BAGRATIDI. - A powerful dynasty of Armenian princes, knights of the Armenian crown, with the prerogative of crowning the king. During the period of Arab domination, the B., having gained the favor of the caliphs, established an independent kingdom (885-1045), during which Armenia experienced an era of great prosperity and a great number of churches and monasteries were built through royal munificence. Many kings and princes were honored as saints, such as Sahak, martyred in the 5th century; Sembat the generalissimo (9th century); Sembat I, and other confessors.
BIBL.: H. Thopdschian, *Politische und Kirchengeschichte Armeniens unter Astot I und Sembat I*, Berlin 1905; K. Aslan, *Etudes historiques sur le peuple arménien*, Paris 1928, pp. 293-304; G. Amaduni, *Monachismo*, Venice 1940, p. 135. Giacomo Ciantian