Ashot IV Qadj

Ashot IV (, died c. 1040–41), surnamed Kaj , i.e. "the Brave, the Valiant", was a king of Armenia from the Bagratuni dynasty, the younger son of King Gagik I and the brother of Hovhannes-Smbat. He reigned during the first half of the 11th century, a period marked by internal political struggles in Bagratid Armenia and the expansion of the Byzantine Empire toward Armenia.

Origin and family

Ashot was a member of the Bagratuni dynasty. During the reign of Gagik I, the Kingdom of Ani reached considerable political and economic power, while Ani became one of the major centers of the region. After Gagik's death, however, the struggle for the throne between his sons weakened the central authority.

Gagik I's elder son was Hovhannes-Smbat, who inherited the throne of Ani after his father's death according to the principle of seniority. Ashot, as the younger son, did not accept this decision and advanced his own claim to the throne.

Struggle for the throne of Ani

After the death of Gagik I in 1020, Hovhannes-Smbat inherited the Armenian throne. Ashot did not recognize his brother's sole authority and began a struggle to obtain their father's throne. In this struggle he attempted to secure the support of both influential forces within Armenia and neighboring rulers .

Ashot appealed for assistance to Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni, king of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan. With auxiliary troops received from Vaspurakan, he marched against Hovhannes-Smbat and approached Ani.

The conflict developed into open warfare. Hovhannes-Smbat relied primarily on the fortifications of Ani and on the princes who supported him, while Ashot pursued a more active military policy. Historical tradition portrays him as a prince who personally participated in battles and achieved military successes.

Ashot's forces were able to win victories and approach Ani. However, representatives of the Armenian nobility and neighboring Christian rulers intervened in the war. The Pahlavuni princes, the Catholicos of Armenia, and Georgian-Abkhaz political forces played an important role in establishing peace.

Agreement of 1022

The struggle between the brothers resulted in a political compromise. Under the agreement concluded in 1022, Hovhannes-Smbat was to continue ruling in Ani and the surrounding territories, while Ashot was to receive the provinces of the kingdom located mainly toward the borders with Iran and Georgia.

This agreement contradicted the earlier arrangement between Ashot IV and Hovhannes-Smbat, according to which the throne of Ani was to pass to Ashot after Hovhannes-Smbat's death. Thus, two conflicting hereditary claims to Ani emerged simultaneously: Ashot's claim as the legitimate Bagratid heir and the Byzantine claim based on Hovhannes-Smbat's testament. .

Death and legacy

The exact year of Ashot IV's death is not consistent across the sources. His death is dated to 1040 and the beginning of his reign to 1022. .

With the accession of Gagik II, the dual rule that had arisen during the reigns of Hovhannes-Smbat and Ashot IV was temporarily ended, and the Bagratid territories were once again united under the authority of a single ruler.

However, Bagratid statehood did not survive for long. The Byzantine Empire continued to demand the surrender of Ani, and in 1045 the Bagratid Kingdom of Ani passed under Byzantine rule.