the castles in his
area. By this action, Ket-Buqa secured his passage through the Zagros
Mountains.42
38
39
40
41
42
Ibid., 247.
MNT, 2004:91(§260); SHM, 2001:252.
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:16.
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:699–705.
Ibid., 705–707.
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In November 1257, Hűlegű set off from Hamadān in the direction
of Baghdad. He was accompanied by two of Jochi’s grandsons,
Balaghai and Quli, one great-grandson, Tutar, and by one of
Chaghatai’s grandsons, Tegűder.43 Since Baghdad shared a common
border with Mosul and knowing that Badr al-Dīn Lu’lu’, the atabeg
of Mosul, who had already supported the Mongols, would assist him,
Baiju came from Anatolia to the west bank of the Tigris by the Mosul
road.44 With him were the forces of the Armenian Prince Zak‘arē,
the son of Shahnshah Zak‘arian and Prince Pŕosh Khaghbakian.45 The
Mongols placed considerable trust in these Armenian lords, whose
assistance they had received since the 1230s. The right flank of
Hűlegű, commanded by Generals Balaghai, Tutar and Quli advanced
through Shahrazūr and Daqūqā. Kit-Buqa commanded the left wing
coming by way of Luristān and Khūzistan. The centre under Hűlegű
came down via Kirmānshāhān and "ulwān.46 The Mongol armies
converged on Baghdad in January 1258. Caliph Mustaʿ!im still hoped
that he could successfully trick the Mongols as his predecessors had
done for more than 500 years with the Būyids, Seljuks, Khwārazmians
and others who had infringed upon their dominions.47
As usual, Hűlegű sent an emissary to the Caliph asking for obedience. According to Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, the Armenian Prince
Pŕosh Khaghbakian was entrusted with the very important role of
leading this emissary.48 It is not known on what grounds he was
selected to be the ambassador. Unfortunately, the delegation received
a reply full of insults, on receipt of which the Mongols surrounded
the Caliph’s army. The davāt-dār (chief secretary) who commanded
the Caliph’s army was encamped between Baʿqūbā and Bājisrā.
Hearing that the Mongol army was approaching from the west, the
davāt-dār crossed the Tigris and joined battle with the Mongols near
Anbār.49 The Mongols retreated and, joining Baiju’s main army,
43
Ibid., 707. The death of the first three princes would cause Hűlegű a very high
price: War with the Golden Horde.
44
Badr al-Dīn Lu’lu’ was obliged to supply provisions, weapons and a bridge of
boats over which Baiju’s army crossed the Tigris (Patton, 1991:60).
45
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:380.
46
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:707.
47
Ibid., 700.
48
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:380. Pŕosh Khaghbakian was a lord of the Khaghbakian or Pŕoshian House in Urkghunk‘, Boloraberd, Eghegiats‘ Dzor and
Hrashk‘aberd from 1223 to 1284 (Babayan, 1976:549).
49
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i mentions that the Dawdar (davāt-dār) at first was victorious, killing some 3,000 Mongols and sending messengers to the Caliph following
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opened a canal on the river Tigris. Half of the Caliph’s army was
drowned and half was defeated in the attacks that followed.50 The
davāt-dār made an attempt to escape by boat down the Tigris. Being
unsuccessful, he fled back to Baghdad. When the Caliph heard about
this, he sent his Shi’ite vizier to soothe Hűlegű. However, it was useless. The Mongols had already attacked the whole of the eastern fortifications of Baghdad. On 10 February, the Caliph came to Hűlegű
in person along with all three of his sons to surrender.51 The sack of
Baghdad lasted seven days (from February 13 to 20), and during
which the population of several thousands was massacred.52 With the
help of Doquz Khatun, Hűlegű’s Nestorian wife, many Christians
were spared during the devastation of Baghdad in 1258.53 The destruction of the Sunnī Caliphate in Baghdad was a great advantage for
Shī‘īsm, and the sparing of Shī‘as in 1258 was due to the presence of
a Shī‘ī theologian, Na!īr al-Dīn |ūsī.54
The Armenian Account of the Fall of Baghdad
The History of Kirakos Gandzakets‘i gives a detailed account of the
fall of Baghdad.55 Gandzaketsi’s source was Prince Pŕosh Khaghbakian,
a participant and eyewitness of the conquest.56 The Armenian historian traces several points in the Mongol victory over the ‘Abbasid
Caliphate. First, he says that Hűlegű ventured against the Caliph with
an army of multinational subjects.57 Secondly, he states that the
his triumph (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:379).
50
Because the Caliph’s troops were encamped on low-lying ground, the Mongols made a breach in the banks of the river so that water poured down on the enemy
at midnight (Bar Hebraeus, 2003:430).
51
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:712.
52
Ibid., 712–713. The number involved in the massacre varies in Muslim
sources. Some give 800,000 (Morgan, 1990:151). In Hűlegű’s letter to King Louis IX
of France, the Il-Khan gives the number of casualties in Baghdad as 200,000 (Meyvaert, 1980:256). All these numbers are highly unreliable.
53
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:150; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:382. For Doquz Khatun, see Melville, 1996c:475–476; cf. Jackson, 2003:200–201.
54
Boyle, 1968:538–539.
55
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:377–384.
56
Pŕosh (Hasan) Khaghbakian himself told Kirakos Gandzakets‘i about events
surrounding the capture of Baghdad (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:384).
57
Ibid., 378. A military levy of two out of ten men was imposed by the Mongols
in Armenia and Georgia, so obviously contingents of Hűlegű’s force were composed
of multinational recruits as Kirakos Gandzakets‘i states. For the military levy, see
Chapter 4 (Martinez, 1986/1988:129–242). Juvaynī states that even earlier, the Turks
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Mongol Prince planned his raid on Baghdad very carefully, examining the location of the city. Certainly, Hűlegű saw that there was only
one route that would give the Caliph of Baghdad a chance to flee:
The great river Tigris. Therefore, he sent Baiju who was stationed in
Rūm to guard all possible exits to the river. In executing Hűlegű’s
order, Baiju constructed a floating bridge across the river and sank
sturdy nets with iron hooks and pipes into the water so that no one
could swim through to freedom.58 Next, Kirakos Gandzakets‘i
describes how Hűlegű reacted to the boastful words of the Caliph,
who called him a ‘Turkic dog,’ by ordering the demolition of the city
walls. Then, when the walls were demolished, he gave an order to
rebuild them.59 This act perhaps does not correspond to reality, but
it signifies the destiny of Baghdad, together with Hűlegű’s superiority. Another aspect of Kirakos Gandzakets‘i’s narration deals with
the deaths of the two sons of Caliph Mustaʿ!im: Hűlegű’s son slew
one, while the other one was given as a sacrifice to the river Tigris.60
The most fascinating point of this source is that the Armenian historian records how Hűlegű killed the Caliph himself with his own
hands, so giving us another version of the Caliph’s death.61 Kirakos’
narration is not supported by other sources, although he gives as his
own source Pŕosh Khaghbakian, an actual participant in this event.
As Boyle asserts, the last day of the ʿAbbāsid Caliph is reported differently in different sources, whether Muslim or Christian.62 Based
on the account attributed to Na!īr al-Dī |ūsī, the story that is
repeated by Marco Polo, Joinville, Het‘um and others relates how the
Caliph Mustaʿ!im was shut in the tower with his treasure and starved
to death.63 According to Grigor Aknerts‘i, the Caliph was trampled
under the feet of the Mongol troops and this was how Hűlegű slew
him.64 Rashīd al-Dīn states that on 20 February 1258, in the village
and Tajiks were ready to join Hűlegű’s troops in attacks on the Ismāʿīlī castles
(Juvaynī/Boyle, 1962:102).
58
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:379.
59
Ibid., 380.
60
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:382. According to Rashīd al-Dīn, the youngest son
of the Caliph was given to Öljei-Khatun, the wife of Hűlegű. In Maragha, the Caliph’s son married a Mongol girl and had two sons by her (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:714).
The Caliph’s other sons were killed two days after their father’s death (Jūzjānī,
1970:1254(note 4).
61
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:381.
62
Boyle, 1961:149.
63
Marco Polo in Komroff, 2003:32; Boyle, 1961:146, 148.
64
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:42; Sykes, 1930:96.
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of Waqaf, the Caliph was put to death along with his eldest son and
five servants, but gives no specific description of the execution.65
According to Jūzjānī, the Caliph was rolled up in a carpet, trampled
upon by horses and kicked to death.66 As this was the customary
Mongol form of execution to prevent the shedding of the dignitaries’
blood, this last account commonly followed by Western scholars.67
After accomplishing his task, Hűlegű himself withdrew northwards, first to his ordu (headquarters) near Hamadān, and then into
Azerbaijan.68 But before this, in order to maintain city life, the vizier
and the āib-dīvān were both re-established in their offices on the
same day as the Caliph’s death.69 Hűlegű also appointed other officers
to collaborate with them and sent two noyans with 3,000 cavalrymen
to rebuild Baghdad, to bury the dead, restore the mosque and tombs,
and rebuild bazaars.70 Buqa-Teműr was dispatched to complete the
conquest of southern ʿIrāq-i ʿArab and Khūzistan.
The Mongol Penetration into Upper Mesopotamia
The task apparently set by the court of the Great Khan was completed. The Ismāʿīlī and the ‘Abbasid powers were subjugated.
However, Hűlegű continued his world-conquering programme. It is
interesting to speculate about the reason why the Mongols were
drawn into Syria and Palestine. There can be many reasons, such as
that the war machine could not be stopped as the procurement of
new lands occupied the army; alternatively, the concept of the liberation of the Holy Land attracted the Mongols. Another reason is that
the Mongols saw a chance to fill the power-vacuum of this region,
disputed as it was between the Christian and Muslim worlds, or even
within the Muslim world between the Ayyubid princes and the new
Mamluk (Mamlūk) state in Egypt. Modern scholarship is still working to elaborate the causes of the Mongols’ penetration of Syria.71 We
might note that the Mongol Empire was still in it expansionist phase
and naturally sought to follow one conquest with the next.
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:713.
Jūzjānī, 1970:1252–1253.
Boyle, 1961:150, 1968:349; Grousset, 1970:356.
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:715.
Ibid., 713.
Ibid., 714.
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:17.
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To my knowledge, there was no Great Quriltai’s or Court mandate
to control Syria and Egypt. It is not obvious who made the decision
to conquer Syria. If we believe Het‘um Patmich‘, it is only known,
that the Armenian King Het‘um twice expressed his interest to the
Mongol Khan in freeing the Holy Land from the Muslims, once visiting Mönkge Khan in Qara-Qorum in 1253/1254, and the second time
visiting Hűlegű in Maragha in 1258.72
There is disagreement among the sources about what happened
after the conquest of Baghdad and when Upper Mesopotamia was
invaded. According to Rashīd al-Din, Hűlegű set out from Azerbaijan
to Syria on 12 September 1259. While moving towards Aleppo, he
sent his son Yoshmūt to Mayyāfāriqīn and al-ālih Ismāʿīl, the son
of Badr al-Dīn Lu’lu’, to Āmid (Amida).73 According to Kirakos
Gandzakets‘i and Vardan Arevelts‘i, Hűlegű despatched his son to
besiege Mayyāfāriqīn and Amida soon after the fall of Baghdad, i.e.,
in the Spring of 1258.74 Jūzjānī is in agreement with them.75 Based
on the narrations of Ibn-Shaddād (1217–1285), Patton states that
Mayyāfāriqīn and Amida fell in November 1258, almost a year before
Hűlegű’s raid on Syria.76
The Ayyubid ruler of Mayyāfāriqīn and Amida, al-Kāmil Mu ammad, had broken his vow to Hűlegű to supply troops for the siege of
Baghdad.77 Nevertheless, Al-Kāmil tried to end the Mongol offensive
through negotiation; however, the resistance of the Muslim army in
Syria forced the Mongols to continue the siege.78 Both Kirakos
Gandzakets‘i and Rashīd al-Dīn assert that the Mongol Ilkei Noyan,
the ancestor of Jalayirids, initiated negotiations and summoned the
According to Het‘um Patmich‘, before Hűlegű’s march on Syria, the Armenian king waited for Hűlegű in Edessa to assert once more his Christian interest in
the Mongol conquest of Palestine and the liberation of the Holy Land from the Sultan of Aleppo (Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:49–50).
73
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:719.
74
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:384; Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:150.
75
Jūzjānī, 1970:1269–1270.
76
Patton, 1991:63. Mayyāfāriqīn was a small city but a strong fortress (Jūzjānī,
1970:1268).
77
Al-Kāmil visited Mongolia to present his submission and was granted yarligh
and paiza by Mönkge Khan in 650 H. (1253) (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:727; Humphreys,
1977:335). He came back to Iraq with Hűlegű in 1257 (Jūzjānī, 1970:1266; Patton,
1991:62). In fact, al-Kāmil marched with his troops towards Baghdad, but to aid the
Caliph. On his way, he received information about the fall of Baghdad and he turned
back (Jūzjānī, 1970:1267–1268).
78
Patton, 1991:63.
72
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people of the city of Mayyāfāriqīn to surrender.79 The conditions were
to pay taxes and provide troops to the Mongols. However, the Sultan
refused and fortified the city.80 Yoshmūt and Ilkei Noyan left their
troops in the city and went as far as the river Euphrates, taking quantities of booty before returning to the troops that were besieging
Mayyāfāriqīn. Upon their request, Hűlegű sent support, in the form
of Mongol-Christian troops commanded by a certain Chaghatai
(whom Rashīd al-Dīn calls ) and the Armenian Prince Pŕosh
Khaghbakian.81 The Governor of Mosul, Badr al-Dīn Lu’lu’, who was
in conflict with al-Kāmil Mu ammad, sent a supporting force to the
Mongols commanded by his son, along with siege engineers to
Mayyāfāriqīn.82 In the battle, catapults and arbalests were employed
on both sides.83 In fact, Armenian sources relate different details of
the siege of Mayyāfāriqīn. Kirakos records that the city suffered so
much from famine that one litr of human flesh was sold for seventy
dahekans .84 Sebastats‘i states that one litr of human flesh cost a hundred dahekans.85 Grigor Aknerts‘i explains that the city was besieged
for three years because it was the city of martyrs full of holy relics
and built by the holy Marut‘a. The siege lasted until the citizens began
to eat each other and the head of a donkey cost thirty drams
(dirhems).86 Step‘annos Episkopos states that the city was under siege
for one year (1259) and fell due to Hűlegű starving the citizens.87
Probably the city fell in April 125988 but Amida held out until the
beginning of 659 H. (1261).89 Another point stressed by Kirakos is
that the sultan of the city was found by the Mongols faint from hunger. When he was brought to Hűlegű, the latter gave orders to kill
him along with his brother, as they were guilty of bloodshed and
human casualties.90 Many people died on both sides. Vardan
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:725; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:384.
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:725.
81
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:385.
82
Patton, 1991:63.
83
Jūzjānī, 1970:1272(note 5); Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:385.
84
Ibid., 385–386.
85
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:142.
86
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:42.
87
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:43.
88
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:150. According to Jūzjānī, Mayyāfāriqīn was besieged
for more than three months (Jūzjānī, 1970:1270).
89
Patton, 1991:63.
90
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:387. The same event is interpreted differently in
the Persian source, where all the citizens except 70 people died from famine and
79
80
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Arevelts‘i records that the Armenian Prince Sevada Khachents‘i, the
son of Prince Grigor, was killed in this battle.91 Nonetheless, churches
and countless relics of the saints were saved in this city. The Armenian
soldiers told the Mongols about the venerability of the relics and they
even saw many visions of saints and bright lights over the walls of
one particular church.92 Probably in the same church, the Armenian
Prince Taq-i al-Dīn (Թաղէադին ) from the Bagratuni family in
Sasun, seized a Syrian priest and made him promise to return the
right hand of the holy apostle Bartholomew. The holy relic was
brought first to Taqi al-Dīn’s monastery and then, on the demand
of Lord Sadun, the grandson of Sadun Artsruni, it was deposited in
the Monastery of Haghbat (in the district of Loŕi).93 The Armenian
source records that after the sack of these cities, the Mongols came
to Sasun, and since Prince Sadun was a protégé of Hűlegű, Sasun was
given to him.94
The Implementation of a Cilician Armenian Dream
Hűlegű stayed in Azerbaijan for over a year preparing for his third
campaign against the Ayyubid states in Syria.95 He remained mostly
in Maragha (Marāgheh), where, under his patronage, Na!īr al-Dīn
|ūsī and other scholars began to erect the famous astronomical
observatory.96 As has been noted above, Hűlegű had already asserted
himself as the ruler of the new Mongol state in Rūm, Iraq, Iran,
Afghanistan and the Caucasus. During the Summer of 1258, he
received his vassals in Maragha: Badr al-Dīn Lu’lu of Mosul, atabeg
Abū Bakr of Fārs, the Sultans of Rūm, ‘Izz al-Dīn and Rukn al-Dīn,
and the Caucasian lords.97
al-Kāmil Mu ammad was tortured to death by being forced to eat his own flesh
(Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:727).
91
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:152.
92
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:387. Jūzjānī records that there was a Christian
church in the city of Mayyāfāriqīn called Markūmah which was full of sanctity
(Jūzjānī, 1970:1268).
93
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:42–43.
94
Later, Sasun was sacked by the Mongols who broke their oath (Kirakos
Gandzakets‘i, 1961:386).
95
Boyle, 1968:349.
96
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:718. Na!īr al-Dīn |ūsī produced for Hűlegű and his son
Abaqa a treatise on government finance (Minorsky, 1964a:64–85).
97
Boyle, 1968:349.
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The motive for these visits may have been related more to the
extension of their agreement with the Mongols rather than to congratulate Hűlegű on the occasion of his victory and proclamation as
an Il-Khan.98 As the Armenian King Het‘um wished, the Mongol
Khan agreed to free the Holy Land from the Muslims.99
On the other hand, as Badr al-Dīn Lu’lu’ of Mosul had greatly
aided the Mongols in invading Iraq and overthrowing ‘Abbasid’s rule
earlier on,100 there was a Muslim appeal against the Ayyubids as well.
On the eve of the Mongol invasion, Egypt and Syria experienced a
period of internal political conflict, civil disorder and conspiracies.101
Three major important Ayyubid figures: al-Nā!ir Yūsuf b. al-ʿAzīz
Mu ammad, the Sultan of Aleppo and Damascus, al-Man!ūr
Mu ammad b. al-Muaffar Ma mud, the ruler of "amā, and
al-Mughīth ʿUmar b. al-ʿĀdil Abu Bakr, the ruler of Karak, had all
shown their willingness to cooperate with the Mongols. Another
Ayyubid, al-Ashraf Mūsā, the former Prince of "om!, had maintained a correspondence with the Mongols since 651 H. (1253–1254).102
In fact, al-Ashraf Mūsā encouraged Hűlegű to invade Syria in order
to be reinstated.103 Besides these, the other Ayyubid amirs, merchants
and the chief chamberlain, as well as the Kurdish amirs, promoted
a submissive policy towards Hűlegű.104 There was also sectarian conflict between the Sunnis and the Shiʿas, which might have encouraged
Hűlegű’s determination to march on Syria.105 Therefore, in addition
to the Cilician Armenian interest, there was a certain interest on the
part of some Ayyubid leaders in bringing the Mongols to Syria.
As has been said above, Hűlegű set out from Azerbaijan in
September 1259, having sent ahead his general Ket-Buqa with the
advance forces. According to Grigor Aknerts‘i, Hűlegű picked two
98
It is not clear who bestowed the title Il-Khan on Hűlegű. Amitai-Preiss suggests that Hűlegű adopted the title of his own volition (Amitai-Preiss, 2004:14).
99
Ibid., 45–46.
100
Patton, 1991:3.
101
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:17.
102
Humphreys, 1977:341–342; Amitai-Preiss, 2004:19–21.
103
Al-Ashraf Mūsā was received by Hűlegű at Aleppo and retained "om! and the
title of the ruler over all Syria. Hűlegű also granted him an iqāʿ, revenues of land
assignment (Amitai-Preiss, 2004:20, 31).
104
Ibid., 22.
105
Besides the conflicts, palace intrigues reached a high level, which contributed
to the decision of Hűlegű (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:698–703).
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out of every ten men of the assembled army for the march on Syria.106
Hűlegű demanded that the Georgian King David Ulu support his
conquest of Syria and Egypt. Surprisingly, David refused. One might
have expected that the Georgian king would have been more than
interested in liberating the Holy Land. However, David was not only
disinterested in this venture, but also bold enough to refuse Hűlegű’s
order. In addition, he sought a revolt, which was suppressed by
Arghun Aqa in Southern Georgia in 1260.107 David Ulu’s refusal to
participate in the Mongol campaign in Syria can be explained by his
huge loss of men in the battle for Baghdad. In these circumstances,
Hűlegű called for the Cilician Armenians and set out for Syria. He
personally commanded the centre, placing commanders Baiju and
Shiktűr on the right flank and other amirs on the left.108 The army
passed through Ala-Tagh, Akhlā and the Hakkārī mountains into
Diyārbakr or Amida, which was captured by the son of Badr al-Dīn
Lu’lu’.109 Hűlegű himself captured Edessa, Dunaysir, Nisībīn/Nisibin
and "arrān110 (see Map 5). After crossing the Euphrates, the Mongols
surrounded Aleppo, where they were joined by the troops of the
Cilician Armenian King Het‘um and his son in-law, Bohemond VI,
the Prince of Antioch (1252–1268) and the Count of Tripoli (1252–
1275).111 Among those who arrived was the Armenian Catholicos
Kostandin (Constantine) I (1221–1267) who came to bless Hűlegű’s
march, as the Armenian chronicler attests, in order to ‘free all the
Christians, clerics and people from death.’112 This account indicates
the importance of this conquest for the Armenians.
The siege of Aleppo started. The inhabitants of Aleppo, trusting
in the impregnability of their citadel and of the five secure gates
(Jews’ Gate, Anatolia Gate, Damascus Gate, Antioch Gate and Iraq
Gate) refused to surrender and preferred to fight the Mongols. The
106
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:49. Estimates of the size of Hűlegű’s army range from
15,000 to 120,000 (Smith, 1975:274–278; Allsen, 1987:203–207).
107
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:390.
108
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:719.
109
According to a Persian source, the army killed many Kurds in Akhlā and in
the mountains of Hakkārī (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:719).
110
Ibid., 719.
111
Boyle, 1968:350. The conquest of Aleppo signified the entrance of the Mongols
into the principality of Antioch and the county of Tripoli. In return for his military
support, Bohemond retained the districts in the Orontes valley which he restored to
the principality of Antioch (Jackson, 2005a:117).
112
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:151.
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city was finally taken through the Iraq Gate and the siege of the
town lasted less than a week.113 The following episode in the siege
of Aleppo is documented by Smbat Sparapet:
In the year 1260, Khan Hulagu and his mighty host advanced like a
Spring torrent, seizing the forts of the infidels wherever they passed,
some peacefully, some by fighting. Thus he advanced as far as Aleppo,
surrounded the city, and sent word to King Het‘um to join him; and
the latter immediately came to the Khan with his army, and the Khan
received him joyfully. And the victorious Khan harassed Aleppo with
numerous engines, and in seven days he opened a way for the invaders
in spite of the great width of the ramparts and the depth of the ditch.
Then they all raised such a loud cry that the earth shook and trembled
at the sound; entering, they marched on the citadel.114
For many days and nights, they battled against the defenders in the
citadel of Aleppo where catapults and arrows were used by both
sides.115 As Bar Hebraeus relates, the greater number of the Christians
were gathered in the church of the Greeks. The Armenian noble
T‘oros and the monk Kūrāk liberated them and brought them to the
Syriac church in Maragha.116 Ibn Shaddād and other Arab historians
stress the reprehensible role of Het‘um in the siege, who set fire to
the Great Mosque of Aleppo.117 In Muslim historiography, this theme
of the plunder of mosques by the Armenians continued until Il-Khan
Ghazan’s reign.118 Ibn Shaddād states that Hűlegű, having learned
what Het‘um had done to the mosque, became angry and had a large
number of Armenian troops massacred.119 To my knowledge, the
contemporary Armenian sources say nothing about setting fire to
the mosque, the massacre, the conversion of the mosque into a
church, nor the execution of the Armenians by Hűlegű. The reference
to similar actions in Damascus, but this time attributed to Bohemond
VI, is found in the Deeds of the Cypriots, saying:
The King of Armenia and the Prince of Antioch [Bohemond VI] joined
the Tartar host and were at the taking of Damascus. When Damascus
fell, the prince had a most lovely Church purified and censed … This
113
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:719. Aleppo was taken from 18 to 24 January and the
citadel on 25 February 1260 (Boyle, 1968:350; Amitai-Preiss, 2004:26).
114
Smbat Sparapet Chronicle cited in Der Nersessian, 1973:370.
115
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:719.
116
Bar Hebraeus, 2003:436.
117
Boyle, 1968:350; Ibn Shaddād in Stewart, 2001:41.
118
See Chapter 7.
119
Jackson, 1980:495.
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was originally the church of the Greeks (that had been turned into a
mosque) … And in other Mohammedan mosques, where the Saracens
worshipped, he had roncins and donkeys stabled, and he splashed wine
on the walls and smeared them with pork, both salt and fresh. And
where he commanded his men to commit one act of defilement, they
did ten.120
When the city was conquered, many artisans were made prisoner.
After the long siege of "ārim fortress near Aleppo, the defenders
asked for mercy.121 But Hűlegű was extremely angry with them and
ordered them to be killed. Interestingly enough, only an Armenian
goldsmith was spared.122 By this time, the notables of "amā and
"om! had come to Hűlegű and submitted their cities to him.123
After "ārim fortress, the citadel of Aleppo was taken, and Hűlegű
installed a Mongol shana in Aleppo.124
The people of Damascus were frightened by the attacks of the
Mongol army. Hűlegű ordered Ket-Buqa to go to Damascus and
test them and Ket-Buqa arrived there on 14 February 1260.125 Since
Aleppo was entirely under Hűlegű’s control, the dignitaries and grandees of Damascus came to the camp of Hűlegű bearing all sorts of
gifts and the keys to the city gates. 126 Therefore, without having
to lay siege, Ket-Buqa made a triumphal entry into Damascus on
March 1, accompanied by the Armenian King Het‘um and Bohemond
VI.127 The inhabitants turned out to greet them and asked for
amnesty. Ket-Buqa sent the nobles and dignitaries to Hűlegű who
showed mercy to them and granted their requests. 128 A Mongol
120
According to the Gestes des Chiprois, Bohemond converted one mosque into
a Latin church and plundered many others (RHC/DA, 2, 171, 751; Crawford,
2003:34–35). Modern scholarship doubts this or any similar behaviour; see Jackson,
1980:486–487.
121
On the siege of "ārim fortress, see Ibn Shaddād, 1984:42–43.
122
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:720. It is a blacksmith in Bar Hebraeus, 2003:436.
123
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:388.
124
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:720.
125
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:30.
126
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:49–50; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:388. The local notables decided to submit with the help of Zayn al-"āfiī who had fostered a pro-Mongol policy for a long time (Amitai-Preiss, 2004:30).
127
Boase, 1978:26
128
Among the nobles were al-Ashraf Mūsā whom Hűlegű allowed to retain his
old principality of "om!. Al-Saʿid "asan b. al-ʿAzīz ʿUthmān who had been released
by Hűlegű from al-Nā!ir Yūsuf’s jail in al-Bīra on the Euphrates was reinstated as the
ruler of al-ubayba and Banias (Amitai-Preiss, 2004:31–32).
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shana and three Persians were entrusted to govern Damascus. 129
According to Kirakos Gandzakets‘i , after Damascus, Hűlegű sent
troops to the city of Mardin ( Մերտինայ ). 130 From Damascus,
Ket-Buqa raided Hebron, Ascalon, Jerusalem and Nablus. 131
Although scholars dispute the siege of Jerusalem by Hűlegű, they
agree that Hűlegű was bound for the Holy Land . 132 The reason
why Hűlegű was interested in the controlling of the Holy Land,
which is stressed by Armenian historians, could be explained by
the fact that the place was contested by the Christian and Muslim
powers. By controlling the Holy Land, the Mongols could manipulate the sensitivities of both parties. However, Hűlegű did not
actually make any special arrangements for Jerusalem. By the
time he had conquered Aleppo, al-Nā!ir Yūsuf, the Sultan of
Aleppo and Syria had fled to the fortress at Karak. 133 Ket-Buqa
wanted to lay siege to Karak but the Sultan of Aleppo asked for
mercy and capitulated. Ket-Buqa sent al-Nā!ir Yūsuf to Hűlegű
in Tabriz who promised to give him the governorship of Syria
after his defeat of Egypt . 134
The main achievement of the Mongol-Cilician Armenian military alliance was the fall of Aleppo and Damascus . The alliance
brought a certain immediate benefit to the Armenians. According
to Het‘um Patmich‘, after the capture of Syria and Palestine, King
Het‘um received territory in western Cilicia along with several
fortresses taken from the Armenians by the Muslims. 135 In fact,
Het‘um expanded his territories on the Cappadocian, Mesopotamian and Syrian borders where the trade routes passed.136 Hűlegű
gave Bohemond the port of Latakia in return for his reinstatement of the Greek patriarch of Antioch .137
129
130
131
132
255.
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:720. For shahna, see Chapter 4.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:388; Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:143.
Jackson, 2005a:116.
Spuler, 1943:254. On the Mongol raid into Palestine, see Amitai, 1987(2):236–
133
Al-Nā!ir Yūsuf’s ambivalent policy was due to his indecisive nature and opposite opinions of those around him (Amitai-Preiss, 2004:22).
134
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:720.
135
Het‘um Patmich, 1951:50–51; Burger, 1988:xviii.
136
Stewart, 2001:46.
137
Bohemond restored the districts in the Orontes valley (Kafr Bilmīs, Dayrkūsh
and Kafr Dubbīn) to the principality of Antioch which remained in his hands until
it fell to Baybars in 1268 (Jackson, 2005a:117).
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141
In a short time in early 1260, Syria and Palestine were conquered and brought under Hűlegű’s control. Now Hűlegű confronted the last power of the Islamic states: Egypt, the dream of the
Crusaders.
The achievement of Hűlegű as a conqueror and an empire-builder
is enormous. He was the carrier of the ‘imperial ideology,’ as AmitaiPreiss identifies this phenomenon.138 He actively supervised battles
on four different fronts: against the Ismāʿīlīs; the ʿAbbasid Caliphate;
the Mamluks of Egypt and the Golden Horde (initially Ulus of Jochi).
As has been said above, having destroyed both the ʿAbbāsid Caliphate
and its Ismāʿīlī opponents, Hűlegű extended the Mongol conquest to
the shores of the Mediterranean and left his successors in control of
a territory corresponding to the greater part of what we now call the
Middle East. As Boyle indicates, it is due to him and his successors
that Iran came into direct contact with the West for the first time
since antiquity.139
The involvement of Greater Armenia was mostly based on the
obligations of their vassal status to serve in military actions. Among
the Greater Armenian dynasties, Pŕosh Khaghbakian through his
loyal service strengthened his position and his House, which later
would be known as the Pŕoshians.140
The involvement of the Cilician Armenians, by contrast, was voluntary in the sense that it was consistent with their own interests
and objectives and it had far-reaching political consequences. The
Mongol victory in Mesopotamia allowed King Het‘um I to expand
his realm not only geographically to the Cappadocian, Mesopotamian
and Syrian frontiers, but also economically, giving him the chance
to control trade routes.141
Following his ancestral tradition of religious tolerance, Hűlegű
had no desire for a religious war. However, being reminded several
times by the Armenian King Het‘um, Hűlegű saw clearly that there
was a power-vacuum in this region that was disputed between the
Christian and Muslim worlds. Moreover, he understood that, even
within the Muslim world, control of Syria was contested between the
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:9.
Moreover, the dynasty founded by Hűlegű may be said to have paved the way,
however unwittingly, for the centralising nationalistic policies of the afavids (Boyle,
1968:355).
140
Hovsep‘ean, 1928:16–17, 36–45; Babayan, 1976:546–550.
141
Stewart, 2001:46.
138
139
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Ayyubid princes and the new Mamluk state in Egypt. In order to
reach his imperial goals, Hűlegű drew on the resources and supports
of his allies and subjects in the region. As has been said, among the
first Mongols in Iran, the Christian interest was more influential; this
is especially the case with the Il-Khanid hierarchy, in which the wife
of Hűlegű, Doquz Khatun, promoted the Christians. If the destruction of the Assassins brought much rejoicing to the orthodox Muslim
world, the actual fall of Baghdad and the end of the ‘Abbasid Caliph’s
line met with the opposite reaction. Lamentation over the fall of the
glorious city of Baghdad is found in Muslim literature. The Arab
writer adh-Dhahabī wrote a qaīda, or ode, which belongs to the class
of the marthiyya-qasīdas, in which the final accord says that no-one
hoped to remain alive after that veritable Day of Judgement; another
was written by the famous Persian poet, Sa‘di of Shiraz.142 Mongol
incursions into Aleppo and the Ayyubid principalities of Syria and
Palestine made the Mongols the most hated enemy of the Muslims.
