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

The emigration of Armenians to Georgia, Cilicia, and
other parts of the Middle Eaat led to a phenomenon we might
call the internationalization of the great families.
There were Georgian Bagratida, Armenian Bagratida, Alban-
ian Bagratida, and Graeco-Saljuq. Bagratida, and the same
applied to the Arcrunida and Orbeleans. The Pahlawunids
in particular internationalized. They were hereditary
archbishops of Ani from the ll-13th centuries, and also
owned property in Mesopotamia and Cilicia, where in the
12th century they became kat'oiikoi. In the 12th century,
another branch of the Fahlawunids settled in Egypt and
acquired so much influence as veziers, that anti-Armenian
riots took place in several Egyptian cities . It
should be noted, however, that while the internationalization
of the great families could and did lead to new trading
opportunities and the accumulation of great wealth,
such was not always the case. Often the different
branches of a given family were in bitter rivalry with
each other.
In dealing with the Georgian nobility, the Bagratid
kings of Georgia utilized many of the same methods as did
foreign rulers: circumvention of the dynasts whenever possible,
HAP PP. 516-18, 507, 509-510.
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