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Kingdom of Georgia

The Kingdom of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს სამეფო, romanized: sakartvelos samepo), also known as the Georgian Empire,[5] was a medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in c. 1008 AD. It reached its Golden Age of political and economic strength during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar the Great from 11th to 13th centuries. Georgia became one of the pre-eminent nations of the Christian East and its pan-Caucasian empire[6] and network of tributaries stretching from Eastern Europe to Anatolia and northern frontiers of Iran, while also maintaining religious possessions abroad, such as the Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem and the Monastery of Iviron in Greece. It was the principal historical precursor of present-day Georgia.

Kingdom of Georgia
საქართველოს სამეფო
sakartvelos samepo
1008–1490
Flags of Georgia of the 14th–15th centuries according to Dulcert, the Pizzigano brothers and others[3]
Coat of arms of "all-Georgian Kingdom" according to Prince Vakhushti's Atlas (c.1745)
Coat of arms of the "Kingdom of Georgia under khan" according to Grünenberg Wappenbuch (1480)[1][2]
Kingdom of Georgia in ~1220, at the peak of its territorial expansion.
Capital
Common languagesMiddle Georgian
Religion
Eastern Orthodoxy (Georgian Patriarchate)
GovernmentFeudal monarchy
King, King of Kings 
• 1008–1014 (first)
Bagrat III
• 1446–1465 (last)
George VIII
LegislatureCouncil of State
Historical eraHigh Middle Ages to Late Middle Ages
c. 1008
1122–1226
1245–1247
• East and West division
1247–1329
• Reunification
1329

1463
1490[a]
CurrencyVarious Byzantine and Sassanian coins were minted until the 12th century.
Dirham came into use after 1122.[4]
1the full title of the Georgian monarchs after 1124 was "King of Kings, Autocrat of all the East and the West, Sword of the Messiah, King of Abkhazia, King of Iberia, King of Kakheti and Hereti, King of Armenia, Possessor of Shirvan."

Lasting for several centuries, the kingdom fell to the Mongol invasions in the 13th century, but managed to re-assert sovereignty by the 1340s. The following decades were marked by the Black Death, as well as numerous invasions under the leadership of Timur, who devastated the country's economy, population, and urban centers. The Kingdom's geopolitical situation further worsened after the fall of the Byzantine and then Empire of Trebizond by the Ottoman Turks. As a result of these processes, by the end of the 15th century Georgia turned into a fractured entity. This whole series of events also led to the final collapse of the kingdom into anarchy by 1466 and the mutual recognition of its constituent kingdoms of Kartli, Kakheti, and Imereti as independent states between 1490 and 1493—each led by a rival branch of the Bagrationi dynasty, and into five semi-independent principalities—Odishi, Guria, Abkhazia, Svaneti, and Samtskhe.

Background

Early Georgian kingdoms were reduced to feudal regions over the course of the Roman–Persian wars. The area then fell under the control of the early Muslim conquests of the 7th century.

Iberian princes from the Bagrationi dynasty fought against the Arab occupation and came to rule the Tao-Klarjeti region. They established the Kouropalatate of Iberia as a nominal vassal of the Byzantine Empire. By 888, they had gained control of the central Georgian land, Kartli, and restored the Iberian kingship. The Bagrationi dynasty was unable to maintain their kingdom, and it was divided between the three branches of the family. The main branch controlled Tao, while another controlled Klarjeti.

In 736, Marwan ibn Muhammad's invasion of Georgia was repelled by Abkhazians, Lazic and Iberian allies. This successful defense along with increasing struggles against Byzantium helped lead to a process of unification of the Georgian states into a single feudal monarchy. The Georgian Church broke away from Constantinople in the 9th century, instead recognizing the authority of the Catholicate of Mtskheta. The church language was changed from Greek to Georgian.[7]

History

Unification of the Georgian State

 
Map of the Caucasus region and surrounding areas at 1000 AD, before the death of David III.

During the 10th century, David III of Tao invaded the Duchy of Kartli, giving it to his adopted son, who would later be known as Bagrat III of Georgia, with his biological father, Gurgen of Iberia, as regent. In 994, Gurgen was crowned King of the Iberians. In 975, supported by the Duke of Kartli Ivane Marushidze and David, Bagrat claimed the throne of Kartli,[8]: 108  becoming King of the Kartlians. During this time, the Kingdom of Abkhazia in what is today northeastern Georgia was under the rule of Theodosius the Blind, who did away with Abkhazian traditions. In 978, the Abkhazian aristocracy, dissatisfied with the rule of Theodosius, performed a coup d'état and invited Bagrat to claim the throne of Abkhazia.[9]: 67–68 

Gurgen died in 1008, leaving his throne for Bagrat, allowing Bagrat to become the first king of a unified Abkhazia and Iberia. In his early reign, Bagrat pressed a claim to the kingdom of Khakheti-Hereti to the east, and annexed it in 1010. Bagrat also reduced the autonomy of dynastic princes to stabilize his realm, with his fears focusing on the Klarjeti line of the Bagrationi. In order to secure the throne for his son, George I of Georgia, Bagrat tricked his cousins into a meeting and imprisoned them, and his cousins' children fled to Constantinople, where they requested the aid of the Byzantine Empire to take back their patrimonial land.[10]

Bagrat's reign secured a victory for the Bagratids of Georgia, ending the power-struggles that had plagued the region for centuries. Bagrat had a peaceful foreign policy, successfully avoiding conflicts with the Byzantines and nearby Muslim realms, even though some of David's territory, such as Tao and Tbilisi, remained in Byzantine and Arab control, respectively.

War and peace with Byzantium

 
Kingdom of Georgia in 1045 AD

George I's reign was known primarily for its war against the Byzantines. This war had its roots in the 990s, when David III, after losing a rebellion against the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, agreed to cede his lands in Tao to the emperor upon his death. George I, in an attempt to take back the Kuropalates' land, occupied Tao starting from 1015 or 1016, during a Byzantine war with the Bulgarian Empire. When Bulgaria was dealt with in 1021, Basil II turned his attention to Georgia, leading to a two-year-long war and an eventual Byzantine victory. George, as a result, had to abandon his claims in Tao and surrender some of his southwestern lands, which were eventually made into the theme of Iberia. George's son, who would eventually become Bagrat IV, was also given to Basil as a hostage.

Bagrat IV spent the next three years in Constantinople, being released in 1025. George I's death in 1027 saw him succeeded by the 8-year-old Bagrat. By the time Bagrat ascended to the throne, the Bagratids' unification drive had gained much momentum. Many of the Georgian lands, such as Tao, Tbilisi, Kakheti and Hereti, were either under the rule of foreign empires or of independent kings. The loyalty of Georgian nobles was also questionable. Bagrat IV's childhood saw the regency increase the influence of the nobility, something which he tried to stop when he assumed his full powers.

Great Turkish Invasion

In the later half of the 11th century, the Seljuq Turks invaded nearby regions, prompting greater cooperation between the Georgian and Byzantine governments. In a political arrangement, Bagrat's daughter Maria married the Byzantine co-emperor Michael VII Ducas at some point between 1066 and 1071.

In 1065 the Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan attacked Kartli, taking Tbilisi and building a mosque.[11] During the internecine conflict between Seljuk heirs, George II of Georgia defeated a Seljuk governor, Sarang of Ganja, at the Battle of Partskhisi in 1074.[12] In 1076, the Seljuk sultan Malik Shah I attacked again. Georgia eventually submitted to Malik Shah, paying an annual tribute in order to have peace.

