Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (also known as Little Armenia; Classical Armenian: Կիլիկիոյ Հայկական Թագաւորութիւն, not to be confused with the Armenian Kingdom of Antiquity) was a state formed in the Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia.[1] It was located on the Gulf of Alexandretta of the Mediterranean Sea in what is today southern Turkey. The kingdom remained independent from around 1078 to 1375.
The Kingdom of Cilicia was founded by the Rubenian dynasty, an offshoot of the larger Bagratid family that at various times held the thrones of Armenia and Georgia. Their capital was Sis. Cilicia was a strong ally of the European Crusaders, and saw itself as a bastion of Christendom in the East. It also served as a focus for Armenian nationalism and culture, since Armenia was under foreign occupation at the time.
King Levon I of Armenia, helped cultivate Cilicia's economy and commerce as its interaction with European traders grew.[2] Major cities and castles of the kingdom included the port of Korikos, Lampron, Partzerpert, Vahka (modern Feke), Hromgla, Tarsus, Anazarbe, Til Hamdoun, Mamistra (modern Misis: the classical Mopsuestia), Adana and the port of Ayas (Aias) which served as a Western terminal to the East. The Pisans, Genoese and Venetians established colonies in Ayas through treaties with Cilician Armenia in the thirteenth century.[3] Marco Polo, for example, set out on his journey to China from Ayas in 1271.[3]
[edit] Early Armenian links with Cilicia
For a short time in the 1st century BCE the powerful kingdom of Armenia was able to conquer a vast region in the Levant, including the area of Cilicia. In 83 BCE, after a bloody strife for the throne of Syria, governed by the Seleucids, the Hellenic Syrians decided to choose the Armenian ruler Tigranes the Great as the protector of their kingdom and offered him the crown of Syria.[4] Tigranes then conquered Phoenicia and Cilicia, effectively putting an end to the Seleucid Empire, though a few holdout cities appear to have recognized the shadowy boy-king Seleucus VII Philometor as the legitimate king during his reign. The southern border of his domain reached as far as Ptolemais (modern Akko). Many of the inhabitants of conquered cities were sent to his new metropolis of Tigranakert (Latin name, Tigranocerta).
At its height his empire extended from the Pontic Alps (in modern north-eastern Turkey) to Mesopotamia, and from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. Tigranes apparently invaded as far as Ecbatana and took the title king of kings which, at the time, according to their coins, even the Parthian kings did not assume. From the time of his conquests, some Armenian settlements are thought to have remained in the region of Cilicia.
[edit] Mass Armenian migration to Cilicia under the Byzantines
Cilicia was reconquered from the Arabs by the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas around 965. He expelled the Muslims living there, and Christians from Syria and Armenia were encouraged to settle in the region. Emperor Basil II (976-1025) attempted to expand into Armenian Vaspurakan in the East and Arab-held Syria towards the south. As a result of the Byzantine military campaigns, the Armenians spread into Cappadocia and eastward from Cilicia into the mountainous areas of northern Syria and Mesopotamia.[5]
The Armenian immigration increased with the formal annexation of Greater Armenia to the Byzantine Empire in 1045 and the Seljuk conquest 19 years thereafter, giving two new waves of migration.[5] After the fall of Bagratid Armenia, and during the following centuries, the Armenian state was unable to re-establish itself and its sovereignty. It remained under the rule of Turkic tribes.
