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

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"cohesive" fight<strong>in</strong>g force. <strong>The</strong> same nay aot be said<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Armenia</strong>n <strong>and</strong> Greek forces <strong>of</strong> Asia M<strong>in</strong>or.<br />

Dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> after <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>vasions, some pr<strong>in</strong>ces, not<br />

wish<strong>in</strong>g to emigrate, or unable to, took to a w<strong>and</strong>er<strong>in</strong>g<br />

life, hid<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> caves, <strong>in</strong> some cases perhaps wait<strong>in</strong>g for<br />

opportunities to avenge <strong>the</strong>mselves . O<strong>the</strong>rs made accom-<br />

odation with <strong>the</strong> Saljuqs <strong>and</strong> reta<strong>in</strong>ed certa<strong>in</strong> limited<br />

rights. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, <strong>the</strong> benevolent Saljuq sultan Malik-<br />

Shah granted <strong>the</strong> <strong>Armenia</strong>n churches tax-free status <strong>in</strong> 1090,<br />

upon <strong>the</strong> request <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> kat'otikos. Probably some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

naxarar families were able to reta<strong>in</strong> control <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

l<strong>and</strong>s through <strong>the</strong> clergy. In <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> naxarar<br />

confederational State, <strong>the</strong> naxararized Church became <strong>the</strong><br />

medium <strong>of</strong> communication for <strong>the</strong> families. Indeed Smbat<br />

Sparapet described kat'ojktkos Grigor Tla Fahlawunl<br />

(1173-93) as be<strong>in</strong>g "like a k<strong>in</strong>g" <strong>in</strong> wealth. References <strong>in</strong><br />

o<strong>the</strong>r sources also suggest a partial restoration <strong>of</strong> l<strong>and</strong>s<br />

<strong>and</strong> privileges under various Muslim overlords. Mat<strong>the</strong>w<br />

<strong>of</strong> Edesaa, for example, describ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> situation <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

time <strong>of</strong> Ualik Ismael Ibn Yaqut (1085-93) wrote "everyone<br />

ruled his patrimony <strong>in</strong> his [Yaqut's] time (amenayn ok* tlreal<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r with 100,000 captives (HAP pp. 449-50).<br />

C.J.F. Dowsett, "<strong>The</strong> Albanian Chronicle <strong>of</strong> Mxit'ar Go!"<br />

BSOAS vol. 21(1958) p. 484.<br />

25C

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