However, for the Christians, these raids represented some sort of
divine judgement of the infidels.143
It is worth emphasising that a Muslim-Mongol alliance contributed to the success of Hűlegű as much as a Christian one. The submissions and military services given by the Muslim rulers, namely
Badr al-Luʿluʿ of Mosul, Prince al-Ashraf Mūsā of "om! (at the
beginning of his submission), al-Mughīth ʿUmar, the ruler of Karak,
al-Saʿid "asan of Banias, and many others, had their own impact on
the implementation of Mongol ambitions.144 On the other hand,
despite the fractured political situation in Syria, Hűlegű’s conquest
of Northern Syria made opposing Muslim leaders forget their past
conflicts and unite against the Mongol threat.145
142
143
144
145
Somogyi, 1933–1935:46–47; Browne, 1906:29–30.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:383–384; Bar Hebraeus, 2003:423.
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:32, 40.
Ibid., 2004:35.
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CHAPTER SIX
THE ILKHANS’ WARS AND MONGOLCILICIAN
ARMENIAN COLLABORATION: STAGE II 12601265
Mongol-Armenian cooperation proved itself in practice to be a successful venture that overthrew the Muslim supremacies. The elimination of the Ismā‘īlī and ‘Abbasid powers, the invasion of Aleppo and
Damascus by the forces commanded by Hűlegű and Het‘um I did
not stop the latter’s ambitions. Their advance further into Syria signified a new development in the history of the Near East, establishing
an exclusive triangle of relationships between the Mongols, Mamluks
and the Cilician Armenians that carried on for more than 60 years.
This section of book examines the wars of the Il-Khans against the
Mamluk sultans and against the Golden Horde in 1260–1265. Both
wars involved the Armenians. The Il-Khans’ confrontation with the
Mamluks was implemented with the help of the Cilician Armenians
and the efforts to resist the Golden Horde took place in the territories
of Greater Armenia. If participation of the Cilician Armenians in the
Il-Khanid war resulted in a gain, the Greater Armenian lords’ activity
was limited to observing their land being devastated by the
Chinggisids’ wars.
Joint Ventures of Hűlegű and Het‘um I in Syria
As one can see from the previous chapter, the pairing of Hűlegű and
Het‘um I had a glorious start. However, after 1260, Hűlegű was
mostly busy with affairs within the Mongol Empire, so Het‘um dealt
mainly with Hűlegű’s representatives.
When messengers brought news to Hűlegű of Great Khan
Möngke’s death (11 August 1259), it was already the early Summer
of 1260. Hűlegű left Syria and arrived in Akhlāt on 6 June 1260 and
then he withdrew to Tabriz.1 As Jackson notes, there is a striking
1
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:720. The apparent delay in news arriving undeniably
reflected in the rivalry between members of the Chinggisid clan to succeed to the
Mongol throne.
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parallel between Hűlegű’s retreat from his advance into Egypt and
Batu Khan’s withdrawal from Eastern Europe following Ögodei
Khan’s death (1241), which saved Europe from Mongol conquest.2
According to Armenian sources, Hűlegű’s withdrawal from Syria
was possibly connected with his intention of wintering in the
Hamadān plain, which seems to be a plausible suggestion.3 He left
his victorious general Ket-Buqa in command of a small army, less
than two tumans (20,000 men), in Syria. As a potential Great Khan,
Hűlegű took the vast majority of his army with him.4 Amitai-Preiss
attributes the act of leaving Ket-Buqa with such a small army to
faulty intelligence and underestimation of the size of the Egyptian
forces.5
The Egyptian army was under the command of al-Muaffar Sayf
al-Dīn Quuz (1259–1260), the atabeg and ruler of Egypt. In the same
year 1260, before his withdrawal, Hűlegű had sent envoys to Cairo
demanding Quuz’s surrender making conflict more or less inevitable. Having called his commanders to a council, Quuz decided to
respond to Hűlegű by killing the envoys.6 He resisted the Mongols
as justification for his own accession to the throne (16 November
1259) for he claimed to be a descendant of Khwārazm-Shāh ʿAlā’
al-Dīn Mu ammad. He pursued an anti-Mongol policy as his personal revenge.7 The Persian source recounts that many of the fugitives and stragglers of Khwārazm-Shāh Sultan Jalāl al-Dīn had fled to
Egypt after hearing about the advance of Hűlegű on Upper
Mesopotamia.8 However, having found refuge with Quuz, they
formed the substantial part of his army.9 When Hűlegű retreated
home, Quuz prepared for war with the Mongols.
Quuz allied with his former opponent, a fellow Mamluk, Baybars
al-Bunduqdārī, who had fled Syria after the Mongols captured
Damascus.10 The Mongols attempted to ally with the remnants of the
Jackson, 2005a:116.
Ibid., 230. It is the plain of Hemian (Հեմիանայ) in Kirakos Gandzakets‘i,
1961:388; Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:50; Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:53.
4
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:152; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:388.
5
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:29.
6
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:721–722.
7
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:35.
8
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:721.
9
Ibid., 721.
10
Enmity existed between Quuz and Baybars because of the murder of the
Ba riyya regiment’s former leader, sanctioned by Quuz, followed by numerous
2
3
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Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, now centred in Acre, but Pope
Alexander IV (1254–1261) forbade this.11 This action was reasonable,
since a ten-year peace had been concluded between the Franks of
Palestine and Damascus in 1254, and Egypt in 1255,12 and the neutral
position of the Franks towards the Mamluks was renewed at Acre in
1260.13 In September 1260, the Mediterranean Latin states allowed
Mamluk troops to march through Latin Palestine against a joint force
of Armenians and Mongols.14 The reason why the Franks remained
resistant towards Mongol assistance was very simple, for as Jackson
states, this was the only rational assessment in those circumstances.15
As the Franks believed that one day the Mongols would wipe them
out as well, they were not in favour of helping them.16 Secondly, they
did not want Quuz to turn against them, so they agreed that the
Egyptian army could cross their territories although they ended up
delivering supplies for the Sultan’s troops.17 It was a perfect moment
for Quuz, who decided to march north on Syria and confront the
occupying army left under the command of Ket-Buqa Noyan, confident that even in defeat he could still withdraw to Egypt for reinforcements. In addition, he was sure that, as the Mongol troops had
just finished their exhausting ride through the desert, there was no
hope that Hűlegű would return with his full army.18 He believed that
defeating this force would not only protect the holy places, such as
Jerusalem, Mecca and Medina, but also would drive the Muslims into
raids and attempts to invade Egypt from Ayyubid Syria under Baybars’ leadership.
However, the threat caused by the Mongols brought these two into temporary alliance (Amitai-Preiss, 2004:35).
11
Jackson, 2005a:119.
12
Thorau, 1987:142.
13
Jackson, 2005a:121.
14
The notion that Ket-Buqa, disobeying the instructions of Hűlegű to remain in
the newly-conquered region, waged war with Egypt having a reinforcement of 500
soldiers from Cilicia, is found only in Smbat Sparapet’s Chronicle in Der Nersessian,
1973:370. By such a statement, Smbat possibly tried to justify the defeat.
15
Jackson, 2005a:121.
16
Rashīd al-Dīn mentions a certain Amir Baydar, a subordinate of Ket-Buqa,
who was informed about the advance of Egyptian troops via the Latin coast (Rashīd
al-Dīn, 1954:722). According to the scholars quoting the Mamluk sources, Baydar
was a commander of the Mongol force dispatched to Gaza in order to prevent the
Egyptians from sending assistance to the Franks on the coast (Amitai-Preiss,
2004:33; Jackson, 1980:496).
17
Under the Mamluks, the principality of Antioch fell in 1268, the county of
Tripoli in 1289, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1291 (Jackson, 2005a:118–119).
18
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:38.
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a rage against the resolute Mongols. Essentially, he accomplished all
these goals.
As Amitai-Preiss noted, the war between the Mongol Il-Khans
and the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt and Syria lasted until 1320 in
various forms of confrontation, commencing with the battle of
‘Ayn Jālūt in 1260.19 This battle had very important consequences
for all its participants, Mongols , Mamluks and Armenians . The
Mamluk and Mongol armies encamped in Palestine in July 1260,20
finally met at ʿAyn Jālūt near Zarʿīn on 3 September of the same
year, with both sides numbering about 20,000 men.21 Armenian
sources name the place of the battle as the plain of Mount T‘abor
(Թաբորական)22 or the locality called Prr (Պրր).23 According to
Rashīd al-Dīn, the Mamluks drew out the Mongol mounted archers
with a feigned retreat. The Mongols were almost unable to withstand
the assault from the Egyptian ambush, and Quuz rallied his troops
for a successful counter-attack, using cavalry reserves hidden in the
nearby valleys. The Mongols were forced to retreat and Ket-Buqa was
left alone. His horse fell and he found refuge in a thicket of rushes
where a small number of Mongols were hidden. When Quuz set the
rushes on fire, Ket-Buqa was captured and executed.24 Many
Armenians and Georgians were killed with Ket-Buqa.25 The Armenian
source attributes the failure of the Mongols to the excessive heat and
the sickness among their horses.26 In a letter to the French King Louis
IX dated 1262, Hűlegű himself explained his withdrawal from Syria
as being due to the exhaustion of grazing land and provisions, and
the discomfort of heat in Summer.27 Also, the timely desertion of
al-Ashraf Mūsā, the governor of "om! who previously had been
Ibid., 1999:57.
Quuz had at first agreed to wait for Ket-Buqa at āli iyya to get the amirs to
mobilise; however, knowing that a prolonged wait would not be in his favour, he
convinced the amirs to follow him speedily (Amitai-Preiss, 2004:37).
21
Het‘um Patmich gives the number of Ket-Buqa’s army as 10,000 men (Het‘um
Patmich, 1956:70). For different figures on both sides, see Amitai-Preiss, 1992:119–
150, 2004:36–37; Smith, 1984a:308–344.
22
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:389.
23
Der Nersessian, 1973:370.
24
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:723.
25
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:389.
26
Der Nersessian, 1973:370. Although the hot climate of Palestine and Egypt did
not suit the Mongols, they left these lands only after their defeat by the Mamluks
(Halperin, 1985:48).
27
Meyvaert, 1980:258; Jackson, 2005a:120.
19
20
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allied with the Mongols, and who was on the Mongol left flank in
this battle, contributed to the Mamluk victory.28 Furthermore, the
Mamluk heavy cavalrymen were masters of close combat, a form of
warfare never previously experienced by the Mongols. Besides, the
bulk of the Mamluks were Inner Asian nomads of Turkic (or
Circassian/Qipchak) origin sold via Constantinople in Cairo to the
Sultan of Egypt.29 It is important to note that both the Mamluks and
Mongols were the military elites of the Eurasian Steppe.30 The
Mamluks were not only great equestrians themselves, familiar with
steppe warfare, but very well aware of Mongol tactics and weapons.31
Until 1517, the Mamluks were the unchallenged masters of military
force in Egypt.32
When the news of the death of Ket-Buqa, the defeat of the Mongol
army and its withdrawal across the Euphrates reached Hűlegű, he
decided to dispatch a second conquest of Syria with a large force of
Mongol cavalry under one of his commander.33 Recent scholarship
suggests that the Mongols advanced as far as "om! but were defeated
in battle in December 1260, and for the second time were driven
back across the Euphrates and were completely expelled from Syria.34
For the Mongols, this failure marked the end of the unity of the
Mongol Empire, though some parts of it would last another 250
years. ‘Ayn Jālūt represented a similar situation to that of Hakata Bay
(Iki Island), where the fleet of Qubilai Khan was defeated by the
Japanese Shogunate in 1274 and 1281, ending Mongol expansion in
Japan.
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:43.
Smith, 1984a:314.
30
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:2.
31
Ayalon, 1963:49.
32
Chahin, 1987:286. On the way back to Cairo after the victory at ʿAyn Jālūt,
Baybars killed Quuz and became Sultan himself. His successors would go on to capture the last of the Crusader states in Palestine by 1291.
33
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:723.
34
According to Mamluk sources of the later period, on Friday 11 December
1260, there was a great battle near the northern citadel of "om! between the Mongols and forces of Aleppo, "amā and "om!, where the outnumbered Muslims were
victorious over the Mongols who were discomforted by the sun and fog. Although
the victory near "om! was achieved by the Ayyubids of northern Syria, this battle
would be considered by the Mamluk sources as greater than the one at ʿAyn Jālūt,
due to the Muslims having no numerical advantage, about 1,400 men under the
command of al-Ashraf Mūsā against 6,000 Mongol horsemen commanded by Baydar
(Amitai-Preiss, 2004:51–52).
28
29
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The defeat of Ket-Buqa had a serious effect for the Armenians:
Their desire to free the Holy Land was quashed. The Mamluks ravaged much of Antioch and Cilician Armenia in the following year.35
Nevertheless, even after the Mongol failure in battle against the
Mamluk army, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia maintained its territorial integrity and Het‘um was able not only to hold his own, but
also to expand his territories during the first half of the Il-Khanid
period.
In 1262, a joint force of Mongol-Armenian troops allowed Het‘um
to occupy Behesni and Marash. However, the victory of the Mamluks
at ʿAyn Jālūt not only saved Egypt from the Mongol advance but also
encouraged the Muslims in Damascus and Aleppo to revolt against
the Cilician Armenians. The Mongols, pushed back and contained
in Iran, were too distant to help Cilicia against the newly-powerful
Mamluks. Regardless of this, the Mongols were the only protectors
of the Armenians. According to Smbat‘s Chronicle, in 1263 King
Het‘um went to Hűlegű Khan to complain about ‘the people of
Cappadocia who molested the Cilicians’ and Hűlegű sent Mongol
judges (yarghuchis) after him to solve the problem with the Sultan
of Rūm, Rukn al-Dīn. Under the supervision of the Mongol judge,
Het‘um met Rukn al-Dīn in Heraclea to discuss the division of the
port.36
Considering himself to be supported by the Mongols, in 1264 King
Het‘um gathered his army of infantry and invaded the province of
Aleppo and a few small towns nearby. According to Smbat Sparapet,
they won rich booty, but confronted a small Muslim force in one of
these towns. Het‘um escaped and returned home alive with the booty.
The same year Het‘um again assembled his army and marched on
the fort of Aïntab, but returned to his land without having been able
to reach the fort. After a short time, during the Winter, he made an
unsuccessful attempt to take this fort again.37
One more attempt by a joint Mongol-Armenian advance on Syria
was made in 1264–1265. Hűlegű Khan sent Turba, one of his commanders, together with a large army to the impregnable fort of
al-Bīra, which was in the hands of the Muslims. Turba managed to
demolish the walls of the tower. Turba sent to ask King Het‘um to
35
36
37
Burger, 1988:xviii.
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1956:72; Der Nersessian, 1973:372.
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:57.
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join him. Het‘um sent 200 cavalrymen ahead to Turba and then followed himself. When Turba received news that Baybars, the Sultan
of Egypt was coming against him, he left al-Bīra, leaving Het‘um no
choice except to return home.38 The series of expeditions by Het‘um
into northern Syria during 1262–1264 provoked the Mamluks to
undertake further incursions into Cilician Armenia.
Despite the fact that Het‘um gained much as Hűlegű’s ally in terms
of his confidence and territories, his solo expeditions were not profitable for him. He needed the Mongols’ support and this ensured that
he would stay true as a Mongol ally in spite of the failure of the
Frankish States to collaborate with the Mongols.
The Participation of the Armenians in the Il-Khanid War
against the Golden Horde
Although the issues related to the wars among the Chinggisids are
well documented in primary and secondary literature, it is less well
known that these wars had a direct influence on the Armenians. For
the Cilician Armenians, these wars played a crucial role in distracting
the Mongols’ attention from their mutual aim to control the Syrian
coast, and for the Armenians in Greater Armenia it was another
occasion in which they experienced the devastation of their lands.
Control of the Caucasus was always contested between the Jochids
and Toluids. Thus, clashes between the Mongol troops, which usually
took place on Georgian and Armenian territories almost every year
until the collapse of the Il-Khanate in the second half of the fourteenth century, turned into a difficult challenge for the Greater
Armenians, who according to their subject status had to take the side
of the Il-Khans.
Conflicts within the Mongol Uluses over leadership, the best pastures in Azerbaijan and access through the Derbent Gate, where the
trade route from the Golden Horde passed through the Near and
Middle East, turned into warfare from 1260. Azerbaijan with its
sophisticated manufacturing and textile trade remained a point of
discord between the Jochids and Toluids.39 Therefore, the Mongol
Il-Khans were constantly involved in hostilities on different parts of
their borders. These hostilities started with the death of Great Khan
38
39
Ibid., 58.
Grekov and Jakubovsky, 1950:76.
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Möngke in 1259. By 1262, Hűlegű had returned from Syria to his
domain in Iran. Instead of retaliating against the Mamluks, he had
to shift his attention to the north to face the Golden Horde ruled by
Berke (1257/1258–1267).40 When Chinggis Khan divided his vast
empire into Uluses between his sons and other family members41
according to their seniority, the eldest son Jochi received control of
the territories and people between the Altai Mountains and the river
Irtysh. Although the boundaries of his realm, which was known later
as the Golden Horde with its centre in Sarai, fluctuated, they included
the upper Volga, Siberia to the Urals, the northern Caucasus, Bulgaria
(for a time), the Crimea and Khwārazm in Central Asia.42 Based on
information left by Ibn Fal-Allāh al-ʿUmarī, Jackson attests that
Chinggis Khan gave his eldest son Jochi not only the Pontic steppe,
but also Arrān, Tabrīz, Hamadān and Marāgha.43 According to
Va!!āf also, Arran and Azerbaijan belonged to Batu’s line.44 Although
Batu Khan, exercising his seniority within the direct line of the
Chinggisids, played the role of overseer of the Caucasus until his
death, the real masters of Georgia and Armenia were the Mongol
noyans until Hűlegű arrived in Iran. With Hűlegű’s arrival, the
Armenian lords, who had established direct contact with the Mongol
noyans and who experienced relative freedom in dealing with them,
had to revise their status, which was limited to being engaged mostly
with the provision and military reinforcement of the Il-Khan’s army.
Chaghatai (r. 1227–1242), the second son of Chinggis Khan, ruled
the territory of Central Asia or the former lands of the Qara-Khitai
and Transoxiana as far as Samarqand and Bukhārā with a residence
on the Ili River.45 Tolui, Hűlegű’s father, as the youngest son of
Chinggis, inherited the Mongol homelands according to Mongol
custom.
It is problematic and beyond my immediate purpose to identify
what exactly Tolui inherited; however, as I see it, his territories over40
Berke was the son of Jochi (d. 1227) and the grandson of Chinggis Khan, as
well as the fourth ruler of the Golden Horde, established by his brother Batu Khan
(d. 1255). For Berke, see Vásáry, 1990:230–252.
41
Uluses or Mongol appanages were not limited only to Chinggis Khan’s four
sons. It is suggested that the territories given to Chinggis Khan’s brothers and the
rest of the family members were Uluses as well (Jackson, 1999b:36; see Introduction).
42
Halperin, 1985:25.
43
Jackson, 2005a:125.
44
Va!!āf, 1856:93.
45
Halperin, 1985:25; Spuler, 1965:274–280.
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lapped with Ögödei’s. According to the Secret History, Ögödei was
the ruler of Golyn Ulus, or the central Ulus,46 which included not
only the territories around Qara-Qorum, but also the entire Mongol
homeland. It seems that Tolui was left without any actual lands to
rule and I would suggest that this might explain why his descendants
were sent to Iran to settle there. After the death of Chinggis Khan,
these divisions of land stirred up conflicts among the Mongol princes,
shifting the boundaries and the sphere of power. When Hűlegű, the
son of Tolui, arrived in Iran and established himself as a Khan of
Rūm, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Caucasus, this triggered the
claims of the Jochids and Toluids to each other’s territory. The main
cause of their direct clash was to gain control of the pasturelands or
resources for nomads in Azerbaijan and in Arran. The route from
Russia to these lands would certainly cross the Caucasus, involving
Armenia and Georgia in their conflicts.
As has been mentioned earlier, the relationship between the
Jochids or the Golden Horde and Armenia was developed in the time
of Batu Khan, the grandson of Chinggis Khan, through the Mongol
noyans. When Batu Khan died, his son Sartakh (r. 1255–1256) succeeded him. Since Sartakh was brought up by a Christian tutor and
was baptised and nurtured by him, in his turn he granted many
concessions to the Church and the Christians in his realm.47 The
partnership of Sartakh and Hasan Jalal, the Armenian lord of
Khachen from 1251–1256 may serve as a good illustration of this.48
According to the Armenian sources, Sartakh was poisoned by his
uncle Berke and someone named Barkach‘a (Բարքաչայ).49 The
death of the pro-Christian Sartakh and the rise of the pro-Muslim
Berke would certainly alter the Mongol attitude towards the Christians
of the region, including the Armenian lords.
Ulagchi, the son of Sartakh died in 1257, leaving the throne to
Berke, a brother of Batu Khan.50 Since the core of the Golden Horde’s
territories was Dasht-i Qipchak, in Berke’s time his realm was called
MNT, 2004:94(§269).
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:358.
48
For this partnership, see Chapters 2 and 3.
49
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:142; Davit‘ Baghishets‘i, 1956:347. Berke is suspected of having poisoned not only Sartakh, but also Ulagchi and Batu’s widow (de
Hartog, 1996:53). Barkach‘a is Berkecher, the fourth son of Jochi and the uncle of
Sartakh (Rashīd al-Dīn/ Boyle, 1971:110).
50
Vernadsky, 2001:158. Berke launched savage attacks on Poland, Lithuania and
Prussia in 1259/1260 (Jackson , 2005a:123).
46
47
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Qipchak Khanate. The number of the Mongols was comparatively
small among those of the Qipchaks and the Turks who inhabited the
area of the Jochids’ control and so the Golden Horde’s ethnicity was
predominantly Turkic.51 Consequently, as ruler of a domain based
on Turkic culture, the conversion of Berke to Islam was not a complete surprise, although he was the first Chinggisid to adopt Islam.52
When the Golden Horde became Islamic, a new element was brought
into the ruling system of the Mongols; the profession of the Muslim
faith meant that the religious issues of the Mongols became more
than a private matter. Berke, who had been converted to Islam in his
adolescence but who had pledged to serve the Great Khan Möngke
loyally, watched with displeasure as his cousin, Hűlegű, destroyed
the ʿAbbāsid Caliphate, the spiritual centre of Islam. Berke, having
protested against the attack on Baghdad by Hűlegű, assured him that
with the help of God he would call him to account for so much
innocent blood.53 In his letter to the Mamluk Baybars, Berke sought
an alliance with Egypt against the Il-Khanate.54 Berke believed that
Hűlegű had contradicted the Mongol Yasa, killing the Caliph of
Baghdad without consulting the Chinggisid princes.55 The actual
cause of Berke’s anger could have been the execution of three Jochid
princes, Tutar, Balaghai and Quli, who had accompanied Hűlegű to
Baghdad. In fact, in early 1260, Balaghai suddenly died while feasting,
Quli died without any specific reason, and Tutar was accused of treason and was executed by Hűlegű with Berke’s permission.56 Besides
these motives, the rich pasture and the profitable trade routes of
Azerbaijan, held by Hűlegű, who considered himself as their possessor
Buell, 1999:201.
Jūzjānī relates a narrative that Jochi, after the capture of Khwārazm, requested
a Muslim midwife to nurse his newborn son, Berke in order to make him a real Muslim. When Berke reached the age of learning, he was instructed by the ‘ulamā to
study the Qoran (Jūzjānī, 1970:1283–1284). According to Barthold, the Chaghataid
Mubārak Shāh, the son of Qara Hűlegű and Orghana Khatun, was the first of the
Chinggisids to convert to Islam (Barthold, 1977:483; Jackson, 1978:223–224). For
Berke’s conversion to Islam, see Vásáry, 1990:231–251.
53
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:731; Richard, 1976:173–184.
54
Baybars wrote a letter to Berke in 660 H. (1261–1262). In December 1262,
Baybars sent his first embassy to Berke. The embassy returned to Cairo in September
1264. The second embassy was sent soon after, and it returned in 665 H. (1266–1267)
(Thorau, 1992:259–260).
55
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:731; Lane, 2003:59.
56
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:725.
51
52
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by right, constantly attracted the Golden Horde, who believed that
it was their property.57
The Armenian account of the first stage of the war among the
Chinggisids provides valuable information documented by Kirakos
Gandzakets‘i. When the conflict between Berke and Hűlegű deepened
after the death of Möngke Khan, Hűlegű supported Qubilai, and
Berke sided with Arïgh-Böke (both candidates were the brothers of
Möngke and Hűlegű) for enthronement as the Great Khan. An
Armenian source states that there was yet another person, the ruler
of the Chaghatai Khanate, who was interested in driving away Berke
and assisted Hűlegű.58 Kirakos Gandzakets‘i attributes the rise of the
conflict between Berke and Hűlegű to the Chaghataid Prince Aluqu
(r. 1260–1265/1266), who urged the Il-Khan to eliminate Berke.59
Therefore, according to the Armenian historian, there was hostility
between the Chaghataid and the Golden Horde as well.
In fact, in the course of 1261–1262, many Armenians in Greater
Armenia were involved in the Chinggisids’ conflict. The young prince
Burtel Orbelian died in the North Caucasus, fighting on Hűlegű’s
side against Berke.60 Another very important event, the Caucasian
lords’ rebellion, started in 1259 and lasted until 1261. As has been
said above, a year earlier, when Hűlegű demanded that the Georgian
King David Ulu support his conquest of Syria and Egypt, David,
being exhausted from his experience in Baghdad, refused the
Il-Khan’s order. He ended up in revolt.61 While Hűlegű was busy
fighting on two fronts against the Mamluks and the Golden Horde,
Amir Arghun was asked to suppress the Caucasian plot. Due to this
action, the Mongols destroyed the Georgian Catholicosate in Atsghor
together with many other churches nearby.62 As has been mentioned
earlier, while David Ulu took refuge at Kutaisi, at his cousin David
Narin’s court, his family was captured, his wife Gonts‘a was drowned
and Prince Hasan Jalal was tortured to death by Amir Arghun for
57
Halperin, 1985:27. Berke, as a senior cousin of Hűlegű, exercised his power
over the latter constantly (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:731). This proves that the seniority of
the Jochids among the Chinggisids was a principal issue. As has been said above,
Hűlegű could not cross the Oxus in order to launch the expedition against the
Ismāʿīlīs without Batu’s permission and did it only after the death of Batu Khan.
58
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:394.
59
Ibid., 394.
60
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:416.
61
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:390.
62
Ibid., 390.
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failure to pay taxes.63 Prince Zak‘arē, the son of Shahnshan Zak‘arian,
who stayed with Amir Arghun, secretly visited his rebel father-in-law
in Ughtik‘ and was killed on Hűlegű’s orders for being suspected of
having connections with the rebels.64 In 1262, David Ulu returned to
his court in Tbilisi (Tiflis), and made peace with the Mongols. In
1263, at the Il-Khan’s request, he dispatched his army to defend the
fortification of Siba against the Golden Horde. In 1265, the Caucasian
force acting as a vanguard of Abaqa’s army defeated Berke and
expelled the Golden Horde troops from Shirvan.65
As the civil war for the throne between Qubilai and Arïgh-Böke
continued until 1264, the antipathy between the fellow cousins,
Hűlegű and Berke, turned into open warfare.66 The Mamluks, knowing through their intelligence that Berke was a Muslim and was
antagonistic towards his cousin, were eager to assert the ties with
him and his Khanate.67 The most important factor in the Mamluk
alliance with Berke Khan was the resistance to the Il-Khanate and
the maintenance of their institution through the recruitment of
young Turkic slaves from the Golden Horde.68 In 1262, after the
succession of Qubilai who was finally enthroned as the Great Khan,
Berke Khan initiated a series of raids, which drew Hűlegű north to
meet him, and Hűlegű Khan suffered a severe defeat in an attempted
invasion in the north of the Caucasus in 1263. This was the first open
war between Mongols, and signalled the end of the unified empire.69
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:418; Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:390–391.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:393; Manandian, 1952:238.
65
See Chapter 7.
66
Vernadsky, 2001:158–159.
67
In total, 50 major embassies of the Golden Horde to Egypt are recorded from
the 1260s until 1320. In 1261, Baybars dispatched a letter to Berke persuading him to
wage a jihad against Hűlegű. The Mamluks employed a special scribe with knowledge of Mongolian and scrupulously followed the Mongol custom and Chinggisid
genealogy in their correspondence with Sarai (Halperin, 1985:27).
68
The Qipchak regiment sent in 1257 by the previous ruler of the Golden Horde,
Ulagchi Khan to support Hűlegű, was ordered to leave the Il-Khan by Berke. This
regiment was transferred to Egypt (more likely in 1261/1262) (Vernadsky, 2001:169).
Berke was killed while fighting Hűlegű’s son, Abaqa Khan in 1266. He was succeeded
by his nephew, Möngke-Teműr (1267–1280). The policy of alliance with the Mamluks, and containment of the Il-Khanate, was continued by Möngke-Teműr. Most
historians are in agreement that the intervention by Berke against Hűlegű saved
Mecca and Jerusalem from the same fate as Baghdad.
69
Before this, there had been tensions between Batu and Gűyűk that could have
developed into open war as occurred between Berke and Hűlegű, but due to the
premature death of Gűyűk in 1248, this did not occur. Also, after this war there were
other open conflicts between the Mongols, such as the tension between Arïgh-Böke
63
64
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Hűlegű’s forces were crushed at the river Terek by Berke’s nephew
Noqai, forcing Hűlegű into retreat on 13 January 1263.70 While withdrawing across the frozen Terek, many thousands were drowned due
to the ice giving way under their weight.71 Hűlegű with the survivors
fled back into Azerbaijan where the Il-Khan began preparations for
the renewal of the campaign against the Golden Horde.72
Forty-eight years old, Hűlegű Khan died on 8 February 1265 in
his Winter quarters on the Jaghatu and was buried in the castle on
Shāhī Island (on Lake Urmia).73 His funeral was the only Il-Khanid
funeral to feature human sacrifice.74 His chief wife Doquz Khatun,
the benefactor of the Christians, died shortly after on 17 June 1265.75
Hűlegű and Doquz were identified by the Armenian historian as a
second Constantine the Great (ca. 280–337) and his mother Helena
(d. 330).76 Their death was a big loss to the Armenians. Almost a year
before they died, in July 1264 (713 Arm.), the Armenian historian
Vardan Arevelts‘i along with other senior vardapets (masters) had
paid a visit to Hűlegű, where they saw the Cilician King Het‘um, the
Georgian King David (Ulu), the Prince of Antioch and ‘the Sultans
of all over Persia.’ Vardan Arevelts‘i left a detailed description of his
discussions with Hűlegű and later, after his death, with his wife
Doquz Khatun, in the context of the Christian approach towards
and Qubilai Khan after 1260 and the war between Toqtamysh (1378–1395) and
Tamerlane (1336–1405) in the late fourteenth century.
70
Thorau, 1992:124. This war, along with the second raid against Poland, played
a key role in the rise of Noqai in the Golden Horde. After Berke’s death, Noqai
became more and more powerful so that he was a kingmaker to the four subsequent
Golden Horde Khans. The Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus (1259–
1282) gave his illegitimate daughter Euphrosyne Palaeologina in marriage to Noqai
(Vernadsky, 2001:171–172; Saunders, 1977:73).
71
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:733.
72
The war with Berke was finalised by Abaqa Khan, the son of Hűlegű in 1265.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i states that these two Mongol Uluses were in a state of war for
five years, massing troops against each other and clashing each year, but only during
the Winter because of the heat and floods in the Summer (Kirakos Gandzakets‘i,
1961:396).
73
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:736.
74
Boyle, 1968:354; Morgan, 1990:158.
75
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:736.
76
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:419. The Christian literature both in Syriac (Bar
Hebraeus) and Armenian (Step‘annos Orbelian) wished to see Hűlegű and Doquz
Khatun as restorers of Christianity in Mesopotamia, comparing them with the
Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena (Borbone, 2009b:102–112; cf. Lane,
1999:1–13).
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good deeds.77 In connection with this, Sebastats‘i says that the Mongol
Il-Khan received Vardan Vardapet with honour and conversed with
him on the issues of wisdom.78 At the end of his visit, Vardan refused
to receive from the Khan any other price or gift than mercy for his
people and land.79 Furthermore, Vardan advised Doquz Khatun to
rear Hűlegű’s sons, Abaqa and Tegűder in the Christian way.80
Hűlegű Khan was succeeded by his son Abaqa (r. 1265–1282) and
thus he established his line.
