Constantine of Gargar was an Armenian chieftain who ruled the region around Gargar (modern
Gerger) in the late eleventh and early twelfth century.
Biography
Origins
Constantine appears as one of the Armenian leaders who took control of parts of the realm of
Philaretos Brachamios after his death. It seems that Constantine had one brother called Dawt'ouk (mentioned in the chronicles as Taphnuz, Taftoc or Tabtoug).
Interaction with the Franks
In February 1098, Constantine accompanied
Baldwin of Boulogne, who had recently arrived in Edessa to protect the townspeople, on a
campaign against Balduk of Samosata. He next appears as one of the conspirators who brought down Thoros and according to
Albert of Aachen Albert of Aix(-la-Chapelle) or Albert of Aachen; la, Albericus Aquensis; ''fl.'' c. 1100) was a historian of the First Crusade and the early Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was born during the later part of the 11th century, and afterwards became canon (p ...
he was the one who suggested to put Baldwin in Thoros' place. After the coup, Constantine was closely associated with Baldwin and
Gérard Dédéyan
Gérard Dédéyan (4 February 1942, Nantes.) is a French professor of medieval history at the Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III, a member of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences. and associate member of the Collège de France. He studi ...
suggested that it was the daughter of his brother Dawt'ouk,
Arda
Arda or ARDA may refer to:
Places
*Arda (Maritsa), a river in Bulgaria and Greece
* Arda (Italy), a river in Italy
*Arda (Douro), a river in Portugal
* Arda, Bulgaria, a village in southern Bulgaria
* Arda, County Fermanagh, a townland in County ...
, that Baldwin married at some point after that.
Final years
After a ploy of
Vasil Dgha Vasil Dgha, or Dgha Vasil (''dgha'' meaning "child, boy"), was the Armenian ruler of Raban and Kaisun. He succeeded his adoptive father, Kogh Vasil, in 1112. Baldwin II, Count of Edessa
The County of Edessa (Latin: ''Comitatus Edessanus'') ...
, ruler of
Kaysun and
Raban
Rоban or Rоbana ( Sinhalese: රබාන) is one-sided traditional drum type played with the hands, used in Sri Lanka.Its mainly played in Aurudu Kreeda (The Srilankan New Year). The body of these drums are made by carving the Jack or Vitex tre ...
, to ally with the Turks had failed, the new count of Edessa,
Baldwin II decided to suppress the remaining Armenian principalities in the Euphrates Valley. Constantine was deposed around 1117 and was imprisoned in Samosata where he died soon after during an earthquake. His son Michael reigned in Gargar until 1122 when the city passed into Frankish hands when he was not longer able to protect it against the Turks.
References
Sources
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* {{cite book , last=Runciman , first=Steven , author-link=Steven Runciman , year=1989 , title=A History of the Crusades, Volume II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East, 1100-1187 , publisher=Cambridge University Press , isbn=0-521-06162-8
11th-century Armenian people
Medieval Armenian generals
1114 deaths
Gerger District