Abas () was king of Bagratid Armenia from 929 to 953. He was a member of the Bagratid (Bagratuni) royal dynasty. He was the son of Smbat I and the brother of Ashot II of Armenia, whom he succeeded. In contrast to the reign of his predecessors, Abas's reign was largely peaceful, and he focused on rebuilding the war-torn kingdom and developing his capital at Kars. His brother and predecessor, King Ashot II of Armenia (914–929), freed Armenia from the troops of Yusuf (901–927), the emir of Atropatene, and ended the Armenian Kingdom's formal dependence on the Arab Caliphate. During this same time, two other rulers who held the title of "King of Armenia" were also active: Gagik Artsruni and Ashot Shapuhyan Bagratuni. Under Ashot Yerkat, they were under his authority, but by the start of Abas's rule, they were acting as independent rulers. Abas did not oppose them directly. Instead, he gradually strengthened his position and eventually established supremacy in Armenia and South Caucasus.
Early life and accession Abas, the youngest son of King Smbat I (891–914)There is a view that Abas's baptismal name was Hovhannes (John). The basis for this is the inscription on a preserved metal cross pedestal, dated 966., is first mentioned in Armenian sources after the murder of his father (January 7, 914"Common Dictionary of the Day", V. May, S. Echmiadzin, 2010, pp. 95–97; ; .), when he and his brother Ashot II of Armenia left Armenia, which was suffering from the incursions of the troops of Yusuf, the emir of Atropatene. Abas traveled to Iberia, where he married the daughter of Georgian prince Gurgen, and later returned to his homeland.Gurgen played a significant role in Iberia. Smbat, son of David, reports about him that he fought more than all his predecessors and conquered vast territories. He was the lord of the Qvel (Kvel) fortress in Samtskhe and of Adjara. ; ; . Incidentally, according to Asoghik, the Armenian king Smbat I had taken refuge for some time in the Qvel fortress during the attacks of Yusuf, the emir of Atropatene. . Ashot subsequently summoned his brother Abas and the Georgian prince Gurgen, Abas's father-in-law, to his court.
Upon his return, Abas continuously supported his brother in the struggle to liberate Armenia. After liberating the central part of Armenia in 917, Ashot departed for Gugark alongside Abas. The local garrison commanders of the Samshvilde fortress (which had been transformed into a royal domain during the reign of Smbat I) were the brothers Vasak and Ashot Gntuni, who had been appointed by Smbat I and concurrently served as overseers of the province surrounding the fortress. Ashot demanded their submission. Taking advantage of the fact that Ashot had dismissed his army and taken refuge near the Sakuret fortress with only 250 soldiers alongside his brother Abas, the Gntunis gathered troops, received assistance from the Arabs of Tbilisi and Caucasian highlanders, and attacked the camp of Ashot and Abas with a force of four thousand men. The brothers quickly prepared their small force for battle and launched a counterattack, decisively defeating their opponents. Some of the captured Arabs were executed, others had their noses and ears cut off, while the Christians were released after being stripped of their possessions. Only Vasak Gntuni managed to escape with a group of soldiers and take refuge in Samshvilde. Following these events, Ashot and Abas went to the Georgian prince Gurgen. Ashot appointed Abas as the Prince of Princes of Armenia. During the reign of the early Bagratuni kings, this position was customarily granted to members of the royal family who were later destined to inherit the Armenian throne, making him a potential heir to the Armenian throne. Abas's aspirations for the throne, fueled by holding this position, ultimately led to an irreconcilable hostility between the two brothers after Ashot married the daughter of Sahak Sevada, the prince of Gardman, in 918. During the wedding ceremony, he was presented with a crown and gifts sent by Yusuf. He accepted the crown and sent gifts in return to Yusuf. Yusuf was eventually forced to recognize Ashot's supreme status in Armenia. Sometime later, Ashot launched a campaign against Ashot Shapuhyan, who had fortified himself in Dvin. In a battle that took place near the gates of Dvin, Ashot's army suffered a defeat due to Grigor, the son of Sahak Sevada, forcing the king to retreat to the domains of the Georgian prince Gurgen. After securing auxiliary troops from him, he returned to Vagharshapat. Soon after, Ashot invited Abas and his father-in-law, the Georgian prince Gurgen, to join him in Shirak. The king bestowed great honors upon them. However, Abas and Gurgen conspired against Ashot. The king managed to escape from Shirakavan and, taking Abas's son with him, departed for Utik.
Shortly after the failure of the conspiracy, Ashot traveled to Gugark to punish the Georgian prince Gurgen. Taking Adarnase, the King of Klarjeti (referred to as the "King of Georgians"), with him, he campaigned against Gurgen. Abas and Ashot Shapuhyan rushed to the latter's aid. Ashot Shapuhyan was also a son-in-law of Gurgen.; . Leo mistakenly believed that Ashot Shapuhyan was the father-in-law of the Georgian prince Gurgen. Leo, op. cit., p. 559. Whereas in the work of Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi we read that "...finding the other king Ashot and Gurgen his father-in-law" , and in the work of Stepanos Orbelyan, that "...he was found by the other king Ashot and by Gurgen, his father-in-law". . By utilizing his two sons-in-law, both of whom harbored claims to the Armenian throne, Gurgen severely endangered the internal security of the Armenian kingdom. These political maneuvers were aimed in particular at establishing control over the Samshvilde fortress and the surrounding cantons. During this period, the interests of Abas and Ashot Shapuhyan coincided, although their alliance was temporary. Under the pressure of the combined forces of Ashot and Adarnase, the opposing troops began to retreat and gradually yield their positions, considering the possibility of surrender. At that time, news arrived of unlawful acts committed by the Prince of Gardman, Sahak Sevada, prompting Ashot to swiftly depart for Utik. Following these events in 919, information regarding Abas in the historical sources is interrupted for a prolonged period. Due to these gaps in the record, widespread disagreements have arisen among researchers.
Beginning of reign In the early 930s, a system of divided rule emerged in Armenia. Apart from Abas Bagratuni, two other Armenian kings ruled and operated in the country to varying extents: Gagik Artsruni and Ashot Shapuhyan. Since the latter two had been proclaimed kings much earlier, the role and influence of Abas Bagratuni in the country's developments during the first stage of his reign was secondary.
During the reign of Abas's predecessor, Ashot II Yerkat, Bagratuni supremacy was established in Armenia and Transcaucasia. As early as 915, the Byzantine Empire recognized him as the "Prince of Princes," granting him the corresponding throne and title. Ashot's supreme status was also confirmed by the Abbasid Caliphate: in 919, the newly appointed official of the Arab Caliphate, Subuq, established peace with him and recognized him as "Shahanshah" (King of Kings).
Following the death of Ashot, this supremacy shifted to Vaspurakan. The title of "Prince of Princes" and the corresponding status were granted to Gagik Artsruni by Byzantium. The Caliphate adopted the same policy: in 927, Yusuf, the emir of Atropatene, handed over the supremacy of Armenia and Georgia to Gagik Artsruni, and later, in 940, Sayf al-Dawla, the ruler of Diyar Bakr who had entered Armenia, met with the Artsruni ruler in Ahlat and recognized him as the "King of Armenia and Georgia".. Under the name "Jurzan (Iberia)", J. Markwart attempts to understand not Iberia, but Zavazan-Andzevatsik, which is impossible: ; .
Under these political conditions, Abas was not initially regarded by the major foreign powers as the direct successor of Ashot. Having spent much of Ashot's reign away from Armenia, he had less political influence than Gagik Artsruni. For this reason, Byzantium referred to him merely with the court title of "magistros".
Coronation In older historiographical traditions, hypotheses circulated claiming that before his death (928), Ashot reconciled with Abas, or that Abas's coronation was organized in Vaspurakan with the support of Gagik Artsruni and by the Armenian Catholicos residing there.
The facts indicate that Abas and Ashot never reconciled: Abas never returned to the domains of Ayrarat during his brother's lifetime; moreover, when Ashot marched north to punish the Georgian prince Gurgen, it was Abas who assisted the latter, acting against the Shahanshah of Armenians and Georgians. Furthermore, Gagik Artsruni, who aspired to pan-Armenian supremacy and harbored ambitions of becoming the absolute ruler in Armenia, had no motive to organize the coronation of a rival king.
On this chronology, Ashot died in 929 or 930, and Abas's coronation is likewise dated to 929 or 930, after which he returned to Ayrarat.The calculation is made according to the principles of calendrical calculations compiled by B. Tumanyan: .
Bagratuni territories in Ayrarat At the time of his establishment in Ayrarat, Abas's authority was strictly limited and did not extend over the entire territory of the province. Ashot Shapuhyan had maintained his power in Ayrarat since 916 (reigning for about 18 years, until 934). The latter did not recognize Abas's rights and was established in the key centers of the province: he possessed the eastern part of the Arsharunik canton, including the former Bagratuni capital of Bagaran (where the Armenian Catholicos also resided), and the town of Koghb in the Chakatk canton. At the same time, the southern regions of Ayrarat—the cantons of Tsaghkotn, Kogovit, and Masyatsotn—were under the direct control of Gagik Artsruni. Abas therefore began his reign amid a fragmented political landscape and faced Gagik Artsruni, who controlled Vaspurakan and had greater resources.
Early reign One of Abas Bagratuni's first actions was the selection of a new capital. Kars was chosen as the royal seat, which by the late 9th century had evolved into a city with a citadel and suburbs. Kars was referred to as a "royal city-fortress." By Abas's order, construction of the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles began here in 930 and was completed in 942.
Limited information has been preserved regarding the initial period of Abas's reign. During this time, the role of Gagik Artsruni, who was recognized by Byzantium as the "Prince of Princes," was more significant. Simultaneously, Abas was addressed simply as "magistros" by Emperors Romanos I Lekapenos and Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, since the title of Prince of Princes belonged to Gagik Artsruni. In 927, the title of "King of Armenia and Georgia" with the corresponding status was transferred to Gagik Artsruni. In the early 930s, Gagik Artsruni sent a letter to Emperor Romanos I of Byzantium proposing to place Armenia under the empire's protection, pay taxes, and enter into communion with the Greek Church. In 931–932, based on the letter from Gagik Artsruni and other Armenian princes, Byzantine forces attacked Muslim domains, ravaged Berkri and Khlat, and took part of the population captive.; translation in .