To sum up, the death of Möngke prevented Hűlegű’s further
advance in the Near East. For him, possession of Egypt and the Nile
was sacrificed in favour of protecting his lands from infringements
by his ambitious relatives in nearby Uluses. Oddly enough, the confrontation between two brothers, Qubilai and Arïgh-Böke, for the
seat in Qara-Qorum in distant Mongolia, involved two cousins,
Hűlegű and Berke, in direct conflict. Moreover, with the settlement
of Hűlegű in Iran, disputes among the Mongol Uluses over the establishment of the frontier lines to include better pastureland became
more heated. Hűlegű’s or the Il-Khanid territories were found to be
‘misappropriated’ by the Golden Horde.81 The conflicts between
Mongol Uluses turned into civil war.
This situation within the Mongol Empire reflected MongolArmenian cooperation. The period from 1260 to 1265 was a tense
time in relations between the Greater Armenians and the Mongols.
After the victory over the Muslims in Upper Mesopotamia and in
northern Syria, the Greater Armenian lords found themselves being
pressurised by Hűlegű’s demand that they take part either in his
further conquests or in his wars against his Mongol relatives, where
they experienced severe casualties.
The initial Mongol-Armenian military collaboration was a great
achievement for the Cilician Armenians. Het‘um managed to expand
his territories even beyond the Cilician boundaries, as had happened
in the eleventh century. However, the victory of the Mamluks and
defeat of the Mongols in ‘Ayn Jālūt was the beginning of the Mamluks’
further triumph over the Mongols and a sign of the dashing of
77
78
79
80
81
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:157–161.
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:144.
Vardan Arevelts‘i, 1991:158.
Ibid., 161.
Jackson, 2005a:125.
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Cilician Armenians’ hopes to get Mongol help in controlling the
Holy Land.
As has been said above, most of the Mamluks were of Turkic
descent, as were the inhabitants of Berke’s Khanate. Due to Turkic
culture, Berke’s dominion had much in common with the Mamluks.
The attacks by Berke on the Il-Khanate saved the ancient cities of the
Holy Land, Mecca and Jerusalem, from suffering a similar fate to
Baghdad’s. Ironically, Hűlegű’s conquest brought the Mamluks of
Egypt into liaison with the Golden Horde. As a result, the Mamluk
Sultanate would rule over the Middle East for more than 200 years,
while Berke Khan and his successors would rule in Russia for another
200 years.
The dynasty established by Hűlegű would survive the shortest
time, only about 91 years, for his descendants to rule Iran and parts
of Iraq and Syria, details of which follow. However, the military alliance of the Il-Khans and the Cilician Armenian monarchs would
continue with different results until Ghazan Khan’s death in 1304.
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CHAPTER SEVEN
MONGOLARMENIAN COOPERATION: STAGE III
12651295
As has been mentioned previously, the Mongol-Cilician Armenian
partnership had great success at the beginning. However, conflicts
within the Mongol Empire prevented the Mongol advance into the
Near East, although the Mongols did not give up the idea of marching on northern Syria. Hűlegű’s successors made a series of approaches
to various leaders to gain Latin support, including the Popes and the
Kings of France and England. Meanwhile, the Mamluks became a
more and more powerful adversary of the Il-Khanate and their hostility towards Cilician Armenia for being a Mongol ally intensified.
The Christian States on the Syrian coast, seeking a chance of survival,
saw in the Mongols a realisation of the Popes’ dreams of ‘Prester
John.’82 Over time, their hopes vanished with the conversion to Islam
of the Mongols of the Golden Horde and the Il-Khans. The purpose
of this chapter is to discuss the development of Mongol-Armenian
military collaboration during the Mongol conquest of the Syrian
coast, which eventually grew into a relationship that implicated not
only the Mongol Il-Khans and the Armenian lords, but also the
Mamluk Sultans and the Christian powers in that particular period.
After the death of Hűlegű, the Armenians carefully watched the
accession of each Il-Khan and the policy that would follow. The
Cilician Armenians tried to use every possible moment to draw the
Il-Khans’ attention towards their own interests in order to safeguard
their lands and rights. In fact, they succeeded in this as long as the
Mongols’ interest coincided with theirs and remained strong enough
to invade the Syrian coast. Examination of the contemporary
Armenian sources reveals that the Armenians expected that each
Il-Khan would give serious attention to Mongol-Armenian affairs.
82
The Pope and the King of France were aware of the danger of assisting Mongol armies; however, the Mongols were their only means of breaking the Muslim
bondage. The belief in Prester John had grown since 1141, when the Seljuks were
defeated by a non-Muslim army from Central Asia, who they thought were Nestorian Christians (Spuler, 1960:29; Jackson, 1999a:711).
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Generally, the Armenian sources are positive towards the Il-Khans
Abaqa (r. 1265–1282) and Arghun (r. 1284–1291), mainly due to
their sympathy for the Christians. As for the Il-Khans Tegűder
A mad (r. 1282–1284), Geikhatu (r. 1291–1295), Baidu (1295),
Ghazan (r. 1295–1304), Öljeitű (r. 1304–1316) and Abū Saīd
(r. 1316–1335), the Armenian sources provide rather diverse information. In order to illustrate this statement it is proposed to analyse
the historical circumstances under which the Mongols, Armenians
and the Mamluks lived and fought.
The Strongest Pairing of Abaqa and Het‘um I against Baybars
Among the Armenian kings of Cilicia, Het‘um I (r. 1226–1269)
proved himself to be the wisest, most powerful and farsighted monarch. Among the Mamluk Sultans, Baybars al-Bunduqdārī (r. 1260–
1277) was one of the strongest opponents of the Armenians and the
Mongols.83 Baybars aimed to efface Cilician Armenia from the medieval map.84 Among all the Il-Khans, Abaqa’s reign (r. 1265–1282)
stands out in terms of the entangled nature of his relations with
Greater Armenia, Cilician Armenia, the Chinggisids and the Franks.85
In addition to this, his diplomacy towards the Mamluks exclusively
concerned the questions of the Cilician Armenians.
The relationship between Abaqa and King Het‘um I is one of
the major defining episodes of Mongol-Armenian collaboration.
It was bound to take place after Sultan Baybars al-Bunduqdārī
(Պնդուխտար) began his steady advance through Syria to Cilicia.
Caesarea, Haifa, Arsuf, Tibnin and afad (Safeth) fell to Baybars in
83
The enlargement and improved training of the Mamluk army along with an
efficient espionage system and civilian administration were put into force during
Baybars’ reign (Amitai, 2005:359–360).
84
Stewart, 2001:190.
85
Abaqa was the eldest son of Hűlegű by Esunjin Khatun, and came to Iran with
his father in 1256. According to an Armenian source, he was the most good-looking
and well-built among his brothers (Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:52). Abaqa had 13 (not 30
as Grigor Aknerts‘i states) brothers and seven sisters (Rashīd al Dīn, 1954:679). He
succeeded to the throne as the Il-Khan of Persia on 19 June 1265. The enthronement
took place on the shores of Chaghan Na’ur (White Lake) in the district of Farāhān,
to the north of Sulānābād. However, it was only on 26 November 1270, five years
later, that the decree of the Great Khan arrived, and he was enthroned for the second
time. Abaqa chose Tabriz as his capital with Summer residences in Ala-Tagh and
Siyāh-Kūh, and Winter residences in Baghdad, Arran and in the valley of Jaghatu
(Ibid., 742–743, 765).
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1265–1266, signifying the beginning of the end for the Franks in
Syria. It was clear that the Sultan would turn on Cilicia, the main
ally of the Mongols.86 Besides this, it is worth noting that on the eve
of the Mamluk advance, the Cilician Armenian economy was flourishing due to foreign trade and manufacturing. The flow of labour
increased due to refugees from Greater Armenia and other regions
during the 1240s–1250s, who had escaped Mongol pressure.87 The
wealth of the country surely attracted its neighbours. Cilician
Armenian ports on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea made
Cilician Armenia participate actively in the international trade of the
region. According to Western travellers, the most important port
was Ayas, where spices and food of all sorts, silk and woollen goods
and other rich commodities were traded.88 Therefore, control over
Ayas would challenge the Sultans constantly.89
Seeing the growing aggression of the Mamluks, King Het‘um I
tried on his own to negotiate a peace treaty with Baybars, for which,
as Smbat Sparapet records, some embassies were exchanged, but the
Sultan was too demanding.90 Het‘um refused to accept the conditions
surrounding certain frontier holdings. This can be explained for two
reasons. Firstly, the Armenian monarch was afraid of the anger of
the Mongols, who would blame him for having fallen under the influence of the Sultan if he gave him the fortresses the Mongols had
captured. Secondly, the Sultan wanted Het‘um to give him a less
ruined frontier holding called Shih (Շիհ) with a view to making it a
marketplace for trade. Het‘um could not accept these conditions,
because allegedly ‘he had been a victorious and famous King for
many years, while the Sultan who had been the servant of disreputable servants had later become so powerful that all feared him.’91 As
Grigor Aknerts‘i suggests, there was another motive as well. Muslim
advisers at the court of Abaqa Khan were secretly seeking ways to
undermine Mongol trust in the Cilician Armenians. These advisers
wrote to the Sultan of Egypt telling him to obtain at least one village
86
87
88
89
90
91
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:59; Der Nersessian, 1973:373.
Mikaelean, 1952:339, 346.
Marco Polo, 1987:20.
Stewart, 2001:187.
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:59; Der Nersessian, 1973:374.
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:59–60.
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from the Armenian King, which would be sufficient reason to claim
that the Armenian King had breached his vow with the Mongols.92
For many reasons, the position of Cilician Armenia became precarious and there was sufficient reason for Het‘um to rush to seek
Mongol help in 1266.93 He divided his forces into three groups: one
he took with him; the second was stationed at a place called the Gate
(Դուռն); while the third was at a place called Mari (Marrī).94 In his
absence, Baybars sent the Mamluk army under the command of his
amirs to cross the Amanus Mountains and enter Cilicia as far as Sis,
Adana and Bardzraberd.95 Smbat Sparapet with the two young
princes, T‘oros and Lewon, led the Armenian forces against the
Mamluks at Mari but were routed. T‘oros was killed; Lewon and
Smbat’s Mongol son Vasil were captured and sent to Egypt.96 When
Het‘um returned two days ahead of the Mongol troops who had been
sent to aid him, he found Sis set on fire, the port of Ayas devastated
and the whole country destroyed.97 Serious damage was done to the
Cilician economy, for which the lords of Cilician Armenia blamed
Het‘um, claiming that by his refusal to hand over to the Mamluks a
fortress at Shih had brought their whole country to misfortune and
cost him the loss of his sons.98
T‘oros’ death and Lewon’s capture led Het‘um to seek help from
the Papacy. This was one of five appeals by the Cilician Armenian
kings written to Western kings and the Papacy for aid and support
against Egypt.99 Pope Clement IV (1265–1268), who had encouraged
Het‘um to assist the Syrian crusaders earlier on, expressed his condolences and asked the Byzantine Emperor to help the Cilician
Armenians, but Michael VIII Palaeologus was not remotely interested in doing so.100
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:59.
Grigor Aknerts‘i says that King Het‘um went with a small detachment to the
Mongols who were stationed between Abulistan and Kokoson (Grigor Aknerts‘i,
1974:54).
94
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:60.
95
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1956:73; King Het‘um II, 1962:73; Der Nersessian,
1973:373–374; cf. Thorau, 1992:192–193.
96
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:60–61; Het‘um Patmich‘, 1956:73; Boase,
1978:26.
97
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:54; Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:145–146; Vahram,
1831:50–51.
98
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:59.
99
Lloyd, 1988:25.
100
Mikaelean, 1952:344; Richard, 1992:516–517.
92
93
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His refusal had its own reason. It was connected to Abaqa’s marriage, a political affair that involved many parties. Abaqa was given
a Christian wife, Maria Despina Palaeologina in 1265.101 This marriage was blessed by the Patriarch of Antioch, by Sargis, the Bishop
of Erznka, and someone called Vardapet Bener,102 exemplifying the
positive character of the Christian clergy towards Christian marriages
with the Mongols. This marriage alliance with the imperial dynasty
of Constantinople was part of a series of political actions that involved
many parties in double-dealing. Firstly, it could be interpreted as one
of the Il-Khan’s tactical moves to find an ally and to secure the
Il-Khanid position, which was threatened by the Golden Horde and
its coalition with the Mamluks. Secondly, it provoked Sultan Baybars,
who was carefully watching the outcome of the alliance between the
Il-Khanate and Michael VIII, and was anxious about the Il-Khan’s
relations with the Franks, to pursue measures that would counter the
Il-Khanate-Byzantine union. Berke of the Golden Horde persuaded
his victorious nephew Noqai (d. 1299) to marry another illegitimate
daughter of the Emperor Michael VIII, Euphrosyne Palaeologina, in
1266.103 In this way, the Golden Horde was supported by both Egypt
and Byzantium. As for the Byzantine Emperor, this decision to marry
his daughters to Abaqa and Noqai was a serious attempt to play a
twofold game out of concern for his own position in the region. This
was surely a political action, which to some extent supports Saunders’
definition of a Mamluk-Qipchak-Byzantine alliance against the
Il-Khanate and the Latins.104 In fact, Michael VIII himself had no
desire to see the power of the Franks growing in the Levant or to
share his business on trade routes. The Byzantine Emperor, who
101
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:470. The Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus (1261–1282), who had controlled the truncated Byzantine realms from Nicaea
since 1259, was actually frightened when one of the two joint Seljuk rulers, Izz
al-Dīn, was dethroned by Hűlegű in 1262, and fled to Constantinople. In order to
assure his friendship towards the Il-Khan, Michael offered him his illegitimate
daughter in marriage (Saunders, 1977:70–71). However, Maria arrived after his
death, so she was given to his successor (Jackson, 1999b:710; Nicol, 1993:80–81).
102
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1964:399.
103
Lamb, 1940:249; Nasonov, 1940:44; Vásáry, 2005:79. Noqai controlled the
western frontiers of the Golden Horde. In 1265, he led his army across the Danube,
making the Byzantine forces flee, and devastated the city of Thrace. Therefore, this
marriage was important for the Emperor. Vernadsky dates it to 1273 (Vernadsky,
2001:172). In 1286, Noqai plundered Poland mainly for provisions (De Hartog,
1996:70).
104
Saunders, 1977:74, 1971:131.
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expelled the Franks from Constantinople in 1261, was apprehensive
of every new crusade.105 Therefore, to prevent new assaults on
Constantinople, he decided to court both the Mamluks and the
Golden Horde. In addition to this intrigue, Baybars made another
attempt at a Byzantine-Mamluk alliance against the Il-Khanate and
the Frankish states. He opened up commercial relations with Genoese
merchants for a slave trade via Constantinople.106 The Emperor
offered Baybars the territories and sea-routes that were under his
own control, so that the Golden Horde and Egypt could communicate with each other through diplomatic missions, the slave trade,
the most profitable commerce of that time, and by other means.107
Therefore, the Emperor’s interests did not coincide with those of the
Pope and the Armenians. However, the Emperor could not neglect
his relationship with the Il-Khan. In 1263–1265, Michael Palaeologus
held up the Sultan’s envoys to Berke only because he was afraid that
Hűlegű would suspect him of assisting his enemies’ passage.108
This situation prompted Het‘um to initiate a series of diplomatic
interactions with Baybars in order to negotiate conditions for Lewon’s
return.109 In 1266, the Armenian ambassador was received by Baybars
in Cairo. In 1267, the second mission of Het‘um was sent to meet
the Sultan in Syria.110 According to the Armenian and Mamluk
sources, it is likely that Het‘um at the outset offered both money and
several landholdings to Baybars, who in his turn also demanded the
forts taken by the Mongols in 1260 along with the release of his
friend Sonqur al-Ashqar who was in Mongol captivity.111 Now the
Mongols were the only supporters of Het‘um’s deal. Het‘um had no
problem in convincing Abaqa because the Il-Khan himself was interested in establishing a good relationship with Baybars. Earlier on, in
1265–1266, Abaqa sent his first embassy to the Sultan with a present
Zakirov, 1966:27.
Thorau, 1992:121.
107
Saunders, 1977:71–73.
108
Tizengauzen, 1884(Vol. 1):190; Nasonov, 1940:41.
109
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:61.
110
Ibid., 62; Amitai-Preiss, 2004:118.
111
Sonqur, whose name is spelled in Armenian texts as Sghur (Зйпщч, Grigor
Aknerts’i, 1974:61), or Sngurashkhar (Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan 1962:62), was a
colleague (khushdāsh) of Baybars who helped the latter to escape from the Mongols
in the battle for Aleppo, giving him his fine horse while himself mounting a poor
horse of Baybars’ (Grigor Aknerts’i, 1974:61; Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:61;
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:118).
105
106
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and ‘calling for peace,’ which meant a peaceful submission.112
Seemingly, this act had no result. However, in 1267, Het‘um himself
went to Abaqa’s court but was told that the Mamluk prisoner Sonqur
al-Ashqar was not to be found.113 In 1268, Lewon, the son of Smbat
Sparapet, was sent to the Mongols to ask Abaqa’s permission to look
for Sonqur al-Ashqar among the soldiers stationed in remote garrisons.114 Finally, Sonqur al-Ashqar was found married to a Mongol
wife with several children.115 With the help of Abaqa Khan and an
agreement to give the Mamluks six important fortresses in addition
to an exchange of prisoners, Het‘um finally secured the release of his
son Lewon, who had been held for one year and ten months in captivity in Egypt.116 Strangely enough, the Armenians brought two
adversaries, Abaqa Khan and Sultan Baybars into diplomatic
contact.117
The Armenian King decided to exploit further this diplomatic
contact established between two sovereigns. After the conquest of
Aleppo, Hűlegű had taken prisoner some other Ba rī Mamluks.
Baybars kept other Armenian prisoners in captivity. The children of
Sonqur al-Ashqar were left with the Mongols. Het‘um, knowing this
and realising that he could reinstate his weakened authority only if
the Mamluks and the Mongols, two equal powers in the region,
ended their mutual hostilities, offered himself as an intermediary,
peacemaker and negotiator with the Mongols in his letter to Baybars
written in 1268.118 The Sultan permitted the Armenian King to deal
on behalf of Sonqur al-Ashqar with the negotiations concerning only
the children. Het‘um somehow misled Abaqa Khan about the Sultan’s
message, and Abaqa understood that the Sultan agreed to submit to
the Mongols and agreed to the release of the Ba rī Mamluks.119 The
Il-Khan sent his verbal message through the official envoy via Cilicia.
A letter written in December 1268 in Baghdad followed. In his
answer, Baybars stated that the Armenian King had no right to deal
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:120.
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:62.
114
Ibid., 62.
115
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:120.
116
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:61; Het‘um Patmich‘, 1956:74.
117
The involvement of Het‘um in the exchange of envoys and letters between
Abaqa and Baybars, based on Mamluk sources, was examined by Amitai-Preiss,
2004:120–122.
118
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:120–121.
119
Ibid., 121–22.
112
113
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with any other matters except Sonqur’s children, and having
reminded Abaqa about Ket-Buqa’s defeat in ‘Ayn Jalūt, he refused
to submit.120 The Armenian monarch and the Mongol Il-Khan were
taught a lesson that their opponent was more powerful than they
thought. Consequently, Abaqa did not achieve any peace-treaty with
BaybarsIf the Mamluks were the only main adversary of the Armenian
King, there was another important matter for the Il-Khan to deal
with constantly. This was warfare among the Chinggisids in which
Greater Armenia was involved.
Greater Armenia and the Struggle with the Golden Horde
Once settled on the throne, Abaqa appointed commanders and officials all over his domains. Georgia and Greater Armenia were placed
under the supervision of Shiramun, the son of Chormaghan.121 Shams
al-Dīn Juvaynī retained the office of vizier. His brother ‘Ala al-Dīn
‘Ata-Malik Juvaynī, the historian, who was previously the governor
in Baghdad in Hűlegű’s time, became a lieutenant to Sunjaq Noyan,
the governor of ‘Irāq-i ‘Arab and Fārs. The Juvaynī brothers aimed
to transform Mongol rule into the old model of Iranian kingship.
The revival of Takht-i Sulaymān, the Iranian pre-Islamic site of the
kings, was part of their scheme to represent Mongol rulers as the
heirs of the Sassanians.122 As for Greater Armenia, as has been said
earlier, the Zak‘arian House had lost its leading role to the Artsrunids.
Sadun Artsruni was appointed as atabeg of Georgia by Abaqa Khan.123
Being unable to pay taxes to the Il-Khanid court, Shahnshah Zak‘arian
had to trade a part of the city of Ani to Shams al-Dīn Juvaynī in
1263.124 The latter befriended Sadun Artsruni and was married to
Sadun’s protégée Khoshak, the daughter of Awag Zak‘arian and
Gontsa. Although the Zak‘arids were in decline, this marriage gave
the Zak‘arids a chance to reinstate the dignity of their House.125
Beside the Artsruni family, the House of Orbelian gained a strong
position through Prince Tarsaich, the favourite of Abaqa.126 Other
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
Ibid., 122.
Rashīd al Dīn, 1954:743.
Melville, 2003a:54.
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:418; Melikset-bek, 1936:60.
Babayan, 1976:633.
Ibid., 633.
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:423.
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important families were the Dop‘ians, the Vach‘utians and the
Vakhtangids.127 These families were in the service of Abaqa for his
expeditions to Syria and fought with him against the Chinggisids of
the Golden Horde and the Chaghatai Ulus.
The Golden Horde actively involved Abaqa in military conflicts
from the very beginning of his reign until 1267. When the Il-Khan
renewed his fight with Berke in the territories of the Caucasus, this
time on the shores of the River Kur in Georgia, the Caucasus was
again involved into Mongol warfare.128 The Armenian and Georgian
farmers were the primary victims of this action, since they were
obliged to feed and accommodate one or other party of the Mongol
Khans.129 Although the battle ended victoriously for Abaqa, leaving
Noqai to lose one eye and Berke to die from sickness on his way to
Tiflis in 1266,130 the Greater Armenian economy deteriorated
greatly.131
In addition to the Golden Horde, constant hostilities from the
Chaghatai Khanate132 towards the Il-Khanate became another challenge for the Armenians. When Abaqa defeated the Golden Horde,
Baraq Khan (r. 1266–1271), the ruler of the Chaghatai Khanate, tried
to take over Iran.133 Another grandson of Chaghatai, called Tegűder
or Negűder (fl. 1266–1269, not to be mistaken for Il-Khan Tegűder
A mad), who came to Iran with Hűlegű and stayed with Abaqa in
his ordu (headquarters) along with his one tuman of cavalry men,
was provoked by Baraq to rebel against Abaqa Khan in 1268.134 When
Tegűder left Abaqa for his own fief in Gurjistan vilayet, from where
through Derbent he aimed to join Baraq, the Il-Khan sent Shiramun,
Babayan, 1976:634.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1964:399. Rashīd al-Dīn states that the army of Noqai
crossed the River Kur and the actual battle occurred on the shores of River Aksu
which the Mongols called Chagan Moren (White River) (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:744).
129
Bedrosian, 1996:133.
130
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:744.
131
Manandian, 1952:301.
132
The Mongol Empire in Turkestan.
133
Baraq, as a descendant of Chaghatai, was disappointed that the Toluids, Qubilai and Abaqa held better pastures and bigger lands. After a council with Qaidu, the
grandson of Ögedei, and Möngke-Teműr, the great-grandson of Jochi, Baraq
decided to invade Iran. He also resolved his earlier conflicts with Qaidu, regarding
the lands of Mā warā’ al-nahr, and the lands between the rivers of Syr Darya and
Amu Darya, giving Qaidu and Möngke-Teműr one-third of these lands and keeping
two-thirds for himself (Rashid al-Dīn, 1954:749; Biran, 1997:57).
134
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:749.
127
128
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the son of Chormaghan, who was in charge of the Caucasus, to pursue Tegűder.135 According to the description of Grigor Aknerts‘i,
Tegűder was fond of wealth and was thus prone to pillage and
slaughter.136 For this reason, Georgian-Armenian forces under the
standard of the Il-Khan fell on Tegűder’s troops and mercilessly
slaughtered them. They took all of his treasures.137 Tegűder surrendered in the Autumn of 1269 in a forest in Georgia and was imprisoned for a year on the island on Lake Urmīya (Darīa-ye Kabūdān)
and then released after Baraq’s death.138
In the meantime, Baraq Khan claimed the meadowlands of Badghīs
in Herat, which belonged to Tűbshin, the youngest brother of Abaqa.
Tűbshin, with the assistance of Arghun Aqa (Amir Arghun), was
unable to oppose Baraq and retreated to Māzandarān to await
Abaqa’s main army. Baraq made his headquarters in the |āliqān area
and succeeded in taking the greater part of Khurasan. After pillaging
Nīshāpūr, Baraq was about to conquer Herat but Abaqa, through
trickery, made Baraq withdraw his forces to the banks of the River
Harī, where the battle (called the Battle of Herāt) between the
Il-Khanate and the Chaghatai Ulus commenced in July 1270.139 Baraq
escaped across the Oxus but afterwards he was paralysed by fear that
Qaidu would destroy him and died.140
Being victorious in the battles against the Golden Horde and the
Chaghatai Ulus, Abaqa Khan himself did not take any major part in
military action afterwards.141 Rather, he was keen to secure his own
empire by restructuring the imperial taxation and monetary policy.142
Nonetheless, the western frontiers of his domain were constantly
troubling him.
Ibid., 750; Babayan, 1976:632.
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:63.
137
Ibid., 64.
138
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:750.
139
Ibid., 755–765; Biran, 1997:62–63, 2002:175–219. For the ode on the restoration of Nishapur, see Minorsky, 1964d:292–305.
140
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:755–765. On Qaidu, see Biran, 1997.
141
In 1271, the Ismāʿīlī stronghold Girdkūh finally surrendered (Rashīd al-Dīn,
1954:766).
142
For numismatic evidence for these reforms, see Kolbas, 2006:193–234.
135
136
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Lewon III and Abaqa against Baybars
Het‘um I, seeing that the Mamluks had stormed Antioch and that
many refugees had escaped to Cilicia, and that, after a severe earthquake in Cilicia, many places were in ruin,143 he abdicated in 1269
in favour of his son Lewon III (r. 1269–1289) and retired to a monastery. But before becoming a monk called Makar,144 Het‘um sent
Lewon to Abaqa Khan to acknowledge and introduce his son as the
next Cilician Armenian king. The Il-Khan Abaqa confirmed his
position,145 and a year later, in 1270, after a reign of 44 years, King
Het‘um I died.146
The strongest phase of Mongol-Armenian military collaboration
was continued by Lewon and Abaqa. When in 1271, Lewon III was
anointed king in the Church of St. Sophia at Tarsus,147 Baybars set
out for Cilicia again to challenge the new king; however, King Lewon,
proving that he was a capable ruler, sent a mission to negotiate, and
Baybars returned to Egypt.148 Meanwhile, Lewon rushed to Abaqa
Khan, who offered him 20,000 men to safeguard Cilician Armenia
and promised that he would himself come to Cilicia a few months
later. Apparently, Lewon returned home taking with him Abaqa’s
soldiers.149
In 1274, King Lewon sought the help of the Mongols again. The
wealthy Greek princes of his kingdom were plotting against the
Armenian kingship in Cilicia, demanding that the latter profess their
faith. King Lewon seized some of them and dispatched them to
Abaqa Khan who executed them.150 Next year, in 1275, the Mamluks
again attacked the coastal plain of Cilicia.151 The Arab sources, Ibn
Shaddād and Mufaal, justify this invasion as a response to provocation by Mu‘īn al-Dīn Sulaymān Pervāne, the Rūmi Seljuk, who
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:62–63.
Vahram, 1831:53.
145
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:63–64; Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:57.
146
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1956:75. For different dates of the king’s death, see Akinean,
1948:278–279. The Georgian King David Ulu also died in the same year (Grigor
Aknerts'i, 1974:62; Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:44).
147
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:64. In one of the colophons written in 1275
in southern Armenia, the Cilician King Lewon III was considered as the King of all
Armenians (RHC/DA, 1869[Vol. 1]:606; Mikaelean, 1952:348).
148
Smbat Sparapet in Galstyan, 1962:64.
149
Ibid., 64.
150
Grigor Aknerts‘i, 1974:66.
151
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:146.
143
144
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invited Baybars to take his chance over Rūm, but suggested the
Mamluk Sultan neutralise the Cilician Armenian Kingdom first.152 Bar
Hebraeus records that Lewon understood that Baybars would be
interested in invading Rūm (in 1277) and in having access to Caesarea
via Cilicia. Therefore, he repeatedly warned the Mongols about this
threat but without any success.153 Another motive for this incursion
was the discontinuation of the tributes paid by the Armenians to the
Sultan. Baybars considered this as a breach of the Armenian-Mamluk
treaty, the exact conditions of which are not known.154 Whatever the
precise reason may have been, the Mamluks started their raids in
Cilicia. Through his intelligence network, Baybars knew that Abaqa
was too busy on his eastern borders and there was no significant
Mongol force in Cilicia.155 The Mamluks devastated Marash as a prelude to their main campaign, and having no actual battle with the
Mongols to bar his way, Baybars entered the capital Sis via the Syrian
Gate in March 1275156 (see Map 2). Bar Hebraeus asserts that the
Mamluks reached as far as Korikos (Gorycus) by killing, plundering
and burning.157 There was another minor raid by some Seljuk amirs
sent by Baybars to Cilicia in 1276, from the direction of Marash,
which was successfully repulsed, although Smbat Sparapet was killed
along with many other Armenian nobles in this battle.158 In 1277,
from Syria, Baybars raided Abulistān (Abulustayn, Elbistan), the territory of the Rūmi Seljuks, and having defeated the Mongol army
commanded by three amirs, he came to Caesarea.159 In the same year,
in Ala-Tagh the Mongols killed Muʿīn al-Dīn Sulaymān Pervāne and
many of his army, who had supported Baybars.160 Although King
Lewon III did not receive much Mongol assistance, he continued his
father’s pro-Mongol policy. However, he looked upon Western help
as well. In 1278, Lewon’s envoys came to Edward I of England
(r. 1272–1307). The precise purpose of their visit is unknown. Lloyd
152
101.
Stewart, 2001:50–51. On Pervāne’s activity in Anatolia, see Melville, 2009:51–
Bar Hebraeus, 2003:456–457.
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:134; Stewart, 2001:50.
155
For the Mamluk intelligence network, see Amitai-Preiss, 2004:139–152.
156
Thorau, 1992:233; Amitai-Preiss, 2004:134–135.
157
Bar Hebraeus, 2003:453.
158
Ibid., 454; Thorau, 1992:237.
159
Melville, 2009:51–101.
160
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:45; Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:768; Het‘um Patmich‘,
1951:55–56.
153
154
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suggests that it was probably connected with securing Edward’s aid
or a crusading vow.161 Nevertheless, it is certain that Lewon believed
that the Latin alliance with the Mongols would save not only his own
realm, but also the Holy Land.
The Mongols’ Appeal to Latin Christendom
It was not only the Armenians who sought Latin support.162 The
Mongol Il-Khans were the most active Chinggisids to address the
Western powers. Their main reason to do so was related to the political circumstances that the Il-Khanate experienced. The division of
the Mongol Empire into Uluses (independent appanages), the intensification of hostilities among them and thus the raids of the Golden
Horde on the frontier pastures of Azerbaijan through the Caucasus
certainly provoked the Il-Khans. These ventures made the Il-Khans
consider their status. Their target was again Palestine and Syria,
despite the fact that their previous experience showed them that the
climate and pasture of these areas were not suitable for the Mongols.
Scholars agree that the capacity of Syria to feed a large Mongol army
was limited. Leaving this notion aside, to which we will return later,
a brief introduction to the Mongol efforts in trying to achieve Latin
support over Syria merits attention because these actions touched
the Armenians’ sore spot.
Hűlegű and his successors pursued the idea of invading Syria,
although for different reasons. However, they realised that, without
Western involvement, they could not make any progress. They also
believed in playing on the sensitivities of the Christians in regaining
the Holy Land. Hűlegű was the first Il-Khan to write a letter to the
French King Louis IX in 1262.163 He sought the French King’s assisLloyd, 1988:254.
Matthew Paris (ca. 1200–1259), an English chronicler, left an account dated as
early as 1249, of the Mongol embassy that requested Latin support against the Muslims. He referred to a Mongol embassy sent by General Eljigidei (Eljidei) to the
French King Louis IX (1226–1270) in December 1248 (Matthew Paris, VI, No.84).
