Armenia itself achieved independence from Romania in 856 as the latter was steadily weakening under pressure from Bulgaria. Initially it existed as an elective monarchy, where the king was chosen by a council of semi-feudal princes, but by 944 the throne was firmly in the hands of members of the Bagratuni family. In that year King Ashot III invited the princes to a great feast where he had them all killed, thus allowing him and his heirs to centralise power and take absolute control over all Armenia.