Book contents
- The North Caucasian Kingdom of Alania, 850–1240
- Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought
- The North Caucasian Kingdom of Alania, 850–1240
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Maps
- Acknowledgements
- Note on the Text
- Abbreviations
- Introduction: Framing Alania
- Chapter 1 Forming the Kingdom of Alania, c.800–880
- Chapter 2 Appropriating Christianity in Alania, c.800–932
- Chapter 3 The ‘Power of the Foreign’ and the Political Economy of the Central North Caucasus in the Tenth Century
- Chapter 4 The Christian Kingdom of Alania, c.960–1090
- Chapter 5 The Byzantine and Georgian Courts and the Kingdom of Alania, c.970–1080
- Chapter 6 The Fall of the Kingdom of Alania and the Transformation of the North Caucasus, c.1090–1240
- Conclusion: Beyond Failure
- Appendix: The Dorgholelid Family in the Eleventh Century
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 4 - The Christian Kingdom of Alania, c.960–1090
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 December 2025
Book contents
- The North Caucasian Kingdom of Alania, 850–1240
- Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought
- The North Caucasian Kingdom of Alania, 850–1240
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Maps
- Acknowledgements
- Note on the Text
- Abbreviations
- Introduction: Framing Alania
- Chapter 1 Forming the Kingdom of Alania, c.800–880
- Chapter 2 Appropriating Christianity in Alania, c.800–932
- Chapter 3 The ‘Power of the Foreign’ and the Political Economy of the Central North Caucasus in the Tenth Century
- Chapter 4 The Christian Kingdom of Alania, c.960–1090
- Chapter 5 The Byzantine and Georgian Courts and the Kingdom of Alania, c.970–1080
- Chapter 6 The Fall of the Kingdom of Alania and the Transformation of the North Caucasus, c.1090–1240
- Conclusion: Beyond Failure
- Appendix: The Dorgholelid Family in the Eleventh Century
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Chapter 4 returns to the theme of Christianisation. It argues that Christianising styles were widely adopted in tenth- and eleventh-century Alania, having an impact which lasted until the early modern period. Moreover, this widespread acceptance of Christianising styles allowed the kings of Alania to claim that they possessed a particularly potent ‘power of the foreign’ as a result of their recognition by the Byzantine and Georgian courts and ecclesiastical hierarchies. As a consequence, they were able to effectively claim a paramount status among Central North Caucasian aristocrats and establish a hereditary dynasty.
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- The North Caucasian Kingdom of Alania, 850–1240 , pp. 158 - 200Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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