The Mongols had proposed simultaneous operations against the Muslim powers long
before the establishment of the Il-Khanate (Lloyd, 1988:261; Jackson, 2005a:98–99;
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:15). On Eljigidei and his mission, see Jackson, 1980:483–484,
1998:366; Richard in Aigle, 1997:57–69).
163
Earlier, in 1246, and 1247, some letters had been exchanged between Pope
Innocent IV and Gűyűk Khan and between the Pope and Baiju Noyan in 1247 (Lupprian, 1981:182–198).
161
162
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tance for a French naval fleet to blockade Egypt against the Mamluks.164
The letter had no result. On the contrary, Frankish embassies from
Jerusalem, Cyprus, Italy and Sicily were sent to Baybars with an aim
to maintain good relations with Cairo.165
The Il-Khan, Abaqa, had been sending letters to the Pope since
1266/1267. His increasing interest in Syria may have been based on
a notion of achieving positive results with the West. Being aware of
the planned Crusade, Abaqa dispatched envoys in early 1267 to Pope
Clement IV (1265–1268) and to James I of Aragon (1213–1276).166 In
his reply to the Pope in 1268, Abaqa Khan agreed to send troops
under the command of his brother Ejei (Hegei/Adjai) to aid the
Eighth Crusade.167 The recent fall of Antioch to Baybars in 1268 had
forced Abaqa to make several decisions. In September 1271, after
unsuccessful attempts to meet Louis IX (r. 1226–1270) in 1268 and
1269 and Philip III (r. 1270–1285 in 1270, Abaqa asked Lord Edward,
the future King Edward I of England, to undertake simultaneous
actions against the Mamluks.168 Edward, who arrived in Palestine
with a contingent insufficient to carry on the crusading tradition,
may have realised that the West needed to ally with the Mongols.169
He sent his envoys, Reginald Russell and John Parker, to Abaqa in
order to arrange for joint military action against Baybars.170 These
actions, however, took place with no result for either side.171 Despite
the failure of military collaboration with Edward’s crusade, Abaqa
continued his policy to drive out the Mamluks from Syria by continuously appealing to the Latin powers. In 1273, he once more wrote
letters both to the Pope and to Edward I of England. Abaqa’s envoys,
David of Ashby, the papal legate in Palestine and Abaqa’s Latin interMeyvaert, 1980:245–259; Jackson, 2005a:166.
Thorau, 1992:193–196.
166
Lupprian, 1981:220–225; Jackson, 2005a:167.
167
Jackson, 2005a:167.
168
Ibid., 167; Richard, 1983:34–35.
169
Dawson, 1955:xxvii. Edward lacked manpower. According to Smbat Sparapet,
King Edward came to Acre by boat with 2,000 men (Der Nersessian, 1973:376).
170
Dawson, 1955:xxvii. Baybars commissioned his agent to arrange for Edward’s
murder. On the pretext of seeking baptism, a certain Assassin was deployed. According to the Armenian chronicle, Edward was stabbed five times, but recovered from
the dagger wounds (King Het‘um II, 1962:74). Immediately after this failure, Baybars
sent an embassy to Edward expressing his regret at the attack and denial of his
involvement (Thorau, 1992:221–222).
171
Abaqa was involved in the war with the Chaghatai Khanate (Richard,
1976:43–54).
164
165
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preter Richardus repeated the message at the Council of Lyons, summoned by Pope Gregory X (1271–1276) in 1274 in order to plan a
new crusade.172
Despite being invited neither Armenians from Cilicia, nor from
Greater Armenia were present at this Council.173 Scholars consider
that during the period of the Mongol-Armenian alliance, especially
from 1260 to 1288, the Armenian Church became less susceptible to
the demands of Rome. Having gained security from association with
the powerful Mongols, the Armenian Church felt no need to remain
in union with the Church of Rome and thus it declined to be present
at the Council of Lyons.174 This also explains the bold assertion of
Mkhit’ar Skewrats’i, at the meeting at Acre with the Pope’s legate,
Bishop John of Jerusalem, about Armenian ecclesiastical independence from Rome. Mkhit’ar Skewrats’i questioned why the Church
of Rome had the authority to judge other apostolic sees and why it
could not be judged by others, and since the Armenians had full
powers to judge Rome, the Roman Church could not criticise them
for doing this.175 Undeniably, this argument played a crucial role in
the deterioration of the good relationship between the Roman and
Armenian Churches; however, it was clear that Mongol backing
emboldened the Armenian Church.176
In 1275, the Mongol ambassador David of Ashby visited King
Edward I and in 1277, he was in Italy.177 Abaqa received no positive
reply from either the Papacy or from France or England. Since Abaqa
had not succeeded in eradicating the Mamluks with the help of the
West, he decided to act alone. In 1277, Baybars I died at Damascus
on his way back from the invasion of the Seljuks of Rūm.178 Having
been defeated by the new Sultan Qalāwūn (r. 678–689 H. / 1279–
1290), Sunqur, a former prisoner of the Mongols, wrote Abaqa a
letter informing him of the disunity within the Sultanate and offering
the Khan his help in invading Syria.179 According to Arabic sources,
in the Summer of 1280, Abaqa sent his brother Möngke-Teműr, a
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
Lupprian, 1981:226–230; Roberg, 1990:285–286; Richard, 1976:46–57.
Pogossian, 2006:288.
Bundy, 1996:39; Pogossian, 2006:288.
RHC, Arm, 1, 691–698.
Bundy, 1996:39.
Jackson, 2005a:168.
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:177–178.
Ibid., 182.
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young and inexperienced commander, to Syria.180 Möngke-Teműr
entered Syria with a large army and reached as far as Aleppo.181 Before
sending his last embassy to Edward I, in 1280, Abaqa had demanded
that Latin military forces and provisions be supplied from Acre.182
Only the Cilician Armenian King Lewon III joined him with his
troops, along with Bohemond VII of Tripoli. The Latin West was
represented by some Hospitallers from Margat (Marqab).183 Sultan
Qalāwūn left for Syria in November 1280 and positioned his army
between Möngke-Teműr and the Franks on the coast.184 Reaching
Gaza, the Sultan was informed that Möngke-Teműr had looted the
city and had withdrawn from the country. Qalāwūn decided to go
back to Egypt.185 The notion of the desecration of Muslim sanctuaries
by the Cilician Armenians is again found in Arabic sources. According
to Mufaal, the Great Mosque of Aleppo was set on fire by the
Armenians of Sis.186 As has been said before, the first burning of the
Great Mosque was attributed to King Het‘um I in 1260.187
In September 1281, Möngke-Teműr along with Generals Alinaq,
Taiju-Bahadur, Tukna and Doladai headed for Syria again.188 Abaqa
Khan set out after Möngke-Teműr a month later and reached Erznka,
where he was informed that the army of the Golden Horde had
passed the Derbent Gate, so he hurried home without helping his
brother.189 The Mongol army of 50,000 Mongols and 30,000 Armenians, Georgians, Franks and Seljuks marched through Abulustayn
and reached as far as ‘Ayn |āb.190 The battle with the Egyptians took
place near "om! on 29/30 October.191 King Lewon commanded the
Mongol right wing, comprised of Armenians and Georgians.192 They
Ibid., 183.
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:184.
182
Jackson, 2005a:168.
183
Ibid.
184
Ibid.
185
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:185.
186
Stewart, 2001:54.
187
See Chapter 5.
188
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:778.
189
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:147.
190
Stewart, 2001:54. It is 30,000 men in total in Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:57.
191
On the battle formation, size of the armies and losses, see Amitai-Preiss,
2004:187–201.
192
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:58. The Georgians were commanded by Dimitri (King
Demetrē, 1270–89) (Amitai-Preiss, 2004:189).
180
181
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drove back the left wing of the Egyptians to the gate of "om!.193
Nevertheless, in the centre, Möngke-Teműr was wounded and turned
back with the greater part of his army to Upper Mesopotamia. The
Armenian King was surprised that Möngke-Teműr left the battlefield
but he followed him, being mercilessly attacked by the Mamluks. It
caused him to lose more than 2,000 men.194 Besides the Cilician
Armenians, according to Step‘annos Orbelian, among the Mongol
troops were the forces of Greater Armenia under the command of
Tarsaich Orbelian and they fought in this and previous Mongol
battles for Syria.195
News of the Mongol defeat reached Abaqa in Mosul (al-Mawsil),196
and disappointed him greatly. He decided to avenge his brother’s
defeat the next year. He set out for Hamadān and arrived there on
18 March 1282, where after a heavy drinking bout that later would
be considered an assassination, he died on 1 April 1282.197 He was
laid to rest alongside his father on the island of Shāhī.198
Abaqa’s period can be justly identified as the high point of the
Mongol-Armenian military relationship, where both parties played
a keen role in assisting each other to take over Northern Syria, pursuing not similar, but common goals. After this, Mongol-Armenian
relations were maintained through diplomacy, rather than through
joint military actions.
Mongol-Armenian Relations in the Time of Tegűder Amad
(r. 1282–1284)
After the death of Abaqa Khan, Western rulers learned that Mongol
power in the Middle East was now held by one who was less favourable to the Christians. After Möngke-Teműr died, the candidacy for
the next Il-Khan was discussed widely among the descendants of
Hűlegű. Tegűder, Hűlegű’s son, the younger brother of Abaqa Khan,
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:58.
Ibid., 58–59; King Het‘um II, 1962:75.
195
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:423.
196
From 660 H. (1272), Mosul became a finance and trade centre of the IlKhanate with the south-west (Kolbas, 2006:166).
197
An Armenian source attributes Abaqa’s death to poison, given by the Mamluks when the Mongol Il-Khan was planning to fight against the Egyptians (Het‘um
Patmich‘, 1951:59).
198
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:779.
193
194
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and the governor of Kurdistān had more support and a more powerful position than Abaqa’s eldest son Arghun.199 On 6 May 1282,
Tegűder’s proclamation took place at Ala-Tagh. According to Het‘um
Patmich‘, Tegűder ‘in his childhood had been baptised and called
Nicholas (Նիկողայոս), but later, being acquainted with the Saracens
whom he loved, he became a Saracen and wanted to be named as
Mahomet Khan. He tried with much effort to convert the Tatars to
the faith of Mahomet.’200 As a convert to Islam, he was not only
named A mad after the dervishes of the A madiyya sect, but also
given the title of Sultan.201 An alternative point of view can be ascertained from the sources not only in the details of his conversion,202
but also in his policy towards the Muslims and the Christians.
According to Het‘um Patmich‘, Tegűder (A mad) pursued an antiChristian policy, ordering the destruction of the Christian churches
in Tabriz and forcing all Christians to adopt Islam. For this reason,
the Armenians experienced terrible persecution.203 From this period
onward, the cases of people during the Mongol period lamenting
over their sins is augmented in the Armenian sources. In connection
with this view, Lane states that the evidence of the Armenian chroniclers appears to be a sectarian interpretation by an isolated and
threatened minority group of Christians (Armenians).204 This statement sounds reasonable for the Armenian anti-Christian portrayal
of Tegűder; however, it is contradicted by Bar Hebraeus. The Syriac
source depicts Tegűder as merciful to those of the Christian faith, as
one who issued decrees to free all churches, religious houses and
priests from the imposition of taxes in the lands under the Mongols.205
These opposing statements by the Christian sources may reflect not
only the Armenian response to the Il-Khan’s conversion, but also
Tegűder’s ambivalence in the matter of his faith, and can be contrasted with the opinion of Reuven Amitai, who emphasises that
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:785.
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:59. The Armenian historian may mean the rise of
Shaikh Kamāl al-Dīn ʿAbd al- Ra mān at Abaqa’s court and his influence on the
minor Tegűder and his mother, which is discussed by Amitai, 2001:21.
201
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:785.
202
According to the Mamluk sources, Tegűder had become a Muslim first and
then he ascended the throne, unlike the other Mongol converts (Amitai, 2001:18–
22).
203
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:59–60; Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:425.
204
Lane, 2003:56.
205
Bar Hebraeus, 2003:467.
199
200
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Tegűder’s early conversion ‘had nothing to do with a mature person’s
crisis of faith.’206 Probably at that time, neither Tegűder, nor the
Mongol court in Iran completely realised the full responsibility and
consequences of their actions. Tegűder was the first Mongol Muslim
ruler in Iran and made his religion a public matter.207 His religious
ambivalence is shown from research on the coinage during his reign.
Tegűder minted a coin in Tiflis in 1282 with a Trinitarian Christian
inscription in Arabic, In the name of the Father and the Son and the
Spirit, Holy God is one.208
The Armenian work of Step‘annos Episkopos asserts that after
Tegűder (A mad) had changed his title of Khan to Sultan, senior
positions at his court were given to the Persians.209 The office of
āib-dīvān was a key position in the echelons of power in the
Il-Khanid Empire. ā ib-dīvān Shams al-Dīn Juvaynī, who served
Abaqa and later his son Arghun, first transferred his service to
Tegűder. Shams al-Dīn became a major source of conflict that had
already existed between Arghun and Tegűder from the very first day
of the latter’s proclamation. The Juvaynī brothers were accused of
being in league with the Mamluks and Shams al-Dīn was blamed for
the misuse in Abaqa’s time of huge sums from the royal treasury.
Later, he was charged with administering poison to Abaqa Il-Khan.210
Arghun believed this accusation. However, Tegűder not only restored
Shams al-Dīn Juvaynī as āib-dīvān, but also followed his advice to
open negotiations with the Sultan of Egypt.211
Interestingly, Tegűder’s first message to the Sultan dated midJumada I 681 (22 August 1282), was far from being a call for an
alliance; it was an ultimatum of the Mongol Il-Khan, who urged
Qalāwūn to show submission in order to secure his sovereignty.212 In
his reply to Tegűder, the Sultan expressed his readiness to make
peace with conditions to be discussed later, ignoring the issue of
submission.213 In his second message to Qalāwūn dated at the beginAmitai, 2001:22.
Ibid., 15.
208
Kolbas, 2006:238.
209
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:45.
210
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:786.
211
Ibid., 788. Tegűder was the first among the Il-Khans to initiate negotiations
with the Sultan to end the Mongol-Mamluk conflict (Amitai, 2005:360).
212
Jackson, 2005a:169; Allouche, 1990:438. On the tone of Tegűder’s letter to
Qalāwūn as an equal, rather than as a subordinate, see Pfeiffer, 2006c:185–187.
213
Allouche, 1990:441.
206
207
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ning of Rabīʿ I 682 (May–June 1283), Tegűder omitted words of
obedience and submission and spoke only about peace and an agreement between the Il-Khans and the Mamluks.214 When the envoys
arrived in Damascus in February–March 1284, with the message
from Tabriz, the news of the death of Tegűder (A mad) and the
accession of his rival nephew Arghun reached Qalāwūn.215
Tegűder’s policies with the Mamluks met serious opposition from
the Mongol elite in Iran and Anatolia.216 Arghun began his open
rebellion against Tegűder (A mad) in the Spring of 1283. If we
believe Het‘um Patmich‘, Arghun turned to Qubilai Khan to complain about Tegűder. Qubilai Khan warned Tegűder that he himself
would come up against him if he did not pull back.217 According to
this statement, and what is mentioned by Step‘annos Orbelian and
Sebastats‘i, the Armenians supported Arghun.218 Tegűder employed
his son-in-law, the Georgian General Alinaq (Alinakh) against
Arghun. The Georgians might mistakenly have seen their chance to
gain political authority through Tegűder. According to Kolbas, from
1282, the equal number of coins struck in Tiflis and in Tabriz shows
the growing influence of the Gurjistan area in Tegűder’s time.219
Alinaq arrested Prince Qongqurtai, the younger half-brother of
Tegűder, a supporter of Arghun; moreover, he imprisoned Arghun
in July 1284.220 According to Sebastats‘i, Tegűder killed not only his
brother Qongqurtai, but also many Mongol nobles, Georgian lords
and the Seljuk Sultan Ghiyāth al-Dīn, the son of Rukn al-Dīn, in the
same year 1284.221 The other Armenian sources describe Tegűder
killing many others, including the two sons of Tsagan, the great governor of Georgia.222 To judge from these accounts, one can see that
the Georgians’ inclination towards Tegűder turned out to be detri-
214
215
197.
Ibid., 443.
Ibid. On A mad Tegűder’s second letter to Qalāwūn, see Pfeiffer, 2006c:167–
Allouche, 1990:438–90; Pfeiffer, 2006c:185–188. In 1284, he executed his
younger brother Qongqurtai, on a suspicion of conspiring against him in concert
with Arghun (Amitai, 2001:15).
217
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:60.
218
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:425; Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:148.
219
Kolbas, 2006:236.
220
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:46.
221
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:148.
222
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:425; Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:46.
216
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mental to them. As has been said above, Armenian interests lay with
Arghun.
In addition to this, the amirs and princes of the House of Hűlegű
were displeased with Tegűder’s actions. Amir Bugha, who was
secretly in sympathy with Arghun, released the latter and killed
Alinaq, as well as all of Tegűder’s supporters.223 In return, Tegűder
reached Qongqur-Öleng (Sultaniyya), Bugha’s ordu and looted it. In
his own ordu in Songhurluq at Shīz (Takht-i Sulaymān), he prepared
to reach the Derbent gate and escape to the territory of the Golden
Horde. However, he was arrested and brought to the Chinggisid family trial, being accused of the execution of Prince Qongqurtai.
Tegűder’s death sentence was carried out on 10 August 1284.224 With
the elimination of Tegűder, the Mongol-Armenian alliance recovered
itself with another strong partnership of rulers.
The Second Pairing of Arghun and King Lewon III against Sultan
Qalāwūn
Arghun’s reign was well regarded in both Cilician Armenia and
Greater Armenia. According to Step‘annos Orbelian, the Houses of
Zak‘arian, Artsruni and Orbelian along with the Georgian King
Demetrē (r. 1270–1289) were fully in support of Arghun.225 He was
enthroned on 11 August 1284, the day after his predecessor’s execution, on the banks of the river Shūr in the presence of the khatuns,
amirs and some princes.226 It seems that, in order to maintain a firm
hold over his domain, Arghun was engaged with executions and new
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:790–98.
Ibid., 798–800. Step‘annos Episkopos states that Tegűder tried to escape by
changing into female dress; however, he was caught, tortured and killed (Step‘annos
Episkopos, 1951:47). Tegűder was killed in the same way as he executed Qongqurtai,
his half brother, through the breaking of his back, the location of his tomb is not
known (Va!!af, 1856:278[trans. 261]).
225
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:426.
226
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:807. The official sanction for Arghun’s accession to the
Il-Khanid throne came later on 7 April 1286, from Qubilai Khan. For this reason, the
second quriltai was summoned (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:812). Eliminating Tegűder,
Arghun aimed to bring Anatolia directly under his control. He sent his brother
Geikhatu and uncle Hulachu to Rūm as governors in 1284 (Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan,
1956:148). His son Ghazan was sent to the provinces of Khurasan, Mazandaran,
Qūmis and Ray along with Nawruz, whose duty was to support Ghazan as Amir of
Khurasan, while his uncle Adjay was sent to Gurjistan vilayet (Rashīd al-Dīn,
1954:808).
223
224
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appointments. Arghun ordered the execution of Ebűgen, the son of
Shiramun, the grandson of Chormaghan, and Tegűder A mad’s protégé.227 Then Shams al-Dīn, the deputy to vizier Bugha, was executed
in October 1284.228 Bugha himself became a victim of the internal
conspiracy within the Il-Khanid court and being betrayed by Jűshkeb,
Arghun’s cousin, was put to death on January 1289.229 His office was
given to Saʿd al-Daula, a Jewish physician. But in March 1291, he
also was executed.230
The death sentences continued in Georgia as well. The Georgian
King Demetrē, the son of David Ulu, who reigned over the eastern
part of Georgia, and actively participated in Abaqa’s campaign
against the Mamluks between 1277 and 1281, was a true vassal of the
Il-Khans. He played a great part in subduing the rebels in Derbent
(provoked by the Golden Horde) in 1288 on the order of Arghun
Khan. However, Arghun discovered the plot allegedly organised by
Bugha.231 According to Step‘annos Orbelian, Arghun falsely suspected the involvement of Demetrē in this intrigue only because he
was married to Bugha’s daughter.232 Demetrē was killed on the plain
called Մուվկան (Mughan) on the bank of the river Kur in 1289.233
The sources are open about the persecution of the Georgians but say
nothing about the Armenians. A reason for this could be that the
Armenian lords were personally closer to the Il-Khans, rather than
to the Georgian crown. They also helped the Il-Khans find a proper
candidate for the Georgian throne. Hence, with the assistance of
Khutlu Bugha, the son of the Armenian Lord Sadun Artsruni, Arghun
enthroned Vakhtang II (r. 1289–1292), the grandson of Rusudan, as
Ibid. On 7 September 1296, the other son of Shiramun was executed (Rashīd
al-Dīn, 1946:171).
228
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:811.
229
Ibid., 817–18; Aubin, 1995:40–44. In 1286, Bugha was honoured with the title
of Chink’san[k] (from Chinese ch’eng hsiang [chancellor]) bestowed by the Great
Khan (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:812; Allsen, 2001:28.
230
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:825.
231
The Greater Armenian poet Frik in his poem About Arghun Khan and Bugha
was very explicit in showing his sympathy towards Arghun. According to him,
Arghun, the Chinggisid son was chosen by God, who cannot be beaten by anyone
(Frik, 1941:209–215, 1952:422–223).
232
King Demetrē II practised polygamy by marrying three wives; the second was
a Mongol princess named Songur, a daughter of Bugha Chink‘san[k]. He had three
children by this Mongol wife, one of whom, a princess called Jigda, was given in
marriage to Alexius III of Trebizond (1338–1390).
233
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:430.
227
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the Georgian king. The latter appointed Khutlu Bugha Artsruni as
the սպասալար (general) of the Georgian army.234 While the
Georgians were mistreated, the Armenians in Greater Armenia profited. It was Tarsaich Orbelian who succeeded in eliminating from
the royal tax registry about 150 Armenian monasteries and convents,
which was confirmed again by Arghun’s decree in 1287.235 In 1290,
after the death of Tarsaich, Arghun solved the dispute among
Tarsaich’s sons over their father’s succession and appointed Elikum
Orbelian as atabeg of the Armenians.236
Placing Georgia and Armenia under his direct control, Arghun
successfully defended his realm from the brief incursions of TöleBuqa (r. 1287–1291) in 1288 and of Toqta (r. 1291–1312) of the
Golden Horde in 1290.237 But another danger to Arghun came from
the rebellion of Nawruz, the son of Arghun Aqa, who was sent as
the military governor to Khurasan along with Ghazan, the son of
Arghun Il-Khan.238 According to Step‘annos Episkopos, Ghazan fled
from Nawruz, while Arghun sent a large force to suppress the rebels.239
The rebellion of Nawruz lasted for five years from 1289 to 1294 and
kept Arghun busy concentrating on local matters.240 However, the
Armenians did not lose the opportunity to remind him about their
mutual affairs.
As has been mentioned earlier, the Armenian King Lewon III visited Arghun in 1285. He was well received by the Mongol Il-Khan.241
However, Mongol foreign policy turned out to be harmful to the
Cilician Armenians. Arghun employed 800 Genoese in building ships
at Baghdad as a result of his first appeal for joint Mongol-Latin operations. He aimed to take from the Egyptians their trade in the Red
Sea.242 In revenge, Sultan Qalāwūn raided and pillaged the Cilician
Armenians in 1285.
Arghun’s relation with the Cilician Armenians brought much dissatisfaction. In 1285, Lewon was forced to sign a ten-year treaty with
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:49. Persian sepahsālār (commander-in-chief).
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:427, 429.
Ibid., 430–431.
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:821–822; Boyle, 1968:370.
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:819; Melville, 1995:56.
Step‘annos Episkopos, 1951:50.
Boyle, 1968:370; Melville, 1995:56–57.
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:148.
Jackson, 2005a :169.
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Cairo at the high cost of an annual tribute of one million dirhams.243
This agreement gave Cilicia relative peace and allowed Lewon to concentrate his attentions on improving the living conditions of his
people. He started to rebuild Sis and its monasteries, to safeguard
trade and pilgrimage routes, to increase commerce and market revenues in Ayas, which helped Lewon to meet the heavy tributes levied
by the Mamluks.244
The reign of Lewon III was marked by a number of invasions into
Cilician Armenia by the Mamluks and by Turkomans and Kurdish
bandits.245 Lewon’s hopes lay again in the Mongol alliance; however,
little assistance came from it. The Mamluks, now under the Sultan
Qalāwūn, having won the neutrality of the Franks, completely
destroyed the allied forces. Lewon died in 1289 and was succeeded
by his eldest son Het‘um II (r. 1289–1293; 1295–1297; 1299–1305;
joint ruling 1305–1307), who would experience more troubles caused
by his having too many ambitious brothers.246
In order to resolve the Mamluk-Mongol war, Arghun continued
his father’s policy of seeking an alliance with the Franks. He sent
four missions to the Latin West; some were undertaken jointly with
the Armenian monarch. The first was in 1285, accompanied by
Qubilai’s envoy called ‘Īsā Kelemechi, sent to Pope Honorius IV
(1285–1287).247 In the letter, it was proposed to divide the land of
Egypt between Arghun’s dominions and the West.248 In 1287, the
second embassy led by Rabban awma, a Nestorian prelate from
243
Boase, 1978:28; Der Nersessian, 1973(I):349. The treaty was signed to last for
ten years, ten months and ten days. In addition to the annual tribute, Cilicia was
obliged to supply 25 pedigree horses, the same number of mules and 10,000 iron bars
for horse-shoes along with nails (Mikaelean; 1952:414; Langlois, 1862:217–231,
Canard, 1967:217–259). The text of this treaty given by ‘Abd al-Zāhir in Tashrīf (93–
102) is translated into English (see Holt, 1995:95–103). A dirham was a silver coin,
six dirhams were equal to one dinar or golden coin (Feodorov-Davydov, 2003:30–
33).
244
Mikaelean, 1952:415. The financial condition of the clergy improved. Historiography flourished, as Lewon’s secretary, Vahram, left a detailed account of Cilician history and contemporary events. For details, see Vahram, 1831.
245
Turkomans provided constant internal disruption to the Mongols in Anatolia
as well (Melville, 2009:51–101).
246
Stewart, 2001:65. Lewon was married to Queen (Ker) Ann, and they had
seven sons and four daughters. Rűdt-Collenberg states that Lewon and Ann had 14
children (Rűdt-Collenberg, 1963:32). Het‘um II was married to the daughter of
Hugh III of Cyprus (r. 1267–1284) (Mikaelean, 1952:416).
247
Lupprian, 1981:245–246.
248
Jackson, 2005a:169.
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China set out for Europe.249 They returned the next year bringing
letters from the newly-elected Pope Nicholas IV (1288–1292), Edward
I of England and Philippe le Bel of France full of assurances of support but no promise of actual assistance.250 In 1289–1290, another
mission was sent by Arghun to the Pope, and the Kings of England
and France. In reference to these events, Step‘annos Episkopos states
that in the same year, the renowned emissaries of the Pope visited
Arghun and built an expensive church at his Court, which was consecrated.251 Arghun initiated another mission, which carried letters
to Rome from the next Armenian king Het‘um II, proposing a
Mongol-Rome-Armenian alliance against the Mamluks.252 The last
emissaries arrived in the Summer of 1290 and brought to Arghun in
1291 the reply from Pope Nicholas IV, who, after learning that Acre,
the last Frankish-held stronghold in Palestine, had fallen, urged the
Il-Khan to be baptised and to move against the Mamluks.253 Arghun
had already died by that time, and the Pope himself died in the following year, without managing to instigate the crusade.254
The Il-Khan Arghun’s reign was another chance for the Armenians
to implore the Mongols to free the Holy Land. Although Arghun
accepted this idea, he could not fulfil his promise during his reign.
His monetary reforms to increase the weight of coins, the regulations
of their minting cycles, and the use of subsidiary coinage for the
payment of foreign trade were dictated by the stability of the financial
system in his realm.255 Arghun was interested more in science,
alchemy, building and treatments for longevity. He tried many alternative medicaments on himself: Indian, Jewish and Muslim.256 Eight
months of consuming a mercury-based elixir made him chronically
249
This time awma was accompanied by ‘Saabedin’ who later visited Europe as
part of the embassies of 1290 and 1302 (Jackson, 2005a:173). This ‘Saabedin’ might
be the same Sahmaddin, an Armenian merchant who owned vast lands rich in
orchards to the south-west in Greater Armenia, near to caravan routes (Mikaelean,
1952:422; Khachikyan, 1958:104).
250
Budge, 1928:165–197; Rossabi, 1988:152.
251
Among those who consecrated the church, there were the Nestorian catholicos from Baghdad along with 12 Armenians, and the Episkope from Varag monastery (Step‘annos Episkopos in Hakobyan, 1951:50).
252
Bundy, 1987:227–228; Golubovich, 1906(1):301–306, 1906(2):440; K‘evorkian,
1996:188–195; Mutafian, 1999.
253
Lupprian, 1981:270–276.
254
Jackson, 2005a:169.
255
For the monetary reforms of Arghun, see Kolbas, 2006:245–256.
256
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:821, 823.
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ill. Learning that the Il-Khan’s life was in danger, the amirs’ mutual
hostility was increased and they started to form a conspiracy to eliminate each other. Disorder and outrages took place in Tabriz and
Baghdad.257 Arghun died on 10 March 1291 in Arran.258 His partnership with Lewon III did not bring any of the desired results. Instead,
the Armenian kingdom became a tributary to the Mamluk Sultan.
Although Sultan Qalāwūn was not as aggressive as Baybars, his constant raids on Cilicia served to put the Armenians under economic
pressure.
The Weakest Link: Het‘um II and the Mongol Il-Khans: Geikhatu
(r. 1291–1295) and Baidu (1295)
After the deaths of Arghun Il-Khan and King Lewon, the Mamluk
policy became more aggressive towards the Il-Khanate and Armenia.
The reason for this was the succession of the very ambitious and
energetic Mamluk Sultan al-Ashraf alā al-Dīn Khalīl (r. 689–693
H. / 1290–1293), the son of Qalāwūn, and of feeble candidates as
rulers in the Il-Khanate and Cilician Armenia. Het’um’s vacillations
between the throne and the monastery allowed some scholars to conclude that he was ‘little suited to the times.’259 The Mongol noyans,
amirs and their supporters, who summoned a quriltai held near
Akhlā on 23 July 1291 (24 Rajab 690), had a choice of three candidates for the next Il-Khan, and chose unwisely. As stated above,
Arghun’s son Ghazan was in Khurasan. His brother Geikhatu
(Gaikhatu) was in Rūm and his cousin Baidu in Baghdad.260 The main
focus was on the brothers of Arghun, rather than on his son.
Geikhatu’s supporters were stronger than Baidu’s, so he was proclaimed as Il-Khan.261 Geikhatu was known more for his failure in
an innovative monetary policy, rather than for his political activities.
The introduction of Chinese paper money called chāo to replace the
Ibid., 825.
Ibid., 825. According to Sebastats‘i, Arghun Khan was poisoned along with his
āib-dīvān Sa‘d al-Daula (Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:149).
259
Boase, 1978:29.
260
The Buddhist name of Geikhatu or Gaikhaltu (which means ‘remarkable’ in
Mongolian) was Irinjin Dorji or Rintsen Dorji (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:829); it was used
on the silver coins minted in Tabriz in 693 H. (1294) (Kolbas, 2006:279).
261
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:830.
257
258
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metallic currency in Tabriz on 19 Shawwal 693 (12 September 1294),
in order to overcome economical difficulties, proved a fiasco.262
Information about Geikhatu (Ռէղաիդա) is very obscure in
Armenian sources. Some describe him as a man who had neither
laws, nor faith.263 The debauchery of Geikhatu, which is found in
Rashīd al-Dīn and in Va!!af, is noted by Het‘um Patmich‘ and by
the continuator of Bar Hebraeus.264 Sebastats‘i records only that
Geikhatu (Քայղատու) caused much destruction in a place called
Tongozlu in 740 Arm. (1291).265 Arabic sources also do not have a
high opinion of Gaikhatu.266
According to the Chronicles of King Het‘um II, during the reign
of Geikhatu there were many occasions when the Mamluk Sulān
al-Ashraf Khalīl (r. 1290–1293) had attacked the coastal castles of
the crusaders, such as those at Acre, Tyre and Beirut, and the cities
in the privileged trading area on the right bank of the Euphrates in
1291, forcing the Christians to flee.267 The Mamluks of Egypt decided
to drive out the crusaders once and for all, and to eliminate the
Franks from the region.268 Letters were exchanged between Geikhatu
and al-Ashraf, when the war began to escalate again.269 In addition
to this, three different letters were registered which were received by
Edward I in 1291. The first one was from Het‘um II on the fall of
Acre to the Mamluks and on the Armenian appeal for aid to the
crusades.270 The other two were the letters of Sulān al-Ashraf Khalīl
to Het‘um forwarded to Edward.271 The content of these letters was
probably about the Mamluk supremacy and threats to Cilician
Armenia in connection with the fall of Acre and Tyre.272 In any case,
these letters testify to the unpromising situation in Cilician Armenia.
