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

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The common danger posed by the Mongols proved insufficient
to unite the naxarars. The History of K'art'li describes
the situation obtaining in Christian Caucasia on the eve
of the princes' surrender:
When the country was subjected to such
bitterness and wicked acts, the powerful erist'avs
of erist'avs and the veziers rose up against each"
other and became each other's murderers. For
queen Rusudan was entirely settled en the far
side of the Lixt mountains and was unable to cross
to this side of Lixt; nor were the veziers on
this side able to go to her, having no chance.
They became wanderers. So they were disunited and
imprudent. Thus Georgia's powerful and renowned
ones became unable to fight the Tatars to save
themselves. 1.
When the naxarars realized the futility of resistance
they began surrendering. The Mongols richly rewarded
those submitting—an inducement to the hesitant—while
simultaneously devastating the lands of recalcitrant lords.
They demanded taxes, appointed guards for key areas,
demolished the walls encircling fortresses which they
2
considered potential bases of local resistance , and
required the naxarars and their troops to participate
in the subjugation of other areas. Frequently they obliged
the Caucasians to fight as advance-attackers, to prevent
their desertion .
1 KG pp. 188-89; Mur. p. 74.
2 KG pp. 237, 241, 313? GA p. 297.
3 The Armenian and Georgian princes' submission to the