Lords of the Caucasus: A Bagratid Armenia AAR
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Chapter 14 - The Lioness of Armenia (1073-1084)
Chapter 14 - The Lioness of Armenia (1073-1084)
Princess Mariyam of Armenia
The aftermath of the Bleeding Years was devastating for the nobility of Armenia, with most noble houses going extinct or losing their lands to the invaders. In the chaos that followed, these lands would be granted to fellow Muslims by Emperor Baybars, granting them virtual autonomy over the mountainous region. Among those few that remained were the Bagratids under Mariyam, who still retained a few provinces under her new overlords.
Mariyam and her remaining lands
It was an uphill battle for Mariyam as most of the state her predecessors had built had vanished in a decade. Still unwed, a marriage was arranged with an Avar (Caucasian Avar) prince. His family had been ousted from their petty kingdom by a band of Pecheneg nomads just a few years prior and were looking for a new home. A capable administrator as well as a formidable warrior, Sakban was the perfect match for a Princess of Armenia.
The new Prince Consort of Armenia
As the dust settled on the conquest of Armenia, Sháhansháh Baybars was once again on the move, aiming to attack the Greeks in Asia Minor. While he had granted most of his recent acquisitions to his many cousins and commanders, he was graceful enough to grant Mariyam the lands of Siwnik in compensation for the loss of her Kingdom, giving her the title of "Princess of Armenia." While this title was symbolic, and even used for mockery in occasions, Princess Mariyam wore it with pride.
The three years that followed would be a relatively peaceful time for Armenia. While much of the countryside was plagued by bandits and raiders, the cities and towns would start to prosper as Princess Mariyam avidly emptied her coffers to fund multiple reconstruction projects. As Ani had endured the most punishment in the years prior, Mariyam moved her court to Lori, previous seat of the treacherous Davit of Georgia, which had been mostly unscathed by the war due to its Northern location. Monasteries and churches were rebuilt, new hospitals were founded, and eventually even the roads of her realm would eventually become safe as she rebuilt the outposts that used to guard them.
If she wasn't out in the city overseeing the construction projects, you could always count on finding Princess Mariyam in the libraries of Lori. She became well read on the campaigns and strategies of Tigranes the Great, the most distinguished king in the history of Armenia, who in his heyday fought both Romans and Sassanids successfully, extending Armenia's borders from the Mediterranean to the Caspian Sea.
Tigranes the Great, not Alexander
As the reconstruction of her lands continued, peasants from all over Armenia started flocking to her realm, bringing with them much needed manpower to defend its borders and fill its armies. Despite lacking the funds, equipment, and powerbase her father Gagik possessed in his heyday, Princess Mariyam decided to exploit the lenient rule of Baybars, testing just how far she could take this so called "autonomy" of his by declaring war on one of his distant cousins, Anushirvan, who controlled the lands of Dvin and Varazhnunik.
Still only a young boy, he would be the perfect target to attack as she learned to command and inspire her men.
Atabeg Anushirvan of Dvin
While she had learned much through her long nights at the libraries of Lori, it had all been untested theory to that point. Despite her numerical superiority, Princess Mariyam still struggled against the forces of Anushirvan, failing to properly organize her armies.
The disparate forces of Mariyam, failing to coalesce into a single unit.
Despite her initial struggles, she persevered and eventually defeated the young ruler, capturing him during the siege of Artašat and forcing his surrender over the lands of Varazhnunik.
The capture of Anushirvan, February of 1077
The province of Varahznunik had been granted to the Pahlavuni family for their service during Gagik's struggles against the Byzantines back in the year 1041. Grigor I had crowned the young Gagik and became his most trusted commander, while his son Grigor II had been a staunch supporter of the Bagratids and pretty much raised Mariyam before her exile, becoming the father figure Gagik never was.
Despite never being able to forgive herself for the death of Grigor II, she was still able to find a sense of relief by retaking the lands that he once reigned over, bringing much needed closure to her past.
The Pahlavunis were but one of the many deposed and extinct noble houses of Armenia, but while they lost it all, some opportunistic ones aided the Seljuks during their conquest and were rewarded for their actions. Such was the case of Vahram of Baghk, the previous steward of the city, when the Seljuk armies came knocking he opened the gates and let the savage warriors into the city. Baybars granted Vahram, who had previously been a commoner, lordship over the province of Baghk as reward for his "noble" actions which spared the lives of many Turkic warriors.
The treasonous Vahram of Baghk
Instead of returning her armies home after the war against Anushirvan, she marched unto Baghk, hoping to depose the "lover of heathens" Vahram. Mariyam effectively laid siege to the city with no opposition, leaving her to wonder if he would perhaps just surrender once more without a fight. He however had a network of scouts who spotted her men before she arrived, and quickly rushed toward Lori, which now laid undefended.
Once Mariyam realized her mistake, she returned to relieve her new capital, leading the attack as he father had been known to do.
The Battle of Lori, August of 1078
The princess excelled during the battle, slaying multiple men in single combat. Mariyam was known to unmask her face during combat, taunting her enemies as they realized their opponent was not a man. This trickery often led her enemies to underestimate her abilities as a warrior, lending her many victories.
Word of her unprecedented skill would soon be heard throughout the land, with many dubbing her the Lioness of Armenia. Vahram would be captured during the battle, forcing his surrender over his ill-gained lands.
With two victories under her belt, Princess Mariyam would put a hold on her campaign of reconquest as her overlord Baybars announced a Furusiyya, a martial tournament, in his capital of Isfahan. Promising an spectacle for the ages, Mariyam could not miss seeing so many great warriors congregating at once. Perhaps she could learn a thing or two from them.
She attempted to join the competition, but was laughed at, for women were not allowed to compete in such events. There are however records about a mysterious Albanian (Caucasian) warrior in Persian-styled armor who never took off his helmet, triumphing time and time again, even defeating the future Sháhansháh Ayaz, son of Baybars. Upon his victory of Ayaz, the great warrior withdrew from the tournament, never to be seen again.