Georgian Reconquista

David IV

 
Expansion of Kingdom of Georgia under David IV's reign.

George II ceded the crown to his 16-year-old son David IV in 1089. Under the tutelage of his court minister, George of Chqondidi, David IV suppressed the feudal lords and centralized the power. In 1089–1100, he organized military action to destroy Seljuk troops, beginning the resettlement of occupied regions. In 1099, David IV refused to pay tribute to the Seljuqs.

By 1104, the local king of the eastern Georgia provide of Kakheti, Aghsartan II, was captured by David IV's supporters, reuniting the area. The following year, David IV defeated a Seljuk force in the Battle of Ertsukhi. Over the course of 1110 to 1118, David IV captured the fortresses of Samshvilde, Rustavi, Gishi, and Lori.

Starting in 1118 through 1120, David IV began major military reforms, including the resettlement of several thousand Kipchaks. In exchange, each Kipchak family provided David IV with a soldier, allowing him to establish a standing army. This alliance was aided by David IV's earlier marriage to the Khan's daughter.

Entering 1120, David IV became more expansionist. He invaded the neighbouring Shirvan area and the town of Qabala. From there, he began to successfully attack the Seljuk in the eastern and southwestern areas of Transcaucasia. In 1121, Sultan Mahmud b. Muhammad declared a holy war on Georgia. but David IV defeated his army at the Didgori. Soon after, David IV secured Tbilisi, one of the last Muslim enclave remaining in Georgia, and the capital was moved there, beginning Georgia's Golden Age.[13]

In 1123, David IV liberated Dmanisi, the last Seljuk stronghold in southern Georgia. By 1124, Shirvan was captured along with the Armenian city of Ani. This expanded the kingdom's borders to the Araxes basin.

David IV founded the Gelati Academy, known at the time as "a new Hellas" and "a second Athos".[14] David also composed the Hymns of Repentance, eight free-verse psalms.[15]

Reign of Demetrius I and George III

The kingdom continued to flourish under Demetrius I, the son of David. Although his reign saw a disruptive family conflict related to royal succession, Georgia remained a centralized power with a strong military.[16][17] A talented poet, Demetrius also continued his father's contributions to Georgia's religious polyphony. The most famous of his hymns is Thou Art a Vineyard.

Demetrius was succeeded by his son George III in 1156, beginning a stage of more offensive foreign policy. The same year he ascended to the throne, George launched a successful campaign against the Seljuq sultanate of Ahlat. He freed the important Armenian town of Dvin from Eldiguzid vassalage and was thus welcomed as a liberator in the area.[citation needed]

Golden age

 
Kingdom of Georgia under Queen Tamar's reign.

The unified monarchy maintained its precarious independence from the Byzantine and Seljuk empires throughout the 11th century, and flourished under David IV the Builder (c. 1089–1125), who repelled the Seljuk attacks and essentially completed the unification of Georgia with the re-conquest of Tbilisi in 1122.[18] In spite of repeated incidents of dynastic strife, the kingdom continued to prosper during the reigns of Demetrios I (c.1125–1156), George III (c.1156–1184), and especially, his daughter Tamar (c.1184–1213).

With the decline of Byzantine power and the dissolution of the Great Seljuk Empire, Georgia became one of the pre-eminent nations of the region, stretching, at its largest extent, from present-day Southern Russia to Northern Iran, and westwards into Anatolia. The Kingdom of Georgia brought about the Georgian Golden Age, which describes a historical period in the High Middle Ages, spanning from roughly the late 11th to 13th centuries, when the kingdom reached the zenith of its power and development. The period saw the flourishing of medieval Georgian architecture, painting and poetry, which was frequently expressed in the development of ecclesiastic art, as well as the creation of first major works of secular literature. It was a period of military, political, economical and cultural progress. It also included the so-called Georgian Renaissance (also called Eastern Renaissance[19]), during which various human activities, forms of craftsmanship and art, such as literature, philosophy and architecture thrived in the kingdom.[20]

King Tamar's reign

 
 
1204
 
1208
 
1209/10
class=notpageimage|
Approximate dates of Georgian control. Mouseover for name.
  Capital
  Georgian held cities and fortresses
  Conquered cities and fortresses
  Major battles
 
Queen Tamar and her father King George III (restored fresco from the Betania monastery)

She not only shielded much of her Empire from further Turkish invasions but successfully pacified internal tensions, including a coup organized by her Russian husband Yury Bogolyubsky, prince of Novgorod.

 
Medieval Georgian monasteries in the Balkans and Near East.
 
During Tamara's reign, the Kingdom patronized Georgian-built religious centers overseas, such as this Iviron Monastery

Among the remarkable events of Tamar's reign was the foundation of the Empire of Trebizond on the Black Sea in 1204. This state was established in the northeast of the crumbling Byzantine Empire with the help of the Georgian armies, which supported Alexios I of Trebizond and his brother, David Komnenos, both of whom were Tamar's relatives.[21] Alexios and David were fugitive Byzantine princes raised at the Georgian court. Tamar's Pontic endeavor can also be explained by her desire to take advantage of the Western European Fourth Crusade against Constantinople to set up a friendly state in Georgia's immediate southwestern neighborhood, as well as by the dynastic solidarity to the dispossessed Comnenoi.[22][23]

 
Eldiguzid campaign of Tamar of Georgia in 1208 and 1210–1211 years.

As a retribution for the attack on Georgian-controlled city of Ani, where 12,000 Christians were massacred in 1208, Georgia's Tamar the Great invaded and conquered the cities of Tabriz, Ardabil, Khoy, Qazvin[24] and others along the way to Gorgan[25][26] in northeast Persia.[27]

The country's power had grown to such extent that in the later years of Tamar's rule, the Kingdom was primarily concerned with the protection of the Georgian monastic centers in the Holy Land, eight of which were listed in Jerusalem.[28] Saladin's biographer Bahā' ad-Dīn ibn Šaddād reports that, after the Ayyubid conquest of Jerusalem in 1187, Tamar sent envoys to the sultan to request that the confiscated possessions of the Georgian monasteries in Jerusalem be returned. Saladin's response is not recorded, but the queen's efforts seem to have been successful.[29] Ibn Šaddād furthermore claims that Tamar outbid the Byzantine emperor in her efforts to obtain the relics of the True Cross, offering 200,000 gold pieces to Saladin who had taken the relics as booty at the battle of Hattin – to no avail, however.[30]

Nomadic invasions

Reign of George IV and Rusudan

 
Mongol invasion of Georgia and battle of Khunan.

Mongol yoke

 
Map of Kingdom of Georgia during Mongol invasions, 1245 AD.

George V the Brilliant

 
Western and Eastern Georgia around 1311 AD.

In 1334, Shaykh Hasan of the Jalayir was appointed as governor of Georgia by Abu Sai'd.[31]

Black Death

One of the primary reasons of Georgian political and military decline was the bubonic plague. It was first introduced in 1346 by the soldiers of George the Brilliant returning from a military expedition in south-western Georgia against invading Osmanli tribesmen. It is said that the plague wiped out a large part, if not half of the Georgian populace.[32][self-published source?][33] This further weakened the integrity of the kingdom, as well as its military and logistic capabilities.

Timurid invasions

 
Kingdom of Georgia, 1380.

Turkmen invasions

 
Map of Caucasus Region 1405.

After the devastating invasions by Timur and subsequent enfeeblement of the Kingdom of Georgia, it soon faced a new threat. Timur's death in 1405 marked the beginning of the end of his Empire, unified only by fear and blood of the subjected peoples. Turkomans, particularly the Kara Koyunlu clan, were among the first to rebel against Shah Rukh who ruled most of the Persia and Mawerannahr. Qara Yusuf, ruler of the Kara Koyunlu, defeated Shah Rukh, captured Baghdad, and repulsed Timurids from western Persia. After they established themselves as the new leading power in the middle east. They took advantage of the temporary weakness of Georgians and launched attacks against them, apparently in which, George VII of Georgia was killed. Constantine I of Georgia, fearing further encroachment, allied himself with the Shirvanshah Ibrahim I to counter Turkoman advance and engaged them in the Battle of Chalagan, in which he was defeated and taken captive. In captivity Constantine behaved very proudly, which infuriated Qara Yusuf to such an extent, that he ordered his, his half-brother David's and 300 Georgian nobles' execution. Kara Yusuf put Constantine to death by his own hand.[34]

Alexander I of Georgia who sought to strengthen and restore his declining Kingdom, faced constant invasions by the tribal Turkomans. Alexander re-conquered Lori from the Turkomans in 1431, which was of great importance in securing of the Georgian borders. Around 1434/5, Alexander encouraged the Armenian prince Beshken II Orbelian to attack the Kara Koyunlu clansmen in Siunia and, for his victory, granted him Lori under terms of vassalage. In 1440, Alexander refused to pay tribute to Jahan Shah of the Kara Koyunlu. In March, Jahan Shah surged into Georgia with 20,000 troops, destroyed the city of Samshvilde and sacked the capital city Tbilisi. He massacred thousands of Christians, put heavy indemnity on Georgia, and returned to Tabriz. He also mounted a second military expedition against Georgia in 1444. His forces met those of Alexander's successor, King Vakhtang IV at Akhaltsikhe, but the fighting was inconclusive and Jahan Shah returned to Tabriz once more.

As a result of foreign and internal struggles unified Kingdom of Georgia stopped to exist after 1466 and was subdivided into several political units. Kara Koyunlu tribal confederation was destroyed by Aq Qoyunlu, their kin tribesmen who formed another confederation, which was similar in many ways to its predecessor. Aq Qoyunlu Turkomans naturally took advantage of the Georgian fragmentation. Georgia was at least twice attacked by Uzun Hasan, the prince of the Aq Qoyunlu in 1466, 1472 and possibly 1476–7. Bagrat VI of Georgia, temporary ruler of most of Georgia at the time, had to make peace with the invaders, by abandoning Tbilisi to the enemy. It was only after Uzun Hasan's death (1478) when the Georgians were able to recover their capital. In the winter of 1488, the Ak Koyunlu Turkomans led by Halil Bey attacked Georgia's capital Tbilisi, and took the city after a long-lasted siege in February 1489. Alexander II of Imereti, another pretender to the throne, took advantage of the Aq Qoyunlu Turkoman invasion of Kartli, and seized control of Imereti. Occupation of the capital did not last long and Constantine II of Georgia was able to repel them, but it was still costly to Georgians. Ismail I, founder of the Safavid dynasty, formed an alliance with the Georgians in 1502 and decisively defeated Aq Qoyunlu in the same year, destroying their state and marking the end of their invasions.

Final disintegration

 
Map of Caucasus Region 1460.
 
Map of Caucasus Region 1490.

Government and society

 

Administration

 
Administrative division of the medieval Kingdom of Georgia in Georgian golden age.

Religion and culture

 
Archangel of Kintsvisi, complete with scarce natural ultramarine paint, evidenced the increasing resources of the realm

Between the 11th and the early 13th centuries, Georgia experienced a political, economical and cultural golden age, as the Bagrationi dynasty managed to unite western and eastern halves of the country into a single kingdom. To accomplish that goal, kings relied much on the prestige of the Church, and enrolled its political support by giving it many economical advantages, immunity from taxes and large appanages. At the same time, the kings, most notably David the Builder (1089–1125), used state power to interfere in church affairs. Notably, he summoned the 1103 council of Ruisi-Urbnisi, which condemned Armenian Miaphysitism in stronger terms than ever before, and gave unprecedented power, second only to the Patriarch, to his friend and advisor George of Chqondidi. For the following centuries, the Church would remain a crucial feudal institution, whose economical and political power would always be at least equal to that of the main noble families.

During the Middle Ages, Christianity was the central element of Georgian culture. Specific forms of art were developed in Georgia for religious purposes. Among them, calligraphy, polyphonic church singing, cloisonné enamel icons, such as the Khakhuli triptych, and the "Georgian cross-dome style" of architecture, which characterizes most medieval Georgian churches. The most celebrated examples of Georgian religious architecture of the time include the Gelati Monastery and Bagrati Cathedral in Kutaisi, the Ikalto Monastery complex and Academy, and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta.

Outstanding Georgian representatives of Christian culture include Euthymius of Athos (Ekvtime Atoneli, 955–1028), George of Athos (Giorgi Atoneli, 1009–1065), Arsen Ikaltoeli (11th century), and Ephrem Mtsire, (11th century). Philosophy flourished between the 11th and 13th century, especially at the Academy of Gelati Monastery, where Ioane Petritsi attempted a synthesis of Christian, aristotelician and neoplatonic thought.

Tamar's reign also marked the continuation of artistic development in the country commenced by her predecessors. While her contemporary Georgian chronicles continued to enshrine Christian morality, the religious theme started to lose its earlier dominant position to the highly original secular literature. This trend culminated in an epic written by Georgia's national poet RustaveliThe Knight in the Panther's Skin (Vepkhistq'aosani). Revered in Georgia as the greatest achievement of native literature, the poem celebrates the Medieval humanistic ideals of chivalry, friendship and courtly love.

Missionary activities

From the 10th century, Georgians had started to play a significant role in preaching Christianity in the mountains of the Caucasus. "Wherever the missions of the patriarchs of Constantinople, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem failed, the Georgian Church succeeded in bringing Jesus's Cross and preaching His Gospels". This is corroborated not only by old written sources, but also by Christian architectural monuments bearing Georgian inscriptions, which are still to be seen throughout the North Caucasus in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria. The golden age of Georgian monasticism lasted from the 9th to the 11th century. During that period, Georgian monasteries were founded outside the country, most notably on Mount Sinai, Mount Athos (the Iviron monastery, where the Theotokos Iverskaya icon is still located), and in Palestine.

Legacy

Artistic inheritance

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "In 1490, Constantine II summoned a special royal council that recognized the fragmentation of the Kingdom of Georgia into separate kingdoms and principalities."

