Bagratuni family tree

coat of arms of Bagratunis

coat of arms of Bagrationis

Bagratuni family tree, list of Bagratuni family in Armenia (Bagratuni dynasty) and Georgia (Bagrationi dynasty).

Kingdom of Armenia

the coronation of the last Arshakuni king - Artaxias IV, by Smbat III Bagratuni

Bagratuni family became princes in 4th century. The heritable rights were given by Arshakuni Dynasty - kings of Armenia (52-428). Also they were called aspets: they coronated Arshakuni kings. Their domain were the region of Sper in Upper Armenia, which was famous for its gold, and Tayk.

Smbat I is known as the first member of the dynasty. He was "aspet" during Armenian first Christian king Tiridates III the Great (287-330). The last Armenian king, who was coronated by Bagratunis, was Artaxias IV (423-428). The aspet was Smbat III, who was known from Vramshapuh king's times (389-415).

Persian and Byzantine occupation

The ancestors of Smbat III were also the most famous princes (nakharars) during the occupation by Roman Empire and Sassanid Persia. Armenia was divided between them since 387. Tirots, one of the ancestors of Smbat III, is known as allied of Armenian marzbane Vasak. Sahak II, later - Smbat IV, were marzbans of Armenia. The rulers of the dynasty traditionally continued to be "aspets".

After the second division of Armenia the domains of Bagratuni became part of Byzantine Empire. Smbat IV was among the princes, who rebelled against them.

Arabic Caliphate

During the Arabic period (7-9th centuries) Bagratuni family was one of the most powerful princely dynasties of Armenia. Their main competitors were sparapets of Mamikonian family. They were Byzantine-oriented. Princes of Armenia were chosen from these two families, and sometimes the people, who were under their influence. Princes of Armenia were the second powerful people - after the ostikan of Arminiya.

The competition ended by the victory of Bagratunis, who rebuild the independent kingdom. First, the title of Prince of Armenia changes to Prince of Princes. They were from the family of Smbat VIII. His son, Ashot, became the king of Armenia. Sons of Bagarat II, brother of Smbat VIII, became the princes of Taron. Their sister Hripsime became the princess of principality of Vaspurakan. Her husband was the first prince - Hamazasp II Artsruni.

Before the independence, the brain of Tayk of Bagratuni became an independent principality. The ruler of it, Ashot, became the head of georgian Bagrationi dynasty. It ruled in Georgia for one thousand years (9-19th centuries).

Bagratid kingdom of Armenia

Bagratunis of Taron

Taron (Turuberan) became a part of Bagratunis' domain in the beginning of 9th century, when Ashot Msaker was Prince of Armenia (790-826). As a prince of Taron - he is counted as Ashot I (804-826). After his death, prince of princes Bagrat inherited Taron - the south of the domain, and Smbat - Ayrarat - the northern part. Bagrat was the second in the dynasty: Bagrat I was an aspet in 4th century. But in Taron, he was the first Bagrat, so he ruled as Bagrat I of Taron (826-851), because there were no Bagrats before him. His sons and grandsons ruled until 966. After, Taron became a part of Byzantine Empire.

Previous seniors-princes of Taron - Mamikonian family, were strong in the region, even during the ruling of the last prince - Ashot III. They became relatives with Bagratunis, and as a result of that, there were two more princes in Taron in his last days - Bagrat II and Grigor II, who were half-Mamikonians and half-Bagratunis. Later the Tronite branch of Bagratunis and Mamikonians became one family. Part of them ruled in Sasun (Tornikians) and the other - in Moush (Taronites).

Kings of Armenia

After the death of Ashot Msaker (826) and Bagrat II Bagratuni (851) Smbat VIII became the prince of Armenia. His famiy was the ruling royal family during 200 years not only in Armenia, but also Georgia and Albania, so they were called king of kings (shahnshah).

Kiurikians

See also

• Origin of the Bagratid dynasties

Sources

• Cyril Tumanoff, Manuel de Généalogie et de Chronologie pour l'Histoire de la Caucasie Chrétienne (Arménie-Géorgie-Albanie)
• Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia
• René Grousset, Histoire de l'Arménie
• Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs
• Suny, Ronald Grigor (1994), The Making of the Georgian Nation: 2nd edition, p. 27. Indiana University Press, ISBN 0-253-20915-3
• Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), Studies In Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts, p. 383. Peeters Bvba ISBN 90-429-1318-5.