Zakarids

The Zakarids or Zakarians (Armenian: Զաքարյաններ, Zak'aryanner), also known by their Georgian name as Mkhargrdzeli (Georgian: მხარგრძელი), were a noble Armenian–Georgian dynasty of at least partial Kurdish origin. Their name in Georgian, Mkhargrdzeli, or in Armenian: Երկայնաբազուկ, (Yerkaynbazuk) meant long-armed. A family legend says that this name was a reference to their Achaemenid ancestor Artaxerxes II the "Longarmed" (404-358 BC). According to one modern theory, they were an offshoot of the Armenian royal House of Artsruni.

When the Georgian King David IV the Restorer liberated these lands from the Seljuq grip, the Zakarids came to be loyal vassals of the Georgian Bagratids. They subsequently gained more prominence as military commanders and sponsors of cultural activities in both Armenian and Georgian lands. Zakare and Ivane were the most successful representatives of the family, who were military commanders under Queen Tamar of Georgia (1184-1212/3) and significantly contributed to Georgian military victories over the regional Muslim dynasties, taking over several Armenian districts in the process. Around the same time, Ivane converted to Georgian Orthodox Christianity, while Zakare remained Armenian Apostolic in faith. Both brothers left several bilingual inscriptions across the Armeno-Georgian border lands and built several churches and forts, such as the Harichavank Monastery and Akhtala Monastery in northern Armenia. The family went in decline with the establishment of Mongol power in the Caucasus.

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