[edit] Foundation of Armenian power in Cilicia
| Image:Artaxiad standard.gif
This article is part of the series on: | |||
| Prehistoric Armenia | |||
| Hayasa-Azzi | |||
| Armens | |||
| Urartu | |||
| Kingdom of Armenia | |||
| Orontid Armenia | |||
| Kingdom of Sophene | |||
| Artaxiad Dynasty | |||
| Kingdom of Commagene | |||
| Arsacid Dynasty | |||
| Medieval History | |||
| Marzpanate Period | |||
| Byzantine Armenia | |||
| Arab conquest of Armenia | |||
| Bagratuni Armenia | |||
| Kingdom of Vaspurakan | |||
| Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia | |||
| Zakarid Armenia | |||
| Foreign Rule | |||
| Persian Domination | |||
| Ottoman Domination | |||
| Russian Domination | |||
| Hamidian Massacres | |||
| Armenian Genocide | |||
| Contemporary Armenia | |||
| Democratic Republic of Armenia | |||
| Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic | |||
| Republic of Armenia | |||
| Topical | |||
| Military history of Armenia | |||
| Timeline of Armenian history | |||
The Armenians came to serve the Byzantines as military officers and governors; they were given control of important cities on the Byzantine Empire's eastern frontier. When Imperial power in the region weakened in the chaotic years after the Battle of Manzikert, some of them seized the opportunity to set themselves up as sovereign Lords, while others remained, at least in name, loyal to the Empire. The most successful of these early Armenian warlords was Philaretos Brachamios, a former general of Romanus IV Diogenes. Between 1078 and 1085 Philaretus built a principality stretching from Malatia in the north to Antioch in the south, and from Cilicia in the west to Edessa in the east. He invited many Armenian nobles to settle in his territory, and gave them land and castles.[5] The state that Philaretus had created had begun to crumbled even before his death in 1090.[6] and after his death the remains of his dominion disintegrated into local lordships.
One of those princes was Ruben, who had close ties with the last Bagratuni Dynasty Armenian king, Gagik II. He thought that he would never be able to reinstate the Bagratid kingdom, so he rebelled against the Byzantine Empire in Cilicia. He rallied with him many other Armenian landlords and nobles. Thus, in 1080, the foundations of the independent Armenian princedom of Cilicia, and of the future kingdom, were laid under Ruben's leadership and that of his descendants (who would be called Rubenids) .[7]
By the end of the 11th century, upon Ruben's death in 1095, there were several important Armenian principalities in the area[6]:
- Lampron (after Namrun, now Camliyayla) and Babaron (Candir Kale), located at the southern end of the Cilician Gates, were controlled by the former Byzantine general Oshin, the founder of the important Hethumid dynasty.
- To the north east was the principality of Constantine I of Armenia, the son of Prince Rouben I. His power was based around the fortresses of Partzapert and Vahka.
- Further to the north east, and outside of Cilicia, was the principality of Marash (modern Kahramanmaraş). It was ruled by Thatoul, a former Byzantine official.
- East of Maraş, the Armenian Kogh Vasil (Basil the Robber) held the fortresses of Raban (modern Altınaşkale) and Kesoun as a Seljuk vassal.
- To the north of these, on the Upper Euphrates, lay the principality of Malatya (Melitene), held by Gabriel, one of Philaretus' former officers, under Seljuk overlordship.
- Finally, beyond Malatya, was Edessa, controlled by Thoros, another of Philaretus' officers, and son-in-law of Gabriel of Malatya.
With the exception of Kogh Vasil and Constantine, these Armenian lords were alienated from most of their Armenian compatriots, and disliked by Syrian Christians, because they were either Greek Orthodox or held official titles conferred upon them by the Byzantine Emperor.[6]
[edit] The First Crusade and the Roubenid principality
During the reign of Constantine I, the Crusaders, in retaliation for the Seljuk invasion of Jerusalem, descended upon Anatolia and the Middle East. With the First Crusade, the Armenians in Cilicia gained powerful allies among the Frankish crusaders. With their help, they secured Cilicia from the Turks, both by direct military actions in Cilicia and by establishing Crusader states in Antioch and Edessa.[7] The Armenians also helped the Crusaders, as described by Pope Gregory XIII:
Among the good deeds which the Armenian people has done towards the church and the Christian world, it should especially be stressed that, in those times when the Christian princes and the warriors went to retake the Holy Land, no people or nation, with the same enthusiasm, joy and faith came to their aid as the Armenians did, who supplied the crusaders with horses, provision and guidance. The Armenians assisted these warriors with their utter courage and loyalty during the Holy wars.
