Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
37°00′N 35°30′E / 37.0°N 35.5°E
Armenian Principality of Cilicia (1080–1198) Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (1198–1375) Կիլիկիոյ Հայոց Թագաւորութիւն | |||||||||||||||||
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1198/99–1375 | |||||||||||||||||
Flag of the Rubenid dynasty (1198–1219)
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Mongols | 1236 | ||||||||||||||||
, putting an end to the kingdom | 1375 | ||||||||||||||||
Area | |||||||||||||||||
13th century[2] | 40,000 km2 (15,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||||||||
• 13th century[2] | 1,000,000+ | ||||||||||||||||
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Today part of | Ruben I when the Rubenid principality of Cilicia was founded. |
History of Armenia |
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Timeline • Origins • Etymology |
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (
The kingdom had its origins in the principality founded c. 1080 by the Rubenid dynasty, an alleged offshoot of the larger Bagratuni dynasty, which at various times had held the throne of Armenia. Their capital was originally at Tarsus, and later moved to Sis.[5] 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 focal point for Armenian cultural production, since Armenia proper was under foreign occupation at the time. Cilicia's significance in Armenian history and statehood is also attested by the transfer of the seat of the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, spiritual leader of the Armenian people, to the region.
In 1198, with the crowning of
Commercial and military interactions with Europeans brought new Western influences to the Cilician Armenian society. Many aspects of Western European life were adopted by the nobility including
Early Armenian migrations to Cilicia
Cilicia under Tigranes the Great
Armenian presence in Cilicia dates back to the first century BC, when under
Mass Armenian migration under the Byzantine Empire
After the 395 AD partition of the Roman Empire into halves, Cilicia became incorporated into the
Cilicia fell to
The formal annexation of Greater Armenia to the Byzantine Empire in 1045 and its conquest by the Seljuk Turks 19 years later caused two new waves of Armenian migration to Cilicia.
The Rubenid dynasty
Emergence of Cilician Armenia
One of the princes who came after Philaretos' invitation was
First Crusade
During the reign of Constantine I, the First Crusade took place. An army of Western European Christians marched through Anatolia and Cilicia on their way to Jerusalem. The Armenians in Cilicia gained powerful allies among the Frankish Crusaders, whose leader, Godfrey of Bouillon, was considered a savior for the Armenians. Constantine saw the Crusaders' arrival as a one-time opportunity to consolidate his rule of Cilicia by eliminating the remaining Byzantine strongholds in the region.[18] With the Crusaders' help, they secured Cilicia from the Byzantines and Turks, both by direct military actions in Cilicia and by establishing Crusader states in Antioch, Edessa, and Tripoli.[19] The Armenians also helped the Crusaders; as described by Pope Gregory XIII in his Ecclesia Romana:
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 Latin 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.
To show their appreciation to their Armenian allies, the Crusaders honored Constantine with the titles of
Armenian-Byzantine and Armenian-Seljuk contentions
The son of Constantine was
Principality becomes a kingdom
The Principality of Cilicia was a de facto kingdom before the ascension of Levon II. Levon II is considered the first king of Cilicia due to the Byzantine refusal of previous de facto kings as genuine de jure kings, rather than dukes.
