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In contrast to the Armenian Vaspourakan, Bagratouni Armenia continued to fight with great fortitude. In 1021, the Turanians suffered a heavy defeat against the Armenian army, led by Vasak Pahlavouni, who died during the battle.

Before long, however, the emperor of Byzantine seized the opportunity and forced Armenia to fight on two fronts. This undeserving and incompetent heir of the great Roman Empire was unknowingly digging its own grave by destroying Armenia, who seemed to withstand the stream of Turanian assaults on its own. "The assaults of the Turanians on Armenia, instead of drawing the assistance and rescue of the Greeks, had given them the opportunity to fulfil their old plan of conquering the Armenian highland and annexing it to the Byzantine Empire. This action resulted in a miserable fate, not only for Armenia, but also for Byzantine itself." 72

During the reign of Smbat III, an Armenian-Georgian great feudal lord, David, who owned Taik (Ispir and Olti) had, during his battles against the Muslims, gained a large area which stretched all the way to Manazkert (Malashgert). David was a subject of Byzantine and when he died his entire territory was occupied by Basil II, who had resumed the policy of, bit by bit, annexing Armenia to his empire (year 1000). 74 This policy of occupation and expansion was also pursued by the successors of Basil II. By the death of Smbat III (1042), Michel Calaphate, one of the successors of Basil II, was the emperor cornering Armenia, who was still standing against the Seljuk Turks. When the great Armenian commander, Vahram Pahlavouni, prepared the coronation of the successor to Smbat III, king's nephew Gagik II who at that time was only 14 years old, the Byzantine emperor created a competitor for him, Vest Sarkis, an Armenian prince and subject to the Greeks.



After this Bagratouni Armenia resisted three further assaults of the Byzantine Empire, forcing them to retreat. This time Byzantine exerted its forces to the outmost in order to conquer Armenia and once for all annex it to the empire. To this end, they sent a great army to the southern part of Bagratouni Armenia and at the same time convinced the Albanian (present-day Azerbaijan) king to attack Armenia from the east. At the fierce battle that was fought by the walls of Ani, general Vahram Pahlavouni heavily defeated the Byzantine army, forcing them to leave 20,000 dead behind. 78 This victory allowed Vahram Pahlavouni to crown Gagik II king of Armenia and subsequently take the fortress of Ani, which was in the hands of Vest Sarkis.

After this great victory, the new Armenian king, together with the great commander, turned towards the second enemy of Armenia, namely the Seljuk Turks were still intent on conquering the Bagratouni kingdom. The Armenian army hurried to confront the enemy at the location of the present-day river of Gokt-chai, where the king and his commander split the Armenian army into two units. The first division engaged in battle with the Seljuk Turks and then pretended to run away, drawing the Turks after them to the second army, which was lying in ambush. The battle ended with catastrophic defeat for the Seljuk Turks.

This defeat of the Turks engendered as a cry for unification across Armenia. In Vaspourakan, where the population had been deserted by Byzantine, the people eagerly anticipated the Armenian king driving the Seljuk Turks out of their homeland. During the leadership of Khatchik, known for his courage as "the Lion", the Armenians revolted and the Turks were forced to retreat to Khoy and Salmas.