- Pahlavuni
Pahlavuni ( _hy. Փահլավունի) was an Armenian noble family that rose to prominence in the late
10th century during the last years of the Bagratuni monarchy.cite web
last = Toumanoff
first = Cyril
authorlink = Cyril Toumanoff
title = KAMSARAKAN
publisher =Encyclopædia Iranica
url = http://www.iranica.com/articles/sup/Kamsarakan.html
accessdate =2008-01-18]Origins
The Pahlavunis were an offshoot of the
Kamsarakan noble house that was nearly annihilated following theArab conquest of Armenia in the7th century . In774 the nature of the Arab rule had provoked the Armeniannakharar s into a major rebellion which included the Kamsarakans. The defeat of the rebels at the Battle of Bagrevand in April of 775 was followed by ruthless suppression of opposition in the years that followed. The power and influence of the Kamsarakans along with other leading nakharar houses such as theMamikonian s and theGnuni s was destroyed for good.cite book
last = Whittow
first = Mark
title = The Making of Byzantium, 600-1025
publisher = University of California Press
date = August 5, 1996
location = Berkeley
pages = 213-14
isbn =0-520-20497-2 ] Those that survived were either as exiles in theByzantine Empire or as dependants of other houses, chiefly theArtsruni and the Bagratuni. They were forced to sell their hereditary princedoms to the Bagratunis, such as the regions ofShirak andArsharunik . The Bagratuni PrinceAshot the Carnivorous bought the former estates of the Kamsarakan family aroundArpa River near Mren, 34km south ofAni which was also now a Bagratuni possession.Branches
In the
11th century the Pahlavunis controlled and built various fortresses throughout Armenia such asAmberd andBjni and played a significant role in all the affairs of the country. According toCyril Toumanoff , following the abdication in 1045-46 of Prince Gregory II (who received from the court ofConstantinople the rank of "magistros" and the office of duke of Mesopotamia,Vaspurakan , andTaron ) in favor of the emperor, the Pahlavunis (Oshin of Gandzak) moved toCilician Armenia forming the House of Hethumids. Toumanoff also namesZakarid-Mxargrzeli house as branch of the Pahlavunis.References
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