Prince
In 1219, after a failed attempt by
The Het'umid dynasty
By the 11th century the Het‘umids had settled into western Cilicia, primarily in the highlands of the Taurus Mountains. Their two great dynastic castles were Lampron and Papeŕōn/Baberon, which commanded strategic roads to the Cilician Gates and to Tarsus.[5]
The apparent unification in marriage of the two main dynasties of Cilicia, Rubenid and Het'umid, ended a century of dynastic and territorial rivalry, while bringing the Het'umids to the forefront of political dominance in Cilician Armenia.[8] Although the accession of Het'um I in 1226 marked the beginning of Cilician Armenia's united dynastic kingdom, the Armenians were confronted by many challenges from abroad. In order to enact revenge for his son's death, Bohemond sought an alliance with Seljuk sultan Kayqubad I, who captured regions west of Seleucia. Het'um also struck coins with his figure on one side, and with the name of the sultan on the other.[8]
Armeno-Mongol alliance and Mamluk threat
During the rule of Zabel and Het'um, the
Meanwhile, the Egyptian
In 1269, Het'um I abdicated in favour of his son
Truce with Mamluks (1281–1295)
In 1281, following the defeat of the Mongols and the Armenians under
Campaigns with Mongols (1299–1303)
In the summer of 1299, Het'um I's grandson,
In 1303, the Mongols tried to conquer Syria once again in larger numbers (approximately 80,000) along with the Armenians, but they were defeated at Homs on March 30, 1303, and during the decisive
Het'um II abdicated in favour of his sixteen-year-old nephew
The Het'umids continued ruling an unstable Cilicia until the assassination of
Demise of Cilician Armenia
Decline and fall with the Lusignan dynasty
There had always been close relations between the Armenians and the
From 1343 to 1344, a time when the Armenian population and its feudal rulers refused to adapt to the new Lusignan leadership and its policy of Latinizing the Armenian Church, Cilicia was again invaded by the Mamluks, who were intent on territorial expansion.
However, according to available information, one of the Armenian princes named Constantine declared himself king and continued to rule a number of regions of the country for another 48 years. Only in 1424 did the Egyptian Sultan go to war against him, defeat him and take possession of the kingdom of Armenia. Therefore, the date of the fall of the Armenian state should be considered 1424.[46]
Dispersion of the Armenian population of Cilicia
Although the Mamluks had taken over Cilicia, they were unable to hold it. Turkic tribes settled there, leading to the conquest of Cilicia led by Timur. As a result, 30,000 wealthy Armenians left Cilicia and settled in Cyprus, still ruled by the Lusignan dynasty until 1489.[42] Many merchant families also fled westward and founded or joined with existing diaspora communities in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.[9] Only the humbler Armenians remained in Cilicia. They nevertheless maintained their foothold in the region throughout Turkic rule.
In the 16th century, Cilicia fell under
Cilician Armenian society
Culture
Demographically, Cilician Armenia was heterogeneous with a population of Armenians who constituted the ruling class, and also Greeks, Jews, Muslims, and various Europeans.[48] The multi-ethnic population, as well as commercial and political links with Europeans, particularly France, brought important new influences on Armenian culture.[48] The Cilician nobility adopted many aspects of Western European life, including chivalry, fashion, and the use of French Christian names. The structure of Cilician society became more synonymous with Western feudalism than to the traditional nakharar system of Armenia.[9] In fact, during the Cilician period, Western titles such as baron and constable replaced their Armenian equivalents nakharar and sparapet.[9][48] European tradition was adopted for the knighting of Armenian nobles, while jousts and tournaments similar to those in Europe had become popular in Cilician Armenia. The extent of Western influence over Cilician Armenia is also reflected by the incorporation of two new letters (Ֆ ֆ = "f" and Օ օ = "o") and various Latin-based words into the Armenian language.[48]
In other areas, there was more hostility to the new Western trends. Above all, most ordinary Armenians frowned on conversion to Roman Catholicism or Greek Orthodoxy. Cultural influence was not merely one-way, however; Cilician Armenians had an important impact on Crusaders returning to the West, most notably with their architectural traditions. Europeans incorporated elements of Armenian castle-building, learned from Armenian masons in the Crusader states, as well as some elements of church architecture.
