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

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expendable, <strong>the</strong>y usually designated <strong>the</strong>n as advance--<br />

attackers. This was not, as <strong>the</strong> History <strong>of</strong> g'art'li<br />

<strong>and</strong> Grigor Aknere'i would have us believe, because <strong>the</strong><br />

Armeno-Georgian troops were such excellent warriors, but<br />

first, precisely because <strong>the</strong> Caucasians were expendable<br />

<strong>and</strong> second, because desertion was impossible with foreign<br />

troops fight<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> front or <strong>in</strong> detachments surrounded by<br />

<strong>Mongol</strong>s. Deserters were killed. This fact perhaps<br />

accounts for <strong>the</strong> "valor" so extensively recounted <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

sources, <strong>and</strong> so rem<strong>in</strong>iscent <strong>in</strong> spirit to those epic<br />

descriptions <strong>of</strong> naxarar s<strong>in</strong>gle-combat exploits found <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> Arsacid sources. <strong>The</strong> Caucasian troops had a simple<br />

choice fac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m: life <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> spoils <strong>of</strong> victory, or<br />

death from defeat or attempted desertion.<br />

195<br />

Also fac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> lords (at least <strong>in</strong> western historical <strong>Armenia</strong>)<br />

were <strong>the</strong> <strong>Armenia</strong>n <strong>and</strong> Georgian defenders <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own<br />

country, Rum. <strong>Armenia</strong>ns <strong>and</strong> Georgians fought <strong>and</strong> died<br />

on both sides . With <strong>the</strong> subjugation <strong>of</strong> western <strong>Armenia</strong>,<br />

<strong>the</strong> obligation <strong>of</strong> military service to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Mongol</strong> overlords<br />

did not end. <strong>The</strong> lords <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir troops were taken on<br />

campaigns all over <strong>the</strong> Middle East, North Africa, <strong>and</strong> Asia.<br />

KC p. 192; Mur. p. 77; GA p. 309.

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