Rubinian Dynasty

Rubinian dynasty, The Cilician Kingdom of Armenia

Before the fall of the Bagratuni kingdom a number of Armenian princes managed to escape from Armenia and found refuge in Cilicia, a region at the north-eastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea, where Armenians were the majority of population. In 1080 their leader, prince Ruben, founded in Cilicia a new kingdom, which became known as Cilician Armenia, or Armenia Minor (Little Armenia). The new Armenian state established very close relations with European countries and played a very important role during the Crusades, providing the Christian armies a safe heaven and provision on their way towards Jerusalem. Intermarriage with European crusading families was common, and European religious, political, and cultural influence was strong. The royal court of Cilicia and the kingdom itself were reformed on Western models, and many French terms entered the Armenian language. Cilician Armenia also played an important role in the trade of the Venetians and Genoese with the East.

Enduring constant attacks by the Turks, Mongols, Egyptians and Byzantines, Cilician Armenia survived for three centuries and fell to Egyptian Mameluks in 1375. The last Armenian king of Cilicia, Levon VI Lousinian, emigrated to France, where his grave still can be seen in the St. Denis Cathedral of Paris. The title "King of Armenia" passed to the kings of Cyprus, thence to the Venetians, and was later claimed by the house of Savoy.

Armenian History

Table of contents

1. Armenians
2. Artashisian Dynasty
3. Arshakunian Dynasty
4. The Armenian Alphabet
5. Arab Invasion and Byzantine Empire
6. Bagratunian Dynasty
7. Rubinian Dynasty
8. Armenia Under Turkish Rule
9. Armenian Question
10. Armenian Genocide
11. Armenian Soviet Republic
12. Nagorno-Karabakh movement
13. Armenia Today
14. Coat Of Arms
15. The Flag
16. Timeline
17. Mer Hayrenik