The Albanian people had been dwindling since the Seljuk invasions, with their chieftains executed and most of their villages razed to the ground. A fully armored Albanian would be a strange sight, for they were a struggling people, but one in full-clad Persian armor would be almost impossible to imagine for the time. It is well-recorded that Princess Mariyam was fully fluent in Albanian, as well as her native Armenian and the lingua franca of the East, Persian, leading many to believe this mysterious knight to be none other than Mariyam.
With her husband back in Lori ruling as regent while she stayed in Isfahan for the tournament, Princess Mariyam let loose, carousing with the people of Isfahan as if she had never been wed. Her beauty was something to admire, leaving broken hearts everywhere she went, leaving historians to wonder if the study of her fellow warriors was the real reason she attended the event.
Princess Mariyam's "lustful" disposition
Once the tournament had ended, Mariyam returned home and continued planning her campaign. Her next target was one the Armenians were familiar with, the Rawwadids. Frequent allies of the Shaddadid Emirs who were the torment of the Bagratids before Gagik ousted them, as well as invading Armenia during the last years of King Gagik's reign. Greatly benefiting from the Seljuk invasions, Menûçihr expanded his realm by annexing most of Eastern Armenia.
The lands of the Rawwadids, July of 1079
Despite boasting a large territory, Mariyam believed the Rawwadids to be easy targets for expansion for their rule over Eastern Armenia had been tenuous in the past years, facing numerous peasant rebellions. Unfortunately for her, another dastardly enemy of Gagik made a reappearance during the war. The Alan mercenaries who had betrayed Gagik had remained in Armenia following its conquest by the Seljuks, and had been hired by Menûçihr to bolster its armies.
Captain Candak, new leader of the Alan Riders
Feeling confident with his new mercenaries, the Rawwadid Emir would lay siege to the province of Swinik, taking advantage of a large band of marauders who had made their way to Ani, turning the attention of the princess toward them.
March of 1080
With the destruction of hundreds of villages following the bleeding years, many of the displaced residents turned to crime to satisfy their needs, some of which would band together to form raiding bands, becoming in turn what had brought them so much despair years prior.
Melek, leader of a notorious raider band
Melek's band was easily dispatched by Mariyam's army, but bought some time for the Rawwadid Emir to consolidate his position in the South, taking many crucial fortresses in the region, forcing Mariyam to engage them in unfavorable conditions.
Despite being outnumbered and disadvantaged, the Armenian forces would prove victorious near the fortress of Ernjak, defeating the armies of Menûçihr.
The Battle of Ernjak, July of 1081
Despite being successful in Ernjak, the successful occupation of Suenik by Menûçihr, as well as his hiring of new mercenaries forced Mariyam to sue for peace, knowing she would be unable to achieve her goals of destroying the Rawwawid Emirate.
As Princess Mariyam underwent her arduous campaign of reconquest, the Byzantine Empire to the West was facing an innumerable amount of rebellions, with vast stretches of land declaring independence from the tyranny of the Emperor. With rumors about an upcoming invasion of Asia Minor by Baybars, perhaps the Empire's end was nigh.
The Byzantine Empire, December of 1081
Unwilling to return home just yet, Princess Mariyam returned to Dvin to end Anushirvan's reign over the city, liberating its populace of his Muslim rule. The young monarch was unable to muster his forces to defend, still reeling in from her previous invasion. His fortress quickly fell.
The (second) capture of Anushirvan, August of 1082.
With the recapture of Dvin, Mariyam headed toward the realm of yet another cousin of Baybars. The young ruler would be unable to defend against her armies, allowing her to retake the fortress of Manazkert and further weaken Seljuk authority in the region.
Atabeg Sönmez and his realm
After a few decisive battles, Sönmez' regent saw fit to surrender the city of Manazkert in order to protect his lord, lest he too was deposed like his cousin Anushirvan.
The defeat of Sönmez' forces by Mariyam's hand
The defeat of Sönmez' forces by Mariyam's hand
While people like Melek would band together and raid the towns and villages of Armenia, some preferred to stage rebellions against the Seljuks. Most were successful, for such a vast empire was hard to keep stable, but they all tended to fizzle out within a year, as the Turkic warriors did what they were best at and retook the rebel lands.
The people of Karin had endured much suffering in the past, first with the rebellion of Doux Alusian, and then the subsequent invasion by the Russians. The Seljuks were merely the cherry on top. They had risen up under the leadership of Chief Vachagan, achieving independence.
Wanting to spare the people of Karin the pain of another Seljuk attack, Princess Mariyam organized a meeting with the Chief of Karin, were she would propose a peaceful annexation into her realm, offering a fair rule and no retaliatory attack by Baybars' men.
The meeting would never take place however, as Vachagan thought of Mariyam's proposal as yet another plot by the Seljuks to retake their freedom, ambushing Mariyam as she entered their lands. The rebel forces were but a group of rag-tag peasants, lacking proper armor or training, with many women and children among them. She spotted someone who reminded her of the Kamaterina sisters, stopping the battle to try and save her.
Overwhelmed by the better trained men of Mariyam, and with much of his forces and family taken captive, Vachagan had no choice but to surrender, incorporating his lands into her realm.
Princess Mariyam's realm in January of 1084
The constant warring had left Mariyam with multiple scars over the years, unable to treat herself to the usual standards of grooming noble ladies are accustomed to, preferring the battlefield to a preppy court. While still a beautiful woman, she no longer was the renowned beauty of Isfahan, but the Lioness of Armenia.
Her campaign would be put on hold shortly after the annexation of Karin, for after ten years of marriage she finally conceived a child. Known to acquire a lover in every reconquered city, one is left to wonder if the child is really Sakban's.
There's plenty of gasping left, as even the biggest tides return to the sea.
I can only hope so!Ngl that was a rather epic crumble though! Hopefully a Phoenix will rose from the ashes?
Same...
The Seljuks may yet rue the day they did not rip out all the Bagratids root and stem.
Chapter 15 - Hanging up the Sword (1084-1089)
Chapter 15 - Hanging up the Sword (1084-1089)
Having spent most of her life on the run, under house arrest, or pretending to be a peasant with the Kamaterina family, Princess Mariyam was ill-suited to her new life as a pregnant woman. Having to leave behind the thrill of battle to join a court full of intrigue and ambitious nobles seeking to expand their lands and coffers, she quickly found solace in the arms of a lover. Vakhtank would bring much relief to Princess Mariyam, who found his Albanian heritage to be a comforting presence as she yearned for the days when she lived a humble life as a peasant, away from the duties of court.
Princess Mariyam's lover, Vakhtank the Albanian
Her difficult childhood had forged Mariyam into a hardy woman, able to defeat any men single-handedly in battle, yet nothing could have prepared him for the struggles of giving birth, which devastated the princess' body, turning the once renowned lioness into a frail, weakened lady. She would name her firstborn Mara, honoring the lives of her late mother and aunt whose great leadership helped shape Armenia during her father's campaigns.
Any doubts the wee Mara wasn't her husband's child were quickly dashed as she possessed the characteristic Avar strength and looks of her father. Perhaps in time she too would turn into a fierce warrior like her mother.
The birth of Mara Bagratuni, December of 1084
The next following months would be a peaceful time, with Mariyam still struggling with the aftermath of her perilous childbirth. Her ailments prevented her from leaving the palace, leaving her to wander the halls and tunnels of her palace, hoping to find anything that could distract her from her pain. Mariyam discovered a secret set of tunnels underneath her quarters, apparently built on the orders of the former King Davit of Georgia.
As she ventured deeper into them, Mariyam stumbled upon a corpse laying on the cold ground of the tunnels. As she approached to see who the man might be, the body rose up and attacked her. Despite her newfound weakness post-birth, she still remained some of her fighting spirit, leading to the man's death by her hand. She would find a note on his corpse with a set of assassination targets ordered by a mysterious man, with her husband and daughter's name on it.
Hoping to reassert authority in the autonomous provinces of Armenia, Baybars would soon revoke her lordship over Siwnik, demoting her to the status of a simple count. While many argued she should refuse his request and raise arms, she would be unable to lead her men due to the sorry state she was in, preferring to remain compliant.
Fearing any further reprisals by her overlord, Mariyam would order her subjects to engage in a faux mass conversion to Islam, hoping to appease her Turkic overlords, dissuading them from revoking any further titles under her name. Initially met with much refusal, most followed her lead, turning Armenia into a land of faux-converts, bringing new prosperity to her realm as the numerous Jizya taxes were lifted from her provinces.
The faux-conversion of Princess Mariyam, January of 1086
She would soon give birth to yet another girl, further devastating her weakened body, leaving her infirm and incapable of moving without a cane or the assistance of her maids. As she now was publicly proclaiming the greatness of Allah, young Dalita would be shaped by this new religion, turning her away from the Apostolic faith of her predecessors.
The birth of Dalita Bagratuni, May of 1086
As her body debilitated further, turning the princess into a prisoner of her own body, Mariyam would sink into a deep depression, rarely leaving her bed. Every passing day her chest pains seemed to increase in length and sharpness, and her muscles deteriorated due to the lack of training. She would hardly be able to endure the weight of her armor, where she once felt most comfortable. Her depression would be augmented following the death of her husband, whose cold body was found in the streets of Lori. The reason of his death was never discovered, but Mariyam suspected the spy she once killed on the tunnels might be related to his passing.
Just a few days before his passing, the court physician indicated that Princess Mariyam was yet again with child. Soon panic spread across her realm, for it was likely she would not survive another pregnancy due to her poor state. Neither Mara nor Dalita would be able to inherit under these rules, forcing her to leave the facade of her conversion to Islam. As she had grown weaker over the years, her lover Vakhtank quickly became a permanent presence at court, leaving most assured that her third child could not be Sakban's but the Albanian's.
To keep an appearance of strenght, Mariyam married an Assyrian lord from the South, forging an alliance hoping to dissuade any retaliation from her apostasy from Islam. Soon she would give birth to a healthy, if unremarkable, boy, leaving Mariyam in the brink of death.
The birth of Ivane Bagratuni, April of 1088
Princess Mariyam during her last days, following the birth of Ivane
As Princess Mariyam lived her last days, her overlord Baybars engaged in warfare to the East, fighting the many realms of Hindustan. While tiny compared to the vast Seljuk Empire, this warriors were fierce, leading to many defeats on the plains of Panjab. Baybars would eventually meet his end at the hands of a petty lord, ending Baybars long reign over the Turkic Empire.
Princess Mariyam would perish clutching to her heart soon after, leaving her realm to the young Ivane to contend with the new Seljuk ruler and her fledgling realm. Having lost both of his presumptive parents, young Ivane's childhood would be a harsh one, subject to the intrigue and manipulations of his regency council, with many claiming the young cub's reign to be doomed from the start.
The ascension of Prince Ivane, June of 1089
The poor lioness. She had so much potential. Still, she managed to retake some territories and give Armenia an heir. Still, this will be one long regency.
I know! I was really sad that she had so many complications while giving birth. Yet she kept on going at it, ending pregnant two more times. Lusty lioness I tell you what.
you can always conquer a lot of lands since you are a vassal the Seljuks won't interfere in their vassals war... at least for now
Chapter 16 - Interregnum (1089-1104)
Chapter 16 - Interregnum (1089-1104)
As the reign of Prince Ivane started, the Byzantines were in a state of chaos following a dozen rebellions, leading to a new Emperor being crowned nearly every year. Multiple Greek and Bulgarian principalities had gained independence from Constantinople, with one even styling itself as the "New Kingdom of Bulgaria," even as the Pechenegs descended on them and forced them to pay tribute.
