Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/446

 HISTORY OF ARMSKIA. 40d

��CHAPTER XXII.

The government of Bulah, with an account of his cruelties, and the pontificate of Zechariah.

BuLAH, being appointed governor of Armenia, a. p. sso. inarched into that devoted country to execute era 998. the cruel orders he had received from the Caliph. He first appeared in the province of Taron, the inhabitants of which were thrown into the greatest terror on his approach. Here he found means to entrap Ashot and David the two sons efBagarat, Gregory the Mamiconian, with many other chiefs, and sent them all in chains to Bagdad. He then sent detachments of bis army fo scour the vallies of Mount Shem, and those parts of the mountain which were inhabited, where they massacred every living soul they found. The Armenians inhabiting the summit of Mount Shem, urged to desperation by the prospect of meeting the same fate which they beheld their countrymen ^neath experience, rushed in great numbers down to attack tb^ murderers. But the Saracens being in posses- sion of all the passes of the mountain, met the

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