Kingdom of Syunik

Kingdom of Syunik-Baghk
Սյունիքի թագաորություն
987–1170[1]
The Kingdom of Syunik-Baghk between 1020 and 1166
CapitalKapan
Common languagesArmenian
Religion
Armenian Apostolic
GovernmentMonarchy
History 
• Established
987
• Disestablished
1170[1]

Kingdom of Syunik (Armenian: Սյունիքի թագաորություն), also known as the Kingdom of Baghk[2] and sometimes as the Kingdom of Kapan,[2] was a medieval dependent Armenian kingdom[1][2] on the territory of Syunik, Artsakh (present-day Nagorno-Karabakh), and Gegharkunik. Ruled by the Siunia dynasty, the town of Kapan was the capital of the kingdom.[3] It existed from 987-1170. Kingdom of Syunik disappeared later than all other Armenian kingdoms in Greater Armenia (Kingdom of Vaspurakan, Kingdom of Vanand, Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget, Bagratid Armenia).

History

At the end of the 9th century, Vasak Ishkhanik, the senior prince (gaherets) of Syunik, took the royal title while continuing to recognize the overlordship of the Bagratid kings of Armenia. In 902 or 903, the Bagratid king Smbat II ceded the district of Nakhchavan to the Artsrunis of Vaspurakan. Displeased by this, Prince Smbat of Syunik made a new attempt to secede, but he did not crown himself king, ultimately accepting his status as a vassal. It was only in 987, when the central authority of the Bagratids had weakened from the attacks of the amirs of Azerbaijan, that the senior prince of Syunik Smbat I declared Syunik a separate kingdom. In this, he was supported by the petty kings of Artsakh and the amir of Azerbaijan.[4]

In the first years of his reign, Smbat I created the new kingdom's institutions: he appointed officials, organized the army, established courts, repaired and strengthened fortifications, and undertook other building projects. After the death of the Rawwadid amir of Azerbaijan Abu'l-Hayja in 988, Smbat I recognized the overlordship of the Smbat II of Armenia and participated in the Armeno-Georgian campaign against the king of Abkhazia. The next Bagratid king, Gagik I (r. 989–1020), took the territories of Vayots Dzor, Chahuk, and part of Tsghukk from Syunik.[a] At the end of the 10th century, the borders of the Kingdom of Syunik reached the Hakari River in the southeast; the dividing range of the Artsakh Mountains in the northeast; the northern vicinities of the settlements of Brnakot, Syunik (today's Sisian), and Tegh in the north; the dividing range of the Syunik Mountains and the western part of the district of Ernjak, including the village of Shorot, in the west; and the Aras River in the south. The fortress of Ernjak, which at the beginning of the 10th century had come under the control of the Arab amirs of Goghtn, was recovered by Syunik at the end of that century. The kingdom maintained these borders until the start of the 12th century. Its capital was the fortified town of Kapan.[4]

Under Vasak I (r. 998–1040) and Smbat II (r. 1040–1044), the kingdom experienced an economic upswing. Under Grigor I (r. 1044–1084), it was devastated by the attacks of the Seljuk Turks and lost certain border districts.[4] The heirless Grigor I decided to adopt his brother-in-law Senekerim, a member of the Aranshahik dynasty, which historically ruled Caucasian Albania but by then only ruled the territory of Ktish (also known as Dizak), to the east of Baghk in the Kingdom of Syunik; Ktish was subsequently joined to the Kingdom of Syunik.[6] The kingdom recovered its territorial integrity after Senekerim (r. 1084–1094) gained the favor of the Seljuk sultan Malik-Shah I. After Malik-Shah's death, the Seljuk realm disintegrated, and the Kingdom of Syunik recovered its independence. At the end of the 11th century, it occupied more than one-third of the historical province of Syunik (around 5500 square kilometers), controlled 43 fortresses, 48 monasteries, 1008 villages, one town and a few larger villages.[4]

The Kingdom of Syunik played an active role in Armenian affairs. King Vasak participated in the Bagratid king Gagik I's campaign in Parisos in 1003, while his successor Smbat II sent a 2000 strong force to King David I Anhoghin of Tashir-Dzoraget to repulse the invasion of the Shaddadid amir Abu'l-Aswar in 1040.[4]

The foundation of the kingdom was followed by the strengthening of the Bishopric of Tatev, whose holdings were restored throughout Syunik. In the mid-11th century, the monastery of Tatev hosted around a thousand monks, including distinguished philosophers, musicians, and vardapets, as well as numerous craftsmen in the monastery's workshops. The monastic complex of Tatev was expanded at the end of the 10th century. The town of Kapan also expanded. Agriculture, animal husbandry, logging, and mining (thanks to the rich copper mines of Syunik) all significantly developed. Crafts also greatly developed in Kapan, the monastery at Tatev, and a number of large villages.[4]