In fact, the Mamluks’ raids throughout Cilicia were directly linked
with the weak position of King Het‘um II, who repeatedly abdicated.
The Armenian monarch often sought refuge in the church, first in
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
Ibid., 835.
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:62.
Ibid., 62; Bar Hebraeus, 2003:494.
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:149.
Abu’l-Fidā’; 1983:24; Stewart, 2001:68.
Galstyan, 1962:76; Hakobyan, 1956:79.
Mikaelean, 1952:416.
Al-Maqrīzī, 1934–1974(I):786; Amitai, 2005:361.
Lloyd, 1988:251.
Ibid., 251–252.
Ibid., 251–52; Stewart, 2001:67.
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the monastery he had built at Mamistra and later by becoming a friar
called John in a Franciscan church.273 The Papacy was active in sending Franciscan missions to Cilicia.274 Het‘um II entered into diplomatic contacts with the Papacy. Het‘um sent an embassy of four
people to the Pope on the matter of the Holy Land in 1292. Nicholas
IV sent them on with letters of commendation to Edward I of
England. There was also a letter sent by Nicholas IV to ‘all the faithful’ about oppression in regions of Cilician Armenia in 1292.275
However, just as Byzantine rulers had tried to force Greek Orthodoxy
on the Armenians, the Papacy, in return for their help, required the
Armenians to accept Catholicism.276 Some nobles and ecclesiastics in
Cilicia converted to Catholicism, which led to a rift between the episcopacy in the Cilician Kingdom and in Greater Armenia.277
In order to end pro-Latin and anti-Latin conflicts within his realm
and to deal with the Mamluks himself, Het‘um II tried to appease
the Egyptians by offering large sums of money. In 1292, Sultan alAshraf seized Hŕomklay (Qalʿat al-Rūm in Arabic), the See of the
Armenian Catholicos, which was a very strongly fortified place on
the bank of the Euphrates.278 According to an Arabic source, the
Cilician monarch tried to relieve the defenders of Hŕomklay. He
dispatched a cavalry force of 5,000 men, dressed as Mongols, to halt
the Mamluks.279 The Armenians wore Mongol hats (sarāqūjāt), imitating the Mongols, to attack the caravans.280 When al-Ashraf found
that it was a false Mongol raid, he sacked the citadel. The Armenian
chronicler of the fourteenth century Nersēs Palients‘ details the siege
of Hŕomklay:
In the Armenian year 741 (1292), the Egyptian Sultan Ashraf after he
had captured and destroyed Ak‘a [Acre] nearly wiped out all Christian
lords and even their names from the Holy Land and from the coastal
area. Afterwards this evil dragon embarked upon the Armenians, and
moved with the army to Mesopotamia closer to the border of the city
of Uŕha [Edessa]. He surrounded the fortress of the Armenian Patriarch that was called the Castle of Hŕomklay, where the see of the Arme273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
Crawford, 2003:137.
Der Nersessian, 1969:50.
Lloyd, 1988:255, 259.
Mikaelean, 1952:417.
Der Nersessian, 1969:50.
Abu’l-Fidā’; 1983:18–19.
Stewart, 2001:78.
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:132.
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nian Patriarch existed for a long time. The Sultan besieged it [severely]
with constant force so that the Christians could not defend it, because
the Armenian King sent his maternal uncle there, the Baron Raymond
(Ռէմունդ) along with numerous elite men. The Tajiks did not manage
to take the fortress despite fighting for many months.
… The Armenian Catholicos, Ter-Step‘annos, surnamed Hŕomaets‘i,
who was inside the fortress, finding no means [to survive] put on his
patriarchal robe, the same as the other bishops, and with the crosses
and with holy relics they went to the feet of the Sultan. People say that
when the tyrant saw this, he spat on the Catholicos, saying: ‘Why did
you not do this on the first day?’ Since they themselves came to him,
the order was given to kill no-one. In this manner, the same Sultan
took Hŕomklay on the same day. The Catholicos along with all the
Christians, more than 30,000 people, were taken into captivity to Egypt
as prisoners and as slaves.281
Het‘um II freed the Catholicos for a ransom, giving the impregnable
fortress of Behest (Behesni) to the Egyptian Sultan.282 In 1293, the
next Armenian Catholicos Ter-Grigor VII (1293–1307) moved the
see from Hŕomklay to Sis.283
Mamluk policy towards Cilician Armenia turned out to be more
threatening because al-Ashraf aimed to conquer even more than
Baybars had.284 In the same year, the Mamluk army, stationed at
Damascus, received orders to march on Sis but famine and plague,
which spread through Egypt and Syria in the same year, halted them.285
After the fall of Hŕomklay, the Il-Khan Geikhatu wrote to the Sultan
about his intention to sack Aleppo.286 However, Geikhatu was threatened by the letters of Sultan al-Ashraf who said he would invade
Baghdad,287 so no help could be given by the Il-Khan to the Armenians.
In contrast to the strong cooperation between Het‘um I and the
Mongol Il-Khans Abaqa and Arghun, the weak position of King
Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:181.
Hakobyan, 1956:80; Galstyan, 1962:76. Step‘annos Orbelian, the contemporary historian, describes this event differently. He says that the Catholicos TerStep‘annos was kept for about a year in prison in Egypt and died there. After his
death, King Het‘um tried his utmost but he lost the fortress of Behest to the Sultan
(Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:444–445). However, both sources are in agreement that
the Armenian King lost his fortress to the Sultan.
283
Galstyan, 1962:129.
284
Stewart, 2001:85.
285
Der Nersessian, 1973:349.
286
Mikaelean, 1952:427; Amitai, 2005:361.
287
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946:135; Mikaelean, 1952:427; Boyle, 1968:373.
281
282
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Het‘um II clearly coincided with the weak reign of Geikhatu Il-Khan,
and this was certainly noticed by their enemies.
When al-Ashraf was murdered in December 1293, the Armenians
were given breathing space.288 However, there were no Franks left in
Syria and the Il-Khan Geikhatu was ineffective. In addition to this,
in 1290, Genoa had already signed a trading agreement with Egypt
to use Alexandria for its spice-trade with India, and King Alfonso
III of Aragon (r. 1285–1291) and his brother, King James II of Sicily
(r. 1285–1295) had signed a treaty with Cairo.289 Het‘um II was left
alone to act and he decided to strengthen his ties with Cyprus, the
only other Christian kingdom surviving in the Levant. During his
second reign, in 1295, Het‘um II married his sister Zabel to Prince
Amaury Lusignan (murdered in 1310), titular Lord of Tyre, and a
brother of King Henry II (r. 1285–1324), whose children would later
inherit the Cilician throne.290
Instability in the Mamluk Sultanate after the death of al-Ashraf
gave respite to the Il-Khan as well.291 The only success to speak of
with regard to the reign of Geikhatu was that he managed to achieve
peace with the Golden Horde, receiving with honour the embassy of
Toqta Khan (r. 1291–1312) in 1294.292 This peace lasted until the
reign of Abū Saīd (r. 1316–1335).293 Geikhatu and his successor
Baidu (1295), whose reign lasted a very short time, left no record of
having sent embassies to the West.294
Very little is known about the next Il-Khan Baidu, the son of
Taragai and grandson of Hűlegű, who contested the throne after
Geikhatu.295 Rashīd al-Dīn mentions Baidu only briefly in connection
with Ghazan’s affairs. Qāī Baiāwī (d. c. 716 H. / 1316) provided a
short but important fact about Baidu, saying that after he had
ascended the throne, he met Ghazan who came to him. Their talk
Mikaelean, 1952:427; Stewart, 2001:93.
Mikaelean, 1952:425.
290
King Het‘um II, 1962:77.
291
The succession crisis of the 1290s: Baydarā al-Qāhir and al-Nā!ir Mu ammad
(1293), Kitbugha al-‘Ābdil (1294), Lachin al-Man!ūrī (1296), second reign of
al-Nā!ir Mu ammad (1298–1308) (Stewart, 2001:93).
292
Geikhatu’s failure in Il-Khanid affairs was caused by his preference for
remaining in Anatolia, where he assisted Mongol tax officials to restore revenues in
Konya (Melville, 2009:51–101).
293
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:834; Boyle, 1968:374.
294
Jackson, 2005a:170.
295
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1946:19.
288
289
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resulted in a clash of armies on both sides. In Siyāhkūh, those who
were in the service of Baidu inclined towards Ghazan. Baidu fled but
he was caught, brought back and killed in Tabriz.296 The discord
between Ghazan and Baidu, and the large army possessed by Baidu,
are mentioned by al-Jazarī (d. 739 H. / 1339).297 The Armenian
account in Sebastats‘i refers to his short reign saying that it lasted
six months, from April until October 1295.298 It seems that faith
issues also beset Baidu. Step‘annos Orbelian believes that Baidu was
brought up as a Christian by Maria Despina Palaeologina, Abaqa’s
wife, along with her children.299 It is not clear when Baidu started to
adhere to Islam but, according to Bar Hebraeus, the Il-Khan wavered
between two faiths, Christian and Muslim; however, his conversion
to Islam was symbolic, as he never fasted or prayed.300 Baidu was
killed by Ghazan, who claimed to be the only legitimate heir to the
throne.301
The instability of Het‘um II, who, according to the chronicler of
Cyprus ‘had never wanted to be crowned while he was king, but
rather wore the habit of the Franciscans and called himself Brother
John of Armenia,’ regrettably corresponded with the ineffective rules
of Geikhatu and Baidu Il-Khans. Not being able to halt the most
ambitions plans of the Mamluk Sultan al-Ashraf Khalīl, the MongolArmenian partnership declined during their reigns.
Thus, the establishment of the Il-Khanate was a milestone in the
Mongol, Muslim and Christian worlds. Within the Mongol Empire,
disputes over the Il-Khanid territories led the Il-Khanate, the Golden
Horde and the Chaghataid Ulus into a series of conflicts, causing
Greater Armenia to suffer under Chinggisid warfare.
The implementation of the Mongols’ conquest of the Syrian coast
to fulfil their imperial ideology was supported by the Armenians,
whose interest was based not only on the idea of the liberation of the
Holy Land, but also on their need to safeguard their lands. Mamluk
interest in controlling the Syrian coast was far more than for purely
geographical or religious reasons: There was great economic concern
Melville, 2007:54–55, 62.
Melville, 1990a:162–63.
298
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:150. Baiāwī says that Baidu’s reign lasted seven
months (Melville, 2007:62).
299
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:470.
300
Bar Hebraeus, 2003:505.
301
Manandian, 1952:305; Spuler, 1989:887–888.
296
297
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to control the resources and trade routes of the region. With the end
of the Crusader epoch, the threat from Europe became meaningless,
enabling Mamluks to reinforce their Egyptian power-base against the
Mongols. Another party who tried to secure a place in MongolMamluk affairs was the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus,
who acted with political insight, courting the Mongols of the Golden
Horde and the Il-Khanate and facilitating the successful operation
of a trading zone by the Mamluks and the Golden Horde.
From 1265 to 1295, Mongol-Armenian collaboration against the
Mamluks was exemplified by major pairings. Among these, the joint
ventures of Abaqa and Het‘um I were the most organised and victorious in achieving their goals. The partnership of Abaqa and Lewon
III was the most productive in appealing to the Latin West. The duo
of Arghun and Lewon III as allies was strong enough, although this
collaboration had the most shameful result as it allowed the Armenian
Kingdom to sign a ten-year tributary agreement with the Mamluk
Sultanate. It is also worth noting that strong Mongol Il-Khans coincided with powerful colleagues in the Armenian Kingdom, for
instance Abaqa and Het‘um I, and Arghun and Lewon III. The reigns
of weak Il-Khans coincided with those of weak Armenian kings.
Serious Mamluk political and economic challenges ensured the
Cilician Armenians to stay close to their allies, the Il-Khans. However,
the nature of the Il-Khanid relations with the Cilicia altered. This
was followed by the series of appeals, both by the Armenians and the
Il-Khans, to the Papacy. Their correspondence with the Latin powers,
including the Kings of France and England, remains an excellent
illustration of medieval diplomacy. These events established an exclusive multi-functional relationship, forcing the Mongols, Armenians,
Mamluks and the Christian West into various collaborative efforts.
The Cilician Armenians were enthusiastic in appealing directly to
the Il-Khans to liberate the Syrian coast from the Muslims. The
Cilician Armenian interest in this venture was obvious. The question
of the liberation of the Holy Land by the Mongols is still intriguing.
The Latin hesitation in assisting the Mongols was also understandable. However, Mongol raids into Syria allowed the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia to reclaim lands lost to the Mamluks, although these
repossessions had a temporary character. Through this collaboration
with the Mongols, the Cilician Armenians became a direct target of
the Mamluk Sultans.
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Conditions in Greater Armenia in particular, and the Caucasus in
general, deteriorated with the intensification of hostilities between
the Il-Khanate and the other Chinggisid Uluses. Provisioning and
accommodating one or another party of Mongol Khans became a
laborious game to play for the people of the region. However, Greater
Armenia’s interests lay more on the Il-Khanid side than on that of
the other Chinggisids.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
THE END OF MONGOLARMENIAN RELATIONS
12951335
With the death of Abaqa Khan, Tegűder, as a convert to Islam, transferred the Il-Khanate to the Sultanate.1 The Mongol minority was
absorbed slowly but steadily by the indigenous Islamic majority. The
process of the Mongols’ conversion to Islam reached its peak during
the reign of Ghazan Khan when he adopted Islam. Ghazan, as a
Mongol Chinggisid, actually demonstrated that affairs of state could
prevail over the ancestral tradition of religious tolerance. The accomplishment of the Mongols’ conversion to Islam was well received by
the Muslims and is well documented in Muslim historiography.
However, the reaction of the Christians, particularly Armenians, to
this act is less known. In fact, the Armenians perceived the Mongols’
conversion process in light of their national interest. Therefore, the
arguments related to Mongol-Armenian relations after the
Islamisation of the Mongol Il-Khans, the end of Mongol-Mamluk
war during the reign of Öljeitű Il-Khan (r. 1304–1316), and the aftermath of the cooperation merits our attention.
The Last Chance to Save the Alliance: Het‘um II and the Il-Khan
Ghazan (r. 1295–1304)
As was noted earlier, the personality or individuality of each ruler in
the Il-Khanate and Cilician Armenia was crucial in determining the
direction of the relationship between the Mongols and Armenians.
Our next pair of rulers, despite the fact that Ghazan was Muslim and
that He‘tum II was periodically dethroned by his ambitious brothers,
tried to maintain their relations.
When Ghazan Khan ascended as Il-Khan after five years of fighting for the throne,2 the Armenian chronicler states:
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:785.
The name Ghazan derives from Qaisan, a cooking pot. The Mongol custom of
naming a new-born child after the first person to enter the house applied to the Il1
2
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In 744 (1295) Ghazan killed Baidu and mounted the throne. Then he
ordered Nawruz and adr al-Din [Zanjānī], the Sahib Divan to destroy
all Christian churches and to put the priests to the sword.3
From this account, one expects to see both an obvious deterioration
in the prospects for Mongol-Armenian affairs and negativity in the
accounts of the chroniclers. Indeed, in October 1295, an order was
issued to destroy all Buddhist monasteries, Christian churches and
Jewish synagogues in Tabriz, Baghdad and in other cities of the
Il-Khanate.4 But surprisingly, another statement follows:
However, the Armenian King Het‘um happened to be there and with
divine help, he succeeded in extinguishing the heart of Ghazan and in
dissipating the anger towards the Christians.5
Het‘um II and his brother Smbat I travelled to Iran in 1295 to see
the Il-Khan Baidu in order to re-affirm their alliance with the
Mongols. However, Ghazan was already on the throne.6 Knowing
that the character of Mongol rule in the Il-Khanate could change
with the Islamisation of the Mongols, the King was very keen to be
assured that the Mongol-Armenian partnership was still operational.
Ghazan Khan reassured King Het‘um II that the Christian churches
would not be destroyed and possibly promised military assistance.7
According to Armenian sources, Ghazan Khan was not entirely
antagonistic to the Christians in Cilicia and the Caucasus. From the
colophons of the Armenian Gospels from Vaspurakan and
Nakhichevan both dated 1304, it appears that Ghazan Khan was a
beloved, wise and beneficent monarch. He was a just king because,
during his reign, there was ‘peace on earth as in God’s paradise.’8
This statement can be explained. The Il-Khan sought to wage war
against the Sultan of Egypt with the help of Christian powers. There
are records of the Il-Khan of sending embassies to King Henry II of
Jerusalem and Cyprus (d. 1324) and to Pope Boniface VIII (1294–
Khan, when a slave girl entered carrying a cooking pot (Ibn Battutah, 2003:77).
Ghazan was brought up by his grandfather Abaqa Khan until he was 10 years old
and was taught by a Buddhist bakhshi (Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:846).
3
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:150.
4
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:908.
5
Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:150; Anonymous in Galstyan, 1962:78.
6
King Het‘um II, 1962:77.
7
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:474.
8
Sanjian, 1969:48.
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1303) in 1299.9 The Pope addressed the French King Philip IV (r.
1285–1314) and the King of England Edward I (r. 1272–1307),
emphasising the importance of Cilicia in regaining the Holy Land
after the fall of the Frankish states in the Middle East.10 However, the
outbreak of hostilities between France and England in 1294, and the
impending conflict of the Papacy with the French monarch put paid
to this correspondence.
Before launching into a discussion of the military collaboration
between Ghazan and Het‘um II in Syria, it is important to introduce
some aspects of the internal affairs of the Il-Khanate and Cilician
Armenia.
From the beginning of his reign, Ghazan understood that, after
the execution of his predecessor, the Mongol noyans might cause
trouble and disorder in Iran. Consequently, he eliminated all candidates among the bloodline princes capable of resisting him. All the
executions were implemented during the first 12 months of Ghazan’s
reign.11 Ghazan involved the amirs Qutlughshāh and Nawruz in suppressing the revolts.12 In order to keep power in his hands, Ghazan
converted from Buddhism to Sunni Islam in September 1295. This
should be considered a momentous event for Muslims in Iran and
in the region.13 As a Muslim ruler, he assumed the title of Sultan and
the name Ma mūd.14 The conversion of Ghazan is attributed to the
charisma of the Muslim mystics, or Sufīs, as well as the dervishes,
known as qalandaris.15 This in turn brought about a mass conversion
of Mongols,16 though in some cases only nominally. In fact, Mongol
conversion to Islam was not a recent development; it already had its
roots in Central Asia, where the Mongols were in constant contact
with the Turkic-speaking Muslims.17 With Mongol penetration of
the Middle East, these contacts intensified and accelerated steadily
Jackson, 2005a:171.
Mikaelean, 1952:429.
11
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:912–917; Boyle 1968:381.
12
Ibid., 1968:381–382.
13
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:902–903. For the various accounts of Ghazan’s conversion, see Melville, 1990a:159–177.
14
Boyle, 1968:381.
15
Dervishes were powerful mainly in the tribal society of north-west Iran and
eastern Anatolia (Melville, 2003a:57–58).
16
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:904; Melville, 1990a:166.
17
Barthold, 1977:463–494;
9
10
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in the new political situation.18 I agree that there are doubts about
the sincerity of Ghazan’s adoption of Islam and his actual understanding of his new faith.19 Indeed, the coins struck by Ghazan Khan
in 1297 in Baghdad after his conversion to Islam, inscribed in
Mongolian as ‘The coinage of Ghazan Mahmud by the power of
Heaven’ correspond to the official invocations of the Mongol protocol ‘Möngke Tengri-yin Xučun Dor’ (by the Might of Everlasting
Heaven).20 This was not surely an appeal to a shamanistic deity, but
rather a claim of the Il-Khan to be the direct offspring of the
Chinggisid. Nonetheless, regardless of his symbolic or token conversion, Ghazan is referred to as the Pādshāh-i Islām in contemporary
Muslim historiography.
Scholars once questioned why the Mongols converted to Islam but
not to Christianity. According to Leo de Hartog, Christianity was of
much less importance in the Golden Horde than shamanism.
Christianity was significant for the Mongols only at the beginning of
their world conquest.21 Fletcher’s statement, though without any
solid evidence, on the origin of Islam as a religion of nomads and
thus attracting the nomadic Mongols, is very contentious. He attributed the same quality to Tibetan Buddhism, particularly its dGelugspa creed, which was adopted by the Mongols after it became, as
Fletcher argues, the Tibetan nomads’ tradition.22 Moreover, his
account of the parallels between the Mongol shamanistic concept of
the universal deity Tenggeri (Eternal Sky) and the Semitic concept of
Allāh, needs to be proved. My argument for the Mongols’ conversion
to Islam centres on the cultural assimilation of the outnumbered
Mongols by the majority of Muslim subjects in order to retain the
right to rule.
Ghazan needed to use political propaganda to appeal to the local
subjects. The revival of Islamic institutions (madrasas and mosques),
religious law (shari‘a), and pilgrimage (hajj) consoled the religious
scholars or ʿulamā’.23 This appeal was not only to the Iranian faith,
but also to Iranian identity. The Mongols sought to be identified as
the latest Iranian dynasty with Persian epic heroes from the Shāhnāma
18
19
20
21
22
23
Bundy, 1996:34.
Melville, 1990a:171; Amitai, 1996:1–10.
Kolbas, 2006:323–324.
De Hartog, 1996:53–54.
Fletcher, 1986:44.
Melville, 2003a:57.
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(Book of Kings) written by Firdausi (ca. 935–ca. 1020). The Iranians
idealised Ghazan as a Persian philosopher-king.24 In his turn, Ghazan
appointed Iranians to the higher positions in his administration.25
Also religious figures, such as Shaikh afī al-Dīn (d. 1334), the ancestor of the afavid dynasty in Iran from 1501 until 1722 and who
frequented all three of the last Il-Khans, was patronised by Ghazan.26
The person who assisted in enthroning Ghazan Khan and thus
exercised power was chief amir Nawruz (Naurūz), a son of Arghun
Aqa from the Oirat tribe.27 Nawruz was known in Greater Armenia
and in the region for his hostility towards the Christians.28 It was he
who issued instructions that the Christians and Jews had to wear
distinctive dress, such as a girdle around the loins for the Christians
and a mark on their heads for the Jews.29 His policy of pursuing the
Caucasian Christians and his destruction of the churches in Baghdad,
Mosul, "ama, Tabriz, Maragha, Nakhichevan, Siwnik‘, Somkhit,
Kartli and a few other places in Georgia provoked riots and rebellion
against the Mongols among the Georgian nobles in the 1290s.30 Thus
in Nakhichevan, the Mongol governors were under threat from sudden raids by Georgio-Armenian forces who were displeased with the
religious enmity of Nawruz.31 Later, Ghazan Khan expelled Nawruz
to Khurasan and sent amir Qutlughshāh to restore peace with the
Armenians and the Georgian King David VIII (r. 1293–1311), the
cousin of Vakhtang II (r. 1289–1292).32 When Nawruz plotted against
Ghazan, however, according to the Armenian source, his plot was
revealed, with the help of the Armenian princes Liparit Orbelian and
Eachi Pŕoshian, and Nawruz and all his family were executed.33
Melville, 2003a:54–55.
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:853. However, there were still many Mongols in his
bureaucracy (see Melville, 2006b:135–163).
26
Melville, 2003a:58.
27
Aubin, 1995:61–68.
28
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:471–473.
29
Bar Hebraeus, 2003:507.
30
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:472–473; Babayan, 1969:167.
31
Ibid., 473.
32
Ibid., 475–476. King David VIII was appointed by the Il-Khan Geikhatu in
1293 and ruled over the eastern part of Georgia. In 1295, he supported Baidu. When
Baidu was killed by Ghazan, the latter summoned David to Tabriz. David refused
and Ghazan sent an expedition to ravage Kartli. In 1299, Ghazan appointed David’s
younger brother Giorgi V as king of Georgia.
33
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:475.
24
25
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According to Rashīd al-Dīn, Nawruz was captured in Herat by
Qutlughshāh with the help of the governor of the city, Fakhr al-Dīn.34
Meanwhile, in Cilicia, King Het‘um II was in danger. In 1296, he
went to Constantinople, accompanied by T‘oros, his brother and
partner in the administration, to ask for the assistance of Byzantium
in addition to that of the Mongols. Regardless of his pro-Latin policies, Het‘um II sought alliance with the Byzantines.35 In his absence,
his brother Smbat I (r. 1297–1299) seized power and went with presents to Ghazan Khan to be acknowledged and to marry a Mongol
princess, the Il-Khan’s relative.36 On his way back, he met his brothers near Caesarea. Subsequently, the usurper imprisoned Het‘um II
and T‘oros. T‘oros was strangled and Het‘um was partially blinded.
In 1298/1299, another brother of Het‘um II, Constantine I (1298/1299)
overthrew Smbat, and, having declared himself king, released Het‘um.
In 1299, Het‘um retook the throne and exiled both Smbat and
Constantine to Constantinople, where they died.37
Knowing that there was conflict over the Cilician throne among
the Het‘umid brothers, the Mamluk Sultan Lachin al-Man!ūr (r.
1296–1299) intensified his raids in Cilicia. According to Het‘um
Patmich‘, the Mamluks attacked Cilician Armenia seeing the internal
instability within the kingdom.38 The Arabic sources indicate a different reason for the attack, stressing the discord among the Mongols
in the Golden Horde and the Il-Khanate, especially after the execution of Nawruz and his followers, which brought the Mamluks to
Cilicia.39 The Mamluk invasion of bilād al-Sīs led by Badr al-Dīn
Bektash al-Fakhrī Amīr-Silā took place in May 1298. The Mamluk
army entered Cilicia through the Syrian Gates. A detachment was
sent to attack Ayas, the heart of the kingdom, but the Armenians
withstood it.40 In connection with this, in 1298, the Armenian monarch (Smbat I) sent a letter to Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303)
34
Rashīd al-Dīn, 1954:932. For Muslim accounts of Naurūz, see Melville,
1990a:166–167, 170.
35
Het‘um married one of his sisters (Rita) to Michael Paleologos, later Emperor
Michael IX in 1296. Another sister was engaged to a Byzantine prince, but died
before her marriage (Rűdt-Collenberg, Table III, 71, n.157; Stewart, 2001:99).
36
Mikaelean, 1952:428.
37
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:71; Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:182–183; Anonymous in
Galstyan, 1962:79–80.
38
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:64.
39
Based on al-Maqrizī, Stewart, 2001:106–107.
40
Stewart, 2001:114.
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through an embassy of two Dominican monks asking for help to
resist the Mamluks. Without making any actual promises, Boniface
provided the embassy with a letter of commendation to Edward I of
England.41 Meanwhile, the Mamluks headed north and besieged the
castle of Hamus (H’amū!) in June 1298. Abu’l-Fidā’ mentions that
in Hamus, a great number of Armenians who had gathered there
seeking refuge were taken into captivity.42 The Mamluks took T‘il
(Tall) Hamdun which had already been abandoned by the Armenians.43
The continuator of Anets‘i states that by 1299, the Mamluks had
seized half of Cilicia.44 The Cypriot source records that the Kingdom
of Armenia was very weak and the Mamluks ‘ruled’ over almost all
of Cilician Armenia.45
Intervention by the Il-Khan Ghazan in 1299 and 1300 allowed the
Armenians to recover their lost territories.46 From this account, one
can see that the Mongols came to help the Armenian Kingdom
against Mamluk aggression once again.
When Ghazan raided Syria, the Il-Khanid army defeated the
Mamluk Sultan al-Nā!ir Mu ammad, Qalāwūn’s 14-year-old son,
near "ims [Emesa].47 As a result of this expedition, the Mongols took
Damascus on 31 December 1299. In connection with this, another
interesting statement, the plausibility of which is questionable, is
found in Nersēs Palients‘, the fourteenth-century author. He records
that King Het‘um, who joined Ghazan’s troops with his force of
150,000 men, begged him to burn the city of Damascus, to which
Ghazan answered: ‘It would be a great sin to set this beauty on fire.
I will give this city to my son and keep it for him.’48 The chronicler
continues that, when the young Sultan fled, King Het‘um, with 4,000
Cilician Armenian elite horsemen, chased him as far as a place called
Toli. According to Palients‘, as the Armenian King was unsuccessful
Lloyd, 1988:255.
Abu’al-Fidā’, 1983:28.
43
Ibid., 29.
44
Anonymous in Galstyan, 1962:84.
45
Crawford, 2003:145–146.
46
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:64. A decisive Mongol victory at Wādī al-Khaznadār
near "om! in 1299 was the only Mongol success in a major battle against the Mamluks (Amitai, 2005:361).
47
Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:183; Jackson, 2005a:170.
48
Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:183. The number of Armenian soldiers who took part
in this battle varied from 10,000 to 50,000 and even 150,000 (Galstyan, 1962:95–96).
Het‘um Patmich‘ says that Ghazan wanted to keep Damascus for the needs of his
court (Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:66).
41
42
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in catching the Sultan, he returned to Jerusalem and stayed there
visiting the holy sites when Ghazan allegedly issued a decree to give
Jerusalem to him.49 Afterwards, the Armenian King went to Ghazan
in Damascus, where they spent a Winter together before both
returned to their domains.50
The occupation of Damascus and the nearby region of al-āli iyya
by the Armenian King during the Mongol raids is also commented
on in the Arabic sources.51 This time, they explain that King Het‘um
gave his men a considerable sum to destroy the city in revenge for
the ravaging of his land.52 Al-Yūnīnī and Ibn Taymiyya, the
Damascene writers, give details of King Het‘um’s appearance during
his occupation of Damascus, saying that he looked pale, having
grown a thick beard.53 As has been said earlier, since Hűlegű’s time
the blame for plundering Damascus has been laid on the Mongols
and especially the Armenians. Since Ghazan and the Mongols were
already officially Muslims, on this occasion the blame was laid solely
on the Armenians.54
Nevertheless, the Mamluks retook Damascus soon after. According
to an Armenian source, amir Qibjaq, the governor of Damascus
appointed by Ghazan, betrayed the Il-Khan and returned the city to
Sultan al-Nā!ir Mu ammad (693–741/1293–1340 with breaks).55 The
Armenian King Het‘um was determined to retake Damascus, so,
according to Nersēs Palients‘, the Cilician monarch visited Ghazan
Khan and persuaded him to prepare for another raid on Syria immediately.56 In 1300, when Qutlughshāh again arrived in Damascus with
a royal army and took it, Het‘um joined him. Nersēs Palients‘ continues that instead of waging war against the Mamluks, the Mongols
retreated having been bribed by nine carts of Mamluk gold. The
Armenians followed them as far as the plain near Damascus where
49
According to an anonymous Georgian chronicler, in the aftermath of Ghazan’s
raid on Syria, Jerusalem was plundered by the Mongols and many Christians and
Muslims were massacred (Amitai, 1987:246–247).
50
Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:185–186.
51
The description of this event is found in al-Jazarī, al-Birzālī, al-Maqrīzī,
al-Yūnīnī and al-‘Aynī; Stewart, 2006:140–142. For different accounts of Ghazan’s
raid, see Amitai, 1987:244–246.
52
Stewart, 2001:141–143.
53
Ibid., 140.
54
Little, 1970:70–71; Crawford, 2003:202–203; Stewart, 2001:142–143.
55
Hayton, 1869:198.
56
Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:186–187.
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the Sultan set an ambush, filling the plain with water from two rivers.
The number of Mongol and Armenian soldiers that escaped death
in this quagmire was very small.57 In contrast to the Armenian
sources, al-‘Aynī and other Muslim historians explain Qutlughshāh’s
retreat by stressing the extremely inclement weather, rain and snow,
which prevented Ghazan’s troops from proceeding further.58
Meanwhile, Ghazan Khan sent emissaries to Amaury, the titular
lord of Tyre and Constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1300
before his next campaign against Syria. The Lord of Tyre sent an
expedition to Ghazan, which Jackson characterises as the first attempt
by the Latin West to coordinate military activities with the Il-Khan’s
forces to restore Latin settlement in the Holy Land.59 Unfortunately,
the Mongol army, commanded by Qutlughshāh, missed this opportunity to assist Amaury who occupied the small island of Ruad
(Arwād) and was not able to resist the Mamluk army.60 The Armenian
King Het‘um II participated in this and the next two Mongol wars
against Syria in 1300 and in 1303 but for no reward. Among the
Mongol troops there were Georgio-Armenian forces headed by the
Zak‘arian amirspasalar Shahnshah II.61 The expeditions against the
Egyptian Mamluks ended in the time of Ghazan Khan, who was not
satisfied with the results of his letters sent to the masters of the
Temple, the Hospital and the Teutonic Order and to Henry II of
Cyprus in 1299, and to Edward I of England in 1302.62 Any hope of
receiving aid from the Christian West was lost. The idea of the conquest of the Syrian coast was also lost and Ghazan died in May 1304.