The Byzantine Empire in 1089, just days prior to the Seljuk invasion
Seeing the Empire as weak and fractured, the newly crowned Sháhansháh Ayaz marched his armies toward Asia Minor, hoping to establish Seljuk rule over the Eastern Byzantine provinces. With the news of his invasion, a renowned general known as Diogenes marched unto Constantinople and seized the crown, claiming only he could lead the Empire to victory, preventing its demise. A formidable warrior, Diogenes had spent much of his youth campaigning in the mountainous regions of Armenia and Asian minor putting down rebellions for the Emperors, raising through the ranks from a lowborn commoner to a fearless Emperor of the Greeks.
Emperor Diogenes "the Turk Slayer," as he'd become known for his exploits during the war
The war would rage on for eighteen months, with Ayaz forcefully taking many of the Byzantines' fortresses in the East, but being defeated in nearly every battle. Emperor Diogenes' charisma was so imposing that he even managed to rally the rebellious Greek and Bulgarian principalities to join the war, greatly bolstering his forces.
Being defeated at every turn by the brilliant Diogenes and his commanders, Sháhansháh Ayaz would quickly lose the bordering fortresses in the Empire, and being faced with a potential invasion of his realm by the counterattacking Greeks, sued for peace, forced to return to Isfahan with much emptier coffers, having suffered a humiliating defeat.
The Seljuk-Byzantine War and some of its battles
Being orphaned at only a year of age, Prince Ivane would be raised and tutored by his courtiers, many of whom would try to earn his grace in order to extort his pockets, greatly increasing their wealth at the expense of his realm.
With the collapse of Armenia during the Bleeding Years, the office of Catholicos was disbanded, with most of the Apostolic Church deposed from its previously held lands by the Seljuks. While many went back to the simpler way of living of early Christianity, some of the clergy refused to accept the changes, becoming corrupt and exploiting the populace for their own greed. Ivane would be deeply affected by these few ambitious priests, coming to see the Church as just another tool to control the masses and enrich oneself, never becoming a religious person.
Just one of the many corrupt members of the church
Following his disastrous defeat at the hands of Diogenes, Sháhansháh Ayaz would seek to unleash his wrath upon those who did not follow the one true faith, embarking on an Empire-wide purge of heathens and heretics. Kapriel, a dear friend and suspected lover of Princess Mariyam assumed the regency during this purge, refusing to comply with Ayaz request to cede his lands and titles. He knew Mariyam would not have gone out without a fight, and was ready to honor her memory.
Regent Kapriel, regent and commander of the Armenian forces (he was slightly sick at the time)
Prince Ivane's Rebellion, January of 1093
As the purge spread throughout the Empire, other lords soon rose up as well, forging an alliance between Prince Ivane and joining forces in an attempt to overthrow the tyrant Ayaz. This coalition was a diverse and disparate group of peoples, ranging from Balochi Ibadis, Qarmatian Bedouins, Shiite Persians, Nestorian Assyrians, as well as Ivane's own Apostolic Armenians. All victims of persecution by Ayaz, these different peoples put their differences aside to form one great army.
The many faces of Prince Ivane's Rebellion
With their realms dotted all across the Empire, the rebel armies would face much opposition on their way to join up. From Arabia and Mesopotamia, all the way to the Indus River and the Caspian Sea, the forces of Ayaz and the rebel lords would clash time and time again.
Some of the battles taking place during the rebellion as the armies try to coalesce into a single unit
The combined rebel armies would march unto Isfahan, laying siege to the city, but would promptly abandon it as an outbreak of consumption broke around the area, forcing them to retreat to where the plague wasn't. Eventually they would clash with the forces of Ayaz, leading to a bloody, if indecisive battle in the fields of Armenia.
The Battle of Bznunik, August of 1095
With heavy losses on both sides, the rebels eventually agreed to a truce with Sháhansháh Ayaz, who was allowed to retain his throne so long as he stopped the purge of non-Sunnis. His defeat at the hands of Diogenes and later the rebels would destroy the facade of invincibility the Seljuk dynasty had previously basked in, inspiring many to revolt in the upcoming years.
The end of the rebellion, December of 1095
Now allowed to join his regent Kapriel in the ruling of his realm, Ivane would allow the purchase of titles under his reign, disregarding the opinion of the nobles who loathed the idea. Kapriel did not fully approve of this decision, and thus restricted the purchase of titles only to fellow Christians, bringing refuge to many of the displaced by the war.
The growing arbitrariness of Prince Ivane
The brave Prince Ivane
The growing cruelty of Prince Ivane
Despite most of the daily duties of ruling befalling on his regent and tutor Kapriel, the increased prosperity of his realm would be attributed to the young prince, greatly boosting his ego and reinforcing his idea of superiority over his peers.
The realm prospers under Kapriel's brilliant guidance
While the purge of the unfaithful had ceased, Ayaz' tyranny had not, leading the former rebels as well as some new inclusions to stage another rebellion. Seeking to rally around Kapriel and Prince Ivane as they had formerly done, they requested his participation in the war.
Kapriel and his council believed this could be the opportunity to topple the Empire and once more achieve independence from the Seljuks, reclaiming the long-lost lands of King Gagik. Yet, the final decision laid on Prince Ivane, who refused the call to arms much to his court's dismay.
The second rebellion against Ayaz' tyranny
Despite his youth, Prince Ivane was quite the shrewd monarch. He knew that such a vast Empire could not be toppled so easily, and one of Ayaz' relatives would simply seize the throne upon his defeat. He urged Kapriel and the council to be patient, claiming that the time was not right for another rebellion.
Ivane's astute choice would prove to be the right one as the second rebellion proved victorious shortly after its rise, ousting Sháhansháh Ayaz and crowning his brother Çaka, who rewarded the rebels by executing every one of their leaders, parading their dead bodies as decorations during his luxurious coronation.
The coronation of Sháhansháh Çaka, May of 1100
The new Sháhansháh would continue his brothers purges, revoking the title of Prince from Ivane, leaving him to squabble as a lowly count. While that title had been mostly honorific, the restart of these purges would prompt the young Ivane to seek the help of his sister Dalita, who helped him organize a conversion ceremony to Islam, hoping such action would help him avoid the wrath of the newly crowd Çaka in the future.