—Ecclesia Romana, 1584
The Armenians and crusaders were partly allied, partly rivals for two centuries to come.
Eventually, there emerged some sort of centralized government in the area with the rise of the Roupenid princes. During the 12th century they were the closest thing to a ruling dynasty, and wrestled with the Byzantines for the power over the region. Prince Leo I integrated the Cilician coastal cities to the Armenian principality, thus consolidating Armenian commercial leadership in the region. He was eventually defeated by Emperor John II in 1137, who still considered Cilicia to be a Byzantine province, and was imprisoned with several other family members.[7] He died in prison three years later. Leon's son and successor, Thoros II, was also imprisoned, but escaped in 1141. He returned to lead the struggle with the Byzantines. Initially he was successful, but eventually, in 1158, he paid homage to Emperor Manuel I.
Cilicia had become so significant in these years, that in 1151, the head of the Armenian Church transferred his see to Hromgla.[5]
The Roubenid princes continued to rule Cilicia.
[edit] The Kingdom of Armenia
King Leon I started his reign as a Prince Leo II in 1187. He became one of the most important figures of the Cilician Armenian state. During his reign, he had to face Konya's, Aleppo's, and Damascus' rulers. By doing so, he integrated new lands to Cilicia and doubled the state's ownership of the Mediterranean coast. He also put great effort into augmenting the state's military might.[7]
At that time, Saladin of Egypt greatly weakened the Crusader states, forcing the Europeans to launch another Crusade. Prince Leo II profited from the situation by improving relations with the Europeans. Thanks to the support given to him by the Holy Roman Emperors (Frederick Barbarossa, and his son, Henry VI), he was able to elevate the princedom's status to a kingdom. In 1198 Prince Leo II managed to secure his crown, becoming the first King of Armenian Cilicia as king Leo I. [7]
The crown later passed to the rival Hethoumid dynasty through Leon's daughter Zabel and her second marriage to Hethoum I. At that time, the Mongols reached the Middle East and conquered Greater Armenia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and advanced towards Egypt. The Mongol conquest was disastrous for the Armenians who still inhabited Greater Armenia, but this wasn't the case for those in Cilicia, as the Mongols never attacked them. Instead, Hethoum allied,[8][9][10] or submitted, to the Il-Khanate in 1247, and in doing so, he guaranteed the safety of the Armenians outside Cilicia.
Hethoum and his forces fought together with the Franks of Bohemond VI (Principality of Antioch) under the Mongols of Hulagu, in the conquest of Muslim Syria and the capture of Aleppo and Damascus in 1259-1260.[11]
Hethoum even attempted, in vain, to convert the Mongols to Christianity. [7]
In 1266, the Mamluk leader Baibars summoned Hetoum I to abandon his allegiance to the Mongols, to accept Mamluk suzerainty, and remit to the Mamluks the territories and fortresses Hetoum had acquired through his submission to the Mongols. Following these threats, Hetoum I went to the Mongol court of the Il-Khan in Persia to obtain military support. During his absence however, the Mamluks marched on Cilician Armenia, led by Mansur II and the Mamluk commander Qalawun, and defeated the Armenians at the Battle of Mari, causing great devastation to the country. In 1269, Hetoum I abdicated in favour of his son Leon II, who was forced to pay large annual tributes to the Mamluks. Even with the tributes though, the Mamluks continued to attack Cilicia every few years. In 1292 they sacked Hromkla, which required the Holy See to move to Sis.
[edit] Campaigns of 1299-1303
- See also: Armeno-Mongol alliance
In the summer of 1299, Hetoum I's grandson, King Hetoum II of Armenia, again facing threats of attack by the Mamluks, sent a message to the Mongol khan of Persia, Ghâzân to obtain his support. In response, Ghazan marched with his forces towards Syria and sent letters to the Franks of Cyprus (the King of Cyprus, and the heads of the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers and the Teutonic Knights), inviting them to come join him in his attack on the Mamluks in Syria.