Economy
Cilician Armenia had become a prosperous state due to its strategic position on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. It was located at the juncture of many trade routes linking Central Asia and the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean. The kingdom was thus important in the spice trade, as well as livestock, hides, wool, and cotton. In addition, important products such as timber, grain, wine, raisins, and raw silk were also exported from the country and finished cloth and metal products from the West were made available.[9]
During the reign of King Levon, the economy of Cilician Armenia progressed greatly and became heavily integrated with Western Europe. He secured agreements with
In the thirteenth century, under the rule of Toros, Cilician Armenia already struck its own coins. Gold and silver coins, called dram and tagvorin, were struck at the royal mints of Sis and Tarsus. Foreign coins such as the Italian ducat, florin, and zecchino, the Greek besant, the Arab dirham, and the French livre were also accepted by merchants.[9]
Religion
The Catholicosate of the Armenian Apostolic Church followed its people in taking refuge outside the Armenian highlands, which had turned into a battleground of Byzantine and Seljuk contenders. Its seat was first transferred to
In 1198, the Catholicos of Sis,
Het'um II became a Franciscan friar after his abdication. The Armenian historian Nerses Balients was a Franciscan and an advocate of union with the Latin Church. The papal claim of primacy did not contribute positively to the efforts for unity between the Churches.[52] Mkhitar Skewratsi, the Armenian delegate at the council in Acre in 1261, summed the Armenian frustration in these words:
Whence does the Church of Rome derive the power to pass judgment on the other Apostolic sees while she herself is not subject to their judgments? We ourselves [the Armenians] have indeed the authority to bring you [the Catholic Church] to trial, following the example of the Apostles, and you have no right to deny our competency.[52]
After the sacking of Hromkla by the Mamluks in 1293, the Catholicosate was transferred to Sis, the capital of the Cilician Kingdom. Again, in 1441, long after the fall of the kingdom, the Armenian Catholicos of Sis,
See also
- Cilicia
- List of monarchs of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
- Rubenid dynasty
Explanatory notes
- a Claude Mutafian in Le Royaume Arménien de Cilicie, p. 55, 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."
- b 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".
- c 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).
Citations
- ISBN 9781136124181.
- ^ a b Bornozyan, S. V.; Zulalyan, Manvel [in Armenian] (1976). Հայ Ժողովրդի Պատմություն, Հ. 3. [History of the Armenian People. Vol. 3] (in Armenian). Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences. pp. 672, 724.
Կիլիկյան հայկական պետության ծաղկան ժամանակաշրջանում՝ XIII դարում, նրա տարածությունը կազմում էր 40.000 քառ. կմ, իսկ բնակչության թիվը անցնում էր մեկ միլիոնից։ [...] Կիլիկիայի քաղաքներում ու նավահանգիստներում էր կենտրոնացված Կիլիկիայի մեկ միլիոն բնակչության համարյա կեսը։
- ^ "Landmarks in Armenian history". Internet Archive. Retrieved June 22, 2010. "1080 A.D. Rhupen, cousin of the Bagratonian kings, sets up on Mount Taurus (overlooking the Mediterranean Sea) the kingdom of New Armenia which lasts 300 years."
- ISBN 0-299-04844-6., pp. 630–631.
- ^ ISBN 0884021637.
- ^ Kurdoghlian, Mihran (1996). Պատմութիւն Հայոց [History of Armenia] (in Armenian). Vol. II. Athens: Հրատարակութիւն ազգային ուսումնակաան խորհուրդի [Council of National Education Publishing]. pp. 43–44.
- ^ a b c d e f Der Nersessian. "The Kingdom of Cilician Armenia", pp. 645–653.
- ^ ISBN 0-7007-1418-9.
- ^ ISBN 1-4039-6421-1.
- ^ a b "Cilician Kingdom". Globe Weekly News. Archived from the original on 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
- ^ "King Tigran II – The Great". Hye Etch. Archived from the original on 21 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ ISBN 0-7007-1418-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-56859-154-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-12292-5.
- ISBN 978-1-56859-154-4.
- ^ ISBN 0-521-35997-X.
- ^ Kurkdjian, Vahan (1958). "Chapter XXV: Magnificence to be soon followed by Calamity". History of Armenia. United States of America: Armenian General Benevolent Union of America. p. 202.
- ^ a b c d e f g Kurkdjian, Vahan (1958). "Chapter XXVII: The Barony of Cilician Armenia". History of Armenia. United States of America: Armenian General Benevolent Union of America. pp. 213–226.
- ^ a b c d Kurdoghlian, Mihran (1996). Պատմութիւն Հայոց (History of Armenia), Volume II (in Armenian). Athens: Հրատարակութիւն ազգային ուսումնակաան խորհուրդի (Council of National Education Publishing). pp. 33–36.
