We brought the list of caliphs down to [the time of] Caliph Jap'r, and left off there. For the reign [of the Arabs] began in the year 60 of the Armenian Era [A.D. 611], and ended in confusion in the year 350 A.E [A.D. 901]. Tyrannized over here and there their power decreased, and the Turks grew in strength. Here is how that happened. In Khurasan a certain Ishmaelite named Muhammad (Mahmut) crossed the Jahan River into the country of the T'etalats'ik' [Ephthalites], and [g93] took many captives to Khurasan, which means "East". [He] settled them apart, caused them to multiply and, once [their numbers] had increased, he made one of them emir. They gave [the emir] the crown, upon Muhammad's death. [The emir], whose name was Do'ghla-bak' [Tughril Beg] skillfully ruled over the Persians, and sat as sultan. This is according to the narration of Vahram, son of Tigran. The venerable priest Mxit'ar of Ani, who is recorded in the Book of Life, has the following account. He greatly labored to discover information regarding the sultans of the Turks. By the grace of God he did find this. That Mahmud whom we mentioned, was the son of Sbk't'an [Sebuk-Tegin] and he rose from insignificance to greatness as had Artashir the Sasanian. He did away with the rule of Muhammad's line during the time of [the caliph] Mahmat Muht'ade', the thirty-third from Muhammad, in the 246th year of their reign. He grew powerful in the city of Balkh in the country of the Kushans, and news about him travelled swiftly, to the point that the caliph was terrified and sent him gifts and the flag of authority (alam), the title of honor (laghap) Overseer of Justice (Aminadl), and styled him sultan. Receiving this honor, [Mahmud] became greater yet. And he arose and went to India at the news of the Mat'an idols—which he destroyed—then returned with booty, leaving his son Mahmat there. Then he went to Gurgan, took 400,000 dahekans from the lord of Gurgan and an armory [slehs tamb miov] in the year 420 of their era. He crossed into Ray. The lord of Ray, Majd al-Daula Rustam [g94], who had taken Dailam three days earlier, came before him to Sraw [in Azerbaijan] with a countless host including 250 elephants. When he saw him, he said: "Shah, have you prayed?" [Shah, namaz kardats'eal es. Or (minus the comma) "Have you read the Shahname?"] And [Majd al-Daula Rustam] replied: "Yes." Again he inquired: "Have you played chess (chatrkuts')?" [And again the reply was] "Yes." Then he said: "Will the king enter the king's house or not?" And [Majd al-Daula Rustam] became silent. [Mahmud] immediately had him bound and sent to Khurasan, seized his goods, and ruled Ray. He came to Tabaristan, to Tarabi and Sari, entrusting to his son Masud all of Ray, Qazvin, and Kuhistan. Leaving him at Ray, [Mahmud] came to Sraw and, taking 100,000 dinars, crossed to Nishapur (Nashawur) in the year 421 of their era. Now Masud took Hamadan and Isfahan and returned to Ray. He heard at once that his guards (shahna) at Isfahan had been killed. So he returned and killed 4,000 men, and then went back to Ray. At the same time they brought him the sad news of his father's death and that his brother Mahmat had been made sultan. Masud arose, went and blinded his brother, taking the authority and the throne. [Some time earlier it had happened that] his father, while going to the aid of a people whose chief is called Qadir-Khan Bughra-Khan (Xtrghan-Po'ghrghan), had encountered some armies of a multitude of Turks. When returning by the same route, in great triumph he captured their emir, Yabghu (Ap'aghu), brought him to Khurasan and placed him in fetters. But [Yabghu's] people came and requested him [g95] first from the father and then from the son, but they did not give him up. Enraged, they crossed the Jahan with all their armies. They fought, willing to die, and they conquered Nishapur. They also destroyed the troops of the sultan at Dandanqan (Dananghan), near Marv (Mrmn). The sultan went as a fugitive to Qazvin and thence to India. En route the sultan was killed, and they enthroned his blind brother at Qazvin. [The latter] lived a long while and had two sons. [Their descendants] have ruled Qazvin succeeding one another, to the present day.
