ahl ▁in ▁ 9 6 8 , ▁the ▁kingdom ▁was ▁divided ▁among ▁his ▁three ▁sons , ▁and ▁A shot , ▁as ▁the ▁el dest , ▁retained ▁the ▁royal ▁title ▁and ▁the ▁su zer ain ty ▁over ▁his ▁younger ▁brothers . ▁On ▁his ▁death , ▁royal ▁power ▁was ▁us ur ped ▁by ▁the ▁second ▁son , ▁G ur gen , ▁who ▁re igned ▁as ▁king ▁until ▁his ▁own ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 0 0 0 , ▁when ▁the ▁By z antine ▁em peror ▁Bas il ▁II ▁visited ▁the ▁East ▁and ▁an nex ed ▁the ▁princip ality ▁of ▁T ao , ▁both ▁Sen ek er im ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁G ur gen ▁visited ▁him ▁and ▁paid ▁him ▁hom age , ▁receiving ▁rich ▁g ifts ▁in ▁return . ▁According ▁to ▁Stephen ▁of ▁T aron , ▁Bas il ▁also ▁sent ▁letters ▁to ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁Muslim ▁pot ent ates ▁declaring ▁that ▁V asp ur ak an ▁was ▁under ▁his ▁protection , ▁and ▁warning ▁them ▁to ▁stop ▁their ▁ra ids . ▁Matthew ▁of ▁Ed essa ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand ▁reports ▁that ▁Bas il ▁concluded ▁a ▁treat y ▁of ▁al liance ▁with ▁the ▁two ▁brothers . ▁▁ ▁Following ▁G ur gen ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 0 0 3 , ▁Sen ek er im ▁also ▁with h eld ▁power ▁from ▁his ▁nep he ws ▁and ▁crown ed ▁himself ▁king . ▁Through out ▁his ▁reign , ▁his ▁position ▁on ▁the ▁throne ▁remained ▁in secure , ▁partly ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁us ur