No one can put into
writing the disasters which the Christians experienced from the
Saracens, formerly called K'aghrt'akank'. It is said even in the
Bible that the tongues of K'aghrt' shall drink the blood of the
innocent. For at the beginning of the strengthening of [that]
people there was a certain K'aghrt' who was prince of the few
surrounding Ishmaelites. In his day a certain Mesopotamian prince
named Sargis ravished the goods of Ishmaelite merchants. K'aghrt'
beseeched the plunderer not to do this again, but [Sargis] did
not heed him. Taking heart, [K'aghrt'] assembled a huge crowd
of his people, went and took back what was his and what was theirs.
Gaining in power, they became even stronger. That same day they
found Mahmet [Muhammad], persecuted by his own people. The latter
had studied with a certain monk Arianos who professed the resurrection
in a diseased, physical way [complete] with corporeal desire.
They got [Muhammad] to come to them and made him their military
leader. They fought with all countries to fill up the measure
of the sin of the Christians of Greece, Armenia, Syria, Aghbania
and Iberia. Thereby becoming rich, they also took the Iranians'
scepter by which they made all peoples tributary. [g102]
[95] Now after twelve years, Xul amir
departed and Mahadi's son Chichnaum [Khuzaima ibn Khazim c. 786]
came. Prominent men turned against him and did not allow him into
Klarchet'. Some of them went to the Tayk' country, found a rock
there and built it into a stronghold, naming it Kamax. King Arch'il
planned to go to the tyrant so that perhaps he might relieve the
Christians, since the latter were tributary to him. As soon as
he went, [the tyrant] arose before him, elevated him, praised
his good looks, and the comliness of his form and held a banquet
for him. But after a few days he [tried to] force him to adopt
his own religion. He heard a very rough reply. The tyrant ordered
[Arch'il] placed in irons. Then an aspostate prince named Gardambel
stepped forward and said to Chichnam (also called Asim): "He
is from the line of great kings and is lord of venerable treasures.
Furthermore, the [hidden] treasure of the Greek emperor is in
his hands". When [Asim] learned this, he rejoiced and summoned
[Arch'il] for an audience (yatean). He said: "Show
me the treasures of the emperor and of your ancestors, and convert
to my religion, and I shall grant you what is yours, you shall
have your principality, and I shall make you spasalar of
all K'artli". Arch'il replied: "When Heraclius passed
through our country I was a boy. The treasure which they kept
is in the castle of the fortress whence emir Xul retreated, and
which the Greeks hold at present. What you seek did not pass into
my [96] hands. I shall not change my faith for the entire world,
for my lord God is Christ, son of the living God". Looking
at him, the tyrant said: "Was it you who defeated the Saracens
in Ap'xazet'"? Arch'il responded: "I was there when
God struck them". Asil asked: "God struck at us"?
The saint replied: "Yes, Christ God, our hope, Who came to
earth to save us, aided those who depend on Him". Then the
tyrant laid [g103] this order on the honorable king: "Let
him who chose a dead God die in His name". They took him
out and beheaded him as he thanked and prayed to God. And he exchanged
his mortal kingdom for the heavenly kingdom which does not fade
[d. 786]. Taking the marytrs' crown, he stands before the holy
Trinity in sorrowless joy. Now in the night the Goderdzets'ik'
and Tbets'ik' and other azats who were with [Arch'il] came,
stole his body, and buried it at Nutkara, a church which he had
built. His wife gave gifts to those who brought the remains, and
villages and awans to his place of rest. This abbreviated
history was found in the time of confusion and placed in the book
called K'art'lis Ts'xorepa
which means the History of K'art'li. It was found by Juansher,
[the history] written up to [the time of] king Vaxt'ang. Up to
the present point was added by Juansher himself. What follows
[was written] by eyewitnesses and contemporaries.
[97] Now Arch'il, the witness of Christ,
left two sons, Juansher and Iwane and four daughters named Goranduxt,
Mariam Mihranduxt, and Shushan. The Khazar king heard that Shushan
was beautiful and sent requesting her in marriage, promising to
free her country from the K'aghrt' people. However, the mother
and brothers did not want to give the lamb to the beast. After
three years the Xak'an dispatched his spasalar Buljan with
a large army by way of the Leket' road. He came, crossed into
Kaxet' and surrounded the fortress where Juansher and Shushan
were. After a short while he also took Tiflis [g104] and the entire
country of K'artli, and then departed. And the blessed Shushan
said to her brother: "I shall die a virgin in body and faith,
and not be devoured by a beast". Taking off her ring, she
removed the gem, and there beneath it was poison. She put this
in her mouth and died unsullied before the Lord [d. 799/800].
