In the transition from the ancient world to the medieval world, three topics were important for maintaining the identity of Armenian people. Christianity, Armenian alphabets and the autonomy. The Sassanian and Byzantine empires divided the Armenian district into two and the two regions pursued different courses for the development of the societies. The Sassanian and Byzantine were in conflict with each other.
The Sassanian even governed leaders of Armenian Christianity. Therefore, the bondage between the Armenian Church and Western Churches were cut off and the Armenian Church developed a different way compared with the Western Churches.
On the other hand, the Council of Chalcedon supported dyophysitism and regarded monophysitism as a heresy. The Armenian Church did not participate in the Council. This Church was often regarded as supporting monophysitism, though the Church itself did not admit it. The separation of Armenian Apostle Church thus occurred.
Byzantine Empire also tried deforming the Armenian region to the same culture as its main land. However, the alphabets and the strong independency of Armenian culture refused it. In Justinian age, the emperor tightened controls over Armenia, and it led to repel.
In CE640, the Arabs attacked Armenian district and around the end of CE8C, the Arabs had a control over the region. What was different for the Arabs from previous rulers was their settlement to the region. Since then, the Armenian region was exposed to the invasions of the Kurdish, the Turkish, the Mongolian, and the Turkmen. Under the Arabs, the Armenian people were regarded as people of the Book and they were welcomed.
After the death of Hārūn al-Rashīd, the influence of Arabs over Armenia became weaker and the Armenian people regained an independency again. Ashot I in CE9C was such a king of his power.
However, in CE11C, Byzantine conquered Armenian districts again. In CE13C, Mongolian people settled Ilkhanate on the region. In the meantime, Armenian people launched their own communities in major cities. After the rules of Tīmūr, Armenian people came under the power of Ottoman Empire. However, they established Armenian ethnic constitution by themselves.