- ^ Runciman, Steven. A History of the Crusades – Volume II.: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East: 1100–1187.
- ISBN 0-7007-1418-9.
- ^ a b Kurdoghlian, Mihran (1996). Պատմութիւն Հայոց (History of Armenia), Volume II (in Armenian). Athens: Հրատարակութիւն ազգային ուսումնակաան խորհուրդի (Council of National Education Publishing). pp. 42–44.
- )
- ^ Nickerson Hardwicke, Mary. The Crusader States, 1192–1243.
- ^ Natasha Hodgson, Conflict and Cohabitation Marriage and Diplomacy between Latins and Cilician Armenians c. 1150-1254’ in The Crusades and the Near East, ed. C Kostick (Routledge, 2010)
- ^ ISBN 978-90-0412292-5.
- ^ Christianian, Jirair, “The Inscription at Tamrut Castle: The Case for a Revision of Armenian History,” Le Muséon 132 (1-2), 2019, pp.107-122.
- ^ "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 Rene Grousset, Histoire des Croisade, III, p. 586.
- ^ a b c Kurkdjian, Vahan (1958). "Chapter XXX: The Kingdom of Cilician Armenia — Mongol Invasion". History of Armenia. United States of America: Armenian General Benevolent Union of America. pp. 246–248.
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- ISBN 978-2-7053-3791-9.
- ISBN 2-271-05105-3.
- ^ ISBN 1-86197-529-5.
- ISBN 1-86197-529-5.
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- ^ a b Kurkdjian, Vahan (1958). "Chapter XXX: The Kingdom of Cilician Armenia — Mongol Invasion". History of Armenia. United States of America: Armenian General Benevolent Union of America. pp. 253–254.
- ^ Angus, Stewart, "The assassination of King Het'um II". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2005 pp. 45–61.
- ^ (in French) Recueil des Historiens des Croisades, Documents Armeniens I, p.664
- ISBN 2-07-031409-X.
- ISBN 0-7007-1418-9.
- ^ a b c Kurdoghlian, Mihran (1996). Պատմութիւն Հայոց (History of Armenia), Volume II (in Armenian). Athens: Հրատարակութիւն ազգային ուսումնակաան խորհուրդի (Council of National Education Publishing). pp. 53–56.
- ^ ISBN 0-7007-1418-9.
- ISBN 0-19-822136-3.
- ^ Hadjilyra, Alexander-Michael (2009). The Armenians of Cyprus. New York: Kalaydjian Foundation. p. 12.
- ^ https://armenianhouse.org/suqiasyan/cilicia/armenian-state-law.html.
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(help) - ^ ISBN 978-3-938402-15-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-231-13926-7.
- ISBN 978-90-04-14713-3.
- ^ ISBN 0-521-36289-X.
- ^ Luisetto. Arméniens et autres Chrétiens, p. 98.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-631-23423-4.
- ISBN 2-07-031409-X.
Further reading
- (In Armenian) Poghosyan, S.; Katvalyan, M.; Grigoryan, G. et al. «Կիլիկյան [sic] Հայաստան» ("Cilician Armenia") Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia. vol. V. Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1979, pp. 406–428.
- Boase, T. S. R. (1978). The Cilician Kingdom of Armenia. Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. ISBN 0-7073-0145-9.
- Ghazarian, Jacob G. (2000). The Armenian kingdom in Cilicia during the Crusades. Routledge. p. 256. ISBN 0-7007-1418-9.
- Hovannisian, Richard G. and Simon Payaslian (eds.) Armenian Cilicia. UCLA Armenian History and Culture Series: Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces, 7. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2008.
- Luisetto, Frédéric (2007). Arméniens et autres Chrétiens d'Orient sous la domination Mongole. Geuthner. p. 262. ISBN 978-2-7053-3791-9.
- Mahé, Jean-Pierre. L'Arménie à l'épreuve des siècles, coll. ISBN 978-2-07-031409-6
- Wikidata Q107247875.
External links
- Cilician Armenian Coins Archived 2021-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
- "Kilikia" song with lyrics Archived 2011-06-28 at the Wayback Machine
- Cilician Armenian Architecture