Smbat I of Armenia

Biography

The Bagratid Kingdom during the Reign of Ashot the Great’s Successors In 890, Ashot I, the first king of the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia, died. Following the principle of primogeniture, the throne passed to his eldest son, Smbat I. However, Smbat was unable to attend his father’s funeral because he was engaged in military campaigns in Gugark. After returning to Armenia and observing the customary mourning rites, he ascended the vacant Armenian throne. Smbat’s uncle, Abas Sparapet (Commander-in-Chief), also harbored ambitions for the Armenian crown. For this reason, he withdrew to the district of Vanand and waited for a favorable opportunity to rebel. The occasion arose with the visit of Adarnase Bagratuni, the Georgian prince who was heir to the Georgian throne. Adarnase first visited Abas, offering his condolences on the death of Ashot I. He then informed Abas that he also intended to visit Smbat. Abas advised him not to do so, but Adarnase assured him that he held no bias between the rival claimants to the throne and proceeded to meet Smbat. After expressing his condolences, Adarnase dressed Smbat in royal garments as a sign of recognition of his kingship. Abas interpreted this act as a betrayal. Consequently, when Adarnase returned to Abas, the latter had the Georgian prince arrested.

This incident led to a conflict between Smbat and his uncle Abas. Seeing to prevent internal strife, the Catholicos of Armenia appealed to Abas and asked him to release Adarnase. In return, Abas demanded that two fortresses, which Adarnase had previously taken from Gurgen, the husband of Abas’s sister, be restored to him. Adarnase immediately complied with this demand. Nevertheless, Abas broke his oath and continued to keep Adarnase imprisoned. Disappointed by Abas’s actions, the Catholicos turned to Smbat for assistance. Outraged by his uncle’s conduct, Smbat resumed hostilities. Realizing the superiority of Smbat’s military forces, Abas withdrew into the fortress of Kars and soon sought peace negotiations. Wishing to avoid a civil war among the Armenians, Smbat agreed to negotiate and, in exchange for peace, demanded the release of Adarnase from prison. Abas accepted this condition, and Adarnase was freed.

After the succession struggle had ended, in 892 the Abbasid Caliph al-Mu’tadid Billah sent a crown and royal robes to Smbat through Afshin, thereby formally recognizing him as King of Armenia. At the same time, Afshin was appointed governor of Armenia while also administering Atropatene. Smbat’s coronation took place in the capital, Shirakavan. Witnessing these developments, Abas once again became consumed by jealousy and began taking action against Catholicos Gevorg, who supported Smbat. He attempted to spread false accusations against the Catholicos, but his efforts proved unsuccessful.

Political Situation in Vaspurakan

Having suffered defeats, Afshin had not forgotten his desire for revenge against Smbat. However, he understood that he could not achieve this revenge through military force. Therefore, he decided to use a method of deception that had often been employed by Armenia’s enemies against the Armenians. After the death of Grigor-Derenik, the guardianship of his three sons—Sargis-Ashot, Gagik, and Gurgen—was entrusted to Gagik Abu-Mrvan. Later, the province of Vaspurakan was divided into three parts, with each of the brothers beginning to rule his own territory. The area stretching from Van to Nakhchavan, along with the principality of Vaspurakan, passed to Sargis-Ashot according to the principle of seniority. The lands from Rshtunik to the region of Mokk were given to Gagik, while Persian Armenia (Parsikahayk) passed to Gurgen. However, their guardian Gagik Abu-Mrvan, who was himself a prominent member of the Artsruni family, did not want to remain excluded from this division of power. He seized the famous fortresses of Nkan, Sevan, and Kotor from the three brothers.

News of these conflicts reached Afshin. Seeking to provoke internal wars among the Armenians, he took advantage of this favorable situation. He invited Sargis-Ashot to his court. Learning that Sargis-Ashot intended to form an alliance with Afshin, Smbat sent him a letter urging him not to take such a step. However, the prince of Vaspurakan ignored Smbat’s advice and traveled to Atropatene.> Angered by the prince’s actions, Smbat divided Vaspurakan between Gurgen, the great prince of Andzevatsik, and his maternal cousin Gagik Abu-Mrvan. After learning about this, Sargis-Ashot returned to Armenia with Afshin’s troops. Gurgen and Abu-Mrvan yielded and withdrew. However, soon a new conflict broke out between Sargis-Ashot and Gurgen. To prevent further confrontation, Gagik Abu-Mrvan reconciled them. Shortly afterward, Gurgen, the prince of Andzevatsik, died.

Same time later, Gagik Abu-Mrvan summoned the three princely brothers—Sargis-Ashot, Gagik, and Gurgen—to his residence and imprisoned each of them in a separate fortress: Sargis-Ashot in the fortress of Nkan, Gagik in Sevan, and Gurgen in the fortress of Kotor. Later, Shapuh, the brother of Smbat, managed to free the middle brother Gagik from imprisonment. Gagik Abu-Mrvan took control of the entire territory of Vaspurakan. However, several princes of Vaspurakan, as a sign of protest against his rule, abandoned their provinces and moved to the city of Amid.

The governor of the city of Amid was the Arab ruler Ahmad, who had invaded Armenia and captured Taron, one of the most important provinces that had previously been under the authority of the Bagratuni dynasty. Smbat demanded that he withdraw from Taron, but the Arab emir refused to comply. Smbat assembled a powerful army and marched against him. According to Catholicos Hovhannes, the Armenian army numbered 60,000 soldiers, while Thomas Artsruni estimated it at 100,000. Smbat’s army was guided along a route suggested by his maternal cousin Gagik Abu-Mrvan. However, Abu-Mrvan betrayed his king and deliberately led the Armenian forces through a difficult and exhausting path, causing the troops to become severely weakened. The Armenian army eventually gathered near the village of Tukh, where the Arabs attacked the exhausted Armenian forces.

The Struggle Against Afshin

After the chaotic events in Vaspurakan, the Armenian noble (nakharar) system became fragmented, and it was impossible to maintain a powerful state with a divided aristocratic structure. King Smbat clearly understood this problem and began taking steps to restore order within the noble system. He sent his brother David to Vaspurakan to negotiate with Sargis-Ashot and persuade him not to join the side of Armenia’s enemies.

Sargis-Ashot had also received a similar offer from Afshin, who promised him prestigious titles and great honors. However, Sargis-Ashot chose to support Smbat instead. Afshin had long studied Smbat’s military strategies and understood that, during wars, the Armenian king would attempt to secure mountainous and difficult-to-access positions. Therefore, Afshin began his campaign through Aghvank and advanced toward Tbilisi. His goal was to deprive Smbat of important mountainous strongholds such as Gugark and Tayk. Afshin captured Tbilisi, then moved through Javakhk and into Vanand. Since Smbat’s army was not prepared for battle, he abandoned Dvin and withdrew to Tayk. Learning that the queen and several prominent noblewomen, along with the royal treasury, were located in the fortress of Kars, Afshin immediately besieged and captured the fortress. The Armenian queen and several noblewomen were taken captive. The state treasury was also looted, after which Afshin went to Dvin to spend the winter there.

Negotiations began between Smbat and Afshin, during which Afshin presented harsh demands. He wanted to take Ashot, Smbat’s eldest son and future heir to the throne, as a hostage. Smbat had no other choice and agreed to this condition. As a result of the negotiations, a peace agreement was concluded. After spending the winter, Afshin released the Armenian queen but kept Smbat’s daughter-in-law in captivity and returned to Atropatene.

In order to restore his previous position, Smbat granted a crown to his relative Adarnase Bagratuni and made him the King of Iberia (Georgia). This action should be viewed from several perspectives: Smbat I aimed to strengthen the position of the Bagratuni dynasty in Iberia and gain a reliable ally. He could no longer control the situation in Armenia solely through his own forces and was forced to rely on neighboring princes. Smbat also sought to demonstrate that the Bagratid Kingdom functioned not only through military power but also through dynastic ties and diplomacy. Through this action, he intended to use Iberia in the interests of the Armenian kingdom. This decision provoked jealousy among Adarnase’s opponents, who complained to Afshin. Afshin needed a new pretext for another campaign. He declared that only the Caliph had the authority to grant a crown and once again began marching toward Armenia through the traditional route of Aghvank. This time as well, Smbat avoided direct confrontation and withdrew to Tayk with a small detachment. Afshin reached Dvin without bloodshed, appointed his son Devdad and his eunuch as administrators of Armenia, and then returned to Atropatene. After settling his conflict with Smbat, Afshin decided to take revenge on the princes of Vaspurakan for joining Smbat’s side. Sargis-Ashot, after negotiating with his brothers, decided to visit Afshin and establish peace. Afshin demanded that Gagik remain with him as a hostage, and after five months he was replaced by Gurgen. However, Gurgen could not endure life in Afshin’s court and escaped, returning to his brothers. Because of this, Afshin invaded Vaspurakan and appointed two other governors there. Among those fighting on Afshin’s side was also Hasan, who caused great difficulties for the Kingdom of Vaspurakan.

Internal Life of the Country

After the death of Afshin, a period of relative peace was established in Armenia, which Smbat used to restore the country’s strength and rebuild its power. During this time, Sargis-Ashot reconciled his relations with Smbat. The major internal conflicts within Vaspurakan came to an end; however, one figure continued to disrupt the peaceful life of the state—Hasan.

On one occasion, when Sargis-Ashot had stopped at a village house, Hasan surrounded the building with his men and attempted to climb onto the roof. However, the roof collapsed, causing Hasan to fall. Sargis-Ashot immediately captured him and demanded the return of the fortress of Sevan. Hasan’s mother and brother opposed this demand and appealed to Smbat to resolve the dispute. As a mediator, Smbat sent Catholicos Hovhannes, who arranged an agreement: the fortress would be handed over to Sargis-Ashot, and Hasan would be released unharmed. The agreement was carried out, but Sargis-Ashot broke his promise, blinded Hasan, and only then released him. Sargis-Ashot’s brother, Gagik, strongly condemned him for this act. According to Tovma Artsruni, after losing his sight, Hasan became a devout man and eventually even entered the clergy.

Despite the oath-breaking committed by Sargis-Ashot, his relationship with Smbat did not deteriorate; on the contrary, it became stronger. When the Kaysik tribe of the Apahunik district refused to recognize Smbat’s authority, the Armenian king assembled an army and launched a campaign against them. According to Tovma Artsruni, Smbat was defeated and began to retreat. However, Sargis-Ashot, with his own forces, achieved victory over the rebels and forced them to submit to Smbat’s authority. As a sign of gratitude for Sargis-Ashot’s support, Smbat granted him the city of Nakhichevan. However, by rewarding him in this manner, Smbat violated the hereditary rights of the Siuni princes.

The Siuni prince Smbat rebelled because of this decision and declared that he would no longer pay tribute to King Smbat and would instead direct his taxes to the emir of Atropatene. In response, King Smbat gathered an army of 25,000 soldiers and marched to the Sharur plain, while the rebellious Siuni prince prepared to confront him with a force of 10,000 soldiers. King Smbat also called upon Sargis-Ashot for assistance, and he willingly agreed to support the king. He also sent a letter to the rebellious Siuni prince Smbat, explaining the difficulties of defeating the Armenian king. The Siuni prince accepted this argument, collected the tribute owed to King Smbat, and went to meet him. A peace agreement was reached; however, this success was overshadowed by the death of Sargis-Ashot, who, after suffering for 40 days, died in 904 in Nakhichevan.

The Struggle Against Yusuf

After the death of Muhammad Ibn Abi'l-Saj Afshin, in 901, Yusuf became the ruler of the semi-independent provincial region of Atropatene. He removed Afshin’s heir, Devdad, and took possession of his brother’s throne. At that time, Smbat had requested the Arab Caliph to separate Armenia from Atropatene and make it directly tributary to Baghdad. The Caliph willingly accepted Smbat’s request, which greatly angered Yusuf. Yusuf appealed to the Caliph, asking him to restore the previous arrangement, but his request was rejected. However, Yusuf proved to be even more harsh and demanding than his brother Afshin.

Realizing that he would not be able to resolve the issue with Smbat through negotiations, Yusuf turned to military force. He chose the same route that his brother had previously used for his campaigns: an invasion from the northern side through Paytakaran and Aghvank toward Shirak. Smbat strengthened the mountain passes of Ashotsk and Tashir in order to prevent the Arabs from entering Shirak. However, Yusuf chose a completely unexpected route and managed to easily penetrate into the heart of the Bagratid Kingdom—Shirak. Without engaging in major military operations, Emir Yusuf advanced toward Dvin and captured the city. He believed that by seizing the center of the country, he would be able to impose his demands on Armenia. Smbat established his base of resistance in the fortifications of Mount Aragats, while Yusuf immediately began negotiations with him through a wealthy Syrian intermediary. Yusuf’s attitude toward the Armenian king was relatively moderate because he was planning to rebel against the Caliphate and did not want to have a powerful hostile state like Armenia behind him. He demanded only that the Armenians resume paying tribute to Atropatene and that Smbat receive his crown from Atropatene, meaning that he would become politically dependent on Yusuf. The amount of tribute to be paid would be determined by Smbat himself. After spending the winter and exchanging valuable gifts, Yusuf returned to Atropatene.

The peace agreement that had been concluded was intended to be long-lasting, as Atropatene did not yet have immediate plans regarding Armenia. However, under favorable circumstances, it still intended to completely subjugate Smbat. At that time, one of Georgia’s distant provinces, Mingrelia (the land of the Egers), rebelled. Smbat gathered an army and launched a campaign against them. He also called for assistance from his friend and ally, the Georgian king Adarnase Bagratuni, who was the father-in-law of the king of the Egers, Constantine, but had a serious conflict with his son-in-law. The Armenian-Georgian forces achieved victory, and Smbat ordered Adarnase to conduct negotiations with Constantine. However, Adarnase used this opportunity to take revenge and arrested Constantine, sending him to Armenia, where he was placed in the fortress of Ani. Seeing the possibility that the Egers might rebel again, King Smbat released Constantine and sent him back to his homeland with royal honors. This action had a very positive outcome, as Constantine remained grateful to Smbat for his honorable gesture.

Establishment of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan

After the death of Sargis-Ashot in 904, the rule of Vaspurakan passed to his middle brother, Gagik. He was 25 years old when he assumed the administration of his province, but he had already distinguished himself many times through his outstanding military and diplomatic abilities. The two brothers, Gagik and Gurgen, divided Vaspurakan between themselves. The younger brother, Gurgen, received southeastern Vaspurakan, while Gagik received the northwestern part of the region. At that time, Vaspurakan was engaged in several small-scale conflicts, which brought them successful results. However, these smaller tribes united in the district of Zarevand (Salmast) and prepared to launch an invasion against Vaspurakan.

Understanding that it would be difficult to resist these forces militarily, Gagik immediately began negotiations with the leaders of these tribes. By accepting their demands, he concluded a peace agreement with them. Gagik began focusing on the internal problems of his state. He attempted to eliminate disorder and, for this reason, suppressed several princes who pursued separatist policies. One of these minor conflicts played a particularly important role in the history of Vaspurakan. Gagik organized a campaign against the fortress of Amjuk. According to Tovma Artsruni, Gagik “stole” the fortress. This suggests that, in order to capture this seemingly impregnable stronghold, Gagik used certain strategies or deceptions and managed to seize it quickly without relying on a large military force. The fortress belonged to the Arab Utmanik tribe.

Although Thomas Artsruni attempts in his work to show that relations between Vaspurakan and Atropatene deteriorated after the capture of Amjuk, it is clear that relations between the two remained at a relatively high level even afterward. For this reason, Smbat tried in every possible way to influence Gagik and prevent him from carrying out such actions, but his efforts were unsuccessful. In order to discipline Vaspurakan, Smbat supported the rights of the Utmanik tribe and recaptured the fortress of Amjuk. According to Tovma Artsruni, after capturing the fortress, Smbat later sold it back to Gagik; however, the meaning and purpose of this action remain unclear.

The massacre of the Arab population of Amjuk Fortress provoked a desire for revenge among the Muslims. They gathered again in the district of Salmast with the intention of waging a religious war against Gagik. When the Muslim forces invaded the Mardastan district of Vaspurakan, they were confronted by the brave Thaddeus of Aké (Tadeos Akeatsi), who defeated and drove them back.

The Return of Nakhchavan to the Siunis

The Artsrunis sought to incorporate the province of Mokk into Vaspurakan as well. At this time, Gurgen, the ruler of Andzevatsik, was fighting against Mushegh, the prince of Mokk. Gurgen defeated and killed Mushegh in battle, but Mokk itself remained independent. Meanwhile, Taron, Sasun, and Aghdznik were conquered by the Mesopotamian emir Ahmad al-Shaybani, who also carried out attacks against Vaspurakan. He arrested the emir of Arzn, Aplmakhr, who was related by marriage to the Artsruni family and had converted to Christianity. In 896, the emir of Atropatene, Afshin, allied with Smbat I, launched a campaign against Vaspurakan with the intention of taking revenge against Ashot Artsruni. Afshin carried out raids throughout Vaspurakan, seized Van, and forced the Artsruni brothers to settle near the approaches of the fortresses of Jdmar and Sring. The territories that had been conquered from Persian Armenia (Parskahayk) were separated from Vaspurakan.

The issue of the city of Nakhchavan and its surrounding district was of great importance in the history of Vaspurakan. This ancient Armenian city naturally became part of the Bagratid Kingdom during the establishment of Bagratuni rule. Nakhichevan was a strategically important center that strengthened Vaspurakan’s political connections with Ayrarat and Syunik. Based on historical experience, the Bagratid kings understood that Nakhichevan could serve as a base for Atropatene against Armenia. At a suitable moment, the emir of Atropatene could use the route Nakhichevan–Goghtn–Dvin to divide Armenian forces. However, if the city belonged to Vaspurakan, the rulers of Atropatene would first have to confront the Artsrunis when attempting aggression against Armenia. In 902, King Smbat I granted Nakhchavan to his maternal cousin Ashot Artsruni, the senior ruler of Vaspurakan, as a reward for his assistance in the victory over the Kaysik tribe near Manazkert. Although the city was still mentioned as part of Vaspurakan in the Ashkharhatsuyts, in the early 8th century, when the power of Armenian noble families, including the Artsrunis, was destroyed by the Arabs, the city was taken from the weakened Artsrunis and placed under the authority of an Arab emir. Since Nakhichevan was granted to Ashot Artsruni in 902 as a reward for his service, it was considered a conditional possession rather than hereditary and inalienable property (although Tovma Artsruni tended to view it as hereditary). Therefore, after Ashot’s death in 904, the Armenian king took Nakhichevan away from Vaspurakan and later placed it under the authority of the Siuni rulers. This is supported by the fact that after Ashot Artsruni’s death in 904, when his brothers Gagik and Gurgen divided Vaspurakan between themselves, Nakhichevan was not included in the possessions of either brother. However, the economic importance of Nakhichevan was even greater for Syunik, where urban centers were relatively few. The city was most likely granted by the Armenian king to Syunik in 908, when it became clearly evident to Smbat I that Yusuf and Gagik Artsruni had formed an alliance.

Death

Yusuf's army ravaged the rest of Armenia as it advanced toward Berd Kapoyt (Blue Fortress), where Smbat had taken refuge, and besieged it for some time. Smbat finally decided to surrender himself to Yusuf in 914 in hopes of ending the Arab onslaught; Yusuf, however, showed no compassion toward his prisoner as he brought him to Yernjak, tortured the Armenian king to death, beheaded him, and put the headless body on display on a cross in Dvin. Smbat's contemporary, Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi, writes that the ground where the crucifix was raised became a site for pilgrimage for both Christians and non-Christians. Information provided by later Armenian authors suggested that Smbat's body was taken down and brought to the monastery at Artsvanist.