Gagik I Artsruni

[4] To strengthen the Arab authority, these ostikans were implanted into various regions of Armenian emirs; the historical province of Vaspurakan was no exception to this.[6][7] Second son of Grigor-Derenik Artsruni, the Prince of Vaspurakan, and Sophia Bagratuni, the daughter of King Ashot I of Armenia, Gagik was born in 879 or 880.[10] Gagik succeeded his elder brother Ashot-Sargis as ishkhan in 904[11] and allowed Gourgen to rule over the southeastern possessions of the Artsruni family; both worked well together until the death of Gurgen in 923.[12] After various rebel attacks,[13] Gagik developed a talent for creating military and political strategies and worked towards decreasing the number of Muslim enclaves of Vaspurakan.[14] Gagik was an ally of the Sajid emir of Azerbaijan Yusuf ibn Abi'l-Saj, from whom he received recognition as king in 908, against the Bagratid Smbat I.
Ruler with atendants, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Aghtamar (915–921)
King of VaspurakanChurch of the Holy CrossDerenik-AshotAshot IAbusahl-HamazaspArtsruniArmenianArtsruni dynastyVaspurakanKing of ArmeniaCathedral of the Holy Cross, AghtamarArmeniaunder Arab dominionostikanUmayyadAbbasidByzantine EmpireArmenian nobilityishkhansAshot I of ArmeniaGagik Apumrvan ArtsruniSmbat ImarzpanAzerbaijanYusuf ibn Abi'l-SajcatholicosJohn V the HistorianAshot IIArmenian Cathedral of the Holy CrossGospels of Queen MlkéKazhdan, AlexanderThe Oxford Dictionary of ByzantiumTer-Ghewondyan, Aram