Curicides

The Kyurikyan dynasty, as well as the Tashir-Dzoraget kingdom (the Lori kingdom) was founded by the youngest son of the king of Armenia, Ashot III the Merciful , Gurgen ^[2] (978–989), whose name in the local dialect was pronounced as Kurik. Thus, Gurgen founded a new branch of the Bagratid dynasty, which lasted until the XIII century .

Tashir-Dzoraget kingdom - state of the Kyurikids

Kyurike I (left) and his older brother Smbat II at the sculpture of the Haghpat Monastery ( X century )

Initially, the Kyurikyans were in vassal dependence on the kings of the senior branch of the royal dynasty of the Bagratids ^{[1] [3]} , who ruled Armenia in 885-1045.

Information about the founder of the dynasty, Gurgen, both before and after his accession, is very scarce, which implies that he did not play a significant role in the military-political life of the country, being content only with the rule of his inheritance. In 974, he participated in the mobilization of Armenian troops initiated by the Shahinshah Ashot III, during the period of the Asia Minor campaign of the Byzantine Emperor John Tzimiskes , which posed a threat to the southern borders of Armenia ^[2] . Got the title of king Tashir-Dzoraget after the death of his father (that is, after 977 ), Gurgen continued to equip the monastery complexes of Sanahin and Haghpat , as evidenced by the donation of two large and luxurious chandeliers to the Sanahin monastery ^[4] . He also participated in the campaign of his brother Shahinshah Smbat II against the Georgian-Abkhazian king Bagrat III in 988 in defense of David Kurapalat , the ruler of Taik ^[5] .

When after death, under doubtful circumstances, Smbat II, on the same day, his middle brother Gagik I ascended the throne, the latter, subject to obedience to him, reaffirmed his younger brother Gurgen in the royal rights. The last time in the original sources Gurgen was mentioned in 991. According to the nameless chronicler who supposedly lived in the XII century, Gurgen ruled for 10 years (which coincides with the dating of the coronation of Gurgen in 981 by the historian Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi ). An extremely pious man, he voluntarily abdicated in favor of his son David I and devoted the last 8 years of his life to spiritual life in the Sanahin monastery ^[4] .

The reign of the Kyurikyans reached its peak under David I the Landless (989-1048) and his son Curik II (1048-1089) ^[1] . Thanks to successful wars against the neighboring Tiflis and Ganja emirates, David significantly expanded the borders of his kingdom ^[7] . In the mid- 990s, he conquered and annexed Dmanisi to the Armenian lands, which provoked a war between the Tiflis emir Ali ibn Jafar and David, which led to the defeat of the emir’s troops and recognition of the vassal dependence on the Kurikids ^{[4] [8]} . With this victory, first of all, David achieved the strengthening of the security of the northern borders of the Armenian kingdom ^[4] .

After that, and until 1001, David was forced to face another threat, this time emanating from the southeast, namely the Ganja Emirate, where the Kurdish Shaddadid dynasty established itself from the 970s . The expansionist and intensified especially under the emir Fadlun I (985-1031), the emirate tried to prevent the further rise of the kingdom of the Kyurikids. However, when Fadlun I attacked David, apparently off the banks of the Kura River , he suffered a severe defeat and fled from the battlefield. David, however, failed to build on the success of the victory and expand the boundaries of his kingdom at the expense of the possessions of the Shaddadids. With his victory, he achieved a temporary elimination of the threat emanating from the emirate ^[4] .

After David had to pacify the rebellion of his vassal, the fortress prince Demeter, the latter renounced the Armenian church and converted to Chalcedonism , apparently with the aim of securing the support of Georgia and gaining independence from the Kurikids with its help. In addition, Demeter in the Khnevank Monastery appointed his son, who also converted to Chalcedonism, as Archbishop of Tashirsky. His plans, however, did not succeed, David, suppressing the prince's rebellion, took away both Gag and all other fortresses and estates from him, thereby condemning him to wandering life ^[4] .

David’s attempt in 1001 to achieve complete independence from the Aniyan Bagratids was brutally suppressed by the king (shahinshah) Gagik I ^{[5] [9] [10]} . David lost almost all of his possessions (for which he was nicknamed “Landless”) and was able to restore his state only after recognizing the supremacy of power of the king of Aniyah ^[10] .

For the next two decades, nothing concrete is known about David. Probably during this period he was busy strengthening the defenses of his kingdom, which resulted in the foundation of the city of Lori ^[11] and another 12 fortresses. Based on the implementation of such expensive construction projects, it can be assumed that this was a period of economic prosperity of the Tashir-Dzoragetsky kingdom ^[4] .

