Historical Background
During the reign of Hovhannes-Smbat III (John-Smbat), a feudal lord, David, who owned Taik during his battles against the Muslims, gained a large area which stretched all the way to Manzikert. David was a subject of Byzantium and when he died his entire territory was occupied by Basil II, who had resumed the policy of, bit by bit, annexing Armenia to his empire.
This policy of occupation and expansion was also pursued by the successors of Basil II. By the death of Hovhannes-Smbat III around 1040, Michael V, one of the successors of Basil II, was the emperor cornering Armenia. Michael claimed that the Kingdom of Ani by virtue of the will of Smbat III, was bequeathed to the Byzantine Empire upon his death.
When the Armenian sparapet, Vahram Pahlavouni, prepared the coronation of the successor to Smbat III, king's nephew Gagik II who at that time was only fourteen years old, the Byzantine emperor began supporting a rebel, Vest Sarkis, an Armenian pro-Byzantine prince of and minister of the former King who took over the city of Ani with Byzantine support. After this the Kingdom of Ani resisted three assaults of the Byzantine Empire, forcing them to retreat. Byzantium exerted its forces to the outmost in order to conquer Armenia and once and for all annexing it to the empire. To this end, they sent a great army to the southern part of Armenia and at the same time convinced the Albanian king to attack Armenia from the east. At the fierce battle that was fought by the walls of Ani, general Vahram Pahlavuni heavily defeated the Byzantine army, forcing them to leave 20,000 dead behind. This victory allowed Vahram Pahlavuni along with Catholicos Petros Guedadarts to crown Gagik II king of Armenia and subsequently take the fortress of Ani, which was in the hands of Vest Sarkis. Sarkis ran away to the fortress of St. Mary and was eventually captured.
After this great victory, the new Armenian king, together with Vahram, turned towards their second enemy, the Seljuq Turks, who were still intent on conquering the kingdom. In the following two years Gagik reinforced the army and fought against Seljuq hordes. Gregory Pahlavuni nephew of Vahram, defended the fortress of Bjni. The Armenian army hurried to confront the enemy at the location of the present-day lake Sevan, where the king and his commander split the Armenian army into two units. The first division engaged in a battle with the Seljuq Turks and then pretended to run away, drawing the Turks in pursuit toward the second army, that was lying in ambush. The battle ended with a catastrophic defeat for the Seljuq Turks. This defeat of the Turks resounded as a cry for unification across the Armenian feudal Kingdoms. In the Kingdom of Vaspurakan, formerly under the protection of the Byzantine Empire where the population had been deserted by the imperial army, the people eagerly anticipated the Armenian king would be driving the Seljuq Turks out of their homeland. Under leadership of Gagik II, known for his courage as the Lion, the Armenians revolted and the Turks were forced to retreat to Khoy and Salmas.
Read more about this topic: Gagik II
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