Կիլիկիայի դասերը. մաս հինգերորդ / CILICIA LESSONS։ PART FIVE

Abstract

Due to its geographical location, the Armenian state of Cilicia was located at the intersection of land and sea trade routes East-West. In other words, it played the role of a transit hub and therefore, in the context of the construction and implementation of the economic policy of the principality, and then the kingdom, this factor was considered the most important. During this period, the main port of trade routes connecting the East with European states and cities across the Mediterranean Sea became Cilician Aias, the economic importance of which was assessed both from a geopolitical and military-political point of view. As a crossroads, the role of Cilician Armenia became more valuable during the period of the Crusades, when the Mediterranean route began to transport soldiers participating in hostilities and the cargo necessary for their existence (food, weapons, ammunition). A number of Italian states, known for their merchant fleets (Venice, Genoa), as well as merchant groups of southern French cities (Marseille, Narbonne, Montpellier) were very interested in the uninterrupted operation of this sea route. The fifth part of the series of articles examines the economic policy implemented by Cilician Armenia, based on the fact that in this period the geopolitical, military and economic processes of the West-East were aimed at forming new rules of the “game”. At the same time, an attempt was made to reveal the strategic and tactical steps arising from the foreign and domestic economic policies pursued by the state, their direction and target accents, highlighting both positive and negative experiences.