Mlech

Mlech was tentatively born before 1120 ^[1] . He was the son of Levon I, who died in captivity of the Byzantines, and brother of the sixth ruler of Cilicia, Toros II . After the death of the latter, the throne was to be inherited by his minor son Ruben II . However, Mlech, having usurped the rights of the rightful heir, forced to recognize himself as the heir to his brother. Literally right after the death of his father-in-law, Toros, Prince Hetum III terminated the marriage, which had been concluded at the time for fastening the truce between the two dynasties. Immediately after this, Mlech unsuccessfully tried to storm the Ketumids - Lambron . Having never forced the Khetumids to submit, Mlekh, striving to ensure the independence of Cilicia, completely changed the direction in foreign policy. Wanting complete independence, trying to protect Cilicia from the influence and encroachments of the Greeks and Latins, Mleh took a risky step, concluding an alliance with the Muslim ruler Nur al-Din. Moving the capital to Sis, Mlech, with the help of a new ally, repels the attack of the Franks and, having defeated the Byzantine army, expels those from the plain of Cilicia. A year later, in 1175, as a result of a conspiracy of the Armenian princes, Mlekh was killed ^[2] .

Assessment of Mlech’s activities is mixed. Arab historians of that time praised Mlekh’s policies, but Christian, in particular Armenian historians, sharply criticized him for his alliance with the Muslim ruler, mistakenly accusing the Armenian prince of apostasy ^[3] , they deliberately ignored the activities of the Armenian prince, describing only his cruelty ^[2] . He insisted that Gregory Otrok (Tga) be elected Catholicos. Greek and Latin authors called Mleha “Saracen” and “renegade”. The hatred of the authors is explained by the tough position of the Armenian prince in relation to them. In an effort to make his possessions as independent as possible, Mlech expelled the Templars from their possessions in the south of the Aman ridge, and also did not allow the passage of foreign armies through their territories. As a result of the policy pursued by the Armenian prince, the Latins preferred to pass through its territory as a party, through the Seljuk possessions ^[2] .

There is also information in medieval Islamic chronicles in which the emir of Syria Nur ad-Din calls Mlekh the emir (prince) of Armenians and his brother by faith (Islam), whom he will support against the Romans (Greek-Byzantines) and Franks (Latins) .

• The wife’s name is not known, all that is known is that she was the daughter of Vasil from Karkar and was a sister to the Catholicos Gregory ^[1] .
  • The illegitimate son, Grigor (? - January 28/27, 1209/1210) ^[1]