Al-Mansur, following the establishment of the Abbasid…
775 CE
Al-Mansur, following the establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate, had abolished the subsidies paid to the various Armenian princes (nakharar) and in addition imposed heavy tax duties on them.
Coupled with instances of religious persecution against the majority Christian Armenian population, these measures had prompted the outbreak of a major anti-Abbasid revolt in 774.
The revolt is led by Artavazd Mamikonian, but has gathered the direct or tacit support of most nakharar families, most notably the hitherto pro-Arab Bagratuni, while the Artsruni and Siwni families remain neutral.
The rebellion spreads through Armenia, including attacks against Arab tax-collectors, and the local Arab governor, al-Hasan ibn Qahtaba, is unable to contain it.
The Caliph sends thirty thousand Khurasanis under Amir ibn Isma'il into the province, and at the Battle of Bagrevand on April 25, 775, the nakharars suffer a decisive defeat, losing their leaders, Smbat VII Bagratuni and Musel VI Mamikonian.
After the battle, the revolt is brutally suppressed by the Abbasids Muslim control over Transcaucasia is solidified, while several major Armenian nakharar families lose power and flee to the Empire.