Foremost among the Turks was Saljuq's (Sarch'uk') son Musa Yabghu (Museap'aghoy) who had five nephews (brother's sons). They were named Abu Salim, Daud, Chaghri Beg, Abutalip', and Tughril Beg who took the authority of the sultanate. After 15 years of enlarging [their] land, he divided the entire country of Khurasan. Coming to Ray he found two warehouses of treasure, filled with gold. Taking it, he sent it to the caliph and sought a blessing. [The caliph] greatly honored him with venerable men, gave him the flag of authority (alam) and gifts, read his name from the pulpit (mimber) and styled him Rukn al-Dola (Piller of the Faith). From that day [Tughril] was proclaimed the world-conqueror. Alp-Arslan, Tughril's father's brother's son, succeeded him. He filled the entire world with blood. He had eight sons, of whom the good and peace-loving Malik-Shah reached the throne. After him was Sultan Mahmud [g96]. Then the senior brother, Berk-Yaruq (Bak'arux) crushed him and took the throne for five years. Alp-Arslan's son Tutush (Dudush) came against Berk-Yaruq, but the latter routed him, attacked his troops and killed Tutush. Then Sultan Mahmud, Mahmud's son, while still a youth, struck at Berk-Yaruq and took the sultanate for 13 years. Succeeding him was his son Mahmud with whom Sultan Sanjar fought. [Sanjar] destroyed him, took the rule of Iraq, placing him in Baraghay. [Sanjar] was succeeded by his son Daud who became sultan and whom the Assassins (Mlhetk'n) killed. Then Sultan Tughril ruled, then Masud, then his son Arslan then Tughril succeeded by forcible means. [Tughril] ruled until the time of our historian [Mxit'ar of Ani], to whom honor from the Lord God [g97].
...In the year 470 A.E. [A.D. 1021] Tughril Beg arose and was encountered at Naxchawan by Liparit [Orbe'lean] with 5,000 cavalry. [Liparit] fled from that enormous multitude. When the Turks came to Dwin, spreading about to raid, the brave [prince] Vasak [Pahlawuni] rose against them. Displaying great bravery, [Vasak] returned to Serkeveli. Resting there for a brief nap, his head was hit by a rock thrown by some unknown person, and he died [g98].
...In this period [ca. 1044] brave Vasak's son Grigor gave Bjni to [Emperor] Monomachus, as well as Kayean and Kaydzon which he possessed. [In exchange] he received the dukeship of Mesopotamia. He took with him Apirat, prince of Georgia, and two other magisters, then went against Brehim, the commander of Sultan Tughril-Bek. Here Liparit was captured and brought before the sultan. The sultan sent to him [urging him] to adopt his own religion. [Liparit] replied that if he could see the sultan in person, he would do as he commanded. But once he did see him, [Liparit] said: "Now that I am deemed worthy of seeing your face, I will not do as you wish, nor do I fear death. The sultan asked: "What do you want?" And [Liparit] replied: "If you are a merchant, then sell me; if an executioner, then kill me; but if you are a king, set me free with gifts." The sultan said: "I do not seek your price as a merchant nor your blood as an executioner. But I am a king, so go wherever you want." Thus he released him with gifts. Now since the emperor [g99] was seeking him, [Liparit] went to him. He received troops from him and came to Georgia where he seized King Bagrat and sent him to the emperor. Then he seized the entire country.
In the same period a woman named Mam came from the Persians with her three sons and went to the glorious prince Grigor in the district of P'ar'isos. Giving their mother as a hostage, the sons took Sho't'k' and Shamiramaberd. After becoming acquainted with Xlaziz, the emir of Gandzak, they slew him, took Gandzak, and ruled it. The senior brother, Parzuan, died prematurely. The next brother, Le'shk'ari, ruled, capturing Partaw and Shamk'or from Salar. [Le'shk'ari's] younger brother named Fadlun (P'atlun) killed him at the hunt and assumed authority. When Grigor's son P'ilipe' went to him out of affection, [Fadlun] put him in fetters after his father's death. [Fadlun] took Shashuagh and Sho't'k' from him. He summoned Gagik, Hamam's son, who was the lord of Tandzik', killed him and took his country. Growing powerful in this manner, he came to rule Xach'en, Goroz, and the Sewordik'. He created enmity between Gagik, king of Dzoroyget, Kiwike', king of Aghuania [g100], and Bagarat, king of Georgia, and he harassed them. [Fadlun] also ruled Dwin and laid a tax of 300,000 drams on the Armenians.
In a similar manner some Chaldaean folk arose from their land, came to [the district of] Gardman and told its prince: "Give us a portion of the Cross which [Emperor] Heraclius gave you, and we shall become Christians and be your servants." So was it done. When the emir of Baghdad learned what had happened, he issued great threats. [The Chaldeans] were frightened and fled to the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. But supported by Christ in whom they believed, they came to rule over all districts. One of them named Dawit' who had marriage relations with the king of Dzoroyget, even became king. They called that district Tsanark' because they recognized [tsananel] it as the place of their habitation; while the prince of Gardman called them k'orepiskopok' [suffragan bishops] in the Georgan language.
After the termination of the [rule of the] Armenian kings at Ani, Alp-Arslan, Tughrul's father's brother's son came to Armenia and ruined twenty-four districts. He was the sultan's commander who after the latter's death, himself became sultan. Again he came with 100,000 [troops] and took Nor k'aghak' [New City] which the Georgians call Axal-k'alak', Samshoylde', as well as the daughter of King Kiwrike' and the daughter of the Georgian king Bagarat's sister. [Alp-Arslan] also took Ani where, some say, he slaughtered 1,000 men in a ditch and swam in their blood to avenge his own slain.
Then an ambassador arrived from the Caliph. [Tughrul] placed around his neck a gold necklace with twelve rods attached to it and he struck him in ridicule to [g101] show to what extent he obeyed his master. This happened twenty-three years after the death of King Yovhanne's, in 513 A.E [1064] [g102]...
In the year 543 A.E. [1094] the emir of Gandzak, Fadlun, sent Grigor Magistros' son Vasak Pahlaw with all the troops of Ar'an to the impregnable fortresses of Baghk' and Kapan. By treachery he was able to enter, and he killed King Senek'erim the Haykid [haykazn]. The kings there were Haykids and [that line] did not cease until after the longest time when it happened that there were two sonless brothers, Smbat and Grigor. They took the Haykid lad Senek'erim, made him king and their heir. When he was killed at Fadlun's order, the torch that was there was extinguished and [thereafter] Persians ruled.
This Fadlun took Ani from Alp-Arslan, giving him paintings/images of a garden fashioned from gold. And the lord sent to the devastated city his grandson Manuch'e' who was extremely young. When he matured he added to the wall of Ani and to its fortification. He also brought to the city all the remaining princes. Indeed, he came with great ceremony to welcome into the city Grigor son of Vasak, grandson of Apirat [g103]. It is said that on the heads of the noble (azat) women were 500 venerable crowns, for he was lord of many troops and of numerous azats. [Vasak] was the brother of Barsegh who was ordained kat'oghikos at Haghbat after [kat'oghikos] Ge'org, at the command and will of Manuch'e' and all the Armenians. The city of Ani was built up, in no way lacking what it had before.
Now Alp-Arslan went to Alamud and besieged the secure fortress there. The lord of the fortress held a great celebration in his home, followed by a great lamentation. Then he descended to the sultan, as though in submission. Kissing his feet, he stabbed [Alp-Arslan]—that beast drunk on the blood of the innocent. The evil man thus died. [Alp-Arslan's] position was taken by his son Malik-Shah, a man who was merciful and well-disposed, especially so toward our people. Indeed, he had the patriarch Barsegh elevated by receiving him preceded by the cross, he honored him with gifts and a court seal (tughrayiw grov). Becoming emboldened at this [Basegh] took the scepter and name of kat'oghikos in Honets'—assuming them himself, beyond the conventions of the kat'oghikosate.
In the year 525 A.E. [1076] the Latins [Hor'omk'] killed prince Vasak, brother of kat'oghikos Vahram. He was the duke of Antioch [and was killed] in that very city, treacherously. [Vasak's] troops secured themselves into the fortress and gave the city of Philaretus (P'ilartos) who at that time had subjected many districts [inhabited by] Armenians. When [Philaretus] took the city he sought vengeance for [Vasak's] blood. This Philaretus had ordained Sargis, the sister's son of Petros kat'oghikos of Mesopotamia, a holy and modest man. [This ordination occurred] while Vahram and Ge'org were still living. Lord Vahram and Lord Barsegh who were in the East proscribed him. He was ordained at Haghbat by the kat'oghikos of Aghuania, Lord Step'annos, and King Kiwrike'. In these times Sargis, the senior priest of the court church [g104], was ordained archbishop by the two kat'oghikoi of the blessed congregation of Haghbat. [Sargis] was given dioceses from both sides. Now after the death of Lord Sargis the kat'oghikos, Philaretus had a certain T'e'odoros ordained in his place [g105]...
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