An interesting detail about his death is found in Nersēs Palients‘,
who claims that the Mongol Il-Khan died because his beloved wife
had poisoned him, in order to prevent him from moving against the
Mamluks.63 Soon after Ghazan’s death, in 1305, Het‘um II abdicated
Ibid.
Stewart, 2006:147. The second expedition of Ghazan to Syria did not last long
as he could not remain in Syria because of the weather (Amitai, 2005:361).
59
Jackson, 2005a:171.
60
Ibid.
61
Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:186–87; Sebastats‘i in Hakobyan, 1956:151. Ghazan
Khan’s last attempt to invade Syria was in 1303, but the Il-Khan did not participate
himself (Amitai, 2005:361).
62
Boase, 1978:122; Jackson, 2005a:171.
63
Palients‘i says that the Sultan bribed those who were very influential at Ghazan’s court (Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:188).
57
58
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for the last time and left the throne of Cilician Armenia to his
nephew, his co-ruler since 1301, Lewon IV (1305–1307).64
In Ghazan and Het‘um’s collaboration, Ghazan was the strong
link, being successful in his internal and external affairs. Het‘um’s
role was very passive both locally and beyond his realm. Although
the Armenian monarch had an opportunity to reestablish the fading
contacts with the Mongols, his domestic and external concerns and
his own problematic personality did not do him any favours. The
ever-vanishing chances to obtain any progress in the Near East certainly loosened the Mongol Il-Khan and Armenian Monarch’s
partnership.
Little is known from contemporary Armenian sources about the
actual political impact of Ghazan’s reign over Greater Armenia,
except that the Nakhichevan area was devastated by Nawruz, and
Qutlughshāh had enormous power over the Georgian King.65 Among
the sources, only the colophons are explicit about Ghazan. The colophon of the Gospel of Nakhichevan says:
In this year (1304) the monarch Łazan (Ghazan Khan) departed this
life and great grief befell all the peoples of the east, especially among
the suffering Christian nations. May his memory be blessed and may
he occupy the throne with the holy kings, because during his reign
there was peace on earth as in God’s paradise, (and) everywhere all
taxes were removed. The Lord God gave him, as the Psalmist said, ‘the
justice of a king’ [cf. Psalms 72:1], for he was the son of Arłun Łan
(Arghun Khan), the just king, and ‘the king’s strength loves justice.’66
Besides his political activities, Ghazan Khan was also involved in
construction projects, developing a new city quarter outside Tabriz,
called Ghazaniyya, including a spectacular mausoleum for himself,
a mosque, a hospice for sayyids (descendants of the Prophet), an
observatory, two madrasas and other buildings.67 In addition to this,
Ghazan’s name is associated with initiatives on fiscal reform in Iran,
which had influence on taxation policy of Greater Armenia as well.68
64
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:71; Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:182–183; Anonymous in
Galstyan, 1962:79–80.
65
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:476.
66
Sanjian, 1969:48.
67
Melville, 2003a:57.
68
For taxation in Greater Armenia, see Chapter 4.
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The Vanquished Armenian Hope: Öljeitű (r. 1304–1316) and His
Armenian Counterparts
The Armenians in Cilicia were fearful of Mamluk forces crossing
their territory. The Mamluks launched about ten major invasions
against the Armenian Kingdom between 1266 and 1305. In 1285, the
Armenians were forced to agree with humiliating conditions to pay
an annual tribute to the Sultanate.69 Considerable profits from the
transit trade that connected the Mongol Empire with the
Mediterranean allowed the Armenians to deal with their debts. The
small Mongol garrisons that functioned within the Armenian
Kingdom were more active for tax collecting than providing protection. In connection with this, Mamluk offensives against Armenia
lost their frequency and according to the Arabic sources, the raids
were undertaken more by a nā’ib of Aleppo, rather than by the
armies of the Sultan.70
After Ghazan’s reign, both Cilician Armenia and the Il-Khanate
experienced moments of discord and decline, which seriously affected
the Mongol-Armenian relations. This happened during the time of
Ghiyāth al-Dīn Mu ammad Khudā-Banda Öljeitű Khan, Ghazan’s
brother. In 1304, when the Mamluks raided the territory of Sis,
Öljeitű succeeded to the throne. In his childhood, he was baptised
and given the name of Nicholas but, in his youth, he was first converted to Buddhism and then along with his brother Ghazan he
adopted Islam.71 When Öljeitű assumed the Il-Khanid throne, his
name Khar-Banda (Mule Driver) was changed to Khudā-Banda
(Slave of God).72
The Armenians hoped that Öljeitű would be beneficent to them,
as the scribe in the Ayrarat canton notes when concluding the catechism of Cyril of Jerusalem: ‘In this year (1304) the p‘ashah ghan
named Kharpanday ascended the throne; may Christ the King guide
him to protect the Christians with piety and affability.’73 However,
Holt, 1995:92–105.
Al-Maqrīzī, Abū al-Fidā’ and Al-‘Aynī in Stewart, 2001:134, 139, 148.
71
Het‘um Patmich‘, 1951:70; Golubovich, 1906:336; Pfeiffer, 1999:36–49.
72
The name Kharbanda (mule driver) can be explained as the Mongol custom
of protecting a child against ‘bad eye’ (Pfeiffer, 1999:37). According to a Muslim
source, following Mongol custom, a new-born child was named after the first person
to enter the place. In the case of Öljeitű, it was a mule driver (kharbanda(h)) (Ibn
Battutah, 2003:77).
73
Sanjian, 1969:49.
69
70
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two years later, contrary to this, in the Commentary on the Epistles
by Sargis Shorhali we find the following:
… At the same time during the patriarchate of the Lord Zak‘aria, and
in the Armenian year 755 (1306), during the reign of the Armenian
king of Cilicia, Het‘um [II], and at the conquest of the nation of
archers, … being converted to the wrong law of Mohammed, which
leads along an open road to perdition, they force all to convert to their
vain and false hope, they persecute and oppress and afflict, some carrying off possessions by force, some torturing, some blaspheming,
insulting the cross and the church, and all of this is because of our
sins …74
As a ruler, Öljeitű desired to live in tranquillity, involving himself
with completing the building of a new town, Sulānīyya, a capital
residence and with erecting his mausoleum, which later would be
considered a splendid example of Persian architecture.75 During his
time, the long-lasting arguments between the Chinggisids finally ended.76 In his letter to Philippe de Bel in April 1305, Öljeitű confirmed
that the Chinggisids had reached mutual agreement and the lands
governed by the descendants of Qubilai Khan, by the Golden Horde
and the Il-Khanate were joined to each other ending 45 years of
recrimination.77 Indeed, the Chinggisid rivalries over lands in Iran
were eliminated by agreement between these three parties for the
time being.
However, he was involved in military actions. From Sulānīyya,
he set out upon his main campaign against the inhabitants of Gīlān
in May 1307. According to Qāshānī (Kāshānī), the Gīlān conquest
was provoked by a Chaghataid prince who had insulted the Il-Khan
for not being able to conquer a small province in the north-west of
Iran, let alone Syria.78 Once the Il-Khan had decided to wage war on
the Gīlānīs, he launched three successive expeditions led by Choban,
Qutlughshāh, and by |ūghān and Mu‘min. Qutlughshāh fought the
main battle. With Qutlughshāh’s death, Öljeitű Khan himself went
to war with a royal army and subjugated the Gīlānīs, demanding
Khach‘ikyan, 1950:40–41.
Melville, 1990b:55. In Persian history, Öljeitű appears more as a patron of
architecture. In addition to Sulānīyya, he built a second capital called Sulānabād
Chamchimāl at the foot of Mount Bisitūn.
76
Boyle, 1968:398.
77
Mostaert and Cleaves, 1998:86; Boyle, 1968:399; Amitai, 2005:359–390.
78
Qāshānī, 1969:55–56. For different motives for Öljeitű’s conquest of Gīlān in
contemporary Muslim sources, see Melville, 1999b:84–87.
74
75
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obedience and the payment of taxes (māl).79 This war with the Gīlānīs,
as preliminary achievement for the Il-Khan, was gained at high cost,
though there was another five years before his second war in 1312–
1213. This time Öljeitű was defeated by the Mamluks.
Meanwhile, the Mongol-Cilician Armenian collaboration reached
a turning point during the time of Öljeitű. After the Mamluk capture
of T‘il Hamdun, where a large group of Cilician Armenians had
blockaded themselves, a new agreement was reached between the
Armenian King and the Mamluk Sultan in July 1304, to pay two
years’ tribute. The Armenian monarch (the joint rule of Het‘um II
and Lewon IV) who expected no help from the Mongols and who
was troubled constantly by substantial Mamluk raids that tried to
claim delayed payment of tribute, sent his embassies to Rome and
Paris in 1306. Pope Clement V (1305–1314) promised help but urged
the Armenians to profess Catholicism.80 Therefore, the Armenian
King and the Armenian Catholicos Grigor VII Anavarzets‘i (1293–
1307) called a council in Sis. Because Grigor VII died shortly after,
his successor, Konstandin III Kesarats‘i (1307–22) summoned a
Synod in Sis, which confirmed the union between the Armenian and
Roman Churches.81 By this, the Cilician nobles hoped to gain support
from the West. However, the outcome of the synod was not welcomed either in Greater Armenia or in Cilicia.82 There was concern
that the unification would possibly mean assimilation and thus would
destroy the two strongholds of Armenian national life, the nobility
and the church.83 Therefore, this event is considered to be the moment
of decline in the history of Cilician Armenia.
The contemporary Armenian sources are, on the whole silent,
about the relationship between the Mongols and the Cilician Armenians in the time of Öljeitű Il-Khan. There is a reason for this. Nersēs
Palients‘and the Anonymous Chronicler84 have a reference to Öljeitű.
They state that, on 17 November 1307, the Armenian King Het‘um
II and his nephew, the teenage joint ruler King Lewon IV85 were
Melville, 1999b:112–113. For mal, see Chapter 4.
Stewart, 2001:161.
81
La Porta, 2007:101.
82
RCH/DA, 1869(II):199.
83
Der Nersessian, 1947:15.
84
Galstyan believes that this anonymous chronicler is one of the continuator of
Samuel Anets‘i (Samuel of Ani) (Galstyan, 1962:129[n. 210]).
85
Lewon IV was a son of T‘oros III, the ruler of Cilician Armenia in 1293–1298,
during the period of his brother Het‘um II’s abdication. T‘oros and Het‘um II were
79
80
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murdered at the foot of the citadel in the village of Անաւարզ
(Anazarbus) in Cilicia by the Mongol general Bilarghun (Bilārghū),
a commander of the Mongol garrison resident in Sis. Alinakh, a
brother of Het‘um, went to the Mongol Khan (Öljeitű) to secure
Bilarghun’s death by trial.86 Various reasons for the murder have
been advanced. The continuator of Anets‘i claims that the Mongol
general desired to make himself master of Cilicia and therefore he
murdered the reigning monarch.87 According to the Arabic sources,
Het‘um wrote to the Il-Khan a letter informing him that one of his
officials was in league with the Mamluks. Öljeitű summoned
Bilarghun to the court, which was a direct threat to the latter’s career.
Therefore, Bilarghun had invited Het‘um to a banquet and killed him
with a sword.88 Despite the fact that Öljeitű later executed his commander Bilarghun, the murder of the Cilician monarch became
indicative of the deteriorating Mongol-Armenian relationship.
For the time being, the Il-Khan dispatched conciliatory messages
to the Mamluk Sultan. He was aiming at least to gain time while he
was waiting for the response to his appeal to the Latin princes.89
Öljeitű wrote another letter to the French king but had no reply.90 A
similar letter was sent to Edward I of England, which was answered
by his son Edward II, firstly in a letter dated 16 October 1307 from
Northampton and secondly dated 30 November from Langley.91 The
English King expressed his regrets at being too geographically distant
to cooperate with the Il-Khan.92 In the second letter, Edward urged
the Il-Khan to extirpate ‘the Mahometan heresy.’93 Pope Clement V
maintained contact with Öljeitű encouraging him to assist a crusade.94
The Pope wrote to the Il-Khan on 1 March 1308:
We have noticed with pleasure, from these letters and communications,
that appealing to our solicitude on behalf of the Holy Land, you have
imprisoned in 1296 by their brother Smbat (1296–1298). T‘oros was killed in 1298
while Het‘um II was blinded.
86
Nersēs Palients‘, 1956:188; Anonymous in Galstyan, 1962:80–81.
87
Anonymous in Galstyan, 1962:81.
88
For different versions of Het‘um II’s death found in Arabic and Armenian
sources, see Stewart, 2001:173–179; Mikaelean, 1952:436–437.
89
Boyle,1968:399; Amitai, 2005:361.
90
Mostaert and Cleaves, 1998:84–87.
91
Howorth, 1970(Vol. 3):576.
92
Ibid.
93
Paviot, 2000:317.
94
Leopold, 2000:115.
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offered us 200,000 horses and 200,000 loads of corn which will be in
Armenia [Cilicia] when the army of the Christians arrives there, and
in addition to march in person with 100,000 horsemen to support the
efforts of the Christians to expel the Saracens from that Holy Land.95
The Pope made no actual proposal to cooperate with the Mongol
Il-Khan. The Mongol-Mamluk relation continued to be tense.96 After
a long wait of responses from Latin powers, Öljeitű launched only
one ill-fated invasion into Mamluk territory. In 1312–1313, the
50-year war between the Mongols and the Mamluks for the possession of Syria had ended.97
The reign of Öljeitű coincided with the reigns of Het‘um II and
Lewon IV, and after their deaths with Oshin (a brother of Het‘um
II), who ruled the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1308 until
1320. The fairly long but interrupted series of reigns of Het‘um II
(1289–1293; 1295–1297; 1299–1305; 1305–1307) contributed to the
downfall of the Armenian Kingdom which in practice meant the loss
of territories inside and outside Cilicia. The serious conflict within
the royal family caused by religious affairs affected the whole
Armenian nation. Decades of intermittent war must have distracted
Cilicia. Oshin had to deal with a new situation in which there was
no partnership with the Mongols but a new Mamluk stability in the
third reign of al-Nā!ir Mu ammad (1310–40). Cilicia was more open
to ravages by the Mamluks and by the Turkoman tribes in Anatolia.98
After an incident in Malatya between the Armenian and Muslim
population in 1315, Oshin renegotiated the terms of the treaty of
1304 with the Mamluks. The tribute was increased.99 Ongoing civil
wars in Cyprus following the death of Amaury, the Lord of Tyre
(1310), and their alienation from the Het‘umids also affected the
Kingdom.100
Öljeitű did not care much about his partnership with Cilicia. It
can be said that he saw no use for this alliance anymore. The reason
for this claim is that the Muslim sources say nothing about the par-
Boyle, 1968:403.
Ibid., 399. Va!!af indicates that Öljeitű had every intention to pursue his
predecessors’ anti-Mamluk policy (Va!saf, 1852–1853:472).
97
Boyle, 1968:403; Amitai, 1987:236–255.
98
Stewart, 2001:183; Amitai, 2005:365.
99
La Porta, 2007:110.
100
Stewart, 2001:183.
95
96
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ticipation of the Armenians in the Mongol campaigns of 1312–13.101
Öljeitű’s indifference towards the Armenians and their affairs was
shown in Greater Armenia as well. He pursued a harsh economic
policy levying a heavy burden of kharaj on the Greater Armenians.
As a result, a negative image of the Il-Khan is found in the continuator of Samuel Anets‘i, who states that the whole country’s economy
declined sharply due to the Il-Khan’s ruthless policy so that people
could not afford to buy clothes and were only able to wear animal
skins.102 A colophon written in Erzurum in 1314 states:
… During the khanate of Kharpanday, in grievous and bitter times,
our Armenian nation fell under the yoke of levies, and there is neither
hope of refuge, nor place of shelter; the whole country is suffering and
subjected to taxation; and our Armenian nation was substantially
reduced in number; in this city many churches were demolished; and
some individuals, abandoning their faith in Christ, joined the wicked
nation of the Ismaelites; and there were numerous other afflictions and
sufferings everywhere on account of our sins …103
In 1314, Öljeitű took a census in his realm. According to the
Armenian colophon of Glajor monastery, the census-takers and tax
collectors arrived in Vayots‘-Dzor, where even one-month-old children were registered.104 Therefore, it seems quite natural to find very
hostile images of Öljeitű in the Armenian sources. Öljeitű died from
digestive disorders in Sulānīyya on 17 December 1316 in his 36th
year.105 Armenian hopes for regaining power in the region vanished
with Öljeitű.
The Aftermath of Cooperation: Lewon V (r. 1320–1341/1342) and
Abū Saīd (r. 1316–1335)
During the reign of the next Il-Khan Abū Saīd Bahatur, Öljeitű’s
son, a Sunnī Muslim, Cilician Armenia was ruled by Oshin I (1308–
1320) and then by Lewon V (1320–1341). The Mamluk Sultanate was
still ruled by al-Nā!ir Mu ammad b. Qalwūn (1310–1340).
101
102
103
104
105
La Porta, 2007:107.
Anonymous in Galstyan, 1962:85.
Sanjian, 1969:58.
Ibid. For taxation and census, see Chapter 4.
Qazvīnī, 1915:160–161, 183.
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the end of mongol-armenian relations
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After King Het‘um’s murder, Oshin, who was connected through
his two marriages to King Hugh III of Cyprus (1267–1284) and King
Robert of Naples (1309–1343), made it his first task as a monarch to
expel the Mongols from Cilician Armenia. It appears that he tried
many ways to defend his country without help for 13 years before
his natural death.106 After the cooperation between the Armenians
and the Mongols had ended, Oshin and his successors had no other
choice but to re-examine their relationship with Cyprus, their closest
Christian ally, and even to establish more stable contact with the
Mamluks, who did not feel directly threatened by the Muslim
Mongols.107
The Il-Khanate’s weakened position meant that it ceased to be so
important for the Mamluk Sultans, and with the decline of the
Armenian kingdom in Cilicia, Mamluk-Mongol-Armenian affairs
received correspondingly less attention from the chronicles. On the
whole, little attention was given in Armenian sources to the Il-Khan
Abū Saīd who, after the death of Qutlughshāh in Gilan, retained the
service of Amir Choban as commander-in-chief,108 against whom the
amirs revolted in 1319.109 As Melville indicates, the events of that
year were more than just rivalries between the Mongol amirs or
between a young ruler and a powerful regent; they were indicators
of the destruction of the kingdom.110 Among the entangled intrigues
at the Il-Khanate court,111 Choban’s name was connected with some
episodes that occurred in Greater Armenia and in Cilicia as well.
106
Chahin, 1987:291. As Abu’l-Fidā’ states, when the Mamluk troops entered
Cilicia in 1320, Oshin was ill and having witnessed the burning of his land, and the
killing of his subjects he perished in June–July (Abu’l-Fidā’, 1983:80).
107
Stewart, 2001:183; La Porta, 2007:109–110.
108
Qāshānī, 1348/1969:109. On Choban, see Melville, 1999a:6–28, 1996:79–91.
109
The delay in Abū Saīd’s coronation was due to rivalry between Amir Sevinch
and Choban. Sevinch died in January 1318. In November, the Amirs Dilqandī and
Ranbū were killed by Choban in Sulānīyya. Esen Qutlugh, the governor of
Khurasan, who expressed his doubts about the amirs’ death, suddenly died in October 1318. Choban established himself as a leader but was not approved by many
amirs, nor by the Il-Khan himself (Melville, 1997:92–96).
110
Melville, 1997:114.
111
In 1318, Rashīd al-Dīn was put to death mainly because of ‘Alī-Shāh’s
intrigues (Boyle, 1968:407). In 720 H. (1320), Abū Saīd in trying to end the conflicts
between the ambitious amirs, wrote an edict in Sulānīyya, addressed to the Noyans
of Hundreds in Gīlān, Dashtawand and Gushtāsfī, to those appointed in Arran and
Mughan, to the maliks, nā’ibs and mutaarrifs, to the scribes, qāīs and shaikhs, and
to the ra’is and raʿīyats, which was a code of behaviour to avoid the use of violence
in resolving personal issues (Cleaves, 1953:27–33).
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The condition of the Caucasus in general and of Greater Armenia
in particular deteriorated when Abū Saīd experienced open hostilities from the Chaghatai Ulus and the Golden Horde in 1318/1319.112
The battle between Öz-Beg and Abū Saīd, assisted by Choban,
occurred again in the Caucasus, near the river Kur, where the army
of the Golden Horde was crushed.113 Choban punished those who
did not come to assist the Il-Khan, among whom was Qurumshi
(Qurumishi), the son of Alinaq in Georgia. His rebellion against Abū
Saīd in 1319 takes us to the Caucasus. The region of Geghark‘unik‘
was devastated, churches were ruined, and children and elders were
severely oppressed. However, the revolt was suppressed. Qurumshi
and his army surrendered and were liquidated.114 At the beginning
of 1320, Arkint, the basqaq of Gurjistan, revolted and was suppressed
as well. In this battle, the northern regions of eastern Georgia and
Armenia suffered enormously.115
In the following year, the officers who had been subjected to corporal punishment after the battle with Öz-Beg, sought to take revenge
on Choban and they ambushed him near Lake Sevan in Armenia.
Choban escaped through Tabriz to Sulānīyya.116 The Golden Horde
officers were joined by the forces of Amir Irenjin, the former governor of Diyārbakr dismissed from his office by Choban. Abū Saīd’s
personal intervention routed the enemy near Mīāneh. The young
Il-Khan received the title of Bahadur (hero) and Choban was
rewarded by marriage to Princess Sati Beg, the Il-Khan’s sister.117
112
Yasa’ur, the Chaghatai prince, revolted against the Il-Khanate to take over
Māzandarān in 1319. Amir "usain, the father of "asan-i Buzurg (1336–1356), the
founder of the Jalayir dynasty, was sent to suppress Yasa’ur’s revolt. Meanwhile, ÖzBeg, the ruler of the Golden Horde (1313–1341) approached Derbent in the same
year. His attack on north-west Iran provided the pretext for the uprising against
Choban (Melville, 1997:96).
113
In 1325, Öz-Beg tried again to invade the Il-Khanate, and he was again
defeated by Choban. It was only in the time of Jani-Beg (1342–1357), the son of ÖzBeg, that the Golden Horde succeeded in incorporating Azerbaijan in its territories
(Boyle, 1968:408).
114
Hovsep‘ean, 1928:205; Manandian, 1952:320. On the revolt of the amirs in
1319, see Melville, 1997:89–115.
115
Babayan, 1969:169.
116
Boyle, 1968:408.
117
Ibid., 409; Melville, 1999a:6.
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the end of mongol-armenian relations
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For the time being, as al-Maqrīzī suggests, in 720 H. (1321), Abū
Saīd agreed to peace with the Mamluk sultan on a seven point basis.118
There was to be:
1. No Ismā‘īlī assassins dispatched from the Mamluk Sultan;119
2. No repatriation of Egyptians from the Il-Khanid territory;
3. No repatriation of the Il-Khanid subjects from Egyptian domains
unless they so desired;
4. No Arab (Bedouin) or Turcomen tribes’ raids on the Il-Khanid
territory;
5. No restriction for merchants on the roads between two domains;
6. A grant of the royal Mamluk banner and standard for the Il-Khans’
official pilgrimage to Mecca;120 and
7. No request for the repatriation of the Mamluk fugitive Qara-Sonqur, who was given asylum with the Il-Khans.121
The agreement was completed by an assurance to send a Mamluk
envoy with the sultans’ oath to observe the condition of peace, and
the Il-Khan and his chief minister Choban should swear the same.122
Despite protest from both sides, these terms were ratified and gift
exchange continued.123 Among the missions exchanged following this
agreement, was an important one of 1322, when the Sultan requested
118
Al-Maqrīzī, 1941(Vol. 2):209–210; Melville, 1996a:247–263; Amitai, 2005:
367–368; Little, 2006:37.
119
Some 100 Isma‘īlīs are recorded as being sent to the territories of the Il-Khan
to assassinate the Mamluk fugitives. During Abū Saīd’s reign this issue had an
important impact on the peace negotiations (Melville, 1996a:247–263). A group of
30 fidā’īs was sent by al-Nā!ir Mu ammad with the aim of murdering Abū Saīd,
Choban and other leading amirs (Melville, 1992:204). This request in the agreement
was repeated in 1322 by the Mongol mission to Cairo (Amitai, 2005:370).
120
There had been several cases of hajj pilgrims travelling from territories under
Mongol control, including the Mongols themselves (Amitai, 2005:366). The first IlKhan who encouraged pilgrimage from Iran was A mad Tegűder (1282–1284)
(Melville, 1992:198).
121
The Sultan dispatched half a dozen assassins to kill the Mamluk renegade
Qara-Sonqur, who found shelter at Öljeitű’s court in 1312. Qara-Sonqur survived
(Abu’l-Fidā’, 1983:69). For the Sultan’s various attempts to assassinate Qara-Sonqur,
see Melville, 1996a:247–263.
122
Little, 2006:37. Choban, as undisputed strongman of the Il-Khanate, was a
more serious opponent for the Mamluks (Melville, 1996b:79–93). For details of the
peace process between the Il-Khanate and Sultanate, see Amitai, 2005:373–384.
123
Amitai, 2005:363–364, 370; Little, 2006:37–38. Among the gifts to the Il-Khan
were girls, animals, trains (qiār) of Bactrian camels, Anatolian horses, cheetahs, falcons, jewels, pearls and Balkash rubies, bejewelled golden belts and saddles trimmed
in gold. The Egyptians received swords of various types, maces and arrows, and all
kind of fabrics and cloth. Abū Saīd sent al-Nā!ir a steel helmet engraved with a
complete Qur’ān in pure gold (Little, 2006:39–40).
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that his name should be mentioned in the khuba (weekly sermon)
alongside Abū Saīd’s.124 However, the peaceful relationship established between the Il-Khan and the Sultan did not do much to help
the Cilician Armenians.
Although the Mamluk raids on Cilicia lost their frequency, they
targeted specific areas that would attract them in terms of profit. Thus
in May to June of 1320 (Rabī‘ II 720) the Mamluks launched an
attack on Cilician Armenia.125 In 1321, the Egyptians raided Ayas,
ravaging and setting fire to the city and taking into captivity 20,000
people, and in 1322, the fortress Adana.126 Abu’l-Fidā’ reports that
Ayas was taken in May 1322.127 However, Nersēs Palients‘ attributes
the sack of Ayas to 23 April of 1321. He says that the Mamluks
entered the city from the seaside and cut a pass from the city into
the harbour. Employing catapults, they destroyed the walls and the
gate and, erecting bridges, they killed all who approached the walls.128
The King of Cyprus sent nine ships to aid the Armenians. However,
as the Armenian chronicler testifies, the ships did not help the situation, as they allowed everyone to run towards the ships and to leave
the city without fortification.129 Later in 1335, Ayas would experience
another major Mamluk assault, which allowed the Sultan to control
the port.130
In 1322/1323, Catholicos Konstantin Lambronats‘i (1322–1326)
was sent to al-Nā!ir Mu ammad to agree to peace with the Sultan.131
Maybe just before this, Pope John XXII (1316–1334) received news
about the sack of Ayas with much grief and sent 30,000 florins in
order to rebuild Ayas fortress.132 In fact, 37,722 florins were paid to
the bankers to send to the Armenians. Some of this was used to
repair the fortification in Ayas, and some to build ships in Cyprus.133
The Pope enlisted the aid of Philip V (1293–1322) of France on behalf
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
Melville, 1992:203; Melville, 1996a:254.
Abu’l-Fidā’, 1983:79–80; Amitai, 2005:365.
Anonymous in Galstyan, 1962:81, 85–86.
Abu’l-Fidā’, 1983:82.
Nersēs Palients‘, 1962:102.
Ibid., 102.
Stewart, 2001:185.
Anonymous in Galstyan, 1962:81.
Nersēs Palients‘, 1962:102.
Boase, 1978:126.
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the end of mongol-armenian relations
213
of Cilician Armenia; however, the kingdom concluded a 15-year
truce with the Sultan.134
Meanwhile, the conflict between the Il-Khan and the Chobanids
turned into the clash of interests among the Mongol elites in Persia.135
The latter became so powerful that they were in a position to ignore
the Il-Khan, so that he remained Il-Khan only in name.136 However,
Abū Saīd decided to assert his authority over the Chobanids. Finally,
they confronted each other.137 The Armenian source states that in
1326, Abū Saīd ‘chased Choban’138 who fled to Herat but was captured and killed and his head sent to Baghdad.139
With increasing Mongol Islamisation, an institution was inaugurated in the early fourteenth century to support the Christian Church
at the Mongol court. It was during Abū Saīd’s reign that Pope John
XXII founded the archbishopric of Sulānīyya in 1318 with six suffragan sees.140 Abū Saīd ignored the Pope’s demand to embrace
Christianity but he paid some attention to the Pope’s appeal to protect Christian Armenians from their Muslim neighbours.141 The corpus of letters exchanged between the Pope and the Armenian abbots
and archbishops both in Greater Armenia and Cilicia witnesses the
beginning of the Papacy’s efforts to establish a metropolitan diocese
at the Il-Khanate.142 The first letter of Pope John XXII written in
Avignon on 15 October 1321, addressed to Archbishop Zak‘aria of
Artaz, begins as follows:
Ibid., 127.
On Teműr-Tash’s aggressive military policies in Anatolia, see Melville,
2009:51–101. He started his own conquest of Cilicia, even before he was appointed
as governor in Rūm. In 1317, Teműr-Tash entered Cilicia and tried to invade Sis, but
apart from taking many people into captivity, he was not successful (Anonymous in
Galstyan, 1962:85–86). Teműr-Tash recruited many Mamluks to his service. He also
took off the tribute taken to the Il-Khanid treasury for himself (Abu’l-Fidā’, 1983:83–
84). Teműr-Tash was blamed by the Mamluk Sultan for breaking a peace treaty
established in 1323. Besides Teműr-Tash, who was reinstated in his post, Choban
had another son Dimashq Khwājā, with whom Choban became the real power in the
Il-Khanate (Melville, 2009:51–101).
136
Ibn Battutah, 2003:78; Abu’l-Fidā’, 1983:87.
137
Melville, 1996b:88–89.
138
Anonymous in Galstyan, 1962:86.
139
Ibn Battutah, 2003:78. Because of his revenge on Choban, the Mamluk Sultan
al-Nā!ir Mu ammad forbade the body of Choban from being buried in his mausoleum in Medina, so he was laid in Baqī’s cemetery in 1329 (Melville, 1992:207).
140
Cowe, 2003/2004:49.
141
Boyle, 1968:413.
142
Cowe, 2003/2004:49.
134
135
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To our venerable brother Zacharia, Archbishop of St. Thaddeus the
Apostle, ... to the Vicar of the Preachers and … to the Custos of the
Fratres Minores dwelling in the realm of the Mongols …143
Another letter from the same Pope written on the same day was
addressed to all the people in the lands of the Mongol Empire, particularly heads of state, upper nobility, and some theologians of the
Southern Caucasus, whose names were listed and identified by
Cowe.144 In the colophon of the Collection of Homilies written in
Jerusalem in 1335, it is stated that ‘this is an evil time, for the dominical places (in Jerusalem) are in captivity and are completely destroyed,
and it is doubtful that they will be restored. The Christians are being
insulted and trodden under the feet of the infidels. Yet, we have
received the good tidings that the Franks are on the move to save
the dominical sanctuaries in the Holy Land of Jerusalem.’145
However, during the reign of Abū Saīd, the Armenians in Greater
Armenia were persecuted greatly because of their faith. A colophon
written in the monastery of Varag in 1318, states that the Il-Khan
‘instigated by Satan, issued orders that levies should be collected from
all Christians on account of their faith in Christ, and a blue sign
should be sewn on the shoulders of the believers.’146 Moreover, in
1334, many of the Christians within the Il-Khanate were tattooed.147
The Armenians, especially those of the later period under Mongol
Il-Khanid dominion, interpreted the Mongols as God’s chastisement
for human sins. Thus, Vahram of Edessa in the Rhymed Chronicle
laments: ‘Is it just, they said, that punishment has struck us? Are we
greater sinners than the other peoples of the world?’148 The Armenian
manuscript colophons of the early fourteenth century are full of such
sentiments. The scribe Daniel of Aght‘amar describing the taxes says
that ‘all of this is on account of our sins.’149 An anonymous scribe
was more explicit: ‘… and because of our impenitence God’s wrath
was not abated; rather, His hand is still raised to punish and chastise
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
Ibid., 61.
