Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Կիլիկիոյ Հայկական Թագաւորութիւն | |||||||||
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| 1080–1375 | |||||||||
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| Capital | Sis | ||||||||
| Common languages | Armenian, Latin, French | ||||||||
| Religion | Armenian Apostolic Church | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
• 1080 | Ruben I of Armenia | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• Established | 1080 | ||||||||
• Leon II becomes the first King of Armenian Cilicia. | 1198 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1375 | ||||||||
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The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (also known as Lesser Armenia; 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 was 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.
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).
Byzantine Cilicia
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.[2]
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.[2] 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.
Foundation of Armenian power in Cilicia
| History of Armenia |
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| Timeline • Origins • Etymology |
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 these seized the opportunity to set themselves up as sovereign Lords, while others remained, at least in name, loyal. The most successful of these early warlords was Philaretos Brachamios, a former Armenian 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 east to Edessa in the west, but after his death his dominion disintegrated into local lordships again. He invited many Armenian nobles, and gave them land and castles.[2]
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 (who would be called Rubenids) leadership and that of his descendants.[3]
By the end of the 11th century, upon Ruben's death in 1095, there were six important principalities in the area:
- 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 Tatoul, a former Byzantine official.
- East of Maraş, the Armenian Kogh Vasil 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.
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.[3] 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 Leon 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.[3] 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.[2]
The Roubenid princes continued to rule Cilicia.
The Kingdom of Armenia
Leon II started his reign as a prince 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.[3]
At that time, Saladin of Egypt greatly weakened the Crusader states, forcing the Europeans to launch another Crusade. 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 the Roubenid prince Leon II managed to secure his crown, becoming the first King of Armenian Cilicia. [3]
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 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.[4]
Hethoum even attempted, in vain, to convert the Mongols to Christianity. [3]
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.[5]
Campaigns of 1299-1303
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.[6] The combined force then defeated the Mamluks in the Battle of Wadi al-Khazandar, on December 23 or 24, 1299.[7] 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.[8] It is considered to be the last major Mongol invasion of Syria.[9]
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 favor of his nephew Levon III, and became a Franciscan monk. In 1307 he traveled to the Mongol court to seek assistance against the Mamluks, but he and his entire entourage were put to death.[5]
Decline with the Lusignan dynasty
The Hethoumids ruled Cilicia until the murder of Leon V 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. [3]
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, Leon VI, 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. [3] The last fully independent Armenian entity of the Middle Ages was thus decimated after three centuries of sovereignty and bloom.
In regards to this, F. Nansen writes: “When a people, which has experienced a terrible and unbearable destiny, manages to found a flourishing state in a foreign land, surrounded by enemies in all directions and continues to exist for three centuries, is this then not a sign of a supernatural force within this people?” [11]
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. [3]
See also
References
- ^ The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, 1915-1916: Documents Presented to Viscount Grey... - Page 606 by James Bryce Bryce, Ara Sarafian, Arnold Joseph Toynbee
- ^ 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. pp. p. 33-34.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) Cite error: The named reference "The Armenian Kingdom and the Mamluks" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f g h i Template:Hy icon Kurdoghlian, Mihran (1996). Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume II. Athens, Greece: Hradaragoutioun Azkayin Oussoumnagan Khorhourti. pp. p. 29-56.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) Cite error: The named reference "Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume II" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ "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
- ^ a b Bournotian, A Concise History of the Armenian People, p. 101
- ^ Demurger, p.142 (French edition) "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."
- ^ Demurger, p.142
- ^ Demurger-158
- ^ Nicolle, p. 80
- ^ In "Le Royaume Armenien de Cilicie", p.74-75
- ^ F. Nansen, Gjennem Armenia, Oslo, 1927, p. 202
- Boase, T. S. R. (1978). The Cilician Kingdom of Armenia. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. ISBN 0-7073-0145-9.
- The Armenians - by Elizabeth Redgate, A. E. (Anne Elizabeth)
- The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times - by Richard G. (EDT) Hovannisian - 1997 - 493 pages
- The Armenian kingdom in Cilicia during the Crusades - by Jacob G. Ghazarian
External links
- Barony and Kingdom of Cilicia (Kurkjian's History of Armenia, Chs. 27‑31)
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