Chapter 26 - The Calm Before the Storm (1170-1175)
As word of the Emperor's injury spread throughout the realm, the recently defeated Bogomilists once more made their move, rising up in both the Levant and Assyria. The speed at which they could organize leads one to believe that perhaps they received help from nearby nobles, hoping to destabilize the Empire for their gain.
Yet another Bogomilist uprising, October of 1170
The newly appointed regent Thoros III Aaronios was a competent administrator, but he lacked the skills and knowledge to command the imperial armies. Looking to delegate a few of the duties of his post, Thoros would revive the office of
Sparapet or Supreme Commander of the armed forces, appointing Vartan, duke of Vaspurakan.
Vartan would lead the imperial forces against the Bogomilists, swiftly crushing their armies in the Levant. Ready to march against the remaining rebel forces in Assyria, Vartan would be forced to change his plans, for an envoy arrived from Egypt, bringing worrying news.
The Battle of Al-Qadamus, January of 1171
Queen Keran of Egypt, the sister of Emperor Leonardo, had never been educated on the difficult duties of ruling a vast realm, let alone one populated by infidels and heretics in a hostile land. She would succumb to the pressure and die of severe stress, leaving no heir behind. Being her closest blood relative, the Crusader Kingdom of Egypt would pass unto the Empire, bringing with it a distant realm which Regent Thoros and Sparapet Vartan would be forced to defend.
While the inheritance of Egypt brought the Empire into the wars Queen Keran had been fighting before her death, it brought joy to those loyal to Emperor Leonardo, for the Kingdom of Egypt enjoyed a bit more favorable laws than those in Armenia, allowing for female succession. If Leonardo were to die, the Empire of Armenia would be inherited by the de Hautevilles of Sicily, but Leonardo's daughter Alitz would inherit the throne of Egypt, bringing some respite to the Bagratids.
The passing of Queen Keran, February of 1171
Queen Keran had left her Kingdom facing war on two fronts: On the South, an independence rebellion led by one of his Venetian vassals sought to liberate themselves from her rule, surely with some insidious plan to join the conniving Republic of Venice. On the North, Keran had declared war on the Genoese merchants that established themselves on her shores, backed by the Venetian Republic.
The wars of the late Queen Keran
The Kingdom of Egypt (green) and the lands under rebellion (red), featuring many other independent realms that Queen Keran failed to subjugate
As Queen Keran had been the instigator in the Egyptian-Genoese War, the Armenian High Council saw fit to simply pay off the greedy merchants of Genoa, hoping to avoid further bloodshed, allowing Sparapet Vartan to focus on crushing the rebellion to the South.
Wanting to secure peace within the core of the Empire before securing the far-flung provinces of Egypt, Vartan would move unto the remaining Bogomilist forces in Assyria, capturing their leader and forcing their surrender.
The end of the Bogomilist revolt, June of 1171
After six months of arduous marching through the sands of the Levant and Egypt, Sparapet Vartan would clash against the rebel forces near the independent city of Tobruk, swiftly crushing their forces. Their leader Lamberto would be captured shortly, putting an end to the revolt for good.
The Battle of Tobruk, February of 1172
The Armenian Empire at the end of the rebellion (The rebels would lose a province to the Salids in Cairo during the war. If you wonder why it says Sicilia over Arabia, it's because the Fatimids who hold the land are tributaries of the Normans in Sicily)
Giving no respite to Sparapet Vartan and his forces, a new revolt would arise in Assyria, taking advantage of Vartan and the imperial armies absence from Armenia. Without any rest, Vartan would have to make the arduous journey once more, losing many of his men to attrition in the sands of the Levant.
The Assyrian revolt, April of 1172
Vartan would arrive in the Assyrian provinces by July, assisting the Duke of Assyria in putting down the rebellion
The Duke of Assyria fighting the rebel forces, July of 1172
As peace returned to the realm once more, the Armenian High Council convened to discuss the succession of the Empire, as Leonardo remained in his comatose state. Many of the nobles in the Empire had ties with Sicily, as their families had been landed by King Norman and were of Norman-Sicilian heritage, this faction delighted on the idea of the powerful de Hautevilles taking over the Empire.
Still, most of the council remained loyal to the Bagratids, and wanted to consolidate the Kingdom of Egypt so Leonardo's daughter Alitz could have a peaceful succession to the throne, lacking any potential enemies that might upset her rule. With a four-to-two vote in favor, Regent Thoros declared war on the upstart Salid Sultanate of Cairo.
The High Council declares war on the Sultan Zayd, January of 1173
Facing multiple rebellions within their own realm, the Salids were unable to mount a resistance against the armies of Sparapet Vartan, who inflicted multiple defeats on their unorganized armies.
As more and more of the Armenian forces descended from the core of the Empire to Egypt, the Salids were forced to admit defeat, ceding their capital and much of the surrounding areas to Vartan.
The occupation of the Salid Sultanate and the large Armenian supply train across the Levant, January of 1174
The Kingdom of Egypt following the victory against the Salid Sultanate
Faced with the might of their new Armenian overlords, most of the Muslim population fled the city, leaving only those who agreed to convert to the Catholic faith, including most of the Coptic population, who welcomed their liberation from the Arabs.
The surprising conversion of Cairo, February of 1174
Despite their great victory over the Mohammedans, the nobles of Armenia grew restless, beginning to conspire against the Regency Council fearing their glorious Emperor might never wake up. There however are records of Emperor Leonardo's lucidity during short periods of his coma, where the once great warrior would ask his physicians to end his suffering, only for his caretakers to turn their back on the Emperor, prolonging his suffering.
The many, many factions conspiring within the Empire
The failed suicide attempts of Emperor Leonardo
With rumors of the many factions within the Empire planning a large-scale rebellion, Regent Thoros would move the capital to Cairo, cementing the Armenian presence in the region while ensuring the safety of Leonardo's daughters.
The new capital of the Armenian Empire, November of 1174
Merely a month later, the Coptic ruler of Tubruk would agree to join the Empire as the forces of Sparapet Vartan laid a siege on his realm.
Seeing the movement of the capital to Cairo simply as the weak Regency Council fleeing from Armenia, the conspirators would declare their independence from the comatose Emperor, raising their armies in rebellion.
This rebellion would start what would be known to future historians as the "Times of Troubles," for this was but the start of steep decline the Empire would face in the following years. Of course, it could be argued that the "Times of Troubles" started much sooner, with the injury of Emperor Leonardo and the establishment of the Regency Council, but during those early years the council would be very much in control, even expanding the realm at the expense of the Salids and Copts in Egypt. Regardless, the difficult coming years would put the longevity of this so called Armenian Empire into question. Perhaps Leonardo's Empire too was destined to failed.
The start of the Times of Troubles, August of 1175