List of monarchs of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia

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The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the surrounding area Cilician Armenia-en.svg
The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the surrounding area

The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was a state formed in the Middle Ages by Armenian refugees, who were fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia. [1] It was initially founded by the Rubenian dynasty, an offshoot of the larger Bagratid family that at various times held the thrones of Armenia and Georgia. While the Rubenian rulers were initially regional princes, their close ties with the Western world after the First Crusade saw the principality recognised as a kingdom under Leo I by the Holy Roman Empire in 1198. [2] The Rubenid dynasty fell in 1252 after the death of the last Rubenid monarch Isabella, and her husband Hethum I became sole ruler, beginning the Hethumid dynasty. After the death of Leo IV in 1341 his cousin was elected to succeed him as Constantine II, the first king of the Lusignan dynasty. The kingdom fell at the beginning of Leo V's reign to the Mamluks, [3] and henceforth title holders were only claimants to the throne. Charlotte of Cyprus ceded the throne to the House of Savoy in 1485, [4] and the title fell out of use until after 1861.

Contents

Lords/princes

NameLifespanReign startReign endNotesFamilyImage
Ruben I 10801095 Rubenids Rupoohye.GIF
Constantine I 10951102 Rubenids
Thoros I 11021129 Rubenids
Constantine II 11291129 Rubenids
Leo I 11291140 Rubenids Levon I.gif
Thoros II 11441169 Rubenids
Ruben II 11691170 Rubenids
Mleh 11701175 Rubenids
Ruben III 11751187 Rubenids
Leo II 11871198/1199Became first king as Leo I Rubenids Leo II of Armenia.jpg

Kings and queens

NameLifespanReign startReign endNotesFamilyImage
Leo I (II) 1198/11991219 Rubenids Leo II of Armenia.jpg
Isabella 12191252Queen and co-ruler with Philip and Hethum I Rubenids Hetoum and Zabel.jpeg
Hethum I 12261270Co-ruler Hethumids Hethum I.jpg
Leo II (III) 12701289 Hethumids Leo III of Armenia.jpeg
Hethum II 12891293Abdicated in favour of Thoros III Hethumids HetoumIIDrawing.JPG
Thoros III 12931298Recalled Hethoum II, with whom he became co-ruler Hethumids
Hethum II 12951296Co-ruler with Thoros III Hethumids HetoumIIDrawing.JPG
Sempad 12961298Usurper Hethumids Sempad.jpg
Constantine I (III) 12981299 Hethumids Kostandin III.jpg
Hethum II 12991303Reclaimed throne. Abdicated and became regent for Leo III Hethumids HetoumIIDrawing.JPG
Leo III (IV) 13031307Under regency of Hethum II Hethumids
Oshin 13071320 Hethumids Oshin.jpg
Leo IV (V) 13201341Under regency of Oshin of Korikos until 1329 Hethumids Portrait of Levon V in manuscript of Armenian translation of Assises d'Antioche.jpg
Constantine II (IV) 13421344Elected by nobles House of Lusignan Constantine IV of Armenia.jpg
Constantine III (V) 13441362 House of Neghir Constantin5Armenie.jpg
Constantine IV (VI) 13621373 House of Neghir Kostandin VI.jpg
Leo V (VI) 13741375 House of Lusignan Bust Leon V of Armenia.jpg

Claimants

NameLifespanReign startReign endNotesFamilyImage
Leo V 13751393 Lusignan Bust Leon V of Armenia.jpg
James I 13931398 Lusignan
Janus 13981432 Lusignan
John 14321458 Lusignan Portret van Janus II van Cyprus Iohannes Del Gratia Cipri etc Rex (titel op object), RP-P-OB-5821.jpg
Charlotte 14581467 Lusignan Carlotta I di cipro.jpg

Potential claimants today

The claim to the title passed to the House of Savoy, who were granted it by Charlotte in 1485. The Savoyard dynasts maintained their claim to the title "King of Cyprus, Jerusalem and Armenia" as late as the 20th century. [5]

Notes

  1. (in Armenian) Poghosyan, S.; Katvalyan, M.; Grigoryan, G. et al. Cilician Armenia (Կիլիկյան Հայաստան). Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia. vol. v. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1979, pp. 406–428
  2. Kurdoghlian, Mihran (1996). Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume II (in Armenian). Athens, Greece: Hradaragoutioun Azkayin Oussoumnagan Khorhourti. pp. 29–56.
  3. Mutafian, p.90
  4. Lang, Robert Hamilton (1878), Cyprus, London: Macmillan and Co., p. 179, retrieved 2008-01-15
  5. Arielli, Nir (2010). Fascist Italy and the Middle East, 1933–1940. London: Palgrave MacMillan. p. 173. ISBN   978-1349312047.

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References