Her brother buried her. Now when Buljan returned to the Xak'an
and told about the virgin, he became very angry since [Buljan]
had not kept her carefully and had not brought him even her corpse.
[The Xak'an] had a rope tied around [Buljan's] neck and then ordered
two mounted men to pull it between them until the head of this
wicked polluter of the holy church was severed. After seven years
Juansher was set free with gifts, and came to his own country.
He found the Saracens at Tiflis and encamped in many places. Submitting,
he paid taxes to them and married the daughter of Atrnerseh Bagratuni,
named Latori [Georg. Latavr].
[98] After some time, Xosroydis, the
ostikan of Armenia, ca , vanquished by
him, he fled back to Gandzak. Georgi took back from the Greeks
all the fortresses which they had taken from them: Anakop'i to
the head of Ap'xazet', and in the Klarchet' country, and in Shawshet',
Jawaxet' and Artahan many strongholds, plus Kars, and Vanand as
well as Shamshoyte from the Turks. As soon as sultan Malik-Shah
heard about this, he came and retook Shamshoyte, captured Iberians
and prince Iwane, and departed. In those days, while Georgi was
in the army, Grigor, son of Bakuran, lord of Uxtik', Kars and
Karin city, came to him and requested Kars of him, leaving the
matter to him. In those days, the Turks raided Iberia, spilling
much blood, [g114] taking captives, and then departing. Their
head was named Buzhghub. And the word of Isaiah was fulfilled,
that "Woe to the people sinful and full of blame, for there
shall be no health given them from head to foot". When king
Georgi saw and bore this, as he expected salvation from no quarter,
he gave up to [Buzhghub] his son and went to sultan Malik-Shah.
He found favor with him and returned thence with gifts and a peace
treaty [to the effect that] if he would obediently [107] see to
[paying] taxes, he should have no fear. But because our wickedness
comes back upon us, our multiplied sins prevented us from joyously
celebrating the resurrection of Christ on Easter. For the Lord
looked upon the country in anger and shook it from its foundation.
For mountains of rock crashed down like dust, and cities, villages
and churches were overturned, and our feast turned to mourning,
as it is written. [g115]
However, the Lord did not become totally
angry, and did not keep His grudge forever. Rather, He pardoned
[us] as a father [pardons a] son and gave us a son so that we
not resemble Sodom and Gomorrah. He raised up for us the horn
of salvation from the House of David--Georgi's only son David
from the very same line of the father of God, David--from the
Bagratid house. His father Georgi, in his old age, crowned him,
speaking the truth: "The heavenly Father said unto him, 'I
have found my servant David and I annoint him with my holy oil.
May my hand lift him up and my arm strengthen him, with others'"
. It became morning for us, and the spirit of life breathed in
us and blew [cool air] upon our weary brows.[David] was 16 years
old and full of brilliant wisdom. For [in] Liparit's son, Iwane,
he recognized a rebel and after [108] [Iwane] returned from captivity,
[David] put him into prison so that he be advised. But as soon
as he had removed his fetters and honored him with the same greatness
[he had enjoyed before], [g116] then, like a dog, he returned
to his own vomit. Once again [David] seized him and sent him to
the Greeks.
In the fourth year of David's reign,
sultan Malik-Shah died [A.D. 1092]. Then the Franks arose and
(re)took Jerusalem, Antioch and the entire [Levantine] coast.
David grew powerful and built up K'art'li, and did not pay taxes
to the Turks. King Kiwrike of Kaxet' died and Asxart'an, his brother's
son, reigned. David looked upon the Church wisely--for it had
no light. Rather, the leaders were blind and avaricious and robbers
had entered [the churches] through the walls and windows rather
than through the doors, like shepherds. Such in this period were
the bishops. They ordained priests for bribes, as they themselves
[had been ordained], they set up stupid, greedy suffragan bishops
and emplanted lawlessness in the House of God. The great eye observed
this and was displeased. For the sins of the church and land were
not those of shepherds and flocks, vardapets and common
people (rhamkats') but rather [resembling] the servant
who, knowing his lord's will and straying, must take many beatings.
Consequently [David] assembled by him [109] the kat'oghikos,
bishops, and stupified priests, and ordered that an election be
held among the good and bad and that the worthless ones be exiled.
[So that] seeing the canonical orders the church hierarchy so
act and [so] command the ignorant. They moved in accord with the
command of Scripture, giving the [ecclesiastical] throne to the
good, and removing the worthless, just as the inedible and loathsome
are removed from the nets. He did this like Constantine the Great.
Receiving strength from God, he struck the multitude of Turks
with but a few troops and stopped their comings and goings in
the land of the Christians. For the Lord had given him the promise
of the just, and one [man] could put to flight 1,000 [enemies],
and two [men], 10,000. For [he acted] not as Eghiazaros Awaran,
who grew dazed, [g117] sticky with the enemies' blood, on the
contrary, himself dripping with blood, he turned back the multitude,
and then loosened his belt, bled, and relaxed. He was, furthermore,
a builder of monasteries and churches, just as he constructed
two churches to the blessed Mother of God in a charming spot.
He went in person to see after the monasteries, the orders of
worship, and the comfort of hostles, and he provided whatever
was lacking. In various places he constructed houses for the soul,
for the rest of travelers.
[110] In that period some 10,O00 Turks
raided in Trialeti(T'rheghk'). David was at Nacharmad. When he
heard about them, he came in the night with few troops. In the
morning,with God's aid, he beat them until evening. Only a few
survivors fled at night. Similarly there were tens of thousands
of Turkic troops which had descended into the Tayk' country. [David]
went and struck them, and took their goods; and the country of
Iberia filled up with good things. He sent his son Demetre to
the Shruan area, and he succeeded in taking the fortress of K'aladzor,
returning thence in joy. But while the great David was celebrating
the feast of Easter at Naxedran, they brought him news that the
Turks had slain Beshken in Jawaxet' and had come and encamped
on the shores of the Erasx. He went against them and destroyed
and captured their entire army. David made marriage alliances
with the kings of Greece and Shruan giving his daughters to them
and [thereby] getting [their] support. His wife, Goranduxt, was
the daughter of the Qipchaq chief, that is At'rak of the Huns.
With their aid he subjugated the Ossetian kings, took hostages
from them and made peace between the Ossetians and Huns. He took
the Darial fortress and all the gates of Oset' to mount Kawkas.
From there he sent the Qipchaqs, who went and destroyed the might
of the Turks. [David] also took the fortress-city [g118] of the
Armenians, Lorhe. At this time Malik-Shah's son Malik' died, as
did the Greek king Alexs and Georgi Dchqondideli [111] (Chghunditel)
who had been loyal from birth. The king and the entire kingdom
mourned him for twenty days and buried him at Nor vank'.
Now [David] kept with him on Iberian
land 40,000 Qipchaqs with their families and sons, plus 500 young
children whom he raised at his court as Christians, and still
others, day by day, were baptized and studied the faith of our
Lord. He armed the 40,000 and designated spasalars for
them and repelled Iran and T'urk'astan with them. It is said that
he resembed a swift, fleet-footed panther, by which the vision
of Daniel described Alexander. Our Alexander was no less than
he, although younger, yet comparable in fortune. For he struck
at the Turks in [their] wintering grounds of T'ughark' and filled
up with booty. On the thirteenth of February and on the same septenary
of fasting, he took Kapa city and filled Iberia up with gold and
silver. On May fifth he raided Layizhk' as far as K'urdawan and
Xshtalan and returned to K'art'li in wealth. The same year he
went to Ashorni and beat the army of Turks until there were not
left [even] mourners in their tents. During wintertime he went
to Ap'xazet' as far as Binchit'a and put them in order. Now the
Turkmens ascended the mountains of Armenia in summertime and in
wintertime descended to the warm meadows by the banks of the [112]
Kur river--but not without great preparation due to fear of David.
However, that year they were without a care because of the king's
distance. The king returned, skirting mount Lix before him, and
came to K'art'li. [g119] He found readied troops in the month
of March and went to Xunan and did not allow [any] of the multitude
of Turks to live. He crossed to Partaw and, in the villages, he
discovered fugitives from the Turks. He put them to the sword
and returned in peace.
At that time some Turkish merchants
from Dmanis and Tiflis who had been robbed, and other remnants
who had been driven out, blackened their clothes, some their faces,
some their hands and feet and went before the Sultan bemoaning
themselves because of David. The Sultan summoned the king of the
Arabs, the son of Altux, and all the Mesopotamian amirs, and sent
them against David. On August twelveth they reached Trialeti,
Manklis and Didgork'. The king called upon Jesus our God for aid
and calmly went against them. He downed the first among [their]
seniors and put them to flight. Pursuing, he put all of them to
the sword leaving them to the carnivorous beasts and birds of
the mountains and plains. [The Iberians] filled up with horses,
camels, donkeys, Arabian furniture and noble amir [113] captives.