Ibid., 64.
Sanjian, 1969:74.
Ibid., 60.
Anonymous in Galstyan, 1962:86.
RHC/DA, 1869(I):532.
Khach‘ikyan, 1950:46–48; Sanjian, 1969:52–53.
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215
us. Yet we are still unrepentant; we have become feeble and lean,
emaciated and languishing, and we are nearing death and hell.’150
Taxes were collected from ecclesiastics without specific instructions from the Il-Khan. For this reason, the Catholicos Zak‘aria I of
Aght‘amar went to Baghdad and spent a whole year there to get a
yarligh to exempt monks and priests from taxation.151 In the same
colophon of 1318, it is stated that although the monasteries were
tax-exempt, the tax-collectors terribly tortured those whom they
seized and collected an enormous quantity of ducats from them.152
However, Abū Saīd tried to coordinate tax issues, as can be seen in
his edict inscribed on the wall of Manuche mosque in Ani.153 The
colophons of 1321 describe the time of Abū Saīd and Choban as
bitter and grievous.154 A colophon written in K‘ajberunik‘ canton in
1325 is very explicit in characterising that time:
… The Kingdom of the Arshakuni (Arsacid) dynasty had waned and
weakened, as foreseen in the vision of St. Sahak. And because of our
impenitence, His (God’s) wrath has not abated; rather, His hand is still
raised to punish and chastise us. And yet we are still unrepentant; we
have become feeble, lean and languishing; we are nearing death and
hell, our loins have been lowered to the ground. For the savage, strangelooking and dark-countenanced nation of archers abandoned their
native faith and followed the evil sect of the forerunner of Antichrist
Mahmet, and they subjected the Christians to more intense anguish
and persecution. Who, indeed can recount or put into writing their
tragic anguish?155
The ultimate destiny of the Cilician Armenian kingdom was strongly
linked to the decline of the Il-Khanate. There were even some parallels and similarities in the biographies of their two leaders. Among
the Il-Khans, the long reign of Abū Saīd (1316–1335) corresponded
with the long reign of Lewon V (1320–1341). The two monarchs both
came to the throne during their early years.156 They were both under
the strong influence of their regents. Lewon was brought up by Oshin
of Korikos, who was against Latin influences. Due to his policy, the
Khach‘ikyan, 1950:65, 51, 113–114; Sanjian, 1969:54, 57.
Sanjian, 1969:60.
152
A ducat is a gold or silver coin of varying value (Sanjian, 1969:61; Khach‘ikyan, 1950:138–139).
153
See Chapter 4.
154
Sanjian, 1969:63.
155
Ibid., 66.
156
Melville, 1999a:11; Boase, 1978:30.
150
151
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Armenian Church was re-established in Cilicia.157 During the first
decades of Abū Saīd’s reign, Amir Choban, a devout Muslim, was
effectively the ruler.158 When Lewon V came to his majority in 1329,
he showed a strong pro-Latin interest and executed his patron, Oshin
of Korikos.159 When Abū Saīd considered himself as Il-Khan, he
inherited a Perso-Islamic government full of court intrigues, where
the viziers, Rashīd al-Dīn (1317) and ‘Ali-Shāh (1319) were persecuted. Abū Saīd was vulnerable to powerful amirs; however, he
expelled Choban and his clan.160 Lewon was married to Alice, the
daughter of Oshin of Korikos; Abū Saīd was married to Choban’s
daughter, Baghdad Khatun, who held a very high position at his
court.161 Both wives were killed.162 Lewon favoured a union of the
Armenian and Roman Churches, which was a serious reason for the
Armenian barons to revolt against him and murder him.163 Abū Saīd
died in the Qarabagh area in November 1335, when he went to
resolve a conflict with the Golden Horde over territory in the
Caucasus and Arran.164 However, it is alleged that when Abū Saīd
preferred a woman called Dilshad Khatun, whom he loved with violent passion, Baghdad Khatun out of jealousy poisoned Abū Saīd
and that soon after she was beaten to death by the senior Amir
Khwājā Lu’lu, a former Greek slave.165
After the deaths of the strong regent Oshin of Korikos and then
of Lewon V, the Armenians in Cilicia lost both the lands they controlled outside Cilicia and the fortresses inside Cilicia. In the absence
of a male Armenian heir, the barons offered the Armenian crown to
Guy de Lusignan, the son of Isabel (King Oshin’s sister) and Amaury
(Aimery) of Cyprus in 1342.166 After the deaths of Choban and then
Abū Saīd, the Il-Khanid regime was shaken and became a stage for
competing candidates eager to experience power.167
Chahin, 1987:291.
Melville, 1996b:81.
159
Boase, 1978:30; Chahin, 1987:291.
160
Melville, 1996b:79, 83–84, 89.
161
Abu’l-Fidā’, 1983:87.
162
Lewon’s second wife was Constance of Aragon, the widow of Henry II of
Cyprus (Boase, 1978:30). Later, Abū Saīd was married to Choban’s granddaughter
Dilshad Khatun (Melville, 1999a:12, 16, 38).
163
Boase, 1978:30.
164
Boyle, 1968:412.
165
Ibn Battutah, 2003:78.
166
Chahin, 1987:291; Boase, 1978:30.
167
Melville, 1999a:73–74.
157
158
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the end of mongol-armenian relations
217
To sum up, Het‘um II and Ghazan tried to sustain the alliance
established by their ancestors. During this period, even after the conversion of the Il-Khan Ghazan to Islam, Mongol interest in their
Cilician partners and in their common aims in Northern Syria did
not vanish completely. As one can see, the reaction of the Cilician
Armenians to the Islamisation of the Mongol Il-Khans was not negative at first. The Il-Khan’s policy towards the Christians was temperate as well, due to their need for Western assistance in their external
affairs. On the other hand, of course, neither the Western powers,
nor the Mamluks were reconciled to the Mongols’ conversion.
Mongol-Armenian cooperation ended during the time of Öljeitu.
The reason was that the Mongol Il-Khan was not effective in continuing war with the Mamluks. He was busy rather with his domestic
affairs and wished to live in tranquillity. The consequence of this was
a breakdown of the Mongol-Armenian relationship, which brought
Cilician Armenia to pay increased tributes to the Sultanate, to declare
the union of the Armenian and Roman Churches, and to cause
Greater Armenia to suffer under a heavy burden of taxes and
levies.
Under Abū Saīd, the next Il-Khan, there was no cooperation with
the Armenians either in Cilicia or in Greater Armenia. The decline
of and discord within the Il-Khanate and the Armenian kingdom in
Cilicia brought no further Mongol and Armenian involvement in
joint ventures. The sources show that with the decline of the
Il-Khanate, the Armenian kingdom was not only more vulnerable to
the Mamluks’ incursions, but also lost its importance as a zone of
conflict for the Mamluks.168
The Armenian kingdom of Cilicia ceased to exist in 1375. It had
experienced disorder, internal strife and siege for the most part of a
century. Despite this, Ayas, the heart of the kingdom, was still important to the Latins and the kings of Cyprus. The papacy finally recognised its responsibility to aid the Armenians; however, this aid did
not go beyond diplomatic and financial support.
With the decline in the relationship with the Mongols, the information related to the Mongols and their affairs are less reflected in
the Armenian sources. However, tax references along with the lamentations of their sins are more characteristic of the Armenian colophons. The reaction of Greater Armenia to the Islamisation of the
168
Stewart, 2001:187.
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Mongols is less clear and differs according to region. As the contemporary Armenian colophons state, those who were closer to
Azerbaijan were more vulnerable to any type of religious discrimination.169 In general, the Greater Armenians experienced the worst
of the turmoil caused by the wars between the Il-Khanate and the
Golden Horde, which took place in Georgia and Armenia. From 1262
until 1320, the battles among the Chinggisids occurred on the shores
of the River Terek, the River Kur, and the Lake Sewan and all over
the Gurjistan region.
After the death of Abū Saīd in 1335, the Il-Khanate became a
puppet court in the hands of different Mongol grandees. Between
1335 and 1344, eight Il-Khans ascended the throne. The fierce fighting among the groups of the Mongols in Iran, which lasted about
nine to ten years, ended with the collapse of the Il-Khanate and with
the establishment of several independent states on its territories.
Among them, the most powerful was the Chobanid state in
Azerbaijan, in which Greater Armenia was initially included and
which lasted until 1356; and the Jalayirid state in ʿIrāq-i ʿArab with
its centre in Baghdad. In the second half of the fourteenth century,
after the retreat of the Golden Horde, the Jalayirids ruled the territories of the Chobanids, taking Armenia into their realm.170
169
170
Sanjian, 1969:63.
Babayan, 1969:169.
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CONCLUSION
The Mongols established a heterogeneous world empire that connected the East with the West, Shamanism and Buddhism with Islam
and Christianity, and a sedentary civilisation with a nomadic existence. Within this empire, a nomadic minority, based on strong
armed forces, ruled over a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multilingual population for over a century. This study suggests that, among
these subject populations, the Armenians provide an example of a
people that were incorporated into the Mongol Empire by establishing a close relationship with the Mongols. The Mongols dealt with
the Greater Armenians along with the Georgian monarchy as a subject people, and with the Cilician Armenians, as a vassal state and
allies.
Greater Armenia’s geographical location as a bridge between Asia
and Europe attracted the Mongols, although only the pursuit of the
fugitive Khwārazmian Shah brought the Mongols to Greater Armenia,
which enabled the expansion of the Mongol Empire to Asia Minor.
The Mongols first came across with the Greater Armenians, whose
land was supervised by separate Armenian lords, the vassals of the
Georgian King. The advance of the Mongols into the Caucasus and
Armenia was implemented by the Mongol noyans, who divided the
Armenian lands into lots among them, thus safeguarding not only
their own mobility, but also resisting their opponents’ consolidation.
However, the division was informal. The Armenian lords’ policy
of collaborating with Mongol noyans helped them to retain their
occupied lands. Therefore, Mongol rule in Greater Armenia resulted
in almost no change in the lifestyle of the Greater Armenians from
1236 to 1243.1 Yeke Monggol Ulus (the Great Mongol State) built
its administration in Armenia mainly using indirect rule and governing through local elites. This enabled the Armenian lords to preserve
not only their lands, but also their local administration intact,
although in order to prevent the resistance of their subjects and to
pursue economic gain, the institution of Mongol governors, darughachis, co-existed in Armenia. This Mongol office was designed to deal
1
Bedrosian, 1979:116.
This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the cc-by-nc License.
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conclusion
with non-Mongols in non-Mongol lands and the Armenian sources
confirm their function in Greater Armenia through their explicit
references to the census, taxes and people who were in charge.
The impact of the Mongol financial and economic regime in
Greater Armenia was certainly severe. However, in comparison with
the destruction of China, Central Asia and Russia, caused by initial
Mongol conquests, the Armenians’ treatment looks far more merciful. This was due to the intelligence and policy of the Greater
Armenian rulers, whose survival instinct led to their timely submissions.
The advance of the Mongols into Asia Minor brought them into
contact with the Cilician Armenians, who voluntarily submitted to
the Mongol Empire. The Cilician Armenian monarchs chose to ally
with the new rising nomadic power against their hostile Muslim
neighbours. The acceptance of Mongol suzerainty ensured Cilician
Armenia’s survival against the far more dangerous threat from the
Mamluks. On the other hand, the Cilician Armenian ports on the
shores of the Mediterranean Sea surely attracted the Mongols.2
Therefore, entry into the Cilician trade zone contested by different
powers would be exploited by the Mongols, who preferred to have
the Cilician Armenians as their ally.
Thus, by 1256, going through the different patterns of submissions,
one forced, the other one willingly, the Greater and Cilician
Armenians came to the same result of being subjects of the Mongol
Empire, paying tributes, taxes and being obliged to provide troops
and labour. However, the Cilician Armenians did not experience the
economic pressures from the Mongols as the Greater Armenians did.
When the Mongol conquest extended to the shores of the
Mediterranean, having destroyed both the ʿAbbasid Caliphate and
its Ismāʿīlī opponents, Hűlegű demanded fresh troops for his ongoing
conquests. Since the Mongol army was not salaried and relied mainly
on the acquisition of booty, a large-scale mobilisation of the subject
population was necessary. The role of Cilician Armenian troops
2
The commercial class of tradesmen in Cilicia allowed Cilician Armenia to
participate actively in the international trade of the region. The Armenian ports contributed to the exchange of culture, science and art between eastern and western
Asia, the study of which still awaits further exposition. Among the cultural
exchanges during the Mongol conquest, the Armenian contribution has not been
elaborated apart from the mentioning of personnel exchange of princes, clerics and
merchants (Allsen, 2001:6). On the Muslim-Armenian-Mongol artistic interchanges,
see Soucek, 1998:115–131.
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exceeded that of just a military tribute. The Cilician monarchs
assisted the Mongol plan to conquer Syria by appealing to them to
liberate the Holy Land from the Muslims, which was consistent with
Mongol imperial ideology and their own ambitions.
The mobilisation of human, military and material resources accelerated the interethnic engagement that resulted in creating far-reaching and extensive cross-cultural contacts. These contacts between the
Mongols and Armenians were established from the beginning of
their relations. According to the Armenian sources, the process of
learning about each other was evident. The Armenians’ initial
assumption that the Mongols were the avengers of the Christians
from the tyranny of the Muslims turned out to be false.3 In due
course, the Mongol noyans learned about the Armenians through
their immediate contacts with them, and the mutual understanding
of each other’s purposes resulted in timely individual and state submissions by the Armenians and in the establishment of a military
alliance, which was mutually beneficial.
Hűlegű and his Greater Armenian partner the Zak‘arian prince
Pŕosh, and the Cilician King Het‘um I not only extended the Mongol
conquest into the Middle East, but also acted as implementers and
partners of the alliance which was conceived to liberate the Holy
Land and eliminate the Muslim supremacies in the region.
The success of the Mongol-Armenian partnership was important
for Armenians in both the Caucasus and Cilicia. Although for different causes and according to different patterns, the interests of the
Greater and Cilician Armenians coincided over the issues of assisting
the Mongols. The strategy of the Greater Armenian lords towards
the Mongol presence was cooperative, rather than confrontational,
regardless of several attempts to revolt. In fact, the collaboration of
Awag Zak‘arian through Chormaghan with Gűyűk Khan, Hasan Jalal
through Sartakh with Möngke Khan, Smbat Orbelian with Möngke
Khan and Hűlegű, and Sadun Artsruni with Hűlegű and Abaqa Khan
paid significant dividends for both the Armenians and the Mongols.
This alliance was supported by many other factors. One of the forms
of the maintenance of good relations was the forging of diplomatic
marriages between the Caucasian nobility and the Mongols.4 The
3
4
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:202.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:263, 391.
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sources mention several cases where the Mongols took Christian
spouses.
Religion was a tool for the Mongols to implement their conquest.
The Mongols’ notion of world dominion is believed to have been
built on their universalistic idea of being chosen by Heaven. This is
especially interesting because this ideology was carried on by the
descendants of Chinggis Khan even after the Mongol Empire disintegrated. The Mongols were aware that the religious questions could
be an obstacle in their pursuit of conquests. Believing in only the
eternal power of Heaven, they dealt with Christians and Muslims on
a daily basis without any major persecutions motivated by the religion of their subjects. The Mongol governors understood that the
Church in Armenia was an active part of society and that it played
an important role in ensuring political and social stability within the
country. Therefore, the clergy and nobles were freed from a number
of obligations and from the necessity of paying some taxes.5
According to the statements of Armenian historians, the monks and
lords of Greater Armenia were also employed by the Mongols as their
diplomats and secretaries.6
This pragmatism extended also to treatment of the Muslims.7
Individual Muslims were posted to key positions, gaining promotion
to a very high rank in the court of the Il-Khans.8 It is worth attesting that Muslim-Mongol collaboration contributed to the success of
Hűlegű as much as Christian-Mongol cooperation.9 Adjusting to
the local tradition of conquered territories, the Mongols ruled
Muslim subjects for several generations. The question of the sincerity
of the Mongols’ conversion to Islam is to some extent irrelevant. It
could be interpreted as a tactical move in order to rule the subject
majority, but whether sincere or not on a personal level, the fact
remains that Islamisation did not greatly influence Chinggisid policy
Step‘annos Orbelian, 1910:412.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, 1961:243–252; Davit‘ Baghishets‘i , 1956:346.
7
For the careers of Turks, Khwārazmians and other people, see Rachewiltz,
1983:281–310; Endicott-West, 1989:65–88.
8
The representatives of both the old bureaucratic families, like the Juvaynīs,
and the non-bureaucratic, like the Rashīd al-Dīns, were ministers and governors in
the Il-Khanid courts and they did their best to retain Iranian governmental traditions (Morgan, 1990:110).
9
Amitai-Preiss, 2004:35.
5
6
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at the Mongol court in Iran.10 This ideological re-orientation was an
action prompted by political and military considerations, with the
aim of retaining power over the conquered lands. The role of the
Mongols in using the hostility between the Christian and Muslim
religions contributed to their policy to rule the world.
It is important to note that the Mongols did not change the ethnic
composition of the Armenians, unlike previous or later incursions
of Arabic and Turkic tribes and dynasties. The Mongols neither
assimilated with the Armenians, nor were absorbed by them. The
shift of Mongol power in Greater Armenia from individual Mongol
commanders to the Chinggisids, who demanded the noyans move
on to Asia Minor, and who established themselves in Iran, not in
Armenia, precluded the assimilation process. As has been said above,
the Il-Khans ruled Greater Armenia through their governors and
kept their major armies in Mughan, Arran, Rūm and Azerbaijan.
Moreover, the Mongols were in a minority, being more under the
threat of absorption by local customs than their subjects were to
Mongol assimilation. Another factor that contributed to the
Armenians’ resistance to nomadic culture was their sedentary civilisation. Yet, the Armenians contributed to the consolidation of the
Mongol Empire. The role of joint Mongol-Armenian forces in overthrowing the Muslim supremacies was immense.
As has been said above, among the steppe tribesmen of the thirteenth century, the Mongols were the most successful in creating a
world empire. The Mongol advance into Iran and then into the
Caucasus was part of the Mongol conquest of the world. Among the
Chinggisids, this was also a political action to provide the offspring
of the Toluids with certain lands to rule. This practical move was a
cause of warfare among the Chinggisids. The wars of the Il-Khans
against the Golden Horde over the pastures in the Mughan plain and
Azerbaijan took place in the territories of Georgia and Greater
Armenia. However, Mongol-Armenian collaboration is attested to
have existed during these wars, despite the devastations of these
lands.
The constant wars with the other Chinggisids halted the Il-Khans’
ambition to pursue further their imperial goals. The Mongol Il-Khans’
advances on the Syrian coast, regardless of the unsuitability of the
10
34.
On continuity and change in Ghazan’s policy after 1295, see Allsen, 2001:31–
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conclusion
climate and environment, intensified the Mongol-Mamluk wars. In
their fight against the Mamluks, the Armenians were their only steadfast ally. For the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, the alliance with the
Mongols was a political move to safeguard the kingdom’s autonomy.
It was also the opportunity to fulfil their and the Crusaders’ dreams
to re-conquer Jerusalem. On this point, Cilician Armenia and the
Mongols shared the same aim, which was exemplified by the conquest of Syria and Palestine. Moreover, the Latin powers were directly
called upon to support the Mongol-Cilician Armenian alliance.
However, in the eyes of the West, the Mongols were still viewed as
the barbaric pagan hordes threatening Europe.11 When the situation
in the Holy Land grew more desperate, the possibility of a general
alliance between the Mongols and the West was seriously considered.12 The overall result of these affairs was that the Mamluks
focused their anger on Cilician Armenia.
The hostile Mamluk attitude toward Cilician Armenia as a Mongol
ally was a serious issue, in addition to the Mamluks’ economic interest, which caused the Armenians to try to strengthen their ties with
the Il-Khans. The Cilician Armenian position remained strong as
long as the Mongols were strong in the region. The cooperation of
Het‘um I with Abaqa against Baybars, Lewon III with Arghun against
Qalāwūn, and Het‘um II with Ghazan against al-Ashraf are examples
of the Mongol-Armenian partnership in practice. This partnership
co-exists with a series of appeals by the Il-Khans, namely of Arghun
and Öljeitu, to the Papacy and their correspondence with the Latin
powers, including the kings of France and England, which remain
exclusive examples of medieval diplomacy. This led to the establishment of an exceptional multi-functional relationship with different
outcomes between the Mongols, Armenians, Mamluks and the
Christian West.
During the reign of Ghazan Khan, the hopes of the Mongols and
Cilician Armenians of receiving assistance from the Christian West
and from the Pope against the Mamluks were dashed. There was no
The devastation of Hungary in 1285 and of Poland in 1287, and the Mongol
protectorates established in Rus’, Bulgaria, Byzantium and Lithuania were a serious
concern to the Papacy in making some decisions about the Mongol-Latin alliance
(Jackson, 2005a:268–274).
12
The role of the Mongols in crusading projects after 1291 has been documented by Het‘um Patmich‘, the major source for Mongol-Latin relations (Het‘um
Patmich‘, 1988:iv).
11
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225
serious attempt to re-establish the fading Mongol-Armenian cooperation under the next two Il-Khans. Discords within the Armenian
Kingdom in Cilicia and the Il-Khanate, and the peace established
between the Mongol Il-Khan Abū Saīd and the Mamluk Sultan
al-Nās)ir Mu ammad b. Qalawūn, the events strongly linked to each
other, ended the Mongol-Armenian partnership. In fact, the alliance
held good for more than half a century and the Armenians showed
loyalty to their Mongol counterparts. They played an essential role
in the multi-ethnic society of the Yeke Monggol Ulus. This study has
tried to show that the issues of the Mongol-Armenian partnership
deserve to be studied in their own right and on their own terms.
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conclusion
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dynastic tables
227
DYNASTIC TABLES
The Great Khans
Chinggis
Őgedei
Gűyűk
Mőngke
Qubilai
(1206−1227)
(1229−1241)
(1246−1248)
(1251−1259)
(1260−1294)
The Il-Khans of Persia
Hűlegű
Abaqa
Tegűder
Arghun
Geikhatu
Baidu
Ghazan
Őljeitű
Abū Saīd
(1256−1265)
(1265−1282)
(1282−1284)
(1284−1291)
(1291−1295)
(1295)
(1295−1304)
(1304−1316)
(1316−1335)
The Khans of the Ulus of Jochi / Golden Horde
Jochi
Batu
Sartakh
Ulaqchi
Berke
Mőngke-Teműr
Tőde-Mőngke
Tőle-Buqa
Toqta
Őz-beg
Tini-beg
Jani-beg
Berdi-beg
(d.1227)
(1237−1255)
(1256−1257)
(d. 1257)
(1257−1267)
(1267−1280)
(1280−1287)
(1287−1290)
(1291−1312)
(1313−1341)
(1341−1342)
(1342−1357)
(1357−1359)
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dynastic tables
The Khans Chaghatai Ulus
Chaghatai
Qara- Hűlegű
Yesű-Mőngke
Orghina
Aluqu
Mubarak-shah
Baraq
Negűbei
Toqa-Teműr
Duwa
Kőnchek
Taliqu/Talibuqa
Esen-Buqa
Kebek
Elchigidei
Duwa-Teműr
Tarmashirin
Buzan
Chingshi
Ali-Sultan
Yesű-Teműr
Turalcha-Teműr
Ghazan
(1227−1242)
(1242−1246)
(1246−1251)
(1251−1260)
(1260−1265/6)
(1266)
(1266−1271)
(1271)
(1272−1282)
(1282−1307)
(1308)
(1308−1309)
(1310−1318)
(1318−1326)
(1326−1328)
(1328−1330)
(1330−1334)
(1334)
(1334−1338)
(1338−1339)
(1339−1342)
(1342−1343)
(1343−1346)
The Armenian Kings of Cilicia
Het‘um I
Lewon III
Het‘um II
Lewon IV
Oshin I
Lewon V
(1226−1269, d.1270)
(1269−1289)
(1289−1293; 1295−1297;
1299−1305; joint rule
1305−1307)
(1305−1307)
(1308−1320)
(1320−1341)
The Georgian Kings and Queens
Queen Tamara
Georgi IV Lasha
(1184−1213)
(1213−1223)
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Queen Rusudan
David VI Narin
229
(1223−1245)
(1245−1259) (King of Western
Georgia 1259−1293)
(1247−1259) (King of Eastern
Georgia 1259−1270)
(1270−1289)
(1289−1292)
(1293−1311)
(1299−1302; 1314−1346)
(1302−1308)
(1311−1313)
David VII Ulu
Dimitri (Demetrē) II
Vakhtang II
David VIII
Georgi V
Vakhtang III
Georgi VI
The Mamluk Sultans
Al-Muaffar Quuz
Al-ahir Baybars al-Bunduqdārī
Al-Saʿīd Berke Khan b. Baybars
Al-Man!ūr Qalāwūn b.Alfi
Al-Ashraf Khalīl b. Qalāwūn
Al-Nā!ir Mu ammad b. Qalāwūn
(657/1259−658/1260)
(658/1260−676/1277)
(676/1277−678/1279)
(678/1279−689/1290)
(689/1290−693/1293)
(693/1293−694/1294;
698/1299−708/1309;
709/1310−741/1340)
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dynastic tables
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glossary
231
GLOSSARY
Աւագ
Awag
Կաթողիկոս
Balghasun
Bitikchi
Catholicos
ю
Գլխաւոր
Իշխան
Նախարար
Ոստիկան
⡼Ҹ
Chief
City, citadel
Secretary
Patriarch of the Armenian
Church
Chengxiang
Head, chief, minister
Darughachi
Resident commander,
governor
Elchi
Ambassador; envoy
Glkhavor
Chieftain
Injű
Dowry
enchű
Crown land
Ishkhan
Prince
Lashkar-tammā Auxiliary force
Nakharar
Lord
Noyan
Commander
Ostikan
Governor
Paiza
Tablet of authority
Qubchur
Tax
Quriltai
Great assembly
Qorchi
Quiver-bearer
Shana
The Arabo-Persian equivalent
of basqaq
Tamgha
Seal
Tamghachi
Personal representative of the
Khan; tax collector
Tűmen/Tuman Ten thousand; an army unit of
ten thousand
Ulus
The people granted to a
Mongol prince
Qalan/xalan
Tax imposed on military
service
Yarghuchi
Judge
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232
glossary
Yarligh/Jarlig
Yasa/Jasag
Royal decree
Regulation issued by Mongol
ruler
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INDEX
Abaqa 13, 15, 27, 28, 78, 93, 96, 125, 135,
154, 155, 156, 160, 161, 163, 164, 165,
166, 167, 168, 169, 172, 173, 174, 175,
176, 177, 180, 187, 189, 190, 193, 194,
221, 224
Abbasid 39, 141, 220
Abbāsid Caliph 127, 131
Abu’l-Fidā¢ 29, 185, 186, 199, 209, 211,
212, 213, 216
Abulistān 170
Abū Saīd 26, 116
Acre 145, 172, 173, 174, 183, 185, 186
Afghanistan 28, 39, 42, 127, 135, 151
Aghbugha 57, 61, 74
Alā al-Dīn Mu ammad 123
Alamut 83, 122, 123
al-Ashraf Khalīl 185, 189
Ala-Tagh 137, 160, 170, 176
Albanians 56, 82
Aleppo 62, 65, 83, 133, 136, 137, 138,
139, 140, 142, 143, 147, 148, 164, 165,
174, 187, 203
Alfonso III 188
Alinaq 174, 178, 179, 210
al-Kāmil Mu ammad 73, 133, 135
alliance 24, 36, 66, 71, 83, 84, 86, 89, 140,
142, 145, 152, 154, 157, 163, 171, 173,
177, 179, 182, 194, 198, 207, 217, 221,
224, 225
al-Maqrīzī 29, 200, 211
al-Mughīth Umar 136, 142
al-Nā!ir Yūsuf 136, 139, 140
al-Nā!ir Mu ammad 188, 207, 208, 212,
225
Alp Arslan 36
al-Said "asan 142
Altai Mountain 37
altamgha 95
Altan Debter 8, 9, 10, 27
Altan Ordyn Ulus 39
Altuna 52, 66, 95
Amanus Mountains 34, 162
Amaury Lusignan 188
Amida 53, 63, 133, 137
Anatolia 1, 32, 64, 65, 66, 67, 91, 114,
122, 129, 137, 170, 178, 179, 182, 188,
195, 207, 213
anda 41
Angurag 64, 91, 95
Ani 12, 26, 33, 51, 58, 59, 60, 67, 73, 102,
