History of Armenia, by Father Michael Chamich; from B. C. 2247 to ...

HISTORY OF ARMENIA. 403
means to overthrow Johannes, the three slanderers
before alluded to were seized, and openly
punished for their malignity. In the course of Hakan^^'''
a few 3^ears Bagarat himself was involved in "^'-9^trouble,
being accused to the caliph of Bagdad
of maladministration in his government, and as
the latter, it will be recollected, had been
previously prejudiced aginst him by the reports
of Afshin, he endeavoured now to wreak his
venoeance on him. As a first instance of his
anger, he displaced him from the government, in
the thirteenth year of his administration.
Bagarat
not choosing to expose himself to
future
ill from the Caliph, hid himself in a secret place.
Abuseth, wlio was sent to supersede Bagarat,
a. p. sis.
came into Armenia at the head of a body of troops ; era 297.
and while marching through the province of
Taron, he received intelligence that Bagarat lay
concealed there.
to
Abuseth having found means
convey messages to him, nivited him, under
the promise of safety, to visit him ;
but no sooner
had he decoyed him into his camp than he
loaded him with chains and sent him to Basfdad.
Bagarat, to avoid the rage of the Cahph,
was obliged outwardly to change his religion.
In the meantime the inhabitants of Mount »
A. D.
^ „,„
849.
Shem, who are called Sasuns, indignant at "^''^'*"
'
Abuseth's breach
^
of faith in seizing Bagarat,
took up arms, and falling upon the Saracens
3f2
^
era -'9d.