Ashot I of Armenia

Ashot I
King of Armenia; Prince of Princes of Armenia
Reign	884–890
Successor	Smbat I the Martyr
Born	c. 820
Died	890 Gugark, Greater Armenia
Burial	Bagaran, Armenia
Spouse	Katranide I
Issue	Smbat I
Dynasty	Bagratuni Dynasty
Father	Smbat the Confessor
Mother	Hripsime
Religion	Armenian Apostolic

Ashot I (Armenian: Աշոտ Ա; c. 820 – 890) was an Armenian king who oversaw the beginning of Armenia's second golden age (862 – 977). He was known as Ashot the Great (Աշոտ Մեծ) and was the son of Smbat VIII the Confessor and was a member of the Bagratuni Dynasty.

Ashot was born around 820 to Smbat VIII the Confessor and his wife Hripsime. Smbat VIII was sparapet (supreme commander) and the son of Ashot Msaker, the Prince of Amenia (r. 806–826). Ashot also had a brother named Abas. The family, the Bagratunis, was one of the most powerful in the kingdom, along with the Artsruni. Both families struggled for power through warfare against Arab invaders. The kingdom was later taken over by Armenians who overthrew the Arab government. Smbat VIII was exiled to Samarra, where he later died. Ashot continued to live in his father's quarters, located around the city of Bagaran. He was married to Katranide. Like Smbat before him, Ashot was named sparapet in 856 by the Abbasid Caliph.

During the Arab-Byzantine Wars, much of Ashot's territory was located near the main site of conflict. In 862, Ashot was recognized as the Prince of Princes of Armenia by Abbasid Caliph al-Musta'in, who saw this as a measure of protection against the local autonomous emirs. This title essentially granted Ashot the status of de facto king and placed him at a similar level of power as the emirs, but did not allow Ashot to have administrative rule over the kingdom. Ashot kept this status during the reigns of Abbasid Caliphs al-Mu'tazz (866–869), al-Muhtadi (869–870) and al-Mu'tamid (870–892).

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