Mongols According to Step'annos Orbeleans

At the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongols had a great power, spreading over wide geographies shortly after their foundation, and having entered into relations with many nations and states. One of the nations where the Mongols, heading towards the west, came under the dominance of Anatolia and Caucasia and they interacted with the Armenians. The Armenians are different from the other nations that the Mongols have dominated in the Caucasus and Anatolia. Because the Mongols considered the Armenians as an ally and a guide, and they were able develop deep relationships. The Mongols, fearing many peoples and the state they met in this vast geography, became hope rather than fearing the Armenians under their domination. The Armenians, who had been embracing this prosperity, had searched for ways to use the Mongols against their enemies, Muslims, that is, Arabians and Turks, for their own benefit. The Mongols also used Armenians for their military and political purposes, which they regarded as loyal subjects and under their dominance in these geographies where they were foreigners. By giving them some gifts and making promises, Armenians easily expanded their areas of dominance by utilizing the knowledge and experience of the region from the military power of the them. All these mutual interests had created a network of relationships that would last over a century. Starting from the time when the Armenians were under the rule of the Mongols, this study has been evaluated by the writer Stepanos, as to what kind of administrative and financial policies the Mongols had applied to Armenians, how the Armenians took place in the Mongolian administration system and how the Armenians played a role in shaping the policies the Mongols had implemented. In Stepanos' work, he asked the following modesty to be seen as an excuse if there had been an exaggeration in the account of his family and his land: Dear reader, do not criticize this writer for the fact that he does exaggerate or expose his explanations for his family's exaggeration of pride, or do not think,as Stepanos wrote in his book, his family and his stories are about exaltation. God is the witness; from the beginning to the end of my narrative, the truth has been researched and emerged after extensive reviews and presented to you. When it comes to being an eyewitness, we have offered you a small and true chapter on many occasions here. Just like the other household's family tree, we have meticulously approached the division related to our homeland as we offer the monuments from the earliest times in a careful and true manner. In this book I found the explanation of the Sisakan lands. As the orbeleans came here as lords, I had to tell them their stories. Accept this history without any prejudice in your mind and do not accuse us of it. Happiness forever."Amine. Key Words: Step'annos, Orbeleans, Mongols, Armenians, Sisakan, Caucasia