In the first years of the reign of the Georgian king Bagrat IV (1027-1072), the emir Ganja Fadlun I attempted to seize the entire territory of the Kura River valley, including the cities of Tbilisi. The danger threatened all the Armenian and Georgian feudal possessions, which were adjacent to the Ganja emirate. In the face of a common danger, a military coalition emerged consisting of Bagrat IV, David I Landless, eristav of the constituents Liparit, eristav Ivan the son of Abas, king of Kakheti-Hereti Kvirike III , as well as the emir of Tbilisi Jafar ^[12] . In 1031, the combined Allied forces made a preventive campaign against the Ganja emirate, invaded Shirvan and, having defeated the troops of the emir Fadlun near the Eklezi River, forced the latter to flee and captured significant trophies ^{[4] [10] [12]} .

David I married the sister of the last king of the Kakheti-Eretinsky kingdom from the Arevmanel dynasty, Quirike III the Great. Kvirike did not have sons, and therefore he proclaimed his nephew, the son of his sister Zorakrtsel and David Landless, Gagik. Around 1029 ^[13] / 1038, Gagik ascended the throne, establishing a new branch of the Kyurikids dynasty, who ruled the united kingdom of Kakheti and Ereti until 1105 , when these lands were conquered by Georgia ^{[4] [14] [15]} .

The transition of Kakheti-Hereti to the zone of influence of the Tashir-Dzorageti kingdom was negatively perceived by the Georgian king Bagrat IV, striving for the unification of Georgia, and led to the deepening of the confrontation of the Kyurikids with the Georgian Bagration . It is no coincidence that when the Shaddadid emir of Dvina Abu-l-Asvar invaded Tashir-Dzoraget in 1040 with a large army and captured most of the kingdom within a year, Bagrat IV was in no hurry to help David Landless ^[4] .

Extreme inequality of forces forced David to abandon the idea of ​​giving the emir a fight alone, and he turned for help to his overlord , Shahinshah Hovhannes-Smbat . Since the latter all this time, remaining on the side, indifferently watching the emir’s destructive raid on the possessions of his vassal, David was not sure that he would wait for help from him. Therefore, he threatened Hovhannes-Smbat that if he didn’t help him, then David would submit to Abu-l-Aswar and with him attack Shirak - the family estate of the elder Bagratids and the core of the Armenian kingdom, where the capital of the country, Ani, was located. After making sure that David had nothing to lose and that he would fulfill his threat, Hovhannes Smbat not only sent him an auxiliary army, but also pushed his other vassal, the Syunik king Smbat, to do the same. By the same method, David got help from Bagrat IV, who also sent him an auxiliary army ^{[4] [10]} .

Thus, including David’s own forces, a 20,000-strong army was formed. Further, since this was still not enough, he turned to the Aghvan Catholicos Hovsep in order to give the fight against the emir a religious and popular character. Thanks to this, all Aghvan clergy and thousands of people's militia sided with David ^[4] .

The battle with the superior strength of the emir’s army ended in a severe defeat of the latter ^[10] . The army of Abu l-Aswara, with heavy losses, not only retreated, but, pursued by the troops of David, suffered numerous new losses over the course of 5 days. Within 3 days, David Bezemmelny freed all his possessions occupied by the emir, and he divided the booty seized from the enemy between the allies who came to his aid ^[4] .

After the death of King Hovhannes-Smbat, David twice, in 1041 and 1042, tried to seize the capital of Armenia - Ani and take a single Armenian throne, but to no avail ^[10] . The throne was inherited by the nephew of Hovhannes-Smbat, Gagik II . Subsequently, however, already in 1045, the last shahinsh of Armenia, Gagik II was captured by the Byzantines and, in the same year, the empire captures Ani ^[16] .

With the fall of the unified Armenian kingdom and the senior branch of the Bagratid dynasty in 1045 , the Kurikyans headed the clan ^[3] , and their kingdom became independent both legally and practically ^[5] .

The strengthening of the Georgian kingdom during the reign of Bagrat IV gradually began to turn into a threat to Tashir-Dzoraget. The Kyurikids feared the further expansion of Bagrat IV, which strengthened in Tbilisi and approached their borders. Proceeding from this, David Bezemmelny tried to hinder Bagrat’s attempts to unite Georgia, especially since the independence of the kingdom of his son, Gagik, was in jeopardy. It is these fears that explain the support of David and Gagik the most powerful opponent of Bagrat IV, the eristav Liparit, when he opposed the central government in the winter of 1046-1047 ^[12] . In the summer of 1047, the combined forces of Liparit, David Landless, and Gagik in the Battle of Sisareth defeated Bagrat's army. This success, however, was only temporary ^[4] .

