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His son, Smbat I, succeeded him to the throne (892-914). He also, like his father, was met by the hostility of the emirs in Azerbaijan (the present Azerbaijan province in Iran and not the country in the Caucasus), who were appointed by the Arabs, but had never recognized the dictum of Baghdad creating an independent Armenia, and still regarded Armenia as their subject, which they could plunder at their choosing.

The emir of Azerbaijan, Afshin, used the treaty between Ashot I and Byzantine as an excuse to attack Armenia. Smbat I himself led his forces against the Arabs and after defending his country he launched a counter-offensive, occupied Dvin which was the headquarter of the emirs and took several of the Arab leaders captive. 25

Despite the loss, Afshin attacked Armenia for a second time, shortly after the negotiated peace. Smbat, surprised by the attack, was nonetheless able to gather his forces and annihilate the Arab army at the foot of the Mount Aragatz.

After this defeat, Afshin realised that he could not Armenia on his own. He therefore turned to Ahmed, the emir in the northern Mesopotamia, for assistance. Their joint army attacked Armenia, one from the east and the other from the south. Smbat rallied a doomed defence against these two armies, which were several times larger than the Armenian army and, finding he could not defeat them, he was forced to gradually retreat until he came to the northern parts of Armenia, more precisely to Taik (present-day Ispir), where the Arab forces could not follow. However, the enemy army was able to surround the city of Kars, where the wife and son of Smbat were. After some months of resistance, the city was forced to capitulate and Afshin took the royal family hostage (year 900). After Afshin's death, his brother Yousef initially resumed friendly relations with Armenia by setting the hostages free, but not long afterwards decided to attack the country. The invasion and plundering of Armenian cities had been, during the preceding centuries, the main source of income for the neighbouring emirs and they could not disregard this asset. Smbat managed to drive back Yousef during his first attack, but the emir of Azerbaijan convinced the principalities in Vaspourakan and some others, who were the subjects of Smbat (and in return for their feudal rights were bound to serve the king), to attack the forces of the Armenian king.

In the face of this conspiracy, Smbat was compelled to retreat to the Kapouyt (blue) fortress, where he resisted the siege for a whole year (until 913). Finally he surrendered on the condition that the garrison of the fortress should not be harmed. Yousef agreed to these terms but subsequently broke his promise. King Smbat I was taken prisoner and was executed. The valleys of Armenia were continuously plundered throughout most of the following decade by the armies of the Arab emirs of Azerbaijan, to such an extent that these fertile and green regions were reduced to famine. As reward for their treason, the princes of Vaspourakan, who were the Artzrouni princes, were put on the Armenian throne (908). 30

But Ashot II (918-925), known as Ashot Yerkat (Iron Ashot), son of Smbat I, avenged his father and re-established an independent Armenia. Ashot II, together with members of the Armenian nobility still loyal to his father, continued his battle among the mountains and managed, in 915, to drive out the foreigners, regaining the occupied fortresses one by one. The city of Kolp, which had been cooperating with the Arabs, was punished heavily. Again Yousef tried to conquer Armenia, this time attacking the principality of Vaspourakan, the domain of the Artzrouni family, but the Armenians managed to resist the attack.