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

manipulation of the noble*' precedence, and "de-naxarar-
ization"—removal of the lords. During the 10-12th
centuries, Georgian monarchs attempted to circumvent
the autochonous dynaatio nobility by elevating to official
positions, persons of non-noble origin. So many non-nobles
(uaznoni) were thus elevated to noble status (aznauroba)
that in the llth century Georgian sources a new term,
aizeebulni ("the raised") appeared to designate this growing
body . On the military front, the monarchs attempted to
circumvent powerful Georgian dynasts by relying on foreign
2
mercenaries (Caucasian mountaineers, QXpchao. Turks,
Russians), the lesser nobility, and the increasingly
influential Armenian emigre element. The availability
of non-noble and foreign elements probably gave the Georgian
Bagratids more leverage in dealing with dynasts than had
been the case in Bagratid Armenia.
Apparently Georgian monarchs also were able to manuipulate
precedence among the nobles more advantageously than their
Armenian cousins. Occupancy of the office of commander-in-
chief of the army (the amirspasalarate) illustrates this.
Throughout much of the 12th century to 1155, the amirspasalars
tended to be chosen from the mighty, rebellious Georgian
branch of the Orbeleans. In the 1120*3 the Crown tried
1 Allen p. 229.
On the Q?pchaqs in Georgia, see '?.D.Lordkipariidze, Istoriia
oruaii Xi-nachala XIII veka (Tbilisi, 1974).
254