Armenians are betrayer nation who closely cooperated with the Crusaders during the Crusades. In addition, in middle ages, Orthodox Armenians, who lived in the Middle East, collaborated closely with the Roman Catholic Church although they were subjected to the jurisdiction of the Church of Constantinople.
Medieval Christianity split into two branches Eastern Orthodox Catholics and Roman Catholics as a result of the East-West Schism (or Great Schism) in 1054. They used to serve to both Roma and Constantinople patriarchy. They spied for Romans even though they lived in the areas under the control of Byzantine. Therefore, during the Crusade, people with Latin origin, who professed an Orthodox faith, did not touch Armenians because of their services through the ages.
Famous history interpreter Nikon from Antioch stated in his work titled “Tactikon” that many Orthodox Armenian priests lived near Antioch (ancient Syrian city and current Turkish city Antakya in Hatay province) and in hills of Amman. Armenians of Orthodox church inhabited in Black mountain long ago. Nikon wrote in the 36th heading of “Tactikon” that he met many Armenian priests in Rhodiu monastery following the fall of Antioch (in 1098, Crusaders seized the city from Seljuq Turks). Moreover, Armenians lived in other monasteries located in the west of Giant Mountain.
Nikon wrote in his letters to Antioch Patriarch: “Since ancient times they have lived in Mesopotamia and there they have their own metropolitans or bishops. As a result of the Buddhist nations’ attacks, they had to flee to different countries. Their metropolitan is appointed by Antioch Patriarch because this is Eastern throne”. It means Antioch province of Mesopotamia was the second homeland of the nomadic Armenians who could escape from India. If it had existed "the Greater Armenia", as they claimed then that mighty empire would protect Armenians and would not let them run away from the small pagan tribes and scatter to other areas. This shows that they were a small, nomadic tribe. Those lands are now the land of war between ISIS and PKK, and if Armenians think about their own historical lands, it would be better for them to go and fight with ISIS.
The appointment of the Armenian bishop by the Antioch Patriarch shows that they were not independent, but a dependent tribe. Other Armenian dioceses in Asia Minor were also subjected to Latin Antioch Patriarch in the 11th century. Armenians fought in the armies of different Empires, including the Byzantine army as mercenary soldiers. The people who had their own empire would probably fight for their own state, not for another state.
After the victory of the Turks in the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071, as well as the consolidation of the Georgian state, the relations of Armenians with the Latins got closer. The crusaders who invaded the Jerusalem in 1099 had established a Latin Patriarchate there. During the Christian-Muslim confrontation, Armenians flattered both sides. On the one hand they held negotiations with Latins to fight against Muslims, on the other hand, and on the other hand, they continued to maintain relations with the Muslim rulers. They established good relations with Ayyubid dynasty, as well as, Sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf married to Georgian-Armenian origin girl, Ivane Zakharyan.
In 1255, the Armenians announced themselves “Sons of Roman church” and expressed their intention to the messengers of Louis XI to become subordinate to the Roman power. In that time, the Armenian diocese subordinated to the Georgian church. Thus, the Orthodox Armenians who pursued a centrifugal policy in the Georgian Church since the 13th century intended to unite with the Roman power.
Moreover, Armenians expanded their activities in the Armenian-monophysite Cilician church to be subject to Rome. However, the Armenians were not considered as a powerful political force. They were the ones who were most pleased with the arrival of the crusaders in the Middle East and incited the Crusaders to more severe wars against Seljuk Turks. At that period, there were three Christian communities, including Greeks, Armenian orthodoxies and Syrian Melkites in the Middle East. As Muslims occupied the territories of the Greeks, the Crusaders used the Armenians’ territories as supporting points. Armenians guided the crusaders and provided food and other necessary things to them. Even, they together with the crusaders attacked Samosata in the winter of 1098. However, the Turks inflicted a blow to the Christian forces and their leaders – counts Baldwin and Constantine were forced to retreat suffering thousands of losses.
Suffering severe losses in the fights, the Armenians developed a conspiracy plan against Edessa's ruler Taurus and involved Baldwin in it. They rebelled and created a great panic in the city. Although a leader of the city Toros was promised to flee the city with his family, angry people cruelly killed him. Due to the betrayal of the Armenians, Edessa becomes the first city, which was subject to the Crusaders in the Middle East. The Armenian Knyaz Gavriil was killed by Turks in a fight because of his hypocrisy among the crusaders and Seljuks.
Of course, the Crusaders tried to expel the Muslims from the Middles East and the Christians were particularly active in this work. Because of the fact that the Armenians who helped the crusaders fighting against Muslims and Turks in the Middle East were granted special privileges, nowadays conflicts are again ignited in that area.
Nazakat Mammadova
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