After the death of David I in 1048, his son, Curique II , ascends the throne. During his reign, a local coin began to be minted in the kingdom ^[5] .

When the Seljuks invaded the Kurikyans, they became their vassals ^{[1] [3]} , Curik II recognized the suzerainty of the Seljuk Sultan Alp-Arslan in 1064/65 ^[5] . In the same 1065, the Georgian king Bagrat IV , on the pretext of negotiations on the extradition of his niece, daughter Curika II (or the daughter of Smbat, brother Curika II ^[12] ), for Alp Arslan, captured Curika and his brother Smbat and forced them to surrender to him Samsvilde - the capital of Tashir-Dzoraget and a number of fortresses, which contributed to a sharp weakening of the kingdom ^[5] . After the loss of Samschwilde, Curik II transfers the capital to the city of Lori ^[11] .

The establishment of a comparatively peaceful relationship with the Sultan Alp-Arslan unleashed the hands of Bagrat IV, who invaded the Kakheti-Eretinsky kingdom, and the second invasion of the Seljuk Turks against Georgia (1067-1068) caught him in the midst of military operations. Upon learning of the enemy invasion, he immediately returned to Kartli . In the campaign of Alp-Arslan against Bagrat IV on the side of the Sultan, Kyurike II, his nephew, the king of Kakheti-Hereti Ahsartan I, and the Tbilisi emir took part ^[12] .

Kyurike II died in 1089, his sons Abas and David II became his successors. In 1118, the lands of the Tashir-Dzoragetsky kingdom were annexed to Georgia by David the Builder , after which the Kyurikyans, having strengthened themselves in the fortresses and Tavush , retained the royal title until the beginning of the XIII century ^[1] .

In 1185, the lands of the kingdom of Kyurikids passed to the Armenian princes from the Zakaryan clan ^[9] .

In the XVIII century , Melik Arustamyans from Barsum claimed to be descended from the Kyurikids ^{[19] [20]} .

Kakheti-Eretinsky kingdom

Founded by the son of David I the Landless, Gagik, this branch of the Kyurikid dynasty ruled the Kakheti-Eretinsky kingdom from 1029 ^[13] / 1038. Gagik inherited the Kakheti-Eretinsky throne from his maternal uncle, Kvirike III, since the latter did not leave male offspring. His accession to the throne marked the transition of the kingdom of Kakheti-Ereti to the sphere of political influence of the Tashir-Dzorageti kingdom.

The accession of Gagik was hostile to the part of the Kakhetian nobility, who nominated the husband of the other sister of the late Quirike III, the owner of the Marelisi castle at the source of the Alazani river Ashot Marileli, apparently unhappy that Gagik reigned in his stead. The new political alignment of forces also upset the plans of the king of Georgia Bagrat IV with regard to his eastern neighbors, therefore, in this situation, Ashot Marileli became his natural ally.

After the accession of Gagik, the question arose about the annexation of the city of Tbilisi . According to an anonymous historian, “ troops approached Tbilisi on this side of the Kura , on the upper and lower [reaches],Abkhazian king , and on the other side of the river, in the part of Isani, the troops of the Kakhs and Eras approached ... At that time Gagik was the king of Kakheti ... ” The siege of Tbilisi dragged on for two years (1037 / 1038-1039 / 1040) ^[12] . However, the threat from the Shaddadids and the rebellion of Liparit Orbeliani forced Bagrat IV to lift the siege ^[21] .

According to the historian G. Mkrtumyan, all the facts suggest that between Liparit and Gagik, behind whose back was the father of the latter, David Bezemmelny, there was a secret agreement on the seizure of Tbilisi and the annexation of the left-bank territory of the zmirat along with Isani castle (Metekhi castle and present Avlabari ) to the kingdom of Kakheti Hereti, the right-bank part with the city of Tbilisi was supposed to go to Liparit. Однако Баграт IV предпринял ответные меры и захватил в плен эриставов Кахети.

В 1045 (или 1046 ^[13] ) году Баграт IV овладел Тбилиси (за исключением крепости Исани). Это событие заставило Гагика установить с ним добрососедские отношения. Но вскоре после установления владычества Византии в Ани и в связи с неурядицами, имевшими место в Тбилиси, возобновились враждебные отношения между Багратом и Липаритом. В этой борьбе Гагик вместе с отцом поддержал эристава Липарита, так как экспансионистская политика грузинского царя постепенно становилась угрозой для Кюрикидов ^{[4] [12]} . В царствование Гагика Кахети-Эрети переживала пору своего расцвета.

В 1058 году трон наследовал сын Гагика, Ахсарта́н I. При нём в царстве наступил период упадка. После захвата в 1065 году Самшвилде Баграт IV вторгся в пределы Кахети-Эрети, но вскоре вынужденно отступил из-за похода Алп-Арслана на Грузию. Предвидя большую опасность от турок-сельджуков и желая спасти своё царство, Ахсартан принял ислам, преподнёс султану ценные подарки и обещал ему харадж . Несмотря на это, в ноябре-декабре 1067 года Алп-Арслан вторгся в пределы Кахети, а спустя три недели, то есть уже в 1068 году, выдвинулся на царство Баграта IV. Вместе с ним против грузинского царя выступил также Ахсартан I.

Ahsartan I was succeeded by his son, Quirike IV (1084-1102). The new king, David IV the Builder, who ascended the throne of Georgia in 1089, having decided to permanently deprive Kakheti-Ereti’s kingdom of independence, began military operations against Kvirike IV, as a result of which he managed to seize the Zedazeni fortress in 1101 - a significant military strategic border post ^[12] .

During the short reign of the nephew of Kvirike IV, Akhsartan II (1102-1105), his kingdom apparently maneuvered between the Ganja emirate and Georgia. The feudal nobility of Kakheti Hereti, fearing Muslim rulers, became close to the Georgian kingdom. The Eretino Aznauri saw the path to rapprochement in the capture and transfer of Akhsartan II to David the Builder, which happened in 1104 (or in 1105 ^{[13] [14]} ). The Shaddadid rulers of Ganja could not come to terms with this, but after defeating the Seljuks in the battle of Ertsuhi in 1104, David the Builder easily managed to finally consolidate Kakheti-Ereti within Georgia, thereby abolishing the Kakheti branch of the Armenian Kurikids ^[12] .

Principality of Tavush

The Principality of Kyurikids that existed on the territory of Gavar Tavush - the historical Armenian region ^{[23] [24] [25]} Utik in the first half of the XII century. The founder of the principality was the son of Kyurike II, Abas, after the fall of the Tashir-Dzoragetsky kingdom . The center of the principality was the Tavush fortress in the north-east of Armenia, transferred under the control of the Kyurikyan in 966 .

Throughout its short period of existence, the Principality of Tavush was forced to fight against the invasions of the neighboring Seljuk emirate of Ganja ^[26] .

In 1139, Prince Abas facilitated the ordination of the Aghvan Catholicos Grigor I ^[27] .

The Principality was captured by the Ganja Emirate in 1145 . Prince Abas moved to his brother David at Matsnaberd ^[27] .

Subsequently, one of the branches of the Kyurikyans at the end of the XII century , having strengthened itself in a part of the historical region of Tavush, in the Nor-Berd fortress, founded a new principality that existed until the 1930s and 1940s. Most of Tavush from the end of the 12th to the 13th centuries was under the rule of the princes from the Vahramyan dynasty ^[26] .

Principality of Matsnaberd

Feudal dominion of the Kyurikids clan existed in the west of Utica in the XII-XIII centuries. The founder of the principality was David, the son of the king of the Tashir-Dzoraget kingdom, Kyurike II , who, after the fall of Tashir-Dzoraget, settled in the Matsnaberd fortress. The Kurikyans of Matsnaberd were in vassal dependence on the Zakaryan clan, the rulers of central Armenia and had political ties with the neighboring principalities of Tavush, Atherk and Nor-Berd, as well as with the Georgian princely clan Orbeliani . In the first half of the XII century, the principality fought against the Ganja emirate ^[28] . David died in 1145, his son, Curique ^{[28] [29]} became his successor.

Little is known about the rule of Curik. Kyurike had 5 daughters (Mariam, Rusugan, Mamkan, Borina and Van) and 2 sons (Abas and Vasak ^[31] ). The foundation of the monasteries of Kobayr ( 1171 ) ^[29] and Akhtala in ( 1188 ) ^[30] is associated with the name Mariam. She also built in 1185 the family burial vault of the Kyurikyans in Haghpat (where many representatives of the clan were buried, including Kurik I, Kyurik II, brothers Abas and David II, Mariam herself, her brother Abas and her sisters) and other structures. Rusugan was the wife of a major Georgian feudal lord Ivan Orbeli, just like her sister was engaged in construction in Akhpat, Sanahin, Kobayr and Georgia. Mamkan married Prince Atherk Asan Kronavoryal , her son, Vakhtang I , in 1182 inherited the throne of Aterk and the entire Khachen principality . Her sisters: Borina is mentioned in inscriptions from the Sanahin monastery, as well as in the 13th century Armenian historian Kirakos Gandzaketsi , and Van is mentioned in inscriptions from the Haghpat monastery ^[29] .

