Avag Zakarian

[3] The eastern areas Bjni, Gegharkunik, Vayots-dzor, Artsakh, Siunik, Nakhichevan, Dvin and Yerevan were under the jurisdiction of the atabeg Ivane Mkhargrdzeli and his son Avag.

His sister, Tamta, through forced marriages to members of the Saladin and Khwarazmian dynasties, and capture by the Mongol empire, served as governor, regent, or ruler of Akhlat at points throughout the early 13th century.

[5] Avag was the first of the Caucasian princes to submit to the Mongols, and was treated with great honor for his reddition,[6] triggering the surrender of may more nobles in the rest of the campaign.

[5] Following this disastrous campaign of 1238-1239, the Armenians and Georgians made peace with the Mongols and agreed to pay them tribute and supply their troops (Georgian–Mongolian treaty of 1239).

During this period of interregnum (1245–1250), with the two Davids absent at the court of the Great Khan in Karakorum, the Mongols divided the Kingdom of Georgia into eight districts (tumen), one of them commanded by Avag Mkhargrdzeli.