Never having been a religious person, this public conversion to the Sunni faith would leave many historians to debate the full extent of his adoption of Islamic practices, with the overall consensus agreeing on Ivane being mostly irreligious, only using Islam and the Church to further attain his goals. Quite the pragmatic ruler.
A distant relative of Ivane, Ishkhan, also attended the ceremony, having travelled from Rome to help spread the Catholic faith upon the heretic Apostolics. Baffled by Ivane's conversion, Kapriel would invite Ishkhan to stay a few weeks, where he would familiarize with the nobles of Armenia. Kapriel and the council at the time feared what the consequences of their prince's conversion could bring to them, who still remained faithful Christians. Ishkhan was asked to overthrow the young prince, but refused to do so, as his wife and children remained in Sicily.
Prince Ivane's conversion to Islam, June of 1100.
Following on his brothers footsteps, Sháhansháh Çaka declared war on Emperor Diogenes, claiming he would avenge his brother's defeat and finish what he started. A bit older than when he faced Ayaz, Diogenes was unable to withstand the youthful zeal of the Seljuk monarch, losing at nearly every turn. The next few years would bring about yet another disheartening loss for the Greeks as the armies of Çaka overwhelmed the garrisons of Asia Minor, bringing about the end of Byzantine rule in the area.
The Empires' leaders the onset of the war, October of 1102
Despite never knowing his mother and lacking her kind and compassionate disposition, Ivane did resemble her in other ways, quickly becoming known for his nightly escapades to meet with the young gals of the court. Known to have adored his sister Dalita, Ivane would disregard any Armenian girls who approached him, preferring to lay with foreigners who looked nothing like her in order to avoid his most sinful desires.
Prince Ivane's lustful disposition
While his antics as a child were tolerated and even ignored as simple shenanigans of a young boy, but as he matured, his subjects would realize that was but the start of his cruel tendencies, quickly becoming known for his short temper and tendency to impart harsh punishment on criminals and innocents alike.
Seeing his oldest sister Mara as an obstacle due to her envious tendencies, Ivane secretly met with a foreign noble from a land known as "Makuria," previously unknown to him, agreeing to marry his sister off to a foreign prince from that land in order to get rid of her. This secret agreement was opposed by Mara and Ivane's council, who had been secretly plotting to oust him and crown her princess instead, but had no choice but to comply as the Makurian's men burst into the palace, carrying Mara away to never be seen again.
Mara's marriage to an African tribal lord, April of 1103
Aptly using his title of Sháhansháh, or King of Kings, Sháhansháh Çaka would crown his uncle by the same name, King of Armenia, granting him authority over the lands previously held by Ivane's grandfather and more. This came as a new policy of Sháhansháh Çaka to centralize power in his Empire into just a few loyal hands, hoping to leave the administration to them as he underwent his campaign of conquests in the East.
The new Sultan of Armenia, November of 1103
The lands of the Sultanate of Armenia (within the Seljuk Empire), with its capital in Rayy, Northern Persia
Wanting to guarantee the loyalty of his new subjects, and perceiving Ivane as a devout Muslim, the new Sultan granted returned the title of "Prince of Armenia" to Ivane, while granting him authority over the duchies of Siwnik and Tasir, where Prince Ivane already held much land, further cementing his power in the region.
The generous Sultan Çaka
Prince Ivane's new vassal
Prince Ivane at the end of his regency
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Oh yes
. I was confused too when that event popped up, since I thought Berjanush was a man's name.
Chapter 17 - The Cub's First Steps (1104-1106)
Chapter 17 - The Cub's First Steps (1104-1106)
Prince Ivane of Armenia, depicted wearing Persian-styled armor
Prince Ivane of Armenia, depicted wearing Persian-styled armor
As Ivane came of age, he traveled to the city of Ray, capital of the Sultanate of Armenia, where he would meet and swear allegiance to his new liege lord, Sultan Çaka, thanking him for the granting of the duchies of Siwnik and Tasir and becoming good acquaintances. There he would learn much about his new faith, including the ability to possess multiple wives. Being well aware of the issues succession had caused his family in the past, Prince Ivane wasted no time, marrying the daughter of a foreign trader from a distant realm to the East, as well as the daughter of a local Persian lord in the presence of Sultan Çaka and his court.
While Tai-bing enjoyed the privilege of being "first wife," and thus had priority over servants and attention at court, as well as helping oversee the realm with her great administrative skills, it would be Parvaneh who behind the shadows would most influence Prince Ivane, who with time would start adopting Islamic and Persian costumes, even speaking Persian in court, much to the dismay of his Armenian subjects.
With the matters of his marriage and (hopefully) succession complete, Ivane would embark in a campaign against his neighboring lords in the Sultanate of Armenia.
The enemies of Prince Ivane at the start of his conquests.
The first of his enemies was Orhan, ruling from the fortress of Kars in Vanand. Heavily catholicized by its previous lord and distant kin, Maria Bagratuni, the peoples of Vanand felt no love toward Ivane, nor desired "liberation" by a fellow Armenian. Having been devastated by Muhammad's invasion during the bleeding years, the people of Vanand only wanted peace. Prince Ivane would of course bring none of that, bringing his family's ancestral lands back to the fold.
The defeat of Atabeg Orhan's armies, June of 1104
His next target was Beg Behrad of Karin, who had usurped the lands of Karin upon Princess Mariyam's death under orders of Sultan Çaka, for the chieftain who ruled under Mariyam had been a heathen Christian. Wanting to retake the lands his mother had bled for, he stroke at their fortress, successfully capturing it by November of 1104, and with it, the wives and daughers of Behrad.
