Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / The Battle of Sevan: Armenia's King Ashot II and the Arab Siege
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the Bagratid golden age, about Ani, about the cathedral that Trdat built. But before all that, the Bagratids had to survive a moment that nearly wiped them out. And it happened on a lake. Luna: Lake Sevan? Lucas: Exactly — Lake Sevan, that huge alpine lake in eastern Armenia. In the early 900s, the Bagratid king Ashot II, called Yerkat — the Iron — was cornered there by an Arab army. And the way he fought back is one of the most resourceful battles I've ever read about. Lucas: Just to set the scene: after the Bagratids established their kingdom in 885, they spent decades balancing between the Byzantine Empire to the west and the Arab caliphates to the south and east. By Ashot II's reign, around 914, the main threat came from the Sajid emirate, based in what's now Iranian Azerbaijan. Luna: The Sajids — they're the ones who sacked Dvin, right? Lucas: Yeah, they'd taken Dvin a few years earlier, and their emir, Yusuf ibn Abi'l-Saj, was determined to crush the Bagratids for good. He led a huge army into Armenia, and Ashot II couldn't meet him in open battle. So he withdrew to the island fortress on Lake Sevan. Lucas: Now, that fortress — Sevanavank, a monastery on a small island — was almost impossible to assault directly. But Yusuf didn't need to storm it. He just needed to wait. He had his men build boats, and he prepared to starve Ashot out. Lucas: And before we go deeper, I want to mention something. You know how this show is ad-free and we keep it going episode after episode? That's because a small group of listeners chips in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's not much, but it covers the research time, the hosting costs, all of it. So if you've been getting something out of these conversations, that's the simplest way to keep them coming. Luna: Yeah, I think it's worth noting — it really does make a difference. Lucas: Alright, back to the siege. Ashot was on that island with maybe a few hundred men — his loyal nakharars and their troops. They had food, but not for a long siege. And Yusuf had dozens of boats. The situation looked hopeless. Luna: So how did he turn it around? Lucas: He used the lake itself. The Armenian fishermen around Sevan had small, fast boats — skiffs, basically. Ashot gathered as many as he could, and he had his men arm them with grappling hooks and torches. Then, under cover of darkness, they rowed out to meet the Arab fleet. Lucas: The Arab boats were bigger, but they were also slower and less maneuverable. The Armenians swarmed them, hooked onto their hulls, and set them on fire. In the chaos, many of the Arab boats sank or were captured. Yusuf's fleet was destroyed in one night. Luna: That's incredible — fishing boats taking down a naval force. Lucas: It was a decisive victory. The siege collapsed, Yusuf retreated, and Ashot II emerged as the undisputed king of Armenia. He earned his nickname 'the Iron' not just for his stubborn defense, but for how he rebuilt the kingdom afterward. Lucas: The battle happened in 924. After that, the Sajids never seriously threatened Bagratid Armenia again. It opened the way for the golden age under Ashot's successors, especially his son Gagik I, who built the cathedral at Ani. Luna: So in a way, Sevan saved Ani. Lucas: Exactly. Without that victory, there might not have been an Ani to build. And it's a story that shows how much the Armenians relied on their geography — the lake, the mountains, the passes — to survive. Luna: I've never heard this battle mentioned in Western histories. It's like a hidden gem. Lucas: It really is. Even in Armenian sources, it's often overshadowed by Avarayr or Sardarabad. But for the medieval period, it was just as critical. And the way Ashot II led — personally commanding the boats, sharing the hardships with his men — that became legendary. Lucas: The Catholicos at the time, Hovhannes V, was also on the island. He blessed the boats before the attack. So there's a spiritual dimension too — the church and the crown together. Luna: That reminds me of the cross-stones, the khachkars, that they carved to commemorate victories. Lucas: Yes, and there is a khachkar from that era on the island, though it's hard to say if it was carved right after the battle. But the monastery itself became a symbol of resilience. Even today, Sevanavank is one of the most visited sites in Armenia. Lucas: After the victory, Ashot II spent the rest of his reign consolidating control, pushing back the Arabs, and even getting recognition from the Byzantine emperor. He died in 928, probably from illness, but he left a stable kingdom. Luna: It's a great underdog story. And it's so specific — the boats, the lake, the night attack. Lucas: Exactly. And it's a reminder that history isn't just about big armies and famous generals. Sometimes it's about a king who knew his terrain and his people, and used both to win against the odds. Lucas: If you ever visit Lake Sevan, you can see the island and the monastery. And you can imagine that night in 924, when the water was lit by burning ships. Luna: I'll add it to my list. Lucas: And maybe that's a good note to end on. Next time, we'll look at what happened after the battle — how Armenia's golden age truly began.