Ashot I

Ashot I (c. 820 – 890) was the king of Armenia (from 886), founder of the Bagratuni dynasty. In 859, politically weakened Arab caliphate was forced to recognize Sparapet (head of the army) Ashot I as the prince of princes of Armenia. Ashot I led the battle for the liberation and unification of Armenia, subdued feudal lords, created an army of 40,000 soldiers and received the support of the church (in 875, the church council decided to declare him king). In the 880s, Ashot I liberated Armenia from the Arabs. At the same time, Ashot I was actively involved in the struggle of the Georgian principalities for Kartli and annexed part of Kvemo Kartli — Gujareti. To achieve their political goals, David Kurapalat, King of Tao, and his son Adarnase established good relations with Ashot I. In 886, the Arab Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire sent royal crowns to Ashot I as a sign of recognitizing him as the king.

N. Janashia