Not wanting to see his family injured, Behrad would surrender Karin to the Armenians the following day, granting Prince Ivane yet another victory. He would then march his troops South toward Vaspurakan, ruled by a member of the Seljuk family, Osman "the Strong" as he was known. He gained such epithet by defeating his cousin Sultan Çaka in a duel, in which if he was victorious, he would earn the lands around Vaspurakan.
As Osman heard of his neighboring Emirs fall at the hands of Ivane, Osman requested the help of Çaka, hoping his cousin would aid him against the infidel, all to no avail, for Çaka was more than glad to see his cousin weakened after the humiliation he imparted upon him.
The defeat of Osman's forces, September of 1105
Upon his defeat near Dvin, Osman retreated to the safety of his castle in Vaspurakan, but was eventually captured three months later as Prince Ivane's forces successfully laid siege to his fortress.
The capture of Atabeg Osman, December of 1105
Knowing he was the logical next target of Ivane's campaign, Emir Varšap attempted to rally his armies unsuccessfully, being defeated at every turn before he could combine them, forcing him to cede the lands of Artsakh to the victorious Prince.
The many battles against Varšap's armies
In the span of two years and a half, Prince Ivane would succesfully defeat each and every one of his neighboring Emirates, completely ousting two, and greatly weakening the remaining. Princess Mariyam surely would be proud of the continuation of her policies, greatly reconquering most of Armenia.
Prince Ivane's realm in October of 1106, within the Sultanate of Armenia (within the Seljuk Empire)
Worried about the consolidation of power in Armenia by his subject and good friend Ivane, Sultan Çaka sent envoys to Lori requiring his presence in Ray. The overtly friendly tone of the letter seemed suspicious, Ivane's second wife Parvaneh certainly thought so, but Prince Ivane knew the man was far too virtuous to trick him.
He thought perhaps the invitation to Ray was to reward him for his great skill as a warrior, which had recently become a well known fact all across the empire for his exploits against the Emirs of Armenia. The soldiers loved Ivane, and clamored for his return from Ray to be a rapid one. This would not be the case, and in fact his commander would return a changed man.
The Armenian soldiers' adoration for their Prince, further boosting his ego and larger-than-thou figure
Before he departed to Ray, he once more appointed Kapriel as regent to rule in his stead, who was genuinely shocked by his decision, for since Ivane's conversion to Islam had been sidelined in court by fellow Muslims and other Persian courtiers. Knowing the man to be a loyal supporter of his and his mother, as well as being the only parental figure he ever had, Ivane awarded Kapriel a large estate to go along with his new title of regent, elevating the humble commander to the rank of nobility.
Regent Kapriel and his new lands
Kapriel was only one of many who would be granted lands by Ivane, who now held far too much land to rule on his own from Lori. These new landholders would be eternally grateful to the prince, earning their loyalty for the remainder of his life. Many applauded his foresight in avoiding participating in the rebellion against the former emperor Ayaz, as well as preserving his realm intact in the face of the Imperial purges by converting to Islam.
Chapter 18 - The Muslim Prince (1106-1107)
Chapter 18 - The Muslim Prince (1106-1107)
The Gates of Ray and its outdoor bazaar
As Prince Ivane entered the gates of the city of Ray, capital of the Armenian Sultanate, a conglomerate of dubious men approached him. Always the warrior, his first instinct was to reach for his sword. He quickly realized however that these were no mere bandits. Judging by their expensive attire, Ivane had no doubt these were the Sultan's men.
"We have been expecting you, Ivane Bagratid."
The young prince chuckled at the mention of his name. Back home he had always been referred to as master, lord, or prince. They knew better. Of course, his enemies lacked the decorum the courtiers had been trained to express, preferring names such as heathen or barbarous pig. No one had ever simply uttered his name with such disregard of his status.
"You should have arrived three moons ago. It is not wise to keep the Sultan waiting. Even him, in all his virtue, has a limit."
"Is that some sort of threat?" defiantly replied the Armenian, slightly angered at the contemptuous tone used by the Sultan's envoys.
"Just a warning."
Sultan Çaka of Armenia, accompanied by two African slave girls and his steward
After what seemed like hours of traversing the halls of the Sultan's immense palace, Ivane had forgotten what the smell of fresh air was like, his nostrils inundated by the exotic incense burning all around him.
"Parvaneh would surely love it here." Ivane muttered to himself as he realized that despite being so far from Lori he still found himself thinking of his wife. Maybe it wasn't just lust after all.
As he stepped into the luxurious quarters of the Sultan, Ivane's eyes were drawn toward the two remarkably strange girls. With a shade of dark that could put out the sun, their beauty was unlike anything he had ever witnessed before.
"Ah, my dear friend. It is a pleasure to meet again." said Sultan Çaka as he solemnly put aside the holy book. It seemed Ivane had interrupted his daily reading of the Hadiths.
"Likewise, your grace." replied Ivane, a bit flustered at his failure to not notice the Sultan sooner.
"You know, falseness lasts an hour, but truth lasts until the end of time." said the Sultan, closing his eyes for a moment as he pondered if he had uttered the ancient Arabic proverb correctly.
"I am getting old, Ivane. I have lived a virtuous life, avoiding sin at every turn. I wonder if you can say the same."
As the arid climate of Persia started to put its spell on Ivane, he watched as a drop of his sweat fell on the luxurious carpet of his lord. Taken back by his accusatory remark, Ivane was left speechless.
"No matter." said the Sultan decidedly, as if he had awoken from a long sleep. "You shall accompany me on the Hajj. We depart at dawn. Follow my steward, he'll show you to your quarters."
Prince Ivane and Sultan Çaka's entourage on their way to mecca
"A test" Ivane thought to himself. "An Armenian boy suddenly abandons the religion of his forefathers, as dozens of heathens are being purged. Hah! It's a surprise Çaka didn't react sooner."
As he tried to remember what little of the Koran he had learned from his beloved sister Dalita, Ivane couldn't help but notice a small group of shady men a few paces behind their entourage. It seems as if they had been tracking them.
