Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/437

 396 HISTORT OF ARMENIA.

ckief, directed him to march against the rebelSi. Artashir with his troops was defeated and put to flight. The emperor thea insidiously decoyed the Armenian chiefs into his power^ and violating every law, human cmd divine* cruelly put them all to death.

We will now resume the account of the affairs of that part of Armenia possessed by the A.D. 798. Saracens. Khuzima succeeded Ezit as go* m247. vernor, and took up his residence in Duin. Immediately after his arrival he put a stop, by the express order of the caliph of Bagdad, to the depredations of the troops, which had been such a dreadful scourge to the Armenians during the sway of preceding governors. He entirely restored peace to the nation, treating the chiefs with particular kindness, after having received from them the requisite hostages for their allegiance. Among those whom the natioa gave as hostages was Sumbat the son of Ashot* surnamed the brave, and who was sent by the governor of Bagdad. Some time after, Khuzimli began to show the ill traits of his character: he proposed to Joseph the pontiff, to purchase from him three villages which belonged to the pontificate. Joseph very consistently refused to part with the goods of the church. Hereupon the governor became a great enemy of the pontiff. As a first instance of his malicei he seised

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