The Mongols successfully took the city of Aleppo, where they were joined by King Hetoum, whose forces included some Templars and Hospitallers from the kingdom of Armenia, who participated in the rest of the offensive.[12] The combined force then defeated the Mamluks in the Battle of Wadi al-Khazandar, on December 23 or 24, 1299.[13] The bulk of the Mongol army then had to retreat, probably because their horses needing grazing room. In their absence, the Egyptian Mamluks regrouped, and then retook the area in May 1300.
In 1303, the Mongols tried again to capture Syria, this time in greater strength (about 80,000) together with the Armenians, but they were defeated at Homs on March 30, 1303, and at the decisive Battle of Shaqhab, south of Damas, on April 21, 1303.[14] It is considered to be the last major Mongol invasion of Syria.[15]
When the Mongol leader Ghazan died on May 10, 1304, dreams of a rapid reconquest of the Holy Land were destroyed.Hetoum II abdicated in favour of his nephew Levon III and became a Franciscan monk. In 1307 Hetoum II, his nephew Levon III, and his entire entourage were murdered by Bularghu, the Mongol's representative in Armenian Cilicia and a recent convert to Islam, while visiting Bularghu's encampment just outside Anavarza. [17]
[edit] Decline with the Lusignan dynasty
The Hethoumids ruled Cilicia until the murder of Leo IV in 1341, when his cousin Guy Lusignan was elected king. The Lusignan dynasty was of French origin, and already had a foothold in the area, the Island of Cyprus. There had always been close relations between the Lusignans of Cyprus and the Armenians. However, when the pro-Latin Lusignans took power, they tried to impose Catholicism and the European way of life. The Armenian leadership largely accepted this, but the peasantry opposed the changes. Eventually, this led way to civil strife. [7]
In the late 14th century, Cilicia was invaded by the Mameluks. The fall of Sis in April, 1375 put an end to the kingdom; its last King, Leo V, was granted safe passage and died in exile in Paris in 1393 after calling in vain for another Crusade. The title was claimed by his cousin, James I of Cyprus, uniting it with the titles of Cyprus and Jerusalem. [7] Thus ended the last fully independent Armenian entity of the Middle Ages after three centuries of sovereignty and bloom.
[edit] Dispersion of the Armenian population of Cilicia
Although the Egyptian Mameluks had taken over Cilicia, they were unable to maintain their hold on it. Turkic tribes eventually made their way to the region and established themselves there, leading to the conquest of Cilicia by Tamerlane. As a result, 30000 wealthy Armenians left Cilicia and settled in Cyprus, which continued to be under French rule until 1489. Only the humbler Armenians remained in Cilicia, and by doing so, conserved the Armenian foothold in the region until the Armenian genocide of 1915. Their descendants are now dispersed in the Armenian diaspora, and the Holy See of Cilicia is now based in Antelias, Lebanon. [7]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ (Armenian) Poghosyan, S.; Katvalyan, M.; Grigoryan, G. et al. Cilician Armenia (Կիլիկյան Հայաստան). Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia. vol. v. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1979, 406-428
- ^ Bournoutian, George A (2006). A Concise History of the Armenian People. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda, 99. ISBN 1-5685-9141-1.
- ^ a b Abulafia, David (1999). The New Cambridge Medieval History. Cambridge University Press, 440. ISBN 052136289X.
- ^ King Tigran II - The Great. Hye Etch. Retrieved on 2007-01-17.
- ^ a b c d Donal Stewart, Angus (2001). The Armenian Kingdom and the Mamluks: War and Diplomacy During the Reigns of Het'um II. Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers, 33-34.
