| Phasiane | |
|---|---|
| Region of Anatolia | |
| Location | NortheasternAnatolia |
Phasiane (Greek:ΦασιανοίPhasianoi;Armenian:ԲասենBasean;Georgian:ბასიანიBasiani,Turkish:Pasin) is ahistorical region now part of theEastern Anatolia region ofTurkey, as well as the name given to the region where theAras River originates.
According to one version, the name is derived from an ancient tribe called thePhasians (Phazians), mentioned inThe Anabasis of the ancient Greek historianXenofon (5-4th century BC). The name of this tribe seems to have survived in latter-day regional toponyms –GeorgianBasiani,GreekPhasiane,ArmenianBasean, andTurkishPasin.[1]
In the 8th and 7th centuries BC the province was part ofUrartu known as Biani ("land of Bia/Bias"). It was then part of theSatrapy of Armenia and the subsequentKingdom of Armenia.[2] In 384, the region was contested by Rome andSasanian Empire. ThePersian commanderSenitam Khusro defeated the Byzantines in the district of Phasiane, in 605/606.[3] In the 7th century, the province was conquered by anArab Caliphate. In the 9th century Basean became part ofBagratid Armenia.
In the 10th century, the border between the Byzantine Empire and expanding early Georgian Kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti went along theAras river, therefore part of northern Basean/Basiani became a domain of theGeorgian Bagratids. In 1001, after the death of David Kuropalates, Basean/Basiani were inherited by Byzantine Emperor Basil II, who annexed the Armenian lands (Tayk/Tao, Basean/Basiani), captured by King David Kuropalates to Byzantium[4] and organized them into thetheme of Iberia with the capital atTheodosiopolis, forcing the successor Georgian Bagratid rulerBagrat III to recognize the new rearrangement. Bagrat's son,George I, however, inherited a long-standing claim to David's succession. While Basil II was preoccupied with his Bulgarian campaigns, George gained momentum to invade Tao and Basiani in 1014, which caused unsuccessfulByzantine-Georgian wars. In 1048 and 1049, theSeljuk Turks underIbrahim Yinal made their first incursion into the Byzantine frontier region of Iberia and defeated a combined Byzantine-Georgian army of 50,000 at theBattle of Kapetrou on 10 September 1048. Many of the eastern Byzantine territories were conquered by theSeljuk Turks between the 1070s and 1080s, but were then retaken by the Georgian KingDavid IV. In the 13th century, at theBattle of Basian, Georgians defeated the army of theRum Sultanate. The province was part of the Kingdom of Georgia, and then ofPrincipality of Samtskhe until 1545, when Basiani was finally conquered by theOttoman Empire. In the 17th century, it became asanjak ofErzurum Vilayet.
Subregions ofTao-Klarjeti | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tao |  | |
| Klarjeti | ||
| Samtskhe | ||
| Other | ||