As he approached the Sultan to inform him of the threat, the bandits let out a guttural scream that shook Ivane to the core, making him drop the precious blade his mother had once carried into battle. It was the only thing she left behind for him.
"I am Sultan Çaka, cousin of the Seljuk Sháhansháh," cowardly yelled the monarch, "let us leave in peace and I will make you the richest man of Arabia."
Far from dissuading the bandits from attacking them, their newfound information of his high status made them eager to capture him. He'd surely be worth a great ransom from the Sháhansháh.
"Stand behind me, your grace." said Ivane, as he firmly grasped the pommel of her mother's sword. One by one, the bandits fell to his might. He tasted blood on his lips. Was it the bandits? No, Ivane knew the taste of his own blood from his many battles.
Ivane would relive this battle every night during his sleep, vividly remembering the small dagger of his opponent sliding from his eyebrow through his nose as he sliced the arm off his combatant.
Ivane and Çaka's setting up camp as the sun set over the horizon
"It's funny really," said the Sultan, "of all things you could have done to me, I never expected saving my life to be one of them. You have my sincere thanks."
Only a day's ride to the holy city, the Sultan decides to make camp in order to rest. What little remained of his entourage laid exhausted following their battle with the bandits.
As the sun had started to set, an almost endless baggage train belonging to another ruler started approaching their camp. Almost as if he had decided to bring all the luxuries of his court on his pilgrimage. As they passed by, Ivane recognized the sigil on their emblem, that was none other than the Fatimid Sultan of Egypt.
As the Egyptian monarch noticed the sorry state Ivane and Çaka found themselves in, he could not help but curse at the weathered men.
"You're nearing the holiest of cities, you unwashed infidels. How dare you approach the great Mecca in such a sorry state. Return whence the hole you came from."
A painting of the Ka'bah, Mecca
Ivane was awestruck at the splendor of the holiest of cities, equally impressed by the fervor which enveloped him as he joined the masses of newly arrived pilgrims.
Having never planned to partake in the Hajj, Dalita never tutored Ivane on the protocols and guidelines to perform the Tawaf. Frightened that his facade might be discovered, the Armenian prince started to poorly imitate those around him.
"Just follow my lead," said a seductive voice from behind, noticing the foolish act Ivane was partaking in.
"What brings a heathen to Mecca, of all places," said the imposing woman nonchalantly, almost as if to mock the Armenian.
"Just trying to keep my head," replied Ivane, admiring the beauty of her new acquaintance as his eyes filled with lust.
A few people turned their heads as the tempting woman let out a few loud bursts of laughter.
"I would have thought the opposite," said the young lady trying to hold herself from chuckling, "seeing the little act you are putting on. At least its amusing."
"Amusing," Ivane thought to himself. Not the opinion he'd like women of her distinction to have of him.
As the couple made their way around the Ka'bah six more times, they continued their conversation, forgetting why they had even gone there in the first place.
"Dialekte," said the fair woman as they finished their last lap around the holy structure, heading toward the exit of the Mosque, "and it was, a pleasure to meet me."
Dialekte and Prince Ivane enjoying a conversation together as her loyal servant scours the area with her vigilant eye
Completely awed by her beauty, Prince Ivane had lost sight of the Sultan during the Tawaf ritual, leading him to scramble as he searched every corner of the Great Mosque.
Unable to find him among the masses, Ivane drew the judgmental eyes of hundreds toward him as he climbed unto a nearby pillar, trying to spot his lord. Even with this privileged view of the building, Prince Ivane failed to locate his liege lord.
Distraught, he scurried outside of the mosque into the busy streets of Mecca, eventually making his way to a small bazaar full of carpet and fabric merchants in the outskirts of the city. It was there that his eyes once more met with those of Dialekte.
Daugther of a renowned Egyptian merchant, Dialekte had made her way to Mecca as part of the Fatimid Sultan's caravan train. Promised to marry the Fatimid heir to the throne, Dialekte snuck past her dad and his guards, with the help of her loyal servant, escaping her fate.
As the sun set over the holiest of cities, the young couple violated the sacred vow of purity they had just performed hours prior as a requirement to enter the Great Mosque. Even as the pungent incense overwhelmed his senses, his thoughts drowned in Dialekte's warm embrace.
Prince Ivane and Sultan Çaka haggling prices with a carpet merchant
Ready to return to the comfort of his palace in Ray, Sultan Çaka made one last venture into the same baazar Ivane had fatefully reunited with Dialekte, where he would encounter the newlyweds, wondering if Ivane had truly learned anything from their arduous journey.
Ivane would return to Armenia a truly changed man, with a deeper understanding of Islam. While the Sultan was still not sure if he could trust the ambitious prince, he knew it no longer was up to him to decide. He complied and followed through on every step of the Hajj, showing his devotion to the Greatest. It was now in his hands.
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This chapter was a little different than usual, let me know how you guys like it. I'm not very proficient at writing detailed scenes or dialogues, but if it was to your liking maybe I'll incorporate more of it in the future. Y'all let me know.
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Chapter 19 - Hubris (1107-1111)
Chapter 19 - Hubris (1107-1111)
Having been away for nearly a year, Prince Ivane's sudden return to Armenia was warmly received by his courtiers, chief among them Kapriel, who grew tired of the duties of ruling. The joy his arrival brought about quickly vanished however, as they realized that their prince no longer was who he used to be, fully embracing the Mohammedan faith and ceasing the use of the Armenian language in court, preferring the use of Persian.
The arrival of his new wife was also not received well by his court. The cunning Dialekte soon began to assume control of things in Lore, taking care of the day-to-day ruling while Ivane was out in the field drilling his armies and preparing for a new campaign.
While on his journey to Mecca, the Kingdom of Georgia managed to break the yoke of their Pecheneg oppressors, restoring native rule to the region. The Georgians however could not agree on who the new rightful King should be, thus starting a civil war.
The Georgian Civil War, November 1107
Ivane would lead his troops against the rebel forces, crushing them near the city of Artvini, securing the southern provinces and forcing them to cede the province of Tao, which in its heyday had been part of the Armenian Kingdom.
