Zakarid Armenia

Zakarid Armenia (Զաքարյան Հայաստան Zakaryan Hayastan), was an Armenian principality between 1201 and 1360, ruled by the Zakarian dynasty. The city of Ani was the capital of the princedom. The Zakarids were vassals of the Kingdom of Georgia until 1236 when they became vassals to the Mongols. Their descendants continued to hold Ani until the 1330s, when they lost it to a succession of Turkish dynasties, including the Kara Koyunlu, who made Ani their capital.

History


Following the collapse of the Bagratuni Dynasty of Armenia, Armenia was successively occupied by Byzantines, Seljuqs and other Muslim states.

During the 12th century the Bagrations of Georgia enjoyed a resurgence in power, and managed to expand into Muslem occupied Armenia. Despite some complications in the reign of Giorgi III, the successes continued in the reign of the Queen Tamar. This was chiefly due to the Armenian generals Zakaria and Ivane. Around the year 1199, they took the city of Ani, and in 1201, the grateful Tamar gave Ani to them as a fief. Eventually, their territories came to resemble those of Bagratid Armenia.

When the Khwarezms invaded region, Dvin was ruled by the aging Ivanē, who had given Ani to his nephew Shanshe(Shahanshah), son of Zakarē. Dvin was lost, but Kars and Ani did not surrender.

However, when Mongols took Ani in 1236, they had a friendly attitude towards the Zakarids. They confirmed Shanshe in his fief, and even added to it the fief of Avag, son of Ivanē. Further, in 1243, they gave Akhlat to the princess T’amt’a, daughter of Ivanē.

After the Mongols captured Ani in 1236, the Zakarids ruled not as vassals of the Georgians, but rather the Mongols. The later kings of Zakarids continued their control over Ani until the 1360, when they lost to the Kara Koyunlu Turkoman tribes, who made Ani their capital.