Medieval Armenia facts for kids

Medieval Armenia is about the history of Armenia during the Middle Ages. This time period lasted for about 800 years. It started after Ancient Armenia and began with the Muslim conquest of Armenia in the 600s.

During these centuries, important things happened:

• Armenia got its own kingdom back under the Bagratid family.
• The Seljuk Turks arrived.
• Many Armenians moved to Cilicia to find safety from invaders.
• In Eastern Armenia, a new state called Zakarid Armenia was formed under the Kingdom of Georgia.
• A royal family, the House of Hasan-Jalalyan, became important in Artsakh.

In Cilicia, Armenians created their own state, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. This was the last truly independent Armenian state for many centuries. Later, the Mongol Empire arrived, followed by other groups. This changed Armenia's history a lot, as many Turkic-speaking people moved into the area. By the end of the Middle Ages, Armenia no longer had its own state. The western parts of historic Armenia became part of the Ottoman Empire. The eastern parts became part of Safavid Iran.

How Armenia Was Before

Before the Middle Ages, Armenia was divided. Western Armenia was controlled by the Byzantine Empire. This happened after the Armenian Kingdom was split in 387. Meanwhile, Eastern Armenia was ruled by the Sassanid Empire starting in 428.

Even with religious differences, many Armenians became successful in the Byzantine Empire. They held important jobs. In the part of Armenia ruled by the Sassanids, people fought hard to keep their Christian religion. This struggle reached a peak in the Battle of Avarayr. Even though the Armenians lost the battle, their leader's successor, Vahan, made the Persians agree to let Christian Armenians practice their religion freely. This was part of the Nvarsak Treaty in 484.

The Arab Conquest

After the Islamic prophet Muhammad died in 632, Arab armies spread their religion across the Middle East. In 639, a large Arab army led by Abd‑er‑Rahman attacked Taron and looted the country. In 642, the Muslims captured Dvin. They killed 12,000 people and took 35,000 as slaves.

Prince Theodoros Rshtuni led a fight against them. He helped free the enslaved Armenians. However, Theodoros later agreed to Arab rule over Armenia. So, by 645, all of Armenia was under Islamic control. This period lasted for 200 years. There were a few small revolts, but they never involved all Armenians. During this time, the power of smaller Armenian families weakened. The Bagratuni and Artsruni families became more powerful.

The Bagratuni Kingdom

As the power of the Islamic rulers weakened, Ashot I of the Bagratuni family gained more influence in Armenia. In 861, he became the "prince of princes." After fighting against nearby Arab leaders, he was recognized as King of Armenia in 885. Both the Caliph in Baghdad and the Emperor in Constantinople agreed to this.

After more than 450 years of being ruled by others, Armenians finally had their own country again. The Bagratid kings tried to control all the Armenian noble families. But the Artsrunis and Siunis eventually broke away from the central government. Ashot III moved the capital from Kars to Ani. Ani became known as the "city of 1001 churches." It was a very important cultural and economic center in the region. The Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia fell in 1045 to the Byzantines. Then, in 1064, it fell to the Seljuk Turks.

The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia

The Kingdom of Cilicia was started by the Rubenian family. This family was a branch of the larger Bagratid family. The Bagratids had ruled Armenia and Georgia at different times. The capital of Cilicia was Sis.

Cilicia was a strong friend of the European Crusaders. It saw itself as a Christian stronghold in the East. It also became a center for Armenian culture and national pride. This was important because Armenia itself was under foreign rule at the time. In the mid-1200s, King Hethoum I of Armenia willingly accepted the Mongols as his overlords. He tried to get other countries to do the same. He only convinced his son-in-law, Bohemond VI of Antioch, who submitted in 1259. However, Antioch was then destroyed by the Muslims in 1268 as revenge. Cilicia remained a Mongol vassal until it was also destroyed in the mid-1300s by the Egyptian Mamluks.

See Also

• Marzpanate period
• Mongol invasions of Georgia and Armenia