The Battle for Tao, May 1109
Having grown closer to him during the Hajj, as well as rewarding him for taking up arms against the Georgian Christians, instead of the Muslims within his sultanate, Sultan Çaka offered the position of spymaster to Ivane. Preferring to stay away from the intrigue and tribulations of court, he originally refused, but after much arguing with Dialekte, she convinced the prince to take the offer and moved to the Sultan's court in Ray, leaving Dialekte as regent in Lori.
Prince Ivane joins the council, October 1109
Having had no success conceiving a male heir, Prince Ivane now had three daughters, the two oldest with Tai-bing as their mother, while Parvaneh was mother to the youngest. Preferring to leave his family back home, to avoid the bustle of a household full of infants, Prince Ivane married to a young Kipchak princess, hoping the myths about the steppe people's fertility would be true after all.
Prince Ivane's fourth wife
A man as virtuous as Sultan Çaka had few enemies, leaving Ivane with few plots to thwart and a lot of free time. Considering his son a buffoon not worthy of being his heir, Çaka would take his grandchildren and have Ivane tutor them, hoping he could whip them into the shape of what a true ruler should be. His teachings were mostly futile, with the young disregarding the prince's lessons and preferring the comforts of their palace.
While there certainly was chemistry between Dialekte and Ivane, she would not find out that he already had two other wives until her arrival to Armenia. Distraught by the new situation she found herself in, she was quick to start plots to rid of them. Having convinced Ivane to join the Sultan's council, Ivane seized the opportunity and set her plan in motion.
She used Ivane's coffers to bribe a few of the household guards, and seduced the ones who would refuse the coin, obtaining their help in poisoning Tai-bing and Parvaneh. Unfortunately for her, it seemed Tai-bing had also employed similar tactics on the guards, becoming quite close with one of them. The guard would go on to expose her plots, leading to Ivane sentencing her to death.
As he carried on his duties as spymaster, he overheard some of the Sultan's men speak of a plot to remove Ivane from the council and oust him from his lands in Armenia. Not letting the Sultan strike first, he would assemble some men to ambush and assassinate the Sultan as he did his daily wanderings of the city.
Ivane's plan would not succeed however, as the wise Sultan had accurately predicted Ivane to act against him. He had hired a new spymaster, assigning him to trail Ivane's every movement. As the attack on his carriage failed, Çaka had Ivane brought before him. A just man, Çaka wanted to hear out Ivane and trial him before he put him to the sword. Appealing to his religious zeal, Ivane asked Çaka for a duel, claiming that Allah would reward the righteous with a triumph over the other. Despite his old age, the Sultan was still a capable warrior, and thus accepted the duel.
As Çaka laid on the ground, defeate, Ivane knew even a virtuous man like him would not forgive such crimes, probably even increasing his desire for revenge following the duel. As if all men had vanished in a second, the city of Ray went silent as Ivane put his sword through the defeated Sultan.
The death of Sultan Çaka, July of 1110
In the commotion that followed the Sultan's murder, Ivane managed to sneak out of the city, having become familiar with its tunnels and secret passages as spymaster. He promptly returned to Lori, raising his armies in rebellion against Çaka's son, the newly crowned Sultan Kaiqobad.
The new Sultan of Armenia
Kaiqobad would seek an alliance with a Pecheneg warlord named Kourkoutai, having them attack Ivane's realm from the North, while Kaiqobad attacked from the South. His plans would not come to succeed, as Ivane intercepted the Pecheneg armies before they could combine with Kaiqobad's.
With his home safe from the Pechenegs, Ivane would turn defeat the Sultan's armies time and time again, reconquering the nearby province of Taron in the process.
This victory would cement Ivane's power over the Sultan, commanding nearly half of the Sultanate's lands. The reconquest of Armenia was well underway, even if it took their king converting to another religion.
Prince Ivane's realm within the Seljuk Empire (with the Armenian sultanate in red), August of 1111
Kaiqobad and his vassals would request the Sháhansháh to put down the uppity prince, claiming the Armenians were once more on the rise, and would soon try to establish an independent kingdom, all to no avail. Far busier with with his conquests in Asia Minor and the Levant, the Seljuk Emperor allow Ivane to remain, so long as he didn't try to assert his power outside of the Armenian Sultanate's lands.
Having already warred against the Emir of Vaspurakan and the Ferhengids in the past, they feared Ivane would try to conquer their remaining territories. As Ivane left the court of Kaiqobad following their peace treaty, the Vaspurakani Emir insulted Ivane as he drew his sword, challenging him to a duel.
The Emir of Vaspurakan
The arrogant prince severely underestimated Osman, mocking the old Emir as he agilely evaded his every move during the first stages of the duel. While not the best swordsman, Osman had learned throughout his years to read his opponents pretty well, and he eventually came to understand how Ivane moved and thought. Even if the young Armenian was a younger and more skilled duelist, these advantages would be of no use if all his moves were known by Osman before Ivane even thought of them.
As such, Osman eventually managed to land a few hard blows unto Ivane. Nothing lethal, there was no blood. Not that day at least, for the damage had been internal, severely damaging Ivane's organs. As he realized the danger he was in now, Ivane struck decisively at Osman, greatly injuring him and slicing his right eye.
As the duel was stopped by the city's guard, they retreated to their respective lands, preparing for the inevitable war. Ivane raised his armies and marched toward Vaspurakan, hoping to oust Osman and finish what he had started. Osman's army was far outnumbered, and he was half the commander Ivane was. It would be an easy victory, or so the prince thought.
With his chest battered, Ivane found it difficult to breathe during the battle, eventually finding himself behind enemy lines, far from his men. Despite being outnumbered, legend says he defeated over twenty men single-handedly before one managed to slice off his leg, after which his men arrived, rescuing him. Prince Ivane would not live to see the war finished, succumbing to his injuries just two months after the battle, leaving no heir behind.
The Battle of Bznunik, October of 1111
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