Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / Armenia Under the Mongols: Survival Through Subjugation
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Armenia's empires and its golden ages, but today I want to take us into a period that's often glossed over — the centuries when Armenia was under Mongol rule. It's a story of survival through submission, of cultural flourishing under occupation, and of a people who somehow held onto their identity while serving one of history's most fearsome empires. Luna: Mongols in Armenia — that's not something I've thought about much. When did it start? Lucas: The first Mongol incursions into the Caucasus happened in the 1220s, right after Genghis Khan's armies swept through Persia. Armenia at that point was fragmented — the Bagratid Kingdom had fallen centuries before, and the land was divided among local lords and nakharars, with Cilician Armenia holding on to the southwest. Lucas: The Mongols, under generals like Chormaqan and later Baiju, systematically subdued the Transcaucasus. By the 1240s, most Armenian princes had submitted to Mongol authority, becoming vassals. And here's the thing — the Mongols were brutal conquerors, but they were also pragmatic. They allowed religious freedom as long as you paid tribute and provided troops. Luna: So the Armenian Church was allowed to operate? Lucas: Exactly. The Mongols were shamanists and later Buddhists and Muslims, but they didn't force conversion. The Armenian Apostolic Church survived, and in some ways even thrived, because the Mongol administration saw it as a useful tool for controlling the population. Catholicos were appointed with Mongol approval, and monasteries could keep their lands. Lucas: But it wasn't all peaceful. Taxation was heavy, and when the Mongols needed to assert dominance, they didn't hesitate to destroy cities. Ani — the former Bagratid capital — was sacked and declined under Mongol rule. The city we visited in earlier episodes, that once held 100,000 people, became a ghost town. Lucas: And of course, if you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode, you know we don't run ads on these conversations. It's something we feel strongly about — history shouldn't be interrupted by commercials. If that matters to you, and you'd like to support the show, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Every bit helps us keep exploring these stories. Luna: Yeah, I appreciate that. And it really lets us dive deep without a break. So, with the Mongols in charge, what did daily life look like for Armenians? Lucas: For the common people, life was about survival — paying taxes in grain, livestock, or coin, and providing labor. But for the elite, there were opportunities. Armenian princes served in the Mongol military, sometimes commanding thousands of troops. The most famous of these was Hasan-Jalalyan, a ruler from the region of Artsakh — what's now Nagorno-Karabakh. Lucas: Hasan-Jalalyan was a local king who submitted to the Mongols and was confirmed as a vassal. He even married a Mongol princess, which gave him a degree of autonomy. His dynasty, the Hasan-Jalalyans, would rule Artsakh for centuries, right up into the early modern period. Luna: So they really integrated with the Mongol system. Lucas: Absolutely. And it paid off. Under Mongol protection, Armenian trade flourished along the Silk Road. Armenian merchants from New Julfa — we talked about them in the diaspora episodes — started building networks. But culturally, the Mongol period saw a real flourishing. This is when the University of Gladzor was founded, around 1280. Lucas: Gladzor became a center of learning, especially for theology and manuscript illumination. The most famous teacher there was the scholar and monk Vardan Areveltsi, who we've mentioned before. He wrote histories and traveled widely, even visiting the Mongol court to negotiate on behalf of the Armenian Church. Luna: Wait — Vardan Areveltsi lived under the Mongols? I thought he was earlier. Lucas: He lived in the 13th century, so yes, right in the thick of it. He traveled to the Ilkhanate capital in Tabriz and met with Hulagu, the Mongol ruler who sacked Baghdad. Vardan wrote a geography and a history that are invaluable sources today. He was part of the Armenian delegation that tried to forge a mongol byzantine crusader alliance against the Mamluks. Lucas: That's a whole other story — the Mongols, especially under the Ilkhanate, tried to ally with Christian powers against the Muslim Mamluks. But it never really worked out. The Mongols converted to Islam in the early 14th century, and that changed everything for Armenia. Luna: So what happened when the Ilkhanate became Islamic? Lucas: Under Ghazan Khan, who converted to Islam around 1295, the tolerance began to fray. There were persecutions of Christians in some areas, though Ghazan himself wasn't fanatical. But his successors, like Oljeitu, were more aggressive. Oljeitu even tried to convert the Armenians to Islam, but he didn't have the resources to enforce it. Lucas: Still, the Mongol period saw periods of heavy pressure. In the 14th century, the Ilkhanate fragmented, and then came Timur — Tamerlane. Timur invaded Armenia in the 1380s and 1390s, and he was not interested in vassals. He destroyed cities, massacred populations, and enslaved tens of thousands. The devastation was so complete that some areas never recovered. Luna: Timur is just a nightmare for everyone he touches. Lucas: He is. But even in that chaos, Armenian culture survived. Monasteries like Tatev and Gladzor kept producing manuscripts. The tradition of khachkars — those carved cross-stones — continued. And when the dust settled, Armenian lords like the Hasan-Jalalyans and the Proshyans still held sway in the mountains. Lucas: One fascinating figure from the late Mongol period is Mkhitar of Ani. He was a monk and historian who wrote a chronicle covering the Mongol invasions. He described the terror of the first attacks — how villages were wiped out and cities reduced to rubble. But he also recorded how some Armenians managed to negotiate, to pay tribute, and to stay alive. Luna: So it's a story of both devastation and adaptation. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the thread that runs through Armenian history — whether under Persians, Romans, Arabs, Mongols, or Ottomans, Armenians found ways to adapt without losing their core. The Mongol period is a perfect example: it brought destruction, but it also brought the Pax Mongolica, which allowed trade and cultural exchange. Lucas: Armenian soldiers fought in Mongol armies; Armenian monks copied manuscripts that survive today; Armenian merchants linked China to Crimea. Under Mongol rule, the diaspora began to take shape, with communities in Tabriz, Astrakhan, and even as far as Beijing. Luna: I've heard about an Armenian community in China during the Yuan dynasty. Lucas: Yes, there was a small colony in Khanbaliq — modern Beijing — mostly merchants and craftsmen. Marco Polo, who traveled through Armenia, mentioned them. They were part of the Mongol empire's multicultural web. And when the Mongols fell, many of those Armenians disappeared into the local population, but their legacy remained. Lucas: So the Mongol era is not just a footnote — it's a crucial chapter that shaped Armenian identity. It's when the idea of Armenia as a nation of survivors became solidified. Every time the empire crumbled, Armenians picked up the pieces and carried on. Lucas: I think that's why, when we look at the genocide and the Soviet era later, we see the same patterns — resilience, adaptation, and an unbreakable connection to the land and the church. Luna: It makes me wonder what other periods we've overlooked. Maybe we should do an episode on Armenia under the Seljuks, or the Ottomans before the genocide. Lucas: We'll get there. But for now, I hope this gives you a sense of how complex Armenia's journey really is. It's not just a story of victimhood — it's about strategic choices, cultural creativity, and survival against the odds. Luna: Thanks for this deep dive. I'll look at the Mongol period differently now.