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

The Kaxarars and the Invasions of the Early 13th Century
Of the various Turco-Mongol invasions occurring in
the 1220's and 1230's, the moat destructive were those
undertaken by Jalal al-Din HangublrdI of Khwaraza and
by the Mongols. How did the naxarars react to them, and
how did the new conquerors of Armenia deal with the
naxarars? According to Kirakos Ganjakcc'i, Step'annos
Orbelean and the History of K'art'li. the Armeno-Georgian
army commanded by atabek Iwane outnumbered Jalal al-Din's
forcee But naxarar squabbles and jealousies appear to
have been an important cause of defeat. Some sources
politely and piously speak of divine intervention which
managed to change the shouted command "charge" into "flee" .
In fact, because of enmity between the atabek Iwane and hie
relations Iwane and Salva (Vahram Gageli's first cousin), the
atabek Iwane refused to participate or to allow those
troops under him to fight. Other detachments under lesser
commanders fled or fought chaotically . Following their
desertion, the prominent naxarars withdrew to the security
of their inaccessible fortresses .
SO p. 145.
See ch . 2 pp. 81-82 n. 2.
. 180; Mur. p. 68: "...Now the mandat*urt'-uxuc*ea
Tao were all fortified into their keeps, each of them loyal
to Rusudan'a rule, but due to their preoccupation, they
v.were unable to participate in the ceremony for king David".
169