Siege of Anazarba

The Siege of Anazarba^{[note 1]} was a siege by armenian forces, led by Oshin, brother of King Leo III of Armenia, and his brother-in-law Alinakh against mongols, who were settled in Anazarba. The reason was the murder of 40 Armenian nobles and the current and former kings Leo and Hethum by the Mongol general Bilarghu. It marked the end of the Armeno-Mongol alliance.^[3][4]

Siege of Anazarba
Part of Mongol invasions of the Levant
General view of Anazarbus
Date 1307 Location Anazarbus, Cilician Armenia (modern-day Turkey) Result Armenian victory Withdrawal of Mongol forces End of Armeno-Mongol alliance[1]
Belligerents
Cilician Armenia	Ilkhanate
Commanders and leaders
Oshin I Alinakh [hy]	Bilarghu [2]

Background

Mongol raids in the Middle East became a problem for Armenian state. Mongols defeated Sultanate of Rum forces led by Kaykhusraw II and approached the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Armenian nobles started diplomacy with the Mongols.^[5]

Hethum I arrived to Karakorum, the capital of the Mongols in 1254. In the autumn of the same year, Hethum and the Great Mangu Khan concluded the Armeno-Mongol alliance. Both sides pledged to help each other during the war.^[6]

Hethum I (seated) in the Mongol Court in 1254

The Mongols began their invasions of the Levant, and the Armenians allied with them during this campaign. However, the Mongol-Armenian forces were ultimately defeated by the Mamluk-led coalition at the decisive Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260.^[7] Mamluks marched to Cilicia and defeated Armenians at the Battle of Mari, inflicting heavy casualties. The sons of Hethum I, Leo were taken as prisoner, and Thoros was killed in action.

At the Council of Sis in 1307, a decision was made for Cilicia to join the Catholic Church. However, the West showed little urgency in offering support to Cilicia following this decision. Meanwhile, opposition to the union with the Catholic Church was spearheaded by Greater Armenia. Those who opposed the union were referred to as anti-Unitarians, while its supporters were known as Unitarians.

Slaughter of nobles and Siege

General Bilarghu, the representative of the Mongol Khan, harbored a deep grudge against King Hethum for preventing the construction of a Muslim mosque in Sis, the capital of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Seizing an opportunity for vengeance, Bilarghu orchestrated a treacherous plan. He invited King Leo, the Regent, and forty Armenian nobles to Anazarba under the guise of discussing urgent political matters. Once the unsuspecting guests entered the Tatar general's tent, Bilarghu drew his sword and screamed, "Allah is great!". This was the signal for his soldiers to attack. In a brutal ambush, the Armenians were slaughtered, including King Leo and the Regent.^[8][9][10]

The massacre sparked outrage among the Armenian nobility. Oshin and Alinakh, uncles of the slain king, rallied forces and laid siege to Anazarba in a fierce act of retribution.^[11] This tragic event marked a dark chapter in the fraught relations between the Mongols and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.^[3]

Aftermath

Bilarghu with his forces left to Ilkhanate, where at the request of the Armenians and nobility, he was executed by Khan.^[12][13]

See also

• Mongol Armenia
• Leo III of Armenia
• Oshin of Armenia

Notes

1. or Siege of Anazarbus (Armenian: Անազարվայի պաշարում, romanized: Anazarvayi pasharum)