BYZANTINE PERIOD

The Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX attacked the Bagradit Principality in 1045 with a large army, defeating the Bagratuni Kingdom in Ani and appointing new governors for Ani and Kars, marking the beginning of a period of Byzantine control.

During the Byzantine period high walls were constructed around Kars and Ani. New Byzantine coins were introduced and tax rates were increased; the proceeds were taken to the Byzantine state treasury, and the number of rich local graders gradually fell.

Kars experienced the greatest poverty and the largest emigration in its history during this period, especially between 1045 and 1064. Pressure for conversion from the Orthodox Church caused the Gregorian Christians of the region to flee. People were forced to work on roads and other infrastructure projects without any payment, and suffering was widespread. The anger felt by the population against Byzantine rule played a major role in the swift extension of Seljuk power in the region.