References

  1. ^ "Zwölf Königswappen, aus: Grünenberg, Konrad: Grünenberg, Konrad:Das Wappenbuch Conrads von Grünenberg, Ritters und Bürgers zu Constanz - BSB Cgm 145 ( um 1480) - Digitalisiertes Buch aus dem urheberrechtsfreien Bestand der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München [Deutschland] 2007-2021 Bildähnlichkeitssuche". bildsuche.digitale-sammlungen.de. from the original on 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  2. ^ Oldest Georgian Arms 2019-01-12 at the Wayback Machine Zachary Kiknadze, pp.6–7, State Council of Heraldry, 2014
  3. ^ "Heraldica - რუკები". heraldry.ge. from the original on 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  4. ^ Paghava, Irakli; Novak, Vlastimil (2013). . Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  5. ^ Chufrin, Gennadiĭ Illarionovich (2001). The Security of the Caspian Sea Region. Stockholm, Sweden: Oxford University Press. p. 282. ISBN 0199250200. from the original on 2020-01-05. Retrieved 2019-08-29.; Waters, Christopher P. M. (2013). Counsel in the Caucasus: Professionalization and Law in Georgia. New York City, USA: Springer. p. 24. ISBN 978-9401756204. from the original on 2020-01-04. Retrieved 2019-08-29.; Suny, Ronald Grigor (1994). The Making of the Georgian Nation. Bloomington, IN, USA: Indiana University Press. p. 87. ISBN 0253209153. from the original on 2020-09-13. Retrieved 2019-08-29.; Ronald G. Suny (1996) Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia DIANE Publishing pp. 157-158-160-182
  6. ^ Rapp Jr., Stephen H. (2020). "Georgia, Georgians, until 1300". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John; Rowson, Everett (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. Brill Online. ISSN 1873-9830. from the original on 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2021-01-30. (...) he courageously fought off countless enemies as he reinforced Georgian unity and assembled a pan-Caucasian empire, hence his sobriquet Aġmašenebeli (the builder) (...) The height of the pan-Caucasian rule of the Georgian Bagratids and of the transregional Georgian monastic network is habitually described as Georgia's Golden Age. (...) Internal and external tensions mounted, and the pan-Caucasian empire of the Georgian Bagratids shrank under T'amar's children Giorgi IV Laša (r. 1213–23 C.E.) and Rusudan (r. 1223–45 C.E.).
  7. ^ Rapp, Stephen H., Jr (2007). "Georgian Christianity". The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity. John Wiley & Sons. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-4443-3361-9. from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  8. ^ Lang, David Marshall. The Georgians, Ancient Peoples and Places.
  9. ^ Natho, Kadir I. Circassian History.
  10. ^ Toumanoff, Cyril (1967). Studies in Christian Caucasian History, p. 498. Georgetown University Press.
  11. ^ Minorsky 1953, p. 65.
  12. ^ Mikaberidze 2019, p. 468.
  13. ^ (in Georgian) Javakhishvili, Ivane (1982), k'art'veli eris istoria (The History of the Georgian Nation), vol. 2, pp. 184–187. Tbilisi State University Press.
  14. ^ Chatzidakis, Nano. Byzantine Mosaics, Volume 7. Athens, Greece: Ekdotike Athenon, 1994, p.22
  15. ^ Donald Rayfield, "Davit II", in: Robert B. Pynsent, S. I. Kanikova (1993), Reader's Encyclopedia of Eastern European Literature, p. 82. HarperCollins, ISBN 0-06-270007-3.
  16. ^ Rayfield, Donald (2013). Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. Reaktion Books. p. 100. ISBN 978-1780230702.
  17. ^ Mikaberidze, Alexander (2015). Historical Dictionary of Georgia (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 259. ISBN 978-1442241466.
  18. ^ Eastmond 1998, p. 71.
  19. ^ Brisku, Adrian (2013). Bittersweet Europe: Albanian and Georgian Discourses on Europe, 1878–2008. NY, USA: Berghahn Books. p. 134. ISBN 978-0857459855. from the original on 2020-01-07. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  20. ^ van der Zweerde, Evert (2013). Soviet Historiography of Philosophy: Istoriko-Filosofskaja Nauka. Berlin, Germany: Springer Science & Business Media. p. 140. ISBN 978-9401589437. from the original on 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  21. ^ Tamar's paternal aunt was the Comnenoi's grandmother on their father’s side, as it has been conjectured by Cyril Toumanoff(1940).
  22. ^ Eastmond 1998, pp. 153–154.
  23. ^ *Vasiliev, A. A. (1935). Byzance et les Arabes, Tome I: La Dynastie d'Amorium (820–867) (in French). French ed.: Henri Grégoire, Marius Canard. Brussels, Belgium: Éditions de l'Institut de Philologie et d'Histoire Orientales. pp. 15–19. from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  24. ^ Mikaberidze, Alexander (2011). Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World: A Historical Encyclopedia, Volume 1. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO. p. 196. ISBN 978-1598843361. from the original on 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  25. ^ Yar-Shater, Ehsan (2010). Encyclopaedia Iranica, Volume 2, Parts 5-8. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 892. ISBN 9780710090904. from the original on 2019-12-21. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  26. ^ Brosset, Marie-Felicite (1858). Histoire de la Géorgie depuis l'Antiquité jusqu'au XIXe siècle. France: imprimerie de l'Académie Impériale des sciences. pp. 468–472.
  27. ^ L. Baker, Patricia; Smith, Hilary; Oleynik, Maria (2014). Iran. London, United Kingdom: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 158. ISBN 978-1841624020. from the original on 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  28. ^ Eastmond 1998, p. 122.
  29. ^ Pahlitzsch, Johannes, "Georgians and Greeks in Jerusalem (1099–1310)", in Ciggaar & Herman (1996), pp. 38–39.
  30. ^ Eastmond 1998, pp. 122–123.
  31. ^ Ta'rfkh-i Shaikh Uwais (History of Shaikh Uwais), trans. and ed. J. B. van Loon, The Hague, 1954, 56–58.
  32. ^ Georgia Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments. Lulu.com. 2012. p. 44. ISBN 978-1438774435. from the original on 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  33. ^ West, Barbara A. (2010). Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania. New York City, NY, USA: Infobase Publishing. p. 229. ISBN 978-1438119137. from the original on 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  34. ^ Toumanoff, Cyril (1949–51). The Fifteenth-Century Bagratids and the Institution of Collegial Sovereignty in Georgia. Traditio 7: 174, 176–177.
  35. ^ Eastmond 1998, p. 61.

Bibliography

  • Eastmond, Antony (1998). Royal Imagery in Medieval Georgia. University Park, Pennsylvania, USA: The Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0271016280.
  • Mikaberidze, Alexander (2019). "Georgian-Seljuk Wars (11th-13th centuries)". In Tucker, Spencer C. (ed.). Middle East Conflicts from Ancient Egypt to the 21st Century. Vol. II:G-N. ABC-CLIO. pp. 467–468.
  • Minorsky, V. (1953). Studies in Caucasian History I. New Light on the Shaddadids of Ganja II. The Shaddadids of Ani III. Prehistory of Saladin. Cambridge University Press.

External links

  •   Media related to Kingdom of Georgia at Wikimedia Commons

kingdom, georgia, georgian, საქართველოს, სამეფო, romanized, sakartvelos, samepo, also, known, georgian, empire, medieval, eurasian, monarchy, that, founded, 1008, reached, golden, political, economic, strength, during, reign, king, david, queen, tamar, great, . The Kingdom of Georgia Georgian საქართველოს სამეფო romanized sakartvelos samepo also known as the Georgian Empire 5 was a medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in c 1008 AD It reached its Golden Age of political and economic strength during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar the Great from 11th to 13th centuries Georgia became one of the pre eminent nations of the Christian East and its pan Caucasian empire 6 and network of tributaries stretching from Eastern Europe to Anatolia and northern frontiers of Iran while also maintaining religious possessions abroad such as the Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem and the Monastery of Iviron in Greece It was the principal historical precursor of present day Georgia Kingdom of Georgiaსაქართველოს სამეფოsakartvelos samepo1008 1490Flags of Georgia of the 14th 15th centuries according to Dulcert the Pizzigano brothers and others 3 Coat of arms of all Georgian Kingdom according to Prince Vakhushti s Atlas c 1745 Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Georgia under khan according to Grunenberg Wappenbuch 1480 1 2 Kingdom of Georgia in 1220 at the peak of its territorial expansion CapitalKutaisi c 1008 1122 Tbilisi c 1122 1490 Common languagesMiddle GeorgianReligionEastern Orthodoxy Georgian Patriarchate GovernmentFeudal monarchyKing King of Kings 1008 1014 first Bagrat III 1446 1465 last George VIIILegislatureCouncil of StateHistorical eraHigh Middle Ages to Late Middle Ages Unificationc 1008 Georgian Golden Age1122 1226 Interregnum1245 1247 East and West division1247 1329 Reunification1329 Fall of the kingdom De factoDe jure14631490 a CurrencyVarious Byzantine and Sassanian coins were minted until the 12th century Dirham came into use after 1122 4 Preceded by Succeeded byKingdom of AbkhaziaKingdom of the IberiansKingdom of KakhetiKingdom of HeretiKingdom of ArmeniaEmirate of Tbilisi Kingdom of KartliKingdom of KakhetiKingdom of ImeretiPrincipality of Samtskhe1the full title of the Georgian monarchs after 1124 was King of Kings Autocrat of all the East and the West Sword of the Messiah King of Abkhazia King of Iberia King of Kakheti and Hereti King of Armenia Possessor of Shirvan Lasting for several centuries the kingdom fell to the Mongol invasions in the 13th century but managed to re assert sovereignty by the 1340s The following decades were marked by the Black Death as well as numerous invasions under the leadership of Timur who devastated the country s economy population and urban centers The Kingdom s geopolitical situation further worsened after the fall of the Byzantine and then Empire of Trebizond by the Ottoman Turks As a result of these processes by the end of the 15th century Georgia turned into a fractured entity This whole series of events also led to the final collapse of the kingdom into anarchy by 1466 and the mutual recognition of its constituent kingdoms of Kartli Kakheti and Imereti as independent states between 1490 and 1493 each led by a rival branch of the Bagrationi dynasty and into five semi independent principalities Odishi Guria Abkhazia Svaneti and Samtskhe Contents 1 Background 2 History 2 1 Unification of the Georgian State 2 2 War and peace with Byzantium 2 3 Great Turkish Invasion 2 4 Georgian Reconquista 2 4 1 David IV 2 4 2 Reign of Demetrius I and George III 2 5 Golden age 2 5 1 King Tamar s reign 2 6 Nomadic invasions 2 6 1 Reign of George IV and Rusudan 2 6 2 Mongol yoke 2 6 3 George V the Brilliant 2 6 4 Black Death 2 6 5 Timurid invasions 2 6 6 Turkmen invasions 2 7 Final disintegration 3 Government and society 3 1 Administration 3 2 Religion and culture 3 2 1 Missionary activities 4 Legacy 4 1 Artistic inheritance 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External linksBackground EditMain articles Arab rule in Georgia and Bagratid Iberia Early Georgian kingdoms were reduced to feudal regions over the course of the Roman Persian wars The area then fell under the control of the early Muslim conquests of the 7th century Iberian princes from the Bagrationi dynasty fought against the Arab occupation and came to rule the Tao Klarjeti region They established the Kouropalatate of Iberia as a nominal vassal of the Byzantine Empire By 888 they had gained control of the central Georgian land Kartli and restored the Iberian kingship The Bagrationi dynasty was unable to maintain their kingdom and it was divided between the three branches of the family The main branch controlled Tao while another controlled Klarjeti In 736 Marwan ibn Muhammad s invasion of Georgia was repelled by Abkhazians Lazic and Iberian allies This successful defense along with increasing struggles against Byzantium helped lead to a process of unification of the Georgian states into a single feudal monarchy The Georgian Church broke away from Constantinople in the 9th century instead recognizing the authority of the Catholicate of Mtskheta The church language was changed from Greek to Georgian 7 History EditUnification of the Georgian State Edit Main article Unification of the Georgian realm Map of the Caucasus region and surrounding areas at 1000 AD before the death of David III During the 10th century David III of Tao invaded the Duchy of Kartli giving it to his adopted son who would later be known as Bagrat III of Georgia with his biological father Gurgen of Iberia as regent In 994 Gurgen was crowned King of the Iberians In 975 supported by the Duke of Kartli Ivane Marushidze and David Bagrat claimed the throne of Kartli 8 108 becoming King of the Kartlians During this time the Kingdom of Abkhazia in what is today northeastern Georgia was under the rule of Theodosius the Blind who did away with Abkhazian traditions In 978 the Abkhazian aristocracy dissatisfied with the rule of Theodosius performed a coup d etat and invited Bagrat to claim the throne of Abkhazia 9 67 68 Gurgen died in 1008 leaving his throne for Bagrat allowing Bagrat to become the first king of a unified Abkhazia and Iberia In his early reign Bagrat pressed a claim to the kingdom of Khakheti Hereti to the east and annexed it in 1010 Bagrat also reduced the autonomy of dynastic princes to stabilize his realm with his fears focusing on the Klarjeti line of the Bagrationi In order to secure the throne for his son George I of Georgia Bagrat tricked his cousins into a meeting and imprisoned them and his cousins children fled to Constantinople where they requested the aid of the Byzantine Empire to take back their patrimonial land 10 Bagrat s reign secured a victory for the Bagratids of Georgia ending the power struggles that had plagued the region for centuries Bagrat had a peaceful foreign policy successfully avoiding conflicts with the Byzantines and nearby Muslim realms even though some of David s territory such as Tao and Tbilisi remained in Byzantine and Arab control respectively War and peace with Byzantium Edit Main article Byzantine Georgian wars Kingdom of Georgia in 1045 AD George I s reign was known primarily for its war against the Byzantines This war had its roots in the 990s when David III after losing a rebellion against the Byzantine Emperor Basil II agreed to cede his lands in Tao to the emperor upon his death George I in an attempt to take back the Kuropalates land occupied Tao starting from 1015 or 1016 during a Byzantine war with the Bulgarian Empire When Bulgaria was dealt with in 1021 Basil II turned his attention to Georgia leading to a two year long war and an eventual Byzantine victory George as a result had to abandon his claims in Tao and surrender some of his southwestern lands which were eventually made into the theme of Iberia George s son who would eventually become Bagrat IV was also given to Basil as a hostage Bagrat IV spent the next three years in Constantinople being released in 1025 George I s death in 1027 saw him succeeded by the 8 year old Bagrat By the time Bagrat ascended to the throne the Bagratids unification drive had gained much momentum Many of the Georgian lands such as Tao Tbilisi Kakheti and Hereti were either under the rule of foreign empires or of independent kings The loyalty of Georgian nobles was also questionable Bagrat IV s childhood saw the regency increase the influence of the nobility something which he tried to stop when he assumed his full powers Great Turkish Invasion Edit Main article Great Turkish Invasion In the later half of the 11th century the Seljuq Turks invaded nearby regions prompting greater cooperation between the Georgian and Byzantine governments In a political arrangement Bagrat s daughter Maria married the Byzantine co emperor Michael VII Ducas at some point between 1066 and 1071 In 1065 the Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan attacked Kartli taking Tbilisi and building a mosque 11 During the internecine conflict between Seljuk heirs George II of Georgia defeated a Seljuk governor Sarang of Ganja at the Battle of Partskhisi in 1074 12 In 1076 the Seljuk sultan Malik Shah I attacked again Georgia eventually submitted to Malik Shah paying an annual tribute in order to have peace Georgian Reconquista Edit David IV Edit David IV of Georgia a fresco from the Shio Mgvime monastery Expansion of Kingdom of Georgia under David IV s reign George II ceded the crown to his 16 year old son David IV in 1089 Under the tutelage of his court minister George of Chqondidi David IV suppressed the feudal lords and centralized the power In 1089 1100 he organized military action to destroy Seljuk troops beginning the resettlement of occupied regions In 1099 David IV refused to pay tribute to the Seljuqs By 1104 the local king of the eastern Georgia provide of Kakheti Aghsartan II was captured by David IV s supporters reuniting the area The following year David IV defeated a Seljuk force in the Battle of Ertsukhi Over the course of 1110 to 1118 David IV captured the fortresses of Samshvilde Rustavi Gishi and Lori Starting in 1118 through 1120 David IV began major military reforms including the resettlement of several thousand Kipchaks In exchange each Kipchak family provided David IV with a soldier allowing him to establish a standing army This alliance was aided by David IV s earlier marriage to the Khan s daughter Entering 1120 David IV became more expansionist He invaded the neighbouring Shirvan area and the town of Qabala From there he began to successfully attack the Seljuk in the eastern and southwestern areas of Transcaucasia In 1121 Sultan Mahmud b Muhammad declared a holy war on Georgia but David IV defeated his army at the Didgori Soon after David IV secured Tbilisi one of the last Muslim enclave remaining in Georgia and the capital was moved there beginning Georgia s Golden Age 13 Gelati Monastery a UNESCO World Heritage Site In 1123 David IV liberated Dmanisi the last Seljuk stronghold in southern Georgia By 1124 Shirvan was captured along with the Armenian city of Ani This expanded the kingdom s borders to the Araxes basin David IV founded the Gelati Academy known at the time as a new Hellas and a second Athos 14 David also composed the Hymns of Repentance eight free verse psalms 15 Reign of Demetrius I and George III Edit The kingdom continued to flourish under Demetrius I the son of David Although his reign saw a disruptive family conflict related to royal succession Georgia remained a centralized power with a strong military 16 17 A talented poet Demetrius also continued his father s contributions to Georgia s religious polyphony The most famous of his hymns is Thou Art a Vineyard Demetrius was succeeded by his son George III in 1156 beginning a stage of more offensive foreign policy The same year he ascended to the throne George launched a successful campaign against the Seljuq sultanate of Ahlat He freed the important Armenian town of Dvin from Eldiguzid vassalage and was thus welcomed as a liberator in the area citation needed Golden age Edit Main article Georgian Golden Age Kingdom of Georgia under Queen Tamar s reign The unified monarchy maintained its precarious independence from the Byzantine and Seljuk empires throughout the 11th century and flourished under David IV the Builder c 1089 1125 who repelled the Seljuk attacks and essentially completed the unification of Georgia with the re conquest of Tbilisi in 1122 18 In spite of repeated incidents of dynastic strife the kingdom continued to prosper during the reigns of Demetrios I c 1125 1156 George III c 1156 1184 and especially his daughter Tamar c 1184 1213 With the decline of Byzantine power and the dissolution of the Great Seljuk Empire Georgia became one of the pre eminent nations of the region stretching at its largest extent from present day Southern Russia to Northern Iran and westwards into Anatolia The Kingdom of Georgia brought about the Georgian Golden Age which describes a historical period in the High Middle Ages spanning from roughly the late 11th to 13th centuries when the kingdom reached the zenith of its power and development The period saw the flourishing of medieval Georgian architecture painting and poetry which was frequently expressed in the development of ecclesiastic art as well as the creation of first major works of secular literature It was a period of military political economical and cultural progress It also included the so called Georgian Renaissance also called Eastern Renaissance 19 during which various human activities forms of craftsmanship and art such as literature philosophy and architecture thrived in the kingdom 20 King Tamar s reign Edit Tbilisi Kutaisi Tskhumi Artanuji Kabala Lori 1195 1196 1199 1201 1203 1204 1203 1206 1208 1209 10 1212class notpageimage Approximate dates of Georgian control Mouseover for name Capital Georgian held cities and fortresses Conquered cities and fortresses Major battles Queen Tamar and her father King George III restored fresco from the Betania monastery She not only shielded much of her Empire from further Turkish invasions but successfully pacified internal tensions including a coup organized by her Russian husband Yury Bogolyubsky prince of Novgorod Medieval Georgian monasteries in the Balkans and Near East During Tamara s reign the Kingdom patronized Georgian built religious centers overseas such as this Iviron MonasteryAmong the remarkable events of Tamar s reign was the foundation of the Empire of Trebizond on the Black Sea in 1204 This state was established in the northeast of the crumbling Byzantine Empire with the help of the Georgian armies which supported Alexios I of Trebizond and his brother David Komnenos both of whom were Tamar s relatives 21 Alexios and David were fugitive Byzantine princes raised at the Georgian court Tamar s Pontic endeavor can also be explained by her desire to take advantage of the Western European Fourth Crusade against Constantinople to set up a friendly state in Georgia s immediate southwestern neighborhood as well as by the dynastic solidarity to the dispossessed Comnenoi 22 23 Eldiguzid campaign of Tamar of Georgia in 1208 and 1210 1211 years As a retribution for the attack on Georgian controlled city of Ani where 12 000 Christians were massacred in 1208 Georgia s Tamar the Great invaded and conquered the cities of Tabriz Ardabil Khoy Qazvin 24 and others along the way to Gorgan 25 26 in northeast Persia 27 The country s power had grown to such extent that in the later years of Tamar s rule the Kingdom was primarily concerned with the protection of the Georgian monastic centers in the Holy Land eight of which were listed in Jerusalem 28 Saladin s biographer Baha ad Din ibn Saddad reports that after the Ayyubid conquest of Jerusalem in 1187 Tamar sent envoys to the sultan to request that the confiscated possessions of the Georgian monasteries in Jerusalem be returned Saladin s response is not recorded but the queen s efforts seem to have been successful 29 Ibn Saddad furthermore claims that Tamar outbid the Byzantine emperor in her efforts to obtain the relics of the True Cross offering 200 000 gold pieces to Saladin who had taken the relics as booty at the battle of Hattin to no avail however 30 Nomadic invasions Edit Main article Mongol invasions of Georgia Reign of George IV and Rusudan Edit Mongol invasion of Georgia and battle of Khunan Mongol yoke Edit Map of Kingdom of Georgia during Mongol invasions 1245 AD George V the Brilliant Edit Western and Eastern Georgia around 1311 AD In 1334 Shaykh Hasan of the Jalayir was appointed as governor of Georgia by Abu Sai d 31 Black Death Edit One of the primary reasons of Georgian political and military decline was the bubonic plague It was first introduced in 1346 by the soldiers of George the Brilliant returning from a military expedition in south western Georgia against invading Osmanli tribesmen It is said that the plague wiped out a large part if not half of the Georgian populace 32 self published source 33 This further weakened the integrity of the kingdom as well as its military and logistic capabilities Timurid invasions Edit Main article Timur s invasions of Georgia Kingdom of Georgia 1380 Turkmen invasions Edit Main article Turkmen invasions of Georgia Map of Caucasus Region 1405 After the devastating invasions by Timur and subsequent enfeeblement of the Kingdom of Georgia it soon faced a new threat Timur s death in 1405 marked the beginning of the end of his Empire unified only by fear and blood of the subjected peoples Turkomans particularly the Kara Koyunlu clan were among the first to rebel against Shah Rukh who ruled most of the Persia and Mawerannahr Qara Yusuf ruler of the Kara Koyunlu defeated Shah Rukh captured Baghdad and repulsed Timurids from western Persia After they established themselves as the new leading power in the middle east They took advantage of the temporary weakness of Georgians and launched attacks against them apparently in which George VII of Georgia was killed Constantine I of Georgia fearing further encroachment allied himself with the Shirvanshah Ibrahim I to counter Turkoman advance and engaged them in the Battle of Chalagan in which he was defeated and taken captive In captivity Constantine behaved very proudly which infuriated Qara Yusuf to such an extent that he ordered his his half brother David s and 300 Georgian nobles execution Kara Yusuf put Constantine to death by his own hand 34 Alexander I of Georgia who sought to strengthen and restore his declining Kingdom faced constant invasions by the tribal Turkomans Alexander re conquered Lori from the Turkomans in 1431 which was of great importance in securing of the Georgian borders Around 1434 5 Alexander encouraged the Armenian prince Beshken II Orbelian to attack the Kara Koyunlu clansmen in Siunia and for his victory granted him Lori under terms of vassalage In 1440 Alexander refused to pay tribute to Jahan Shah of the Kara Koyunlu In March Jahan Shah surged into Georgia with 20 000 troops destroyed the city of Samshvilde and sacked the capital city Tbilisi He massacred thousands of Christians put heavy indemnity on Georgia and returned to Tabriz He also mounted a second military expedition against Georgia in 1444 His forces met those of Alexander s successor King Vakhtang IV at Akhaltsikhe but the fighting was inconclusive and Jahan Shah returned to Tabriz once more As a result of foreign and internal struggles unified Kingdom of Georgia stopped to exist after 1466 and was subdivided into several political units Kara Koyunlu tribal confederation was destroyed by Aq Qoyunlu their kin tribesmen who formed another confederation which was similar in many ways to its predecessor Aq Qoyunlu Turkomans naturally took advantage of the Georgian fragmentation Georgia was at least twice attacked by Uzun Hasan the prince of the Aq Qoyunlu in 1466 1472 and possibly 1476 7 Bagrat VI of Georgia temporary ruler of most of Georgia at the time had to make peace with the invaders by abandoning Tbilisi to the enemy It was only after Uzun Hasan s death 1478 when the Georgians were able to recover their capital In the winter of 1488 the Ak Koyunlu Turkomans led by Halil Bey attacked Georgia s capital Tbilisi and took the city after a long lasted siege in February 1489 Alexander II of Imereti another pretender to the throne took advantage of the Aq Qoyunlu Turkoman invasion of Kartli and seized control of Imereti Occupation of the capital did not last long and Constantine II of Georgia was able to repel them but it was still costly to Georgians Ismail I founder of the Safavid dynasty formed an alliance with the Georgians in 1502 and decisively defeated Aq Qoyunlu in the same year destroying their state and marking the end of their invasions Final disintegration Edit Main article Triarchy and collapse of the Kingdom of Georgia Map of Caucasus Region 1460 Map of Caucasus Region 1490 Government and society Edit Map of Georgia Description of the Kingdom of Georgia by Prince Vakhushti Bagrationi 1740s Administration Edit Administrative division of the medieval Kingdom of Georgia in Georgian golden age Religion and culture Edit Archangel of Kintsvisi complete with scarce natural ultramarine paint evidenced the increasing resources of the realmBetween the 11th and the early 13th centuries Georgia experienced a political economical and cultural golden age as the Bagrationi dynasty managed to unite western and eastern halves of the country into a single kingdom To accomplish that goal kings relied much on the prestige of the Church and enrolled its political support by giving it many economical advantages immunity from taxes and large appanages At the same time the kings most notably David the Builder 1089 1125 used state power to interfere in church affairs Notably he summoned the 1103 council of Ruisi Urbnisi which condemned Armenian Miaphysitism in stronger terms than ever before and gave unprecedented power second only to the Patriarch to his friend and advisor George of Chqondidi For the following centuries the Church would remain a crucial feudal institution whose economical and political power would always be at least equal to that of the main noble families During the Middle Ages Christianity was the central element of Georgian culture Specific forms of art were developed in Georgia for religious purposes Among them calligraphy polyphonic church singing cloisonne enamel icons such as the Khakhuli triptych and the Georgian cross dome style of architecture which characterizes most medieval Georgian churches The most celebrated examples of Georgian religious architecture of the time include the Gelati Monastery and Bagrati Cathedral in Kutaisi the Ikalto Monastery complex and Academy and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta Outstanding Georgian representatives of Christian culture include Euthymius of Athos Ekvtime Atoneli 955 1028 George of Athos Giorgi Atoneli 1009 1065 Arsen Ikaltoeli 11th century and Ephrem Mtsire 11th century Philosophy flourished between the 11th and 13th century especially at the Academy of Gelati Monastery where Ioane Petritsi attempted a synthesis of Christian aristotelician and neoplatonic thought Tamar s reign also marked the continuation of artistic development in the country commenced by her predecessors While her contemporary Georgian chronicles continued to enshrine Christian morality the religious theme started to lose its earlier dominant position to the highly original secular literature This trend culminated in an epic written by Georgia s national poet Rustaveli The Knight in the Panther s Skin Vepkhistq aosani Revered in Georgia as the greatest achievement of native literature the poem celebrates the Medieval humanistic ideals of chivalry friendship and courtly love Missionary activities Edit From the 10th century Georgians had started to play a significant role in preaching Christianity in the mountains of the Caucasus Wherever the missions of the patriarchs of Constantinople Rome Alexandria Antioch and Jerusalem failed the Georgian Church succeeded in bringing Jesus s Cross and preaching His Gospels This is corroborated not only by old written sources but also by Christian architectural monuments bearing Georgian inscriptions which are still to be seen throughout the North Caucasus in Chechnya Ingushetia Dagestan North Ossetia Kabardino Balkaria The golden age of Georgian monasticism lasted from the 9th to the 11th century During that period Georgian monasteries were founded outside the country most notably on Mount Sinai Mount Athos the Iviron monastery where the Theotokos Iverskaya icon is still located and in Palestine Legacy EditArtistic inheritance Edit Golden Theotokos of Khobi Monastery with some precious stones taken by the communists Triptych of Khakhuli Detail of the Khakhuli Triptych Atskuri Triptych Georgian tondo commemorating Roman martyr Mammes of Caesarea David IV s processional cross Crucifixion from Mestia Fresco from Ubisi Georgia The Last Supper of Ubisi Annunciation of Ubisi Gelati Monastery Walls of the Khobi Monastery showing strong Roman influence Kvatakhevi monastery Betania Monastery Pitareti Monastery Despite setbacks at the hands of Mongols Georgia continued to produce cultural landmarks such as these frescoes at Ubisi by Damiane one of Georgia s distinctive medieval artists Golden cross of Queen Tamar composed of rubies emeralds and large pearls Gelati Theotokos The use of costly mosaics in church decorations heralded Georgia s imperial ambitions 35 See also EditList of the Kings of Georgia Georgian monarchs family tree Monarchism in Georgia Style of the Georgian sovereignNotes Edit In 1490 Constantine II summoned a special royal council that recognized the fragmentation of the Kingdom of Georgia into separate kingdoms and principalities References Edit Zwolf Konigswappen aus Grunenberg Konrad Grunenberg Konrad Das Wappenbuch Conrads von Grunenberg Ritters und Burgers zu Constanz BSB Cgm 145 um 1480 Digitalisiertes Buch aus dem urheberrechtsfreien Bestand der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek Munchen Deutschland 2007 2021 Bildahnlichkeitssuche bildsuche digitale sammlungen de Archived from the original on 2020 01 09 Retrieved 2019 09 11 Oldest Georgian Arms Archived 2019 01 12 at the Wayback Machine Zachary Kiknadze pp 6 7 State Council of Heraldry 2014 Heraldica რუკები heraldry ge Archived from the original on 2019 08 01 Retrieved 2019 12 05 Paghava Irakli Novak Vlastimil 2013 GEORGIAN COINS IN THE COLLECTION OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM NAPRSTEK MUSEUM IN PRAGUE Archived from the original on 29 June 2016 Retrieved 31 May 2016 Chufrin Gennadiĭ Illarionovich 2001 The Security of the Caspian Sea Region Stockholm Sweden Oxford University Press p 282 ISBN 0199250200 Archived from the original on 2020 01 05 Retrieved 2019 08 29 Waters Christopher P M 2013 Counsel in the Caucasus Professionalization and Law in Georgia New York City USA Springer p 24 ISBN 978 9401756204 Archived from the original on 2020 01 04 Retrieved 2019 08 29 Suny Ronald Grigor 1994 The Making of the Georgian Nation Bloomington IN USA Indiana University Press p 87 ISBN 0253209153 Archived from the original on 2020 09 13 Retrieved 2019 08 29 Ronald G Suny 1996 Armenia Azerbaijan and Georgia DIANE Publishing pp 157 158 160 182 Rapp Jr Stephen H 2020 Georgia Georgians until 1300 In Fleet Kate Kramer Gudrun Matringe Denis Nawas John Rowson Everett eds Encyclopaedia of Islam THREE Brill Online ISSN 1873 9830 Archived from the original on 2021 02 04 Retrieved 2021 01 30 he courageously fought off countless enemies as he reinforced Georgian unity and assembled a pan Caucasian empire hence his sobriquet Aġmasenebeli the builder The height of the pan Caucasian rule of the Georgian Bagratids and of the transregional Georgian monastic network is habitually described as Georgia s Golden Age Internal and external tensions mounted and the pan Caucasian empire of the Georgian Bagratids shrank under T amar s children Giorgi IV Lasa r 1213 23 C E and Rusudan r 1223 45 C E Rapp Stephen H Jr 2007 Georgian Christianity The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity John Wiley amp Sons p 145 ISBN 978 1 4443 3361 9 Archived from the original on 12 November 2012 Retrieved 11 May 2012 Lang David Marshall The Georgians Ancient Peoples and Places Natho Kadir I Circassian History Toumanoff Cyril 1967 Studies in Christian Caucasian History p 498 Georgetown University Press Minorsky 1953 p 65 Mikaberidze 2019 p 468 in Georgian Javakhishvili Ivane 1982 k art veli eris istoria The History of the Georgian Nation vol 2 pp 184 187 Tbilisi State University Press Chatzidakis Nano Byzantine Mosaics Volume 7 Athens Greece Ekdotike Athenon 1994 p 22 Donald Rayfield Davit II in Robert B Pynsent S I Kanikova 1993 Reader s Encyclopedia of Eastern European Literature p 82 HarperCollins ISBN 0 06 270007 3 Rayfield Donald 2013 Edge of Empires A History of Georgia Reaktion Books p 100 ISBN 978 1780230702 Mikaberidze Alexander 2015 Historical Dictionary of Georgia 2 ed Rowman amp Littlefield p 259 ISBN 978 1442241466 Eastmond 1998 p 71 Brisku Adrian 2013 Bittersweet Europe Albanian and Georgian Discourses on Europe 1878 2008 NY USA Berghahn Books p 134 ISBN 978 0857459855 Archived from the original on 2020 01 07 Retrieved 2019 08 29 van der Zweerde Evert 2013 Soviet Historiography of Philosophy Istoriko Filosofskaja Nauka Berlin Germany Springer Science amp Business Media p 140 ISBN 978 9401589437 Archived from the original on 2020 01 02 Retrieved 2019 08 29 Tamar s paternal aunt was the Comnenoi s grandmother on their father s side as it has been conjectured by Cyril Toumanoff 1940 Eastmond 1998 pp 153 154 Vasiliev A A 1935 Byzance et les Arabes Tome I La Dynastie d Amorium 820 867 in French French ed Henri Gregoire Marius Canard Brussels Belgium Editions de l Institut de Philologie et d Histoire Orientales pp 15 19 Archived from the original on 2016 06 24 Retrieved 2021 09 10 Mikaberidze Alexander 2011 Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World A Historical Encyclopedia Volume 1 Santa Barbara California USA ABC CLIO p 196 ISBN 978 1598843361 Archived from the original on 2020 09 03 Retrieved 2019 08 29 Yar Shater Ehsan 2010 Encyclopaedia Iranica Volume 2 Parts 5 8 Abingdon United Kingdom Routledge amp Kegan Paul p 892 ISBN 9780710090904 Archived from the original on 2019 12 21 Retrieved 2019 08 29 Brosset Marie Felicite 1858 Histoire de la Georgie depuis l Antiquite jusqu au XIXe siecle France imprimerie de l Academie Imperiale des sciences pp 468 472 L Baker Patricia Smith Hilary Oleynik Maria 2014 Iran London United Kingdom Bradt Travel Guides p 158 ISBN 978 1841624020 Archived from the original on 2020 09 03 Retrieved 2019 08 29 Eastmond 1998 p 122 Pahlitzsch Johannes Georgians and Greeks in Jerusalem 1099 1310 in Ciggaar amp Herman 1996 pp 38 39 Eastmond 1998 pp 122 123 Ta rfkh i Shaikh Uwais History of Shaikh Uwais trans and ed J B van Loon The Hague 1954 56 58 Georgia Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments Lulu com 2012 p 44 ISBN 978 1438774435 Archived from the original on 2020 06 07 Retrieved 2019 08 29 West Barbara A 2010 Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania New York City NY USA Infobase Publishing p 229 ISBN 978 1438119137 Archived from the original on 2017 03 24 Retrieved 2019 08 29 Toumanoff Cyril 1949 51 The Fifteenth Century Bagratids and the Institution of Collegial Sovereignty in Georgia Traditio 7 174 176 177 Eastmond 1998 p 61 Bibliography EditEastmond Antony 1998 Royal Imagery in Medieval Georgia University Park Pennsylvania USA The Pennsylvania State University Press ISBN 0271016280 Mikaberidze Alexander 2019 Georgian Seljuk Wars 11th 13th centuries In Tucker Spencer C ed Middle East Conflicts from Ancient Egypt to the 21st Century Vol II G N ABC CLIO pp 467 468 Minorsky V 1953 Studies in Caucasian History I New Light on the Shaddadids of Ganja II The Shaddadids of Ani III Prehistory of Saladin Cambridge University Press External links Edit Media related to Kingdom of Georgia at Wikimedia Commons 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