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

The nobility of the Zak'arid revival consisted of
different elements: men of ambition and military talents
from newly-arisen families, who were rewarded by their
Zak'arid overlords with grants of land and/or the rights
of administration; mecatun merchants; the remnants of
the ancient dynastic families: Uamikonids, Bagratids,
Arcrunids, Orbeleans, and others, who in the changed
situation of the early 13th century all became Zak'arid
vassals; and the clerical nobility representing the
different Armenian churches.
It must be stated that the Zak'arid revival was of
such short duration that the achievement—a centralized
Armenian state under Georgian overlordship—>is difficult
to evaluate. As we illustrated, during the Zak'arid
revival and throughout the 13th century there were numerous
conflicts among the naxarars (secular and clerical) over
land. The lords in this period were not quarreling over
more orchards and choice hunting grounds, but over the
tolls for right of passage from the trade routes criss-
crossing the highlands. There were other superficial
similarities with Arsacld naxararism, but we stress that
they were more apparent than real. The feud, an important
feature of Arsacid naxararism, existed in the 13th century
as well, but the obligation of blood vengeance had been
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