Ashot III () was a king of Armenia, ruling the medieval kingdom of Bagratid Armenia from 952/53–77. Known as Ashot III the Merciful (Աշոտ Գ Ողորմած) and acknowledged by foreign rulers as the Shahanshah (king of kings) of Mets Hayk' (Greater Armenia), he moved his royal seat of residence to Ani and oversaw its development and of the kingdom as a whole. Armenia reached the height of its golden era during his reign and that of his sons and successors, Smbat II (977–89) and Gagik I (990–1020).Garsoïan, Nina G. (1997), "The Independent Kingdoms of Medieval Armenia" in The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I, The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, ed. Richard G. Hovannisian. New York: St. Martin's Press, pp. 164ff.

Biography King Abas (929–953) was succeeded by his son, Ashot III the Merciful (953–978), who enjoyed great authority both in Armenia and in neighboring countries. Ashot was the eldest among King Abas's sons. He had two brothers, Atrnerseh and Mushegh; the latter later ruled in Kars. During the reign of Ashot the Merciful, Armenia experienced an economic and cultural resurgence, and a relatively peaceful situation prevailed in the country. Under his rule, old cities expanded, and new ones were built. In 966, his wife, Queen Khosrovanuysh, founded the Sanahin Monastery, and in 976, the Haghpat Monastery, both of which quickly became scientific and educational centers. Ashot III opened schools, hospitals, and almshouses in the country's major cities, allocating certain revenues for their maintenance—an exceptional phenomenon for that time. Ashot III was a benefactor, which is why he was called "the Merciful" (Voghormats).

Explanation of the title "Merciful" King Ashot III is known in historiography as "the Merciful" (Voghormats). He appears under this epithet in the works of 12th- and 13th-century historians. For example, Mkhitar of Ani calls him as such ("Ashot the Merciful, son of Abas"), Kirakos Gandzaketsi refers to him similarly ("...by order of King Ashot, who was called the Merciful"), as does Vardan Vardapet ("Ashot..., called the Merciful").Meanwhile, his contemporary, Catholicos and author Anania Mokatsi (Catholicos of Armenia: 941–966), as well as Asoghik—an author who lived and wrote shortly after his reign in the second half of the 10th and early 11th centuries—do not refer to him as "the Merciful." Anania Mokatsi, who had personal contact with Ashot III, mentions him as "...the pious King Ashot of Greater Armenia..." Asoghik simply writes that "...after Abas, his son Ashot, who was also called Shahanshah, reigned." Subsequently, in his eulogy, the author attributes "mercifulness" and "charity" to him.

The first uses of the epithet "the Merciful" (Voghormats) appear after the death of Ashot III. Specifically, an edict by Smbat II (978–990) dated to 979 states: "...I, Smbat Bagratuni, King of Armenia, grandson of the Universal and Great King Smbat, son of King Ashot, called the Merciful..." Ashot III's other son, Gurgen-Kyurike, is referred to as "...King Gurgen, son of Shahanshah Ashot the Merciful," while his tombstone (Sanahin, 989) reads: "This is the resting place of Gurgen Bagratuni, Shahanshah, son of Ashot the Merciful.".

An interesting story regarding Ashot III's epithet "the Merciful" (Voghormats) has been preserved in the folk memory over the centuries. According to a tradition kept among the elders of the city of Akhaltsikhe, Ashot resided in Kars, and people of various nationalities lived within his kingdom ("Among his subjects, you could find all kinds of nations"). Once, the people sent word to him through an overseer about their dire situation. Ashot III gave the overseer 500 gold coins to distribute to the people, but suspecting that greed would lead him to embezzle the poor people's share, he gave him an additional 100 gold coins on the condition that the full 500 gold coins would be distributed to the populace.However, the deceitful overseer falsely conveyed to the people that the king was angry and had ordered to tell them that even if they died of starvation, it was not his concern, and he kept the people's portion for himself. When Ashot III learned about this, he punished him, reclaimed the gold coins, and distributed them to the people. After that, he was called Ashot the Merciful.

Reign

Beginning of the reign of Ashot III During the reign of Abas Bagratuni, Ashot III held the office of the Prince of Princes (Ishkhanats Ishkhan) of Armenia. According to Anania Mokatsi, following the death of Abas, "...the throne of the kingdom was succeeded by his son, Lord Ashot, Prince of Princes of Armenia." During the reigns of the first four Bagratuni kings—Ashot I (887–891), Smbat I (891–914), Ashot II (914–929), and Abas (929–953)—this office was mostly held by members of the royal house who were next in line to inherit the Armenian throne .Ascending the throne in 953, Ashot III ruled for 25 years. According to Asoghik, "And after Abas, his son Ashot reigned—who was also called Shahanshah—for 25 years. And his brother Mushegh reigned in Kars alongside him".

During Ashot III’s reign, the Georgian Bagratids, who were related by marriage to the Armenian Bagratunis, recognized his suzerainty; thus, Ashot III maintained the title "Shahanshah of Armenians and Georgians". Ashot III's supremacy was also recognized by the rulers of local Armenian state entities—such as the kingdoms of Vaspurakan and Kars, as well as Khachen, Parisos, and Shirvan—who viewed the Bagratuni Kingdom as a unifying, viable, and powerful force. Ashot III sought to strengthen this confederation as much as possible, recognizing their rights and providing military assistance when necessary.

