The Turco-Mongol Invasions and the Lords of Armenia in the 13 ...

During the reign of Htilegtt'a son and successor
Abaqa (1265-82) more examples of centrifugation. among
the Mongols became manifest. In the very first year of
his rule, Abaqa was obliged to deal with another invasion
of the Caucasus from Berke . With the latter's death in
Tiflis in 1266, the troops of the Golden Horde retreated .
Spuler p. 26; KG's text ends with an incomplete description
of this invasion, p. 399; VA chp. 98: "Now at the beginning
of 1266/67, the governor of the North named Berke (Bark'a)
who had held the position of Battt and Sartakh and was a
Muslim, heard about the death of great Hfllegu and he came
with a multitude [of troops] to the Kur river to display
his forces to the troops on this side of the river—troops
of Abaqa and his brother Ismud, to show that he was alive
after the death of their father. And Berke came and trampled
them with little care, as far as HeZn. All the Muslims
there prayed in joy. But those [people] on this side were
terrified by this and walled off the length of the river
called Sibar and kept in all readiness throughout the winter.
Then Berke, having lost hope, returned to his place. And'
in the summertime he died. They say that in behavior he
was not an agitator, and that he loathed blood-letting"
(VA p. 162).
KG: "Curing this period the great Khan Berke came forth
on the Darband highway to avenge [the deaths.of] Xut'ar,
Balal-, and lul. Learning of this, Abaqa-Khan summoned
his army and king David, and set out. But when he realized
the size of Berke's army and its might, he did not
cross the Kur, but went up the banks, leaving troops where
the Kur and the. Ar,ax join, from there to Mc'xet'a* Berke
ravaged the Shirvan country, Heret'i , Kaxet'i , and the
whole bank oT"~the lori. The army came as far asJTiflis.
Countless Christians were killed, while Berke-Khan encamped
in the Ga.re3 mountains. Then God pitied the land and
Abaqa-Khan. Berke was seized with some sort of illQess
and heTied. Now his troops when they saw their Khan's
decease, picked up the corpse and passed through tEe
Darband Gates. So the land was pacified" (KG pp. 254-55;
Mur. p. 126). SMP p. 356.
131