112, 114, 116, 117, 166, 205, 215
Antioch 36, 79, 89, 137, 138, 140, 145,
148, 155, 163, 169, 172
Anti-Taurus Mountains 34
Arabic 2, 20, 29, 35, 46, 60, 115, 173, 177,
185, 186, 198, 200, 203, 206, 223
Arghun 13, 17, 19, 24, 25, 27, 28, 75, 76,
78, 82, 92, 105, 106, 108, 109, 111,
137, 153, 160, 168, 176, 177, 178, 179,
180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 187, 190, 197,
202, 224
Armenia 1, 3, 4, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19,
26, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 42, 43,
44, 46, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 60,
63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 72, 73, 75, 78,
79, 80, 81, 92, 93, 95, 99, 100, 101,
102, 103, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111,
112, 113, 114, 117, 118, 119, 120, 122,
124, 126, 127, 130, 138, 150, 151, 160,
162, 166, 169, 181, 184, 185, 189, 191,
199, 203, 207, 210, 218, 219, 222, 223,
224
Armenian 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,
25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34,
35, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 51, 52, 53, 54,
55, 56, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 64, 65, 67,
68, 69, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 78, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91,
92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 102, 105,
106, 107, 108, 109, 111, 112, 114, 115,
116, 117, 119, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127,
129, 130, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 139,
140, 141, 143, 144, 146, 148, 149, 150,
153, 155, 156, 157, 159, 160, 161, 162,
164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 172, 173,
174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181,
182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 189, 190,
193, 194, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202,
203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 212,
213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 219, 220, 221,
222, 223, 224, 225
Armenian Houses 4, 5, 93
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Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia 1, 5, 20,
35, 60, 79, 82, 96, 148, 207, 224
Armenians 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 14, 16, 19, 20,
22, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35,
36, 43, 45, 49, 50, 55, 64, 65, 68, 71,
73, 74, 84, 87, 88, 89, 90, 93, 94, 96,
97, 99, 102, 108, 113, 118, 120, 121,
122, 126, 127, 137, 138, 140, 141, 143,
145, 146, 148, 149, 153, 155, 156, 159,
160, 161, 162, 164, 165, 167, 169, 170,
171, 173, 174, 176, 178, 180, 181, 183,
186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 193, 197, 198,
199, 200, 203, 205, 208, 209, 212, 213,
214, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 223,
224
Armenian sources 4, 6, 11, 14, 15, 24, 29,
44, 48, 54, 55, 64, 84, 86, 99, 108, 120,
134, 138, 151, 160, 201, 208, 209, 220
Arran 48, 49, 50, 60, 67, 101, 102, 125,
150, 151, 160, 184, 209, 216, 223
Arrān 150
Artsakh 34, 58
Artsrunids 34, 43, 78, 90, 103, 166
Ashraf Mūsā 136, 139, 142, 146, 147
Asia Minor 32, 33, 35, 36, 39, 61, 63, 73,
79, 96, 121, 219, 220, 223
Aslan 59, 75
atabeg 34, 49, 59, 77, 78, 129, 135, 144,
166, 181
Awag 12, 34, 56, 58, 61, 63, 67, 72, 73, 74,
76, 77, 82, 85, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96,
122, 166, 221
Ayas
Lajazzo 36, 161, 162, 182, 198, 212,
217
Ayn Jālūt 146, 147, 156
Ayyubids 43, 63, 136, 147
azats 89
Azerbaijan 31, 49, 50, 51, 53, 59, 60, 61,
63, 83, 101, 102, 118, 125, 132, 133,
135, 136, 149, 151, 152, 155, 171, 210,
218, 223
Baarin 58
Badr al-Dīn Lu’lu’ 129, 133, 134, 136, 137
Baghdad 13, 39, 52, 55, 60, 64, 83, 87,
112, 121, 122, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130,
132, 133, 137, 142, 152, 153, 154, 157,
160, 165, 166, 181, 183, 184, 187, 194,
196, 197, 213, 215, 216, 218
Bagratid dynasty 43, 90
Bagratuni 135
Baidu 160, 184, 188, 189, 194, 197
Baiju 12, 13, 17, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66,
67, 73, 74, 76, 77, 79, 80, 85, 91, 94,
95, 122, 126, 127, 129, 131, 137, 171
baj 114
Baraq 167, 168
Bar Hebraeus 5, 30, 79, 81, 83, 126, 127,
130, 138, 139, 142, 155, 170, 176, 185,
189, 197
basqaq 103, 105, 106, 107, 210
Batu 21, 39, 65, 76, 81, 84, 85, 88, 90, 93,
94, 101, 104, 124, 144, 150, 151, 153,
154
Baybars 140, 144, 147, 149, 152, 154, 160,
161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 169, 170, 172,
173, 184, 187, 224
Berke 13, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155,
156, 157, 163, 167
Besuts 38
Bilarghun 206
Bitikchis 109
Bjni 34, 75
Bohemond VI 89, 137, 138, 139
Bolad Chinksank 26
Borjigin 8, 38
Börte 39
Bugha 27, 58, 94, 179, 180
Buqa 105, 108, 124, 128, 129, 132, 136,
139, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 166, 181
Būyids 129
Byzantium 5, 34, 163, 198, 224
Caesarea 63, 66, 80, 90, 94, 103, 160, 170,
198
Cairo 126, 144, 147, 152, 164, 172, 182,
188, 211
Carpini 30, 81, 83, 85
Caspian Sea 46
Catholicos 14, 15, 17, 36, 92, 95, 137,
186, 187, 205, 212, 215
Caucasian Albania 11, 45, 48, 94, 95, 127
Caucasus 1, 4, 18, 19, 27, 32, 39, 43, 44,
46, 50, 52, 53, 55, 67, 71, 76, 86, 90,
93, 95, 96, 100, 101, 107, 110, 115,
121, 122, 127, 135, 149, 151, 153, 154,
167, 168, 171, 191, 194, 210, 214, 216,
219, 221, 223
Čaγan Teűke 9, 10
census 13, 19, 25, 99, 103, 105, 107, 108,
109, 110, 111, 115, 118, 119, 208, 220
Central Asia 20, 22, 37, 39, 42, 43, 49, 67,
83, 85, 100, 150, 159, 195, 220
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Chaghatai 39, 51, 57, 64, 68, 91, 122, 124,
125, 129, 134, 150, 153, 167, 168, 172,
210
Chaghataid 152, 153, 189, 204
Chaghatai Ulus 39, 125, 167, 168, 210
Chin Empire 41
Chinese 7, 9, 10, 22, 28, 30, 37, 40, 42,
100, 104, 106, 108, 180, 184
Chinggisids 27, 51, 81, 124, 143, 149,
150, 152, 153, 160, 166, 167, 171, 191,
204, 218, 223
Chinggis Khan 7, 8, 9, 16, 22, 27, 28, 38,
39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47, 50, 51, 52,
53, 55, 64, 74, 80, 81, 100, 101, 104,
121, 124, 125, 128, 150, 151, 222
Choban 204, 209, 210, 211, 213, 215, 216
Chormaghan 19, 45, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54,
55, 56, 58, 60, 64, 66, 67, 72, 73, 76,
93, 94, 96, 101, 102, 103, 104, 122,
128, 166, 168, 180, 221
Christianity 24, 80, 83, 87, 90, 95, 155,
196, 213, 219
Cilician Armenia 5, 11, 16, 18, 24, 26, 31,
34, 35, 36, 62, 65, 79, 80, 83, 84, 92,
96, 99, 119, 120, 148, 149, 159, 160,
161, 162, 169, 179, 182, 184, 185, 186,
187, 193, 195, 198, 202, 203, 205, 208,
209, 212, 213, 217, 220, 224
Cilician Armenians 2, 31, 143, 149, 157,
159, 160, 175, 181, 190, 219, 220, 221
clan
obog 38, 41, 100, 143, 216
Clement IV 162, 172
Clement V 21, 205, 206
conquest 2, 10, 18, 28, 33, 39, 44, 46, 52,
53, 56, 60, 66, 68, 73, 75, 101, 107,
110, 128, 130, 132, 133, 137, 142, 147,
153, 157, 165, 189, 196, 201, 204, 213,
222, 224
Constantinople 36, 147, 163, 198
Council of Lyons 173
Crusaders 5, 35, 49, 141, 224
Crusades 5, 20, 22, 34, 84
cultural transmission 3
Cyprus 21, 36, 79, 82, 83, 172, 182, 188,
189, 194, 201, 207, 209, 212, 216, 217
Damascus 29, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140,
143, 144, 148, 173, 178, 187, 199, 200
darughachi 99, 100, 103, 104, 105, 107
davāt-dār 129
261
David Narin 90, 153
David of Ashby 172, 173
David Ulu 90, 137, 153, 180
davtars 109
decimal system 23, 41, 45
Demetrē 33, 78, 94, 108, 174, 179, 180
Derbent 45, 50, 85, 94, 149, 167, 174,
179, 180, 210
Dhail ta’rīkh Dimashq 29
divans 109
Dopians 34
Doquz 15, 121, 130, 142, 155
Dwin 34, 75
Dzungaria 38
Edessa 20, 36, 55, 63, 133, 137, 186, 214
Edward I 170, 172, 173, 183, 185, 186,
195, 199, 206
Egypt 49, 79, 94, 122, 124, 126, 132, 133,
136, 137, 140, 141, 142, 144, 145, 146,
148, 149, 152, 153, 154, 156, 157, 161,
162, 163, 165, 169, 172, 174, 177, 182,
185, 187, 188, 194
elchis 75, 113, 115
Elikum 59, 75, 181
Erevan 19, 26, 34
Erznka 19, 61, 63, 64, 65, 103, 163, 174
Erzurum 12, 60, 61, 103, 114, 208
Euphrosyne Palaeologina 155, 163
Fars 53, 120, 125
fortress 11, 45, 48, 56, 57, 58, 59, 72, 74,
89, 94, 133, 139, 140, 162, 186, 187,
212
Frik 25, 108, 180
Gandzak 12, 14, 19, 48, 51, 53, 54, 60,
125
Gandzasar 26, 76
Gaza 145, 174
Geghark‘unik‘ 75, 210
GegharkGuniku 34, 56, 60, 72
Geikhatu 17, 160, 179, 184, 185, 187, 188,
189, 197
Georgia 11, 12, 13, 18, 28, 31, 33, 46, 48,
49, 50, 53, 54, 56, 63, 65, 66, 67, 76,
78, 83, 90, 92, 101, 102, 107, 108, 112,
116, 118, 122, 125, 127, 130, 137, 150,
151, 166, 167, 168, 178, 180, 181, 197,
210, 218, 223
Georgians 1, 3, 12, 13, 28, 48, 49, 50, 51,
56, 76, 90, 91, 102, 146, 174, 178, 180
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Ghatagha 58
Ghazan 18, 19, 26, 114, 115, 118, 138,
157, 160, 179, 181, 184, 188, 193, 194,
195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202,
203, 217, 223, 224
Ghiyāth al-Dīn Kay Khusraw II 59, 60
Gīlān 204, 209
Gobi desert 37
Golden Horde 13, 39, 68, 76, 81, 84, 85,
101, 118, 129, 141, 143, 149, 150, 151,
153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 159, 163, 166,
167, 168, 171, 174, 179, 180, 181, 188,
189, 190, 196, 198, 204, 210, 216, 218,
223
Gontsa 76, 77, 92, 166
Greater Armenia 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 14, 15,
16, 18, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 40, 43, 50,
55, 60, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71, 77,
78, 79, 85, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96,
99, 100, 102, 103, 106, 107, 108, 110,
111, 113, 114, 119, 120, 126, 141, 143,
149, 153, 160, 161, 166, 173, 175, 179,
181, 183, 186, 189, 191, 197, 202, 205,
208, 209, 210, 213, 214, 217, 218, 219,
220, 222, 223
Great Mongol Empire 1
Gregory X 173
Grigor Aknerts‘i 1, 11, 15, 16, 17, 27, 44,
45, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 56, 60, 62, 64,
67, 68, 77, 80, 81, 84, 85, 90, 91, 94,
102, 103, 105, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112,
113, 117, 119, 127, 131, 134, 135, 136,
137, 139, 160, 161, 162, 165, 168, 169
Gűyűk 64, 65, 74, 80, 81, 82, 83, 88, 90,
93, 94, 96, 104, 122, 123, 154, 171, 221
"amā 136, 139, 147
Hamadān 46, 48, 53, 129, 132, 144, 150,
175
"amd Allāh Mustawfī Qazvīnī 29, 99
"ārim 139
Hasan Jalal 58, 74, 75, 76, 82, 85, 93, 94,
96, 116, 151, 153, 221
Hasan-Jalalians 34
Hawak‘umn Patmut‘ean 14
Hayton 4, 5, 21, 85, 86, 200
Henry I 21, 82
Herat 121, 125, 168, 198, 213
Het‘um I. See King Hetum
Het‘umids 21, 34, 36, 207
Het‘um II 24, 162, 172, 175, 182, 183,
184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 193, 194, 195,
198, 201, 205, 206, 207, 217, 224
Het‘um Patmich‘ 4, 11, 21, 23, 24, 27, 62,
84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 125, 133, 140, 148,
162, 165, 169, 170, 174, 175, 176, 178,
185, 198, 199, 202, 203, 224
History of Mar Yaballaha III 30
Holy Land 2, 22, 24, 87, 88, 132, 133,
136, 137, 140, 148, 157, 171, 183, 186,
189, 190, 195, 201, 206, 214, 221, 224
"om! 136, 139, 142, 146, 147, 174, 175,
199
Honorius IV 182
Hŕomklay 17, 25, 35, 36, 186, 187
Hsi-Hsia
Tangqut kingdom 41
Hugh III 182, 209
Hűlegű 13, 15, 19, 24, 27, 28, 60, 69, 77,
78, 82, 88, 92, 93, 95, 96, 103, 110,
111, 112, 113, 114, 121, 122, 124, 125,
126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133,
135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142,
143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150,
151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 159,
160, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 171, 175,
179, 188, 200, 220, 221, 222
Ibn al-Athīr 29, 43, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51
Ibn al-Qalānisī 29
Il-Khanate 2, 29, 39, 51, 69, 76, 91, 93,
106, 110, 114, 116, 118, 120, 121, 127,
149, 152, 154, 157, 159, 163, 167, 168,
171, 175, 184, 189, 190, 191, 193, 194,
195, 198, 203, 204, 209, 210, 211, 213,
214, 215, 217, 218, 225
Iran 9, 22, 26, 27, 29, 32, 39, 41, 46, 51,
52, 53, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 76, 86,
93, 108, 110, 112, 114, 115, 118, 120,
121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 135,
141, 142, 148, 150, 151, 156, 157, 160,
167, 177, 178, 194, 195, 197, 202, 204,
210, 211, 218, 223
Iraq 39, 53, 83, 125, 128, 133, 135, 136,
137, 151, 157
Irenjin 210
ishkhans 43, 67, 102, 106
Islam 27, 35, 60, 122, 123, 125, 126, 127,
152, 159, 176, 189, 193, 195, 196, 203,
217, 219, 222
Ismāīlī 121, 123, 125, 126, 128, 131, 132,
141, 168, 220
Ismāīlīs 64, 113, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125,
126, 141, 153
Itughata 56
Iwanē 33, 34, 49, 56, 57, 58, 72, 75
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Jalāl al-Dīn 28, 29, 44, 46, 51, 52, 53, 54,
55, 123, 144
Jalayirid 218
Jalayirs 38
James I 172
James II 188
Jāmi al-Tawarīkh 10, 26, 27, 45, 46
Japan 40, 147
Jebe 24, 42, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 58,
60, 72
Jerusalem 14, 16, 140, 145, 154, 157, 172,
173, 194, 200, 201, 203, 214, 224
Jochi 39, 51, 65, 68, 101, 124, 129, 141,
150, 151, 152, 167
Jochids 149, 151, 152, 153
Jujan 37
Justinian II
Byzantine Emperor 35
Juvaynī 28, 29, 45, 48, 52, 53, 55, 58, 78,
82, 101, 104, 105, 108, 112, 113, 115,
123, 124, 125, 126, 130, 166, 177
Jūzjānī 28, 73, 123, 131, 132, 133, 134,
135, 152
133, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 148,
155, 160, 161, 162, 169, 172, 174, 175,
185, 187, 188, 194, 198, 199, 200, 201,
205, 209, 221
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i 4, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16,
18, 19, 24, 27, 33, 35, 44, 45, 46, 47,
48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57,
58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68,
72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 79, 82, 84, 85, 86,
87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 102, 103,
105, 106, 108, 109, 110, 111, 113, 114,
115, 116, 117, 119, 122, 125, 126, 127,
130, 131, 133, 134, 135, 137, 139, 140,
142, 144, 146, 151, 153, 154, 155, 163,
167, 221, 222
Kitāb al-Mukhtaar 29
Korea 1, 40, 66, 83
Korikos 21, 36, 170, 215, 216
Köse Dagh 61, 62, 63, 67, 76, 79, 122
Kostandin of Lambron 36
Kotman 44, 45, 48, 49, 53
Kūhistān 123, 124, 125
Kyrkyzs 38
Karin 12, 18, 60, 61, 103, 117
Kars 51, 58, 60, 64, 67, 78, 85, 102, 114
K‘art‘lis Chovreba 30
Kayen 14, 56, 60, 72, 75
Keraits 38
Ket-Buqa 124, 128, 139, 144, 146
Khachen 12, 58, 60, 72, 74, 75, 93, 151
Khaghbakians 34, 93
khal 112
kharaj 112, 117, 208
Kherulen 37
kheshig (kesig) 41
Khingans 37
Khlat 49, 51, 53, 55, 63, 103
Khoshak 77, 78, 166
khuda (quda) 41
Khuiten 47
Khurasan 42, 53, 83, 100, 112, 121, 123,
125, 168, 179, 181, 184, 197, 209
Khuzistan 51
Khwārazmia 20, 43
Khwārazm-Shāh 29, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 51,
53, 54, 144
Kidans 7, 38
King David 49, 68, 77, 91, 92, 108, 121,
127, 137, 153, 155, 169, 197
King Het‘um 20, 24, 62, 65, 79, 80, 81,
84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 92, 94, 121, 125,
Lachin al-Man!ūr 198
La Flor des Estoires de la Terre d’Orient
21, 22
Lasha 49, 90, 94, 103, 108
Lewon II
Leo I 36
Lewon III 17, 24, 169, 170, 174, 179, 181,
182, 184, 190, 224
Lewon IV 202, 205, 207
Lewon V 208, 215, 216
Liao Shih 7, 30
Liparit 59, 197
Loŕi
Lori 12, 33, 51, 57, 135
Louis IX 65, 83, 130, 146, 171, 172
mal 115, 117, 205
Mamluks 5, 16, 18, 19, 29, 92, 141, 143,
145, 146, 148, 149, 150, 153, 154, 156,
157, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 165, 166,
169, 172, 173, 175, 177, 178, 180, 182,
183, 185, 186, 190, 198, 199, 200, 201,
203, 205, 206, 207, 209, 211, 212, 213,
217, 220, 224
Mamluk Sultanate 2, 157, 188, 190, 208
Manazkert 51
Manchuria 7, 38
Manichaeism 38
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Maragha 48, 51, 131, 133, 135, 138, 197
Marash 36, 148, 170
Marbo 10
Marco Polo 21, 23, 30, 131, 161
Maria Despina Palaeologina 163, 189
Matheos Urhayets‘i 10
Mayyāfāriqīn 27, 73, 133, 134, 135
Merkits 38
Mesopotamia 31, 121, 132, 133, 141, 144,
155, 156, 175, 186
Michael VIII 155, 162, 163, 190
Middle East 2, 18, 20, 21, 22, 31, 32, 39,
42, 52, 93, 118, 120, 121, 128, 141,
149, 157, 175, 195, 221
Mkhit‘ar Anets‘i 10
Mkhit‘ar Ayrivanets‘i 10, 24, 44, 46, 53,
56, 92, 122
Molar 11, 57, 67, 94
Möngke 24, 76, 77, 81, 86, 87, 88, 93, 95,
96, 99, 109, 111, 119, 121, 122, 123,
124, 125, 127, 143, 150, 152, 153, 154,
156, 167, 173, 174, 175, 196, 221
Mongol administration 2, 29, 103, 106,
120
Mongol-Armenian relations 4, 11, 13, 78,
97, 175
Mongol-Armenian relationship 2, 6, 20,
22, 206, 217
Mongol conquest 1, 3, 9, 19, 28, 31, 36,
43, 44, 46, 64, 71, 86, 93, 110, 120,
122, 133, 141, 144, 159, 220, 221, 223
Mongol Empire 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 38, 67, 78,
79, 82, 83, 85, 89, 99, 100, 101, 107,
109, 110, 111, 113, 118, 121, 128, 132,
143, 147, 156, 159, 167, 171, 189, 203,
214, 219, 220, 222, 223
Mongol governors 3, 59, 71, 82, 93, 107,
197, 219, 222
Mongolian 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 16, 23, 37, 38,
72, 75, 100, 101, 103, 105, 111, 112,
113, 116, 117, 154, 184, 196
Mongols 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 34, 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50,
51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60,
61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 71, 72, 73,
74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 84, 86,
87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96,
97, 99, 100, 102, 103, 104, 106, 107,
109, 110, 111, 114, 115, 118, 119, 120,
122, 123, 124, 127, 128, 129, 130, 132,
133, 135, 136, 137, 140, 142, 143, 144,
145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 152, 153, 154,
156, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165,
167, 169, 171, 172, 173, 174, 176, 182,
183, 186, 189, 190, 193, 194, 195, 196,
197, 198, 199, 200, 202, 205, 207, 209,
211, 214, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222,
223, 224
Mosul 65, 83, 129, 134, 135, 136, 142,
175, 197
Mughan 45, 46, 53, 56, 60, 61, 67, 95,
102, 108, 126, 180, 209, 223
Muslim sources 26, 45, 48, 59, 64, 116,
121, 130, 204, 207
Musta!im 128, 129, 131
Naimans
Naiman 38, 40, 47, 124
Nakhichevan 34, 48, 51, 63, 194, 197, 202
Na!īr al-Dīn al-|ūsī 123
Nation of Archers 1
Nawruz 179, 181, 194, 195, 197, 198, 202
Near East 1, 2, 143, 156, 159, 202
nemeri 116, 118
Nersēs 16, 25, 82, 95, 186, 187, 198, 199,
200, 201, 202, 205, 206, 212
Nersēs Palients‘ 25, 186, 187, 198, 199,
200, 201, 202, 206, 212
Nestorian Christianity 38
Nicholas IV 183, 186
nöker 41
nomads 2, 3, 8, 23, 102, 115, 147, 151,
196
noyans
noyan 55, 56, 60, 64, 65, 67, 68, 69,
88, 101, 102, 109, 111, 127, 132,
150, 151, 184, 195, 219, 221, 223
Nuzhat al- Qulūb 29
Ögedei 9, 50, 51, 52, 53, 60, 74, 100, 101,
104, 106, 112, 115, 167
Oirat 106, 197
Oirats 38
Öljeitű 160, 193, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207,
208, 211
Onggirats 38
Onguts 38
Onon 7, 37, 47, 100
Orbelians 17, 34, 59, 90, 92
ordu 86, 132, 167, 179
Orkhon 7, 37, 38
Orkhon script 7, 38
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index
Oshin 35, 207, 208, 209, 215, 216
Öteged 51
paiza 82, 86, 107, 133
Palestine 22, 132, 133, 140, 141, 142, 145,
146, 147, 171, 172, 183, 224
Patmut‘iwn Hayots‘ 11, 13
Patmut‘iwn Nahangin Sisakan 17
Persian 2, 4, 11, 20, 26, 28, 29, 36, 54, 55,
60, 83, 105, 106, 112, 114, 116, 125,
127, 128, 134, 137, 142, 144, 181, 196,
204
Pervāne 169, 170
Philippe le Bel 183
Pope 21, 49, 63, 83, 145, 159, 162, 164,
171, 172, 173, 182, 186, 194, 198, 205,
206, 207, 212, 213, 214, 224
Prester John 49, 68, 159
primary sources 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 58
Pŕoshians 92, 141
Pŕosh Khaghbakian 89, 92, 129, 130, 134,
141
qalan 80, 111, 112, 115, 116, 117, 118
Qalāwūn 173, 177, 178, 179, 181, 182,
184, 199, 224
Qara-Balgasun 37
Qara-Khitai
Liao 22, 41, 150
Qara Noyan 58
Qara-Qorum 9, 20, 76, 77, 80, 83, 84, 85,
86, 87, 88, 95, 109, 124, 127, 133, 151,
156
Qazvin 76, 124
Qipchak Khanate 39, 152
Qongqurtai 178, 179
qubchur 92, 111, 112, 115, 118, 119
Qubilai Khan 10, 147, 155, 178, 179, 204
Queen Tamar 33
Qutlughshāh 195, 197, 200, 201, 202,
204, 209
Quuz 144, 146
Rabban awma 182
Rashīd al-Dīn 4, 8, 10, 26, 27, 28, 29, 45,
46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 56, 57, 58, 60,
61, 64, 75, 78, 82, 101, 102, 108, 111,
112, 113, 114, 115, 117, 121, 122, 123,
124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132,
133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140,
143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 151, 152, 153,
265
155, 167, 168, 170, 174, 175, 176, 177,
179, 180, 181, 183, 184, 185, 187, 188,
193, 194, 195, 197, 198, 209, 216
rebellion 27, 74, 91, 92, 96, 119, 153, 178,
181, 197, 210
Richardus 173
Roman Church 173
Rome 65, 79, 173, 183, 205
Ŕubenids 34, 36
Rubruck 21, 30, 60, 62, 63, 73, 85, 87, 88,
89, 95, 123, 127
Rūm 16, 36, 43, 58, 60, 61, 63, 65, 67, 76,
79, 83, 84, 88, 89, 90, 122, 124, 125,
127, 131, 135, 148, 151, 170, 173, 179,
184, 186, 213, 223
Sadun Artsruni 77, 78, 93, 96, 135, 166,
180, 221
Samarqand 20, 121, 150
Samuel Anets‘i 10, 18, 205, 208
Sarai 39, 101, 150, 154
Sasun 43, 103, 135
Sati Beg 210
Sayan Mountains 38
Sebastats‘i 19, 20, 45, 51, 53, 54, 63, 64,
65, 74, 108, 111, 114, 126, 134, 140,
151, 63, 64, 65, 74, 108, 111, 174, 178,
179, 181, 184, 185, 189, 194, 201
Sebastia 19, 45, 63
Secret History of the Mongols 7, 100
Seljuks 43, 44, 62, 63, 76, 79, 89, 90, 92,
129, 159, 170, 173, 174
Shahnshah 34, 57, 58, 61, 74, 90, 91, 92,
129, 166, 201
sha na 105, 140
Shamakha 50, 60
Shamanism 38, 219
Shamkor 12, 48, 56, 57, 60, 102
Sheng-wu Ch’in-cheng lu 10
Shiramun 122, 166, 167, 180
Siwnik‘ 17, 18, 25, 34, 59, 60, 75, 76, 92,
93, 102, 197
Smbat Orbelian 17, 76, 77, 78, 92, 93, 95,
96, 221
Smbat Sparapet 5, 11, 17, 20, 21, 35, 66,
74, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89,
94, 125, 138, 144, 145, 148, 161, 162,
164, 165, 169, 170, 172
Sogdian 7, 38
spitak 109, 113
Step‘annos Episkopos 18, 19, 27, 44, 45,
48, , 49, 54, 55, 58, 61, 64, 94, 105,
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266
index
108, 110, 134, 169, 170, 177, 178, 179,
181, 183
Step‘annos Orbelian 4, 11, 15, 17, 18, 25,
27, 34, 54, 59, 75, 77, 78, 91, 92, 93,
95, 105, 109, 117, 153, 154, 155, 163,
166, 175, 176, 178, 179, 180, 181, 187,
189, 194, 197, 202, 222
Sűbedei 24, 42, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52,
72
submission 13, 51, 56, 58, 61, 63, 65, 67,
71, 73, 74, 78, 80, 81, 86, 89, 97, 133,
142, 165, 177
Sultan 16, 20, 35, 46, 49, 53, 58, 60, 61,
62, 79, 83, 85, 90, 94, 133, 134, 136,
140, 144, 145, 147, 148, 149, 160, 161,
163, 164, 165, 170, 173, 176, 177, 178,
179, 181, 182, 184, 186, 187, 189, 194,
195, 198, 199, 200, 201, 203, 205, 206,
211, 212, 213, 225
Sulānīyya 204, 208, 209, 210, 213
Swanetia 25, 73, 90, 91
Syria 5, 13, 21, 29, 31, 36, 63, 89, 112,
121, 122, 124, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137,
140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147,
148, 150, 153, 156, 157, 159, 160, 164,
167, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 187,
188, 190, 195, 199, 200, 201, 204, 207,
217, 221, 224
!ā ib-dīvān 78, 132, 177, 184
Teműjin 38, 47
Tenggeri 196
Tiflis 15, 48, 51, 57, 90, 91, 105, 109, 117,
154, 167, 177, 178
Tigris 129, 131
Toghachar 45, 47
Tolui 39, 86, 121, 150
Toluids 8, 149, 151, 167, 223
Toqta 181, 188
Tornikids 43
T‘oros 138, 162, 205
Transoxiana 39, 42, 83, 100, 125, 150
tributes 2, 26, 33, 88, 99, 118, 120, 170,
182, 217, 220
triplication 45
tuman 47, 55, 102, 112, 167
Turkic Khanate 37
Turkistan 51
Turks 28, 33, 36, 43, 44, 55, 68, 87, 130,
152, 222
Tuul 37
Tyre 185, 188, 201, 207
abaqāt-i- Nāirī 28
Tabriz 15, 17, 36, 45, 48, 51, 54, 109, 113,
140, 143, 160, 176, 178, 184, 185, 189,
194, 197, 202, 210
taghar 111, 113, 115, 118, 126
Taiji’uts 38, 40
tamgha 101, 103, 114, 115, 116, 118
tamghachi 53, 101, 103, 104, 106, 114
Tangquts 22, 40
Ta’rikh-i Jahān-Gushā 28
tarkhan 117
T‘at‘arats‘ Patmut‘ iwn 15
Tatars 11, 18, 23, 38, 40, 45, 46, 80, 84,
87, 176
Taurus Mountains 34, 103
taxes 2, 26, 29, 35, 71, 80, 87, 92, 95, 99,
103, 105, 108, 109, 111, 112, 114, 115,
116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 134, 154, 166,
176, 202, 205, 214, 217, 220, 222
Tegűder 25, 27, 124, 129, 156, 160, 167,
175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 193,
211
Vachutians 34, 92
Vahram Gagets‘i 56, 74, 91, 94
Vahram Rabuni 11
Vakhtangids 167
Vanakan Vardapet 11, 14, 16, 17, 94
Vardan Arevelts‘i 4, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18,
27, 44, 45, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 56,
57, 58, 60, 63, 65, 74, 76, 85, 91, 92,
95, 108, 111, 119, 125, 127, 130, 133,
134, 135, 137, 144, 155, 156
Vasil Tatar 74, 81, 94
Vaspurakan 25, 43, 103, 194
vassal 31, 41, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 89, 94, 96,
99, 112, 141, 180, 219
Va!!āf 29, 101, 150
Vayots‘-Dzor 34, 208
vazir 105
vilayet 102, 103, 107, 120, 167, 179
Uighurs 7, 28, 37, 38
Uighur script 7, 38
ulagh 113, 118, 126
ulamā’ 123, 196
Utrār 42, 43
Western Turkestan 38
White Annals 9
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index
xalan 80
Xianbis 37
Xiongnu
Hunnu 37
yam 115, 118
yarghuchis 148
yarlikh 86
Yaroslav of Suzdal 83
Yasa 23, 152, 210
Yeke Monggol Ulus
Great Mongol State 38, 39, 219, 225
267
Yoshmūt 133, 134
Yűan Dynasty 39, 113
Yűan Shih 9, 10, 30, 50, 101, 113
Zabel
Isabel 36, 188
Zak‘arē 33, 34, 57, 58, 74, 75, 78, 92, 129,
154
Zak‘arids 13, 18, 33, 60, 75, 78, 90, 102,
166
afar-Nāma 124
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BRILL’S
INNER ASIAN LIBRARY
Editors
NICOLA DI COSMO
DEVIN DEWEESE
CAROLINE HUMPHREY
ISSN 1566-7162
The Brill’s Inner Asian Library Series is dedicated to the scholarly research
of every aspect of the history, literature, religion, arts, economy and politics
of Inner Asian cultures and societies. The Series aims to contribute to the
development of Inner Asian studies by representing also non-Western scholarly
traditions.
1. Di Cosmo, N. and D. Bao, Manchu-Mongol Relations on the Eve of the
Qing Conquest. A Documentary History. ISBN 90 04 11777 6
2. Williams, B.G., The Crimean Tatars. The Diaspora Experience and the
Forging of a Nation. 2001. ISBN 90 04 12122 6
3. Levi, S.C., The Indian Diaspora in Central Asia and its Trade (1550-1900).
2002. ISBN 90 04 12320 2
4. Allworth, E.A., Evading Reality. The Devices of Abdalrauf Fitrat,
Modern Central Asian Reformist; Poetry and Prose of Abdul Qadir
Bedil. Transl. from Persian by William L. Hanaway. 2002.
ISBN 90 04 12516 7
5. Gross, J. and A. Urunbaev, The Letters of Khwāja ‘Ubayd Allāh Arār and
his Associates. 2002. ISBN 90 04 12603 1
6. Atwood, C.P., Young Mongols and Vigilantes in Inner Mongolia’s Interregnum Decades, 1911-1931. 2002. ISBN 90 04 12607 4
7. Rachewiltz, I. de (tr.), The Secret History of the Mongols. A Mongolian Epic
Chronicle of the Thirteenth Century. 2003. ISBN 90 04 13159 0 (Set),
ISBN 90 04 13596 0 (Vol. 1), ISBN 90 04 13597 9 (Vol. 2)
8. Elverskog, J., The ‘Jewel Translucent Sūtra’. Altan Khan and the Mongols
in the Sixteenth Century. 2003. ISBN 90 04 13261 9
9. Muammad- Sharīf-i adr-i Z8 iyā, The Personal History of a Bukharan
Intellectual. The Diary of Muammad-Sharīf-i adr-i Z8 iyā. 2004.
ISBN 90 04 13161 2
10. Dale, S.F., The Garden of the Eight Paradises. Bābur and the Culture of
Empire in Central Asia, Afghanistan and India (1483-1530). 2004.
ISBN 90 04 13707 6
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11. Amitai, R. and M. Biran (eds.), Mongols, Turks, and Others. Eurasian Nomads and the Sedentary World. 2005. ISBN 90 04 14096 4
12. Frank, A.J. and M.A. Usmanov, An Islamic Biographical Dictionary of the
Eastern Kazakh Steppe: 1770-1912. 2005. ISBN 90 04 14127 8
13. Drompp, M.R., Tang China and the Collapse of the Uighur Empire.
A Documentary History. 2005. ISBN 90 04 14129 4
14. Russell-Smith, L., Uygur Patronage in Dunhuang. Regional Art Centres
on the Northern Silk Road in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries. 2005.
ISBN 90 04 14241 X
15. Tighe, J.R., Constructing Suiyuan. The Politics of Northwestern Territory
and Development in Early Twentieth-Century China. 2005.
ISBN 90 04 14466 8
16. Newby, L.J., The Empire and the Khanate. A Political History of Qing
Relations with Khoqand c. 1760-1860. 2005. ISBN 90 04 14550 8
17. Kakar, M.H., A Political and Diplomatic History of Afghanistan, 18631901. 2006. ISBN 978 90 04 15185 7
18. Srinivasan, D.M. (ed.), On the Cusp of an Era. Art in the Pre-Kuāa
World. 2006. ISBN 978 90 04 15451 3
19. Subtelny, M.E., Timurids in Transition. Turko-Persian Politics and Acculturation in Medieval Iran. 2007. ISBN 978 90 04 16031 6
20. Baumann, B., Divine Knowledge. Buddhist Mathematics According to
Antoine Mostaert’s Manual of Mongolian Astrology and Divination. 2008.
ISBN 978 90 04 15575 6
21. Forêt, P. and A. Kaplony (eds.), The Journey of Maps and Images on the
Silk Road. 2008. ISBN 978 90 04 17165 7
22. Donzel, E. van and A. Schmidt (eds.), Gog and Magog in Early Eastern
Christian and Islamic Sources. Sallam’s Quest for Alexander’s Wall. 2010.
ISBN 9789004174160
23. Kara, G. Dictionary of Sonom Gara’s Erdeni-yin Sang. A Middle Mongol
Version of the Tibetan Sa skya Legs bshad. Mongol – English – Tibetan.
2009. ISBN 9789004175792
24. Dashdondog, B. The Mongols and the Armenians (1220-1335). 2011.
ISBN 9789004186354
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