What tongue can relate the wonders which our sustaining Christ
gave us on that day? And what are the narrations of Homer and
Aristotle to me about the Trojan War and the bravery of Achilles
or Josephus' writings about the valor of the Maccabees or Alexander
and Titus at Jerusalem? Because until David, for four hundred
years, the kings of Iberia were unable to make Tiflis their own
entirely. Now in these days the Sultan went to Shruan, took Shamaxi,
seized the Shruan-Shah and dispatched emissaries to David, saying:
"Be well, king of the deepest forests, for you dare not issue
out of your lairs. Should you wish [g120] to come out of your
ambush, see me here. Otherwise, send me my taxes, and I shall
depart". As soon as the king heard about this, he ordered
up the cavalry and assembled the entire multitude of his forces
and went to him. When the Sultan learned of this, he was horror-stricken
and entered Shamaxi city, fortifying it with a deep ditch. Then
he sent to [David], saying: "From you I seek neither taxes
nor war, but only a road so that I may leave". At the same
time, the atabeg (At'apak) of Aghbania, Asxandul,
came to the Sultan with 10,000 troops. David's army struck [them]
and [Asxandul] himself, escaping by a hairsbreadth, came to the
Sultan. Yet more terrified, at night he secretly left by another
road for his own land. The king returned [114] to his country.
One month later he went back to Shruan, took the royal residence
of Gulstan fortress, placed the land under taxation, and returned
to Iberia. He also took the Armenian castles of Dmanis, Gagj Terunakan,
K'awazin, Nor-berd, Manasagom, and Xalinchk'ar. Then he crossed
by the upper area to Basen and Isper and wherever he found Turks,
he wiped them out. In great triumph he returned to Iberia in the
month of August. Then a letter reached him from the seniors of
Ani, saying: "Come, and we shall place the city in your hands".
[David] went with 60,000 cavalry and took [Ani] after three days.
Turning to Shruan, he took the city of Shamaxi and the entire
country. Then he returned to K'art'li, leaving troops at Her and
Kax and the loyal Simeon as official (gordzakal) of the
country.
What shall we relate about his goodness?
For he built up every part of the east and filled it with inhabitants.
He was spiritually sentient and brave and read all the Scriptures.
When his eye wearied, he would listen day and night, for sleep
did not impede him at night, nor the cares of the world in daytime,
nor pleasure while supping and dining. He was charitable and merciful
toward Christians. When Tiflis was held by the Turks and every
day the Christian [g121] inhabitants' blood was shed and the merchants
were placed outside, [David] did not rest until this scandal to
the [115] Christians was eliminated. With Christ's aid, he made
that corrupter of the land, the Sultan, a tributary, seated the
people of Ishmael in ashes and mastered the tyrants of the land
as man masters a beast. He kept fasts and prayed at length and
gave gifts to the Church [even to those located] in Greece, Cilicia,
Cyprus, and Holy Jerusalem. He built a monastery on Mt. Sinai,
and every year sent thousands and tens of thousands of treasures.
As for the writings and vessels of holiness, who can count them?
Furthermore, he wanted to unite the Armenians and Iberians. He
summoned Yovhannes kat'oghikos of K'art'li and Arsenios
K'art'lets'i translator of Georgian and Greek, and the bishops
and vardapets of Armenia, and held a meeting. They examined
[matters] from morning until evening, but did not accept each
other. Then the king said: "We are unskilled in the deep
words which you bring forth and you are unable to find a way out".
He himself, using simple, clear words, calmed both sides and dissolved
the assembly.
But he loved the Armenian people and
churches and a certain rhetorician vardapet from Haghbat,
named Sarkawag. [David] confessed his sins to him and, bowing
his honorable head, was blessed by him. Sitting with him, he embraced
his neck. But [Sarkawag] said: "I am a broken man, and reek
in my old age. Leave me, that you do not grow weary". Yet
[116] the king kissed him and said: "Let this fragrance never
cease from you, reverend father". And [David] bestowed upon
him as a gift, a village near the monastery, in service to him.
Blessing the king, [Sarkawag] placed his hand on [David's] head
and spoke: "I have found my servant David and with holy oil
I annoint him to the tenth house". The king was pleased,
and praised the beautiful Armenian translation. And indeed, we
saw the word of the Psalm [g122] fulfilled upon the king. Many
of those words suited him for through God he was freed from many
traps unthinkable to man, and he lived. Sometimes while hunting
deer, he fell from his horse and was laid out senseless like a
dead man, yet he would arise through the power of the Mystery.
Once when warring with a fortress, an arrow came from the wall
and struck the face of Gabriel, which he wore around his neck,
and so he lived with angelic intercession. Having accumulated
such goodness he approached the heavenly. But his corporeal life
grew ill [and he died] when he was fifty-three years of age, on
the twenty-fifth day of January. And they enthroned...[g123]
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