Ashot III won the favour of the caliphate by defeating one of the emirs in Azerbaijan who had revolted against Baghdad and attacked Armenia.
During the war between the Byzantine emperor John Tzimiskes and the Arabs, Armenia did its best to remain neutral and forced the two battling parties to respect the boundaries of its country. The Byzantine army began to march across the plain of Moush, thinking to strike the decisive blow against the Arabs from Armenia, but when they met with the 30,000 strong army of Ashot III, they altered their plan and left the Armenian territory.
During the reign of this great king, who was a tireless builder and creator, Armenia truly flourished and the Armenian people proved once more that in times of peace, spanning decades, or even years, they could express their inner powers for creation and development. Ashot III personally laid the foundation for the city of Ani and built its citadel, decreeing it the new capital of Armenia.
The only unfortunate event during the reign of this king occurred because of his unlimited good will towards others. Ashot III wanted to occupy his brother, Prince Moushegh, and therefore appointed him as regent over Kars (Vanand). Moushegh claimed independence and founded a new Armenia which in reality only constituted the province of Kars. This action was damaging to Armenia, severely weakening its unity. It would have been wiser for this prince to have used his strength to unite the entire Armenia by capturing the two remaining independent Armenian principalities, Vaspourakan and Siuni, and annexing them to Armenia.
But Ashot III refused to do the latter action. "The caliphate of Baghdad displayed his gratitude for the services which Ashot III had carried out for him and sent several gifts to the Armenian king, among others a second royal crown. This crown was a sign of the respect which the caliphate held for his character. Ashot III, who was a competent and brave king, had the capability to expand his domain, but instead he dedicated his efforts to improving the defence of the country and strengthening its important outposts along the border-regions. He was neither power-hungry nor nonchalant, both of which often characterise a conqueror. Even though his people gave him the title of "Victor", his magnitude also merited the more splendid title of "Ashot the Merciful". He spent all his taxes and assets on building churches, schools and hospitals. At his dinner-table often sat poor people and if there were invalids among them, he served them with great humbleness. His wife, Queen Khosrovanush, was equally good-hearted, competing with him in generosity and helping the needy. It was she who ordered the building of the famous cities of Sanahin and Aghpat." 48
His son, Smbat II, succeeded him on the throne in 977 and continued his father's work. He ordered the construction of a wall around the city of Ani and built towers and fortifications, sheltering the city from north to west. During his time also Armenia experienced a period of peace and tranquillity, and only the conflict between Smbat II and his uncle Moushegh in Kars disturbed the peace. Another bone of contention arose, however, between the king and the Armenian Church when the king married his niece, which the church opposed strongly. King Smbat II died in 989, at a time when the famous Armenian architect, Tirdat, by order of the king, had started laying the foundation of the great cathedral of Ani. This building is still standing today, and with its unique style and simple decorations it is regarded as one of the Armenian masterpieces of architecture.
Smbat II was succeeded by his brother Gagik (Khatchik). It was during his untroubled reign that Bagratouni Armenia realised to its full potential the country's power and cultural development. F. Macler writes: "Armenia had become so powerful, that it was able to neutralize the attacks from any enemy. The king managed to concentrate all his force and knowledge into fulfilling the material and spiritual needs of his people." 49
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