| Emirate of Armenia Հայաստանի Էմիրություն |
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| Emirate | ||||
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| Emirate of Armenia from circa 750-885 | ||||
| Capital | Dvin | |||
| Language(s) | Armenian. Arabic | |||
| Religion | Christianity | |||
| Government | Monarchy | |||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | |||
| - Established | 637 | |||
| - Disestablished | 884 | |||
The Emirate of Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստանի Էմիրություն), also called the Principality of Armenia, refers to an aristocratic regime in early medieval Armenia that flourished in the period of interregnum between the seventh and ninth centuries, following the Marzpanate Period when the leading political authority was exercised by a succession of princes. By 637 AD Armenia emerged as an autonomous principality within the Arabic Empire under Caliph Umar, reuniting Armenian lands previously ruled by the Byzantine Empire as well. The principality was ruled by the Prince of Armenia, recognised by the Caliph and the Byzantine Emperor.
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The first Arab raid reached Armenia in 639 AD.[1] Dvin was captured and pillaged during this raid on 6 October 640. A second invasion took place in 642–643 and a third in 650, which captured some land north of Lake Van. According to bishop Sebeos, in January [642], the Arabs took the city of Tovin (Duin) by storm, slaughtered twelve thousand of its inhabitants and carried away thirty-five thousand into slavery.[2] Armenia however remained under Byzantine suzerainty until 653/654 AD, when Theodore Rshtuni voluntarily conceded Arab suzerainty and was recognized as autonomous prince of Armenia in return. According to this agreement, Armenia was recognized as an autonomous state subject to an annual tribute and a contribution of fifteen thousand troops to the Arab army. With Arab aid, Rhstuni repelled Byzantine attacks, and Arab troops even captured Theodosiopolis in 655, and cemented their control of the country by taking Rhstuni to Damascus and appointing his rival Hamazasp Mamikonian in his stead. The outbreak of the Muslim Civil War in 657 led to the recall of the Arab troops to Syria. Thereupon the Byzantines re-asserted their authority over the country, aided by Mamikonian. In 661 however, the victor of the Muslim civil war Mu'awiyah ordered the Armenian princes to re-submit to his authority and pay tribute. In order to avoid another war, the princes complied. The Arab policy of demanding that the tribute be paid in money had an effect on Armenian economy and society. Coins were struck in Duin. The Armenians were forced to produce a surplus of food and manufactured goods for sale. A strong urban life was developed in Caucasia as the economy revived.
| History of Armenia | |
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This article is part of a series |
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| Prehistory 2400 BC - 590 BC |
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| Name of Armenia | |
| Hayk | |
| Hayasa-Azzi | |
| Nairi · Urartu | |
| Antiquity 591 BC - 428 AD |
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| Orontid Armenia | |
| Kingdom of Armenia | |
| Kingdom of Sophene | |
| Kingdom of Commagene | |
| Lesser Armenia | |
| Roman Armenia | |
| Dynasties: | |
| Orontid · Artaxiad · Arsacid | |
| Middle Ages 429 - 1375 |
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| Marzpanate Period | |
| Byzantine Armenia | |
| Sassanid Armenia | |
| Arab conquest of Armenia | |
| Emirate of Armenia | |
| Bagratid Armenia | |
| Kingdom of Vaspurakan | |
| Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia | |
| Zakarid Armenia | |
| Dynasties: | |
| Bagratid · Rubenid · Artsruni | |
| Foreign Rule 1376 - 1918 |
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| Persian · Ottoman · Russian | |
| Principality of Khachen | |
| Armenian Oblast | |
| Armenian national movement | |
| Hamidian massacres | |
| Armenian Genocide | |
| Contemporary 1918 - present |
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| Democratic Republic of Armenia | |
| Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic | |
| Nagorno-Karabakh War | |
| Republic of Armenia | |
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Armenia Portal |
The Arabs, for administrative purposes, gathered the whole of the South Caucasus into one vast viceroyalty called al-Arminiya. Under the Umayyads especially, it was usually combined with the governorship of Azerbaijan (classical Media Atropatene), sometimes with the Jazira (northern Mesopotamia), and less often, with Tabaristan (southeast of Gīlān) and even Fars (central Persia). Armenia was governed by an emir or wali headquartered at Dvin (Dabil in Arab sources), whose role however was limited to defence and the collection of taxes: the country was largely run by the local princes, the nakharar. The province was formally established by the time of the caliph Abd al-Malik (r. 685–705). The Emirate of Armenia (al-Arminiya) was divided into four regions: Arminiya I (Caucasian Albania), Arminiya II (Caucasian Iberia), Arminiya III (the area around Aras River), Arminiya IV (Taron).[3] This viceroyalty also contained two large lakes: the salt lake known as Lake Van in the south-west, and the fresh water Lake Gukchah on its north-eastern border.
The most prominent Caliph of the Abbasid Dynasty was Harun al-Rashid who rose to power on 14 September 786 AD. According to contemporary Armenian sources, he was a greedy and avaricious man. Harun brought such excessive oppression upon Armenia that, considering the fact that Armenians generally preferred Arab suzerainty to Byzantine Greek absorption, many cantons went over to the Greeks.[4]
Despite several insurrections, the Emirate of Armenia lasted till 884 AD, when Ashot I of the Bagratuni Dynasty, who had managed to win control over most of its area, declared himself "King of the Armenians". He received recognition by Caliph Al-Mu'tamid of the Abbasid dynasty in 885 and Byzantine Emperor Basil I of the Macedonian dynasty in 886. Armenia thus emerged as an independent region.
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