In the 12th century, the kingdom's political fortunes turned for the worse. In 1103, the Seljuks conquered and ruined Kapan; the same fate befell the fortresses of Vorotan in 1104 and Bghen in 1105. Grigor II (r. 1094/1103–1166) made diplomatic efforts connected with the advance of the Georgian kingdom, assisted by Armenian forces. But Georgia met temporary setbacks, and the Seljuk amirates increasingly threatened Syunik. In 1126, the amir Harun devastated the districts of Kapan and Arevik and captured the fortresses of Kakavaberd and Baghaku Kar, but these were soon retaken by the kingdom. After this, Syunik was targeted by the Eldiguzids. Atabek Eldiguz's forces took the fortress of Shlorut in 1151–52; Grham, Geghi and Kakavaberd in 1166–69; and Baghaberd in 1170. The final king of Syunik, Hasan, was forced to flee to Artsakh, bringing an end to the kingdom.[4] The Aranshahiks survived in Ktish for another century, retaining the title of "king of Baghk". The last king of Ktish died in 1261, and his lands were inherited by his granddaughter's husband, Hasan Jalal Dawla, the prince of Khachen.[5]

List of kings

  • Smbat I (987—998)
  • Vasak I (998—1040)
  • Smbat II (1040—1044/51)
  • Grigor I (1044/51—1072)
  • Senekerim (1072—1094/96) — co-ruler of Queen Shahandukht II[7]
  • Grigor II (1094/96—1166)
  • Hasan I (1166—1170)

Notes

  1. ^ Robert H. Hewsen places the death of Vasak I, King of Syunik, c. 1019 and writes that the lands of West Syunik passed to the Bagratids through Vasak's only child Katranide, who was married to Gagik I.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Papazian, Hakob (1986). "Armenia and Iran vi. Armeno-Iranian relations in the Islamic period". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. II/5: Armenia and Iran IV–Art in Iran I (Online ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation. pp. 467–478. Retrieved 10 March 2026. In 1162, eastern Armenia was attacked by the atabeg Īldegoz of Azarbaijan. In 1170, with a new invasion, the Armenian Kingdom of Siunikʿ was terminated.
  2. ^ a b c Dowsett, Charles James Frank; Suny, Ronald Grigor. "Armenia – History – The Mamikonians and Bagratids". Encyclopædia Britannica (Online ed.). Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ISSN 1085-9721. OCLC 33663660. Retrieved 10 March 2026. "The Byzantine conquest was short-lived: in 1048 Toghrïl Beg led the first Seljuq raid into Armenia, in 1064 Ani and Kars fell to Toghrïl’s nephew and heir Alp-Arslan, and after the Battle of Manzikert (1071) most of the country was in Turkish hands. In 1072 the Kurdish Shāddādids received Ani as a fief. A few native Armenian rulers survived for a time in the Kiurikian kingdom of Lori, the Siuniqian kingdom of Baghq or Kapan, and the principates of Khachen (Artzakh) and Sasun."
  3. ^ Sisakan: Ghevond Alishan, Venice, 1893
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Harutiunian, B. (1984). "Syunikʻi tʻagavorutʻyun" Սյունիքի թագավորություն. In Arzumanian, Makich (ed.). Haykakan sovetakan hanragitaran Հայկական սովետական հանրագիտարան [Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia] (in Armenian). Vol. 10. Erevan: Haykakan hanragitarani glkhavor khmbagrutʻyun. p. 477.
  5. ^ a b Hewsen, Robert H. (2001). Armenia: A Historical Atlas. University of Chicago Press. p. 119.
  6. ^ La Porta, Sergio (5 June 2023). "14. 'You say Albanian, I say Armenian': Discourses of Ethnicity and Power Around an Albanian King of Armenia". In Gippert, Jost; Dum-Tragut, Jasmine (eds.). Caucasian Albania: An International Handbook. De Gruyter. pp. 515–536. doi:10.1515/9783110794687-016. ISBN 978-3-11-079468-7.
  7. ^ "Senekerim" Сенекерим. Sovetskaia istoricheskaia ėntsiklopediia Советская историческая энциклопедия [Soviet Historical Encyclopedia] (in Russian). Vol. 12. Moscow: Izdatelʹstvo "Sovetskaia ėntsiklopediia". 1969. p. 759.
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