After the death of Kyurike in 1170, his 12-year-old son Abas became his successor. At the age of 17, he married Nana, the sister of Zakara Zakaryan . Two years after the wedding, at the age of 19, Abas died (c. 1176). Since Abas and Nana did not have sons, under the auspices of Borina, Abas's sister, his illegitimate son Agsartan became his successor. However, this did not please David, Prince of Nor-Bird, Abas's nephew. Considering Agsartan an illegal heir, he himself wished to take possession of the Matsnaberd. David married his daughter to Agsartan and later, when he captured Matsnaberd by deception, he expelled Agsartan from the fortress. But the local population did not recognize the power of the new ruler, rebelled and forced David to leave the fortress, and Agsartan again took the throne of Matsnaberd ^{[29] [31]} .

The date of death of Agsartan is unknown, it is known that during his lifetime he lost his throne to his son, Curik II. Under Curic II, the Matsnaberd may have been captured by the Mongols for some time. Kyurike had three sons - Agsartan, Tadiadin and Paglavan. The throne was inherited by Agsartan II, however, neither information about him nor about his brother Paglavan was preserved. It is only known that Tadiadin participated in the Armenian regiment in the campaign of the Mongols in Baghdad and Nfrkert . The last known in history Curikid was the son of Tadiadin - Sargis, Prince of Matsnaberd. Information about him from the inscription of 1249 from the Haghpat Monastery ^[29] has been preserved.

Principality of Berd

The Nor-Berd Fortress is mentioned in the Georgian historical essay “The Life of King David Kings” (XII century) in connection with the capture of it by the King of Georgia David the Builder (1089–1125): “ And instantly east, like an eagle, and in May took away Armenian fortresses: Gaga , Teronakal, Kavaziny, Norbed, Manasgoma and Talindzhakar " ^[22] .

The founder of the principality was Vasak I, the son of Kyurike, the grandson of David, the founder of the Principality of Matsnaberd. Apparently, Vasak died before his brother Abas (1176), since he did not inherit the throne of Matsnaberd after the death of the last. Vasak is mentioned in the inscriptions of his son David and grandson of Vasak II from the monastery of Nor Varaga ^[31] .

The foundation of the Nor Varaga Monastery is associated with the name of the Nor-Bird Kyurikyan . The founder of the monastery was the Prince of Nor Berd - David. First of all, he built in 1193-1198 the oldest church of the Anapat complex and the clan mausoleum. In 1224-1237, the son of Prince David, Vasak II, built a church in honor of the Holy Virgin. According to the inscription on the wall of the monastery, he had a water supply system built by Sharan in 1253 ^{[32] [33]} .

Vasak II was married to the daughter of the Aniyan prince Wagram Echup , Hatun, who is mentioned in inscriptions from the monasteries of and Harichavank . From the Khatun inscription from Oromos, it becomes clear that Vasak did not have sons who could inherit his throne, and it can be assumed that the Nor-Berd Kyurikyan clan stopped on it ^[31] .

Kings of Tashir-Dzorageta

• Gurgen (Curique) - 978 - 989 ^[one]
• David I Landless - 989 - 1048 ^[one]
• Kyurike II - 1048 - 1089 ^[one]
• Abas and David II - circa 1090 - 1145 ^[3]

Kings of Kakheti and Hereti

• Gagik - 1038 - 1058 years. ^[fourteen]
• Akhsartan I - 1058 - 1084 years. ^[fourteen]
• Quirike IV - 1084 - 1102 ^[fourteen]
• Ahsartan II - 1102 - 1105 ^[fourteen]

Princes of Tavush

• Abas - 1113 - 1145 ^[26]

Princes of Matsnaberd

• David - 1113 - 1145 ^[28]
• Curik - 1145 - 1170 ^[28]
• Abas - 1170 - 1176 ^[28]
• Agsartan - 1176 -? years ^[28]
• Curique II ^[29]
• Agsartan II ^[29]
• Sargis ^[29]

Princes of Nor Bird

• Wasak I -? - no later than 1176 ^{[29] [31]}
• David - no later than 1176 - after 1198. ^{[31] [33]}
• Wasak II - after 1198 - after 1237 ^{[31] [33]}