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Smbat Sparapet

Type Figure Region Cilicia Time 1208–1276 Also known as Smbat Sparapet、Sempad the Constable、Smbat Gund、Սմբատ Սպարապետ

Smbat Sparapet (1208–1276), constable (sparapet) of Cilician Armenia and brother of Hethum I, long commanded the Armenian armed forces from 1226.…

Timeline

  1. 1250–1253Cilicia · CiliciaIn 1248 Smbat went to Karakorum on Hethum I's orders to submit to the Mongol great khan, and after returning in 1250 he reported the Mongols' intentions to the king. In the meantime he continued to shore up the frontier defenses as constable, coping with pressure from the Sultanate of Rum and neighboring Muslim powers, and provided on-the-ground intelligence and route arrangements for the king's decision to visit the court in person in 1253.
  2. 1254–1256Karakorum · Orkhon ValleyIn 1254 Smbat accompanied Hethum I in disguise across Anatolia to Möngke's court, helping complete the submission and alliance negotiations that won Cilician Armenia a promise of Mongol protection. After returning he continued to command the army, cooperated with Hulegu's westward campaign into Syria around 1258, and in the mid-to-late 1250s handled dynastic marriages and military coordination with neighbors such as Antioch and Cyprus.

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