In ancient
Urartian inscriptions dating to 785 BC, the territory of Gugark is referred to as Zabaha, which is known today as
Javakheti (Javakhk in Armenian). In the beginning of IV century BC, (302BC) the territory was under
Caucasian Iberia, but during
Artaxias I's reign it was conquered. During the reign of the
Artaxiad and
Arshakuni kings of Armenia, Gugark was ruled by one of the kingdom's four
bdeashkhs. The
bdeashkh of Gugark was responsible for protecting the state's northern border. During the 4th century, the region was ruled by members of a
branch of the
House of Mihran. In 387, Armenia was partitioned between the
Byzantine and
Sassanid empires and Gugark, with the exception of the canton of
Tashir, was annexed to
Caucasian Iberia. The ruler of the region around 425 was Arshusha. In 652, the Armenian prince
Theodore Rshtuni was allowed by the
Arabs to unite Gugark with his realms. In the following centuries, Gugark and its cantons fell under the sway of several rulers. In the 8th century, it became a part of
Emirate of Tbilisi. In the middle of the 9th century, it was taken by the Georgian
Bagrationis, while the Armenian
Bagratunis took over its eastern cantons. == Inhabitants ==