Charsianon ( el, Χαρσιανόν) was the name of a
Byzantine fortress and the corresponding
theme (a military-civilian province) in the region of
Cappadocia in central
Anatolia (modern
Turkey).
History
The fortress of Charsianon (Greek: Χαρσιανόν κάστρον, ''Charsianon kastron'';
Arabic: ''Qal'e-i Ḥarsanōs'') is first mentioned in 638, during the first wave of the
Muslim conquests, and was allegedly named after a general of
Justinian I named Charsios.
[.] The fortress is now identified with the ruins of Muşali Kale in the
Akdağmadeni
Akdağmadeni (Greek: Ἀργυρίων, ''Argyríōn'') is a town and district in the Yozgat Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 61,373 of which 20,312 live in the town of ...
district in
Yozgat Province).
The
Arabs first seized it in 730, and it remained a hotly contested stronghold during the next century of
Byzantine–Arab warfare.
During the 8th century, it belonged to the
Armeniac Theme and was the seat of a military and territorial district (''
tourma'').
In the early 9th century, the fortress became the centre of a ''
kleisoura Kleisoura ( el, Κλεισούρα, "enclosure" or "pass") may refer to:
*Kleisoura (Byzantine district), a Byzantine military frontier province
*Kleisoura, Kastoria, a village and a municipality in Kastoria regional unit, Greece
** Battle of Kleis ...
'', a separately administered fortified frontier district. Sometime between 863 and 873, it was raised to the status of a full theme, augmented by territory from the neighbouring
Bucellarian,
Armeniac and
Cappadocian themes.
[.] It ranked in the middle tier of themes, with its governing ''
strategos
''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek language, Greek to ...
'' receiving an annual salary of 20 pounds of gold and commanding, according to Arab sources, 4,000 men and four fortresses.
In the 10th century, the theme of Charsianon became a major stronghold of the landed military aristocracy, with the great clans of
Argyros and
Maleinos having their homes and estates there. After 1045, a large number of
Armenians, including the former king
Gagik II (r. 1042–1045), were settled there, leading to friction with the local Greeks. The theme was lost to the
Seljuk Turks following the
Battle of Manzikert
The Battle of Manzikert or Malazgirt was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Empire on 26 August 1071 near Manzikert, theme of Iberia (modern Malazgirt in Muş Province, Turkey). The decisive defeat of the Byzantine army and th ...
in 1071 and given to
Danishmendids.
Gagik II is attested as the last ''
doux'' of Charsianon in 1072–1073.
References
Sources
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{{Byzantine themes in De Thematibus
Byzantine Cappadocia
Themes of the Byzantine Empire
States and territories established in the 9th century
States and territories disestablished in the 11th century