- ^ a b c Runciman, Steven (December 25, 1987). A History of the Crusades Vol. I: The First Crusade and the Foundations of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge University Press, 195-201. ISBN 052135997X.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i (Armenian) Kurdoghlian, Mihran (1996). Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume II. Athens, Greece: Hradaragoutioun Azkayin Oussoumnagan Khorhourti, 29-56.
- ^ Claude Mutafian in Le Royaume Arménien de Cilicie describes "the Mongol alliance" entered into by the king of Armenia and the Franks of Antioch ("the King of Armenia decided to engage into the Mongol alliance, an intelligence that the Latin barons lacked, except for Antioch"), and "the Franco-Mongol collaboration" (Mutafian, p.55).
- ^ Claude Lebedel in Les Croisades describes the alliance of the Franks of Antioch and Tripoli with the Mongols: (in 1260) "the Frank barons refused an alliance with the Mongols, except for the Armenians and the Prince of Antioch and Tripoli".
- ^ Amin Maalouf in The Crusades through Arab eyes is extensive and specific on the alliance (page numbers refer to the French edition): “The Armenians, in the person of their king Hetoum, sided with the Mongols, as well as Prince Bohemond, his son-in-law. The Franks of Acre however adopted a position of neutrality favourable to the muslims” (p.261), “Bohemond of Antioch and Hethoum of Armenia, principal allies of the Mongols” (p.265), “Hulagu (…) still had enough strength to prevent the punishment of his allies [Bohemond and Hethoum]” (p.267).
- ^ "The king of Armenia and the Prince of Antioch went to the military camp of the Tatars, and they all went off to take Damascus". Le Templier de Tyr. Quoted in "Histoire des Croisades III", Rene Grousset, p586
- ^ Demurger, Alain (2005). The Last Templar: The Tragedy of Jacques de Molay, Last Grand Master of the Temple. London: Profile Books, 93. ISBN 1-8619-7529-5. "He was soon joined by King Hethum, whose forces seem to have included Hospitallers and Templars from the kingdom of Armenia, who participate to the rest of the campaign."
- ^ Ibid., 93
- ^ Demurger. Tragedy of Jacques de Molay, 109
- ^ Nicolle, David (2001). The Crusades. Oxford: Osprey, 80 ISBN 1-8417-6179-6
- ^ In "Le Royaume Armenien de Cilicie", p.74-75
- ^ Angus Stewart, 'The assasination of King Het'um II', p45-61, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2005.
[edit] Bibliography
- Boase, T. S. R. (1978). The Cilician Kingdom of Armenia. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 206. ISBN 0-7073-0145-9.
- Redgate, Anne Elizabeth (2000). The Armenians, First, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Inc., 356. ISBN 0-631-22037-2.
- Hovannisian, Richard G. (1997). The Armenian people from ancient to modern times: from antiquity to the fourteenth century. Palgrave Macmillan, 493. ISBN 0-312-10168-6.
- Ghazarian, Jacob G. (2000). The Armenian kingdom in Cilicia during the Crusades. Routledge, 256. ISBN 0700714189.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Barony and Kingdom of Cilicia (Kurkjian's History of Armenia, Chs. 27‑31)
Historical regions of Armenia | |
|---|---|
The traditional 15 provinces of Historic Armenia:
1. Upper Armenia • 2. Sophene • 3. Aghdznik • 4. Turuberan • 5. Moxoene • 6. Corduene • 7. Parskahayk • Other historical regions of Armenia: Karin • Taron • Commagene • Armenian Mesopotamia • Norshirakan • Lesser Armenia • Cilicia • Mardali • Mogkh | |
de:Königreich Kleinarmenien es:Reino armenio de Cilicia eo:Armena reĝlando en Kilikio fr:Royaume de Petite-Arménie hy:Կիլիկիայի Հայկական Թագավորություն he:ממלכת קיליקיה הארמנית nl:Cilicisch Armenië pl:Armenia Mała ru:Киликийское царство simple:Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
