Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - X. Chapters in the history of Armenia
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262 ARMENIA AND THE NEAR EAST
Bagratuni, son of Sembat, was appointed by the Khaliph to be
prince of Armenia. In 885, or thereabouts, he assumed the
title of king ; the Khaliph sent him a royal crown, and he
received another from the emperor Basil I, who seems to
have been of Armenian lineage.
Armenia was now governed for nearly two hundred years
by kings of the Bagratid family. Nominally they acknow
ledged, at any rate at first, the supremacy of the Khaliph, but
to all intents and purposes they were independent. In many
arduous wars waged with varying success, chiefly against
their Muhammedan enemies, but also against Byzantium, they
managed to hold their own, notwithstanding embittered
dissensions with rebellious nobles and not a few other mis
fortunes and calamities. They extended their dominion to a
large part of old Armenia, as well as to Vaspurakan, near Lake
Van, which was ruled by Artsruni chieftains, who were often
in jealous opposition to the Bagratids, and eventually assumed
the title of kings of that region. Those were harsh times,
and the combatants, even if they were Christians, often showed
little mercy to one another. When the powerful king
Sembat I (890-914) defeated and took prisoner a number of
rebellious Nakharars, he put out their eyes and committed
them to the safe keeping of the emperor of Byzantium and
the king of " Colchis " (Imeretia). Perhaps this was more
humane than executing them.
The kingdom of the Bagratids attained the zenith of its
prosperity under the three kings, Ashot 111 (951-977), Sem
bat II (977-989), and Ga^hik I (989-1020). The stronghold of
Ani (cf. p. 1 10) was adopted as the capital, and its fortifications
strengthened, a massive wall with a number of towers being
built on the north-east, where it was accessible and not
protected by deep gorges. Numerous churches, monasteries,
palaces, and castles were built in and near the town and else
where in Armenia. Here, again, it is striking that notwith
standing the frequent and destructive wars, the builder’s art
entered upon a new era of prosperity, great activity being
displayed in erecting a large number of fine buildings. But
obviously the kings, the clergy, and the aristocracy initiated
these building enterprises, no doubt largely at the expense of
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