David I Anhoghin

David I Anhoghin also known as David the Landless (Դավիթ Անհողին in Armenian) was the King of Lori (989/990–1048/1050), son and successor of Kiurike I, grandson of King Ashot III of Armenia, and nephew of Gagik I Bagratuni.

Biography In succeeding his father Gurgen, David shared the throne with his younger brother Smbat, whose role in the governance of the kingdom was rather modest and thus largely overlooked by primary sources. Unlike his brother, David inherited his father's throne at a young age; however, this did not prevent him from understanding the challenges facing his kingdom and successfully resolving them.

David was married to Zorakrtsel, the daughter of David (976–1010), the last chorepiscopus of Kakheti. She was also the sister of Kvirike III the Great (1010–1038), the first king of the Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti.

He built the Lori Fortress along with twelve other strongholds, whose costly construction works indicate that the Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget was experiencing an economic rise during that period. The formation of the kingdom was linked to the Bagratid system of governance. Unlike the kingdoms of Vaspurakan and Syunik, which were established on the hereditary domains of local princely families, Tashir-Dzoraget—prior to the establishment of Kiurikian rule—was part of the Bagratid royal domains and directly subordinate to the King of Armenia. This expansion ended Shamshulde's isolation from the other districts via the Shamshulde–Dmanisi road and secured the western borders. Following a military confrontation with Ali ibn Jafar, the Emir of Tiflis, David Anhoghin crushed This close proximity provided favorable conditions for David Anhoghin to direct his expansionist ambitions toward Utik, and as the Kiurikian Kingdom pushed deeper into this province—which formed part of Caucasian Albania—David’s realm was increasingly referred to as the Kingdom of Albania. At that time, the Shaddadid emirate dynasty of Kurdish origin was established in Aghvank․

Emirate of Gandzak Beginning in the 970s, the Shaddadid emirate of Kurdish origin established itself in Gandzak (Ganja). Having grown powerful under Fadl I (985–1031), this emirate attempted to halt the further rise of the Kiurikian Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget. Three brothers from a branch of the Shaddadids ruling in Dvin moved to Gandzak, assassinated the local emir, and seized control of the Emirate of Gandzak. One of these brothers, Fadl, upon taking the helm of the emirate, marched primarily against David Anhoghin, sensing that David's gradual advance toward Gandzak posed a direct threat to his emirate. —David Anhoghin became his direct subordinate.During this time, Fadl I (Padlun I) had not abandoned his expansionist plans and had begun to harass his neighbors. The forces of the Georgian-Abkhazian kingdom, the troops of Jafar, the Emir of Tiflis, and David Anhoghin's army launched a preemptive strike, invading Shirvan. Probably in 1031, on the banks of the Ekletsi River, they completely routed Fadl, sending him fleeing and capturing immense spoils of war. and captured most of its territory within a year, Bagrat IV was in no hurry to help David Anhoghin. The extreme disparity of forces compelled the latter to forego giving battle and appeal for assistance to Hovhannes-Smbat, who until then had been passively watching the devastation.

Recent years In 1041, following the death of Hovhannes-Smbat, the throne of the Bagratid Kingdom of Ani fell vacant. David marched his army into the territory of the Bagratid Kingdom of Ani. Through a policy driven by his narrow personal self-interest, David Anhoghin "brought the Christian nation into the pit of suffering"