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Index

Armenia

The Urartu Civilisation

Victory for Independence

Artashisian Dynasty on the Armenian Throne

Armenia caught between Rome and the Arsacids

The Acceptance of Christianity

Defending Christianity

Armenia Under the Bagratouni Dynasty

Cilicia - the New Armenia

Armenia Under Turanian Rule

The Renaissance or the Resurrection of Armenia

The Eastern Question

Russia in the Caucasus

The Armenian Question

Battle on Two Fronts

Tsarist Russia Against the Armenians

The Revolution of the Young Turks and the Armenian People on the Eve of World War I

The First World War

The Resurrection of Armenia

Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

- Armenia on the Road to Independence, 1918

Eastern Armenia

Western Armenia

"The Fateful Years" (1914-1917)

"Hopes and Emotions" (March-October, 1917)

The Bolshevik Revolution and Armenia

Transcaucasia Adrift (November, 1917

Dilemmas (March-April, 1918)

War and Independence (April-May, 1918)

The Republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia

The Suppliants (June-October, 1918)

In conclusion

Soviet Armenia

The Second Independent Republic of Armenia

Epilogue

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The Hetoum Dynasty and the Alliance With the Mongols (1220-1300)



Levon II had no son, but only one daughter by the name of Isabelle who succeeded her father at his death, in 1220, and ruled together with a royal counsel. It was this crown prince, Grand Baron Constantine, one of the old commanders of Levon II, who skilfully ruled the country for the next six years (1220-1226). He was a member of one of the most famous Armenian noble families by the name of Hetoum from Lambron, a family which until becoming a subject of the Roubinian dynasty, was one of the most important representatives of Byzantine in Cilicia.

Shortly after the death of Levon II, the Grand Baron was forced to defend the country against one of the rulers in Antiochia, who claimed to be of the Roubinian family. This challenger advanced to Cilicia and occupied the city of Tars, but Constantine defeated his forces at Mamistra and captured the intruder.

Constantine, who wished to find a husband for Isabelle and a king for New Armenia, married Isabelle to Philip, son of Bohèmond, the ruler of Antiochia. However, from the moment he sat on the throne transpired that he was completely under the influence of his father, who intended to replace the Armenian rulers with Latin ones and annex New Armenia to Antiochia.

When Constantine realized this, he drove Philip out from Armenia and married Isabelle to his own son, Hetoum. Hetoum I, who ruled between 1226 and 1270, became the founder of the Hetoum dynasty which inherited the rule of the country from the Roubinian-Bagratouni dynasty.

The Turks of Konya used this transition period to their advantage, occupying the major part of Isauria in the western part of New Armenia. Hetoum I began his rule by taking back the occupied parts of this province. Hetoum I looked to the Mongols for aid against the Mamelukes, who having defeated the crusaders arose as the greatest and mightiest opponent of New Armenia. Hetoum I travelled personally to Ghareghoroum, an incredible journey which spoke of the courage and forebearance of the Armenians.

Initially, when the Mongols first appeared under the leadership of Genghis Khan, threatening Asia Minor, New Armenia was among the alliance of those Anatolian countries (of which the majority were Seljuk Turks) who forced back the Mongolarmy. After the death of Genghis Khan, his grandson, Oktay, turned his attention to the south, the Muslim areas of Syria and Mesopotamia, which were the subjects of Egypt. Hetoum I, therefore, signed an alliance-treaty with Oktay Khan. He established connections with the Mongols and captured their attention through the following incident. According to the tale, the arch-enemy of Armenia, the Turkish sultan of Konya, Ghiasedin, was defeated by the Mongols and fled with his family to New Armenia and asked for asylum in the court of Hetoum I. The Mongols demanded that Armenia hand him over to them. But Hetoum refused to extradite his enemy, who now was his guest and had asked him for shelter, and according to eastern customs surrendered instead his own son, Levon. The Mongols were deeply impressed by this act and established good relations with him. 76

The Armenian forces joined the Mongol forces, which were led by the brother of Oktay Khan, Houlagou Khan. Their plan was to conquer Syria and Palestine, and then liberate Jerusalem; the Mongols promised to hand over Jerusalem to the Christians and only keep Syria and Mesopotamia. Armenia and the Mongols gathered their forces in Ourfa and defeated the sultan of Aleppo.