An Arab source helps clarify the situation during the first years of Ashot III Bagratuni’s reign. According to this source, around 953, "over the province of Georgia and other parts of Armenia, there was a king named Ashut ibn al-Abbas (i.e., Ashot III, son of Abas) who bore the title of 'Shahanshah.' He attempted to besiege Dvin and fight against its people. He gathered an army of 30,000 men from among the Armenians, Lezgins, and other non-believers, and encamped near a place close to it (Dvin) called Nauard.He dispersed his troops to burn the crops and destroy the settlements." However, Ashot III's forces suffered a defeat at the gates of Dvin. Subsequently, Ashot III abandoned the idea of capturing Dvin, as a result of which the Emirate of Dvin continued to exist in the heart of Armenia.In 954, they re-established control over Dvin, turning the city into a powerful stronghold for military campaigns against the Bagratuni Kingdom.

An Arab source helps clarify the situation during the first years of Ashot III Bagratuni’s reign. According to it, around 953, "over the province of Georgia and other parts of Armenia, there was a king named Ashut ibn al-Abbas (i.e., Ashot III, son of Abas) who held the title of 'Shahanshah.' During the first year of his reign Ashot launched a military assault to free the city of Dvin from Muslim rule, an undertaking that ultimately ended in failure. Despite this setback, he took steps to centralize power in the kingdom, patronizing the Armenian Church in exchange for its support.Aram Ter-Ghevondyan (1976), The Arab Emirates in Bagratid Armenia, trans. Nina G. Garsoïan. Lisbon: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, pp. 95–96. He gathered an army of 30,000 men from among the Armenians, Lezgins, and other non-believers, and encamped near a place close to it (Dvin) called Nauard.He dispersed his troops to burn the crops and destroy the settlements." However, Ashot III's forces suffered a defeat on the approaches to Dvin. Consequently, Ashot III abandoned the idea of capturing Dvin, leaving the Emirate of Dvin to persist in the heart of Armenia . This information from the Arab source is important, as it reveals other valuable facts as well. In fact, Georgia (Virk) was under the suzerainty of Ashot III; additionally, he held a significant position among the Caucasian mountaineers, as evidenced by the participation of Lezgin troops in the operation to liberate Dvin. Furthermore, it turns out that from the very beginning of his reign, he bore the title of "Shahanshah." It is known that among the Bagratunis, Ashot Iron was the first to hold it, whereas King Abas is not mentioned with this title. However, it is impossible for Ashot III, having only newly ascended the throne, to have independently attained both the status of King of the Armenians and Georgians and the title of "Shahanshah." Therefore, the only plausible conclusion is that he inherited it from his father, King Abas, who, although not explicitly mentioned with this title, actually bore it.

It is very important that in a manuscript used in the latest edition of Samvel Anetsi's work, the following line is present: "НЕ (408). Ashot defeated Hamtun, which was suppressed by the governor...", which indicates that the army of the Hamdanian (Hamtun) amir was defeated by the army of the Armenian kingdom. By the way, this is probably about Sayf al-Dawla Hamdanian, who ruled, among other territories, Agdznik (Diyar Bakr), from where the invasion probably took place. One of Sayf al-Dawla's subordinates named Naja rebelled against him and entered Armenia. Here he took possession of the territories of the Arab Kaisik tribe and the surrounding cities: Khlat, Manazkert, Mush and other places.After that, he rebelled against Sayf al-Dawla. Finally, in 353 AH (January 19, 964 - January 6, 965), Sayf al-Dawla defeated Naja and took control of his lands, including those that Naja had captured from the Qaisiks. It was during these events that the Battle of Taron took place. According to Ibn al-Azrak, after defeating Naja, Sayf al-Dawla returned from Armenia in January 966. Therefore, most likely, the battle took place against Naja's army before his defeat by Sayf al-Dawla in 964. The reason for the clash with the Armenians was also clear: he had also captured Mush, which was not part of the Qaisiks' dominions. The Armenian army defeated Naja's army and liberated Mush and the surrounding area (the province of Taron). As a result of the Naja invasion, the Emirate of Qays was destroyed, and its territories passed to Sayf al-Dawla.

Capital Ani Under the conditions of peace established in the country, from the 30s of the 10th century, the Bagratuni kingdom became more prosperous and powerful, its influence in the political life of neighboring state formations increased. Therefore, there was a need to establish a permanent center for the state. The former residences of the Bagratunis - Bagaran, Shirakavan, Kars - did not have a unifying ability, since they were located far from the central regions of the Bagratuni kingdom.The Bagratunis did not immediately make Ani their capital. They first settled in Bagaran, then moved to Yerazgavors (Shirakavan), and only then decided to make Ani their capital. Neither Bagaran nor Yerazgavors could compete with Ani in terms of natural defenses, which provided a safe haven in case of danger.In 961 Ani was proclaimed the capital of the kingdom, and Ashot set himself to enriching and expanding the city. Ashot constructed a wall enclosing Ani and that would later take its name after him, and sponsored the building of monasteries, hospitals, schools, and almshouses. His consort, Queen Khosrovanuysh, meanwhile sponsored the construction of the churches in Sanahin and Haghpat. Arakelyan, Babken N. (1976), "Բագրատունյաց թագավորության բարգավաճումը," [The Flourishing of the Bagratuni Kingdom] in Հայ ժողովրդի պատմություն [History of the Armenian People], eds. Tsatur Aghayan et al. Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, vol. 3, pp. 52–57.