The lands inhabited by Georgians have been invaded many times by both neighbors and distant aggressors, such as Mongols and Arabs. The Georgians themselves often lived in fragmented, conflicting principalities, where each feudal lord protected his power and imposed his rights. But in the 11th century, thanks to strong politicians, the principalities united into the Kingdom of Georgia, which for a century and a half became the most powerful and influential state in the Caucasus region.
Before the merger
The first feudal Georgian state with its capital in Mtskheta was known to the Romans and Greeks in the last centuries BC under the name of Iberia. The Georgians called it the Kingdom of Kartli, and it was located between two powerful and irreconcilable powers: Sasanian Iran and the Roman Empire. At first, the Kingdom of Kartli was in the zone of influence of Rome, the Georgians even managed to adopt Christianity in the 3rd century.
However, when the Western Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th century, the Georgian kings gradually turned into obedient vassals of the Iranian monarch. Moreover, at the end of the 5th century in Tbilisi (the new capital of the Kingdom of Kartli)the Persian governor sat and ran all the affairs. In the 6th century, the dissatisfied Georgian feudal nobility was able to overthrow the governor, put a ruler from their midst at the head of the state, and even swore allegiance to Byzantium, which replaced its predecessor, the Roman Empire.
But peace didn't last long for Georgians. In the 7th century, the ancient Georgian kingdom was conquered by the troops of the Arab Caliphate, the emir, sent by the caliph, now ruled in Tbilisi, and the population was heavily taxed. But the Caliphate was weakening, like the Roman Empire in its time, losing power over the conquered territories. The emir made his title hereditary and turned into a local king. Without the support of the caliphs, the emirs could not subjugate the vassals to their will, therefore, in the 8th century, the Kingdom of Kartli broke up into several independent principalities.
David the Builder
The process of unification of the Georgian principalities began at the beginning of the 11th century and was largely caused by constant external threats, against which it was easier for Georgians to defend themselves together. Throughout the 11th century, Georgian lands were devastated by the invasions of the militant Seljuks. And since 1080, the Seljuk Turks, no longer content with raids, began to populate these lands, build fortresses, turn orchards and vineyards into pastures, while continuing to engage in robbery and violence.
In addition, the Seljuks imposed tribute on the local population. Georgian historiographers called this time the “Great Turetchina”. The situation of the Georgians was unbearable, they could no longer tolerate the Turks, and at that time the brilliant Prince David appeared fromroyal dynasty of Bagrationov, endowed with an amazing combination of military, administrative and political talents.
In 1089, at the age of 16, David bloodlessly took power from his father, the weak and short-sighted king George II. King David was so active and fruitful in his undertakings and accomplishments that he rightfully earned the nickname Builder from the common people and the nobility. He really was the builder of the new Georgian kingdom - a powerful, whole and prosperous state.
Reorganization of the army and the church
First of all, the young tsar carried out church and military reorganization, realizing that without this it would be unthinkable to create a strong kingdom capable of successfully defending itself against internal and external threats. The highest church positions were occupied by proteges of the feudal nobility, this did not suit David. In 1103, at a church council, all objectionable priests were replaced by clergy loyal to the king and the Catholicos. From now on, an effective and reliable tool for influencing public opinion appeared in the hands of David.
The tsar turned the disparate feudal military detachments into disciplined, well-equipped military formations, which consisted of Aznaur landlords and free royal peasants. The troops were distinguished by excellent combat capability, mobility and were controlled by the unified will of the king and his military leaders. The Seljuks have a formidable opponent.
Liberation Wars
A series of battles began, in which David the Builder invariably beat the Turks. In 1105 more Turkish army was defeatedin Kakheti, and by 1118 most of the cities of the Georgian kingdom were liberated, but Tbilisi was still in the hands of enemies, David did not have enough military resources to dislodge the Turkish garrison from there.
The king took an unusual move, demonstrating his outstanding strategic abilities. He concluded a very profitable alliance with the steppe Kipchaks, inviting 40,000 Kipchak families to settle on Georgian lands on the condition that each family would provide him with one warrior. So David the builder received a large army, consisting of excellent nomad warriors.
This predetermined the amazing victory that the army of King David won in 1121 near Tbilisi over a huge coalition army of the Turks. The following year, Tbilisi fell, after four centuries of occupation, the city again became the capital of the Georgian kingdom. And in 1123, the Turkish conquerors were finally expelled from Georgia, when they surrendered the city of Dmanisi. But David did not stop there, he continued to drive the Turks into the territory of Armenia. However, the greatest Georgian king failed to complete the rout, dying in 1124.
Queen Tamara: The Kingdom of Georgia at the zenith of its glory
The next great ruler came to power only 60 years later. Or rather, it came. In 1184, Queen Tamara, nicknamed the Great, ascended the Georgian throne. Under her rule, Georgia experienced a golden age, achieved the highest political and military successes. Contemporaries praised the queen for wisdom, courage, beauty, sincere religiosity, extraordinary meekness,energy and hard work. The Syrian sultan, the Byzantine prince, the Persian Shah sought her hands.
During the reign of the queen, the Georgian kingdom occupied the largest territory, successfully repulsed the attacks of the Turks and even invaded Armenia and Persia, taking the occupied lands under its protectorate. In 1204, the crusaders captured Constantinople, this geopolitical event for some time made Georgia the most powerful and influential state not only in the Caucasus, but also on the entire eastern coast of the Black Sea. Queen Tamara patronized scientists, poets, artists, philosophers. Georgia flourished, agriculture, crafts and trade developed.
Decay
The great queen died in 1207, and the slow but inevitable decline of the Georgian kingdom began. After Tamara, her children reigned, who turned out to be too weak monarchs to maintain a single state. Tsar George the Fourth at first tried to continue his mother's policy. But then a real disaster struck: militant, merciless Tatar-Mongols came to the borders of Georgia, who in 1221 defeated the 90,000-strong army of George in several battles.
Despite the fact that the Horde did not dare to move deep into Georgia, the defeat greatly weakened the power and authority of the Georgian kingdom, the vassal states that David and Tamara conquered began to gradually get out of obedience. George, wounded in battle, neverrecovering, he died in 1223. The throne went to Queen Rusudan, but her reign was not peaceful for long.
In 1225 Khorezm troops invaded Georgia, in 1226 they captured and ravaged Tbilisi. Queen Rusudan was forced to turn to the Koni Sultan for help, in return giving almost all the eastern Georgian lands under the rule of the Turks. In 1236, the Georgian kingdom was so weakened by wars that it turned out to be completely powerless before a new Mongol invasion.
By 1240, the nomads conquered all of Georgia, and in 1242 Rusudan signed a peace treaty with the conquerors, recