386 HISTORY OF ARMENIA.
caliphate, and immediately after confirmed Ashot the Bagratian in the government of Armenia.
^' Halcaa Arshot for some time behaved remarkably welK
tra 192. jn tjj^ course of a few years, on the death of
Murwan and the succession of Almansur to the
caliphate, the tributes of Armenia were much
increased by the Saracens,
These people were then about constructing the city of Bagdad, to which place the throne of the caliphate was shortly after removed. To en- able them to meet the expenses of raising it, they taxed all the Armenian clergymen, and even the hermits who were inhabitants of the wilderness. Orders were also issued for all crosses to be removed from the tops of churches, and the people to repair at unusual seasons of the day and night to oflfer up prayers, besides other grievous directions which they were called upon to obey. These grievances pressing hard upon the people, they determined to revolt. Arshot the governor attempting to resist, was seized by Gregory and David the Mamiconian chiefs, who put out his eyes. This occurred in the fifteenth year of his government; he lived after this event fourteen years, when he died
A. D. 758. and was buried in the village of Darons. Ezet
tra 207. guccecded him as governor and resided in Duin.
He dreadfully harrassed the people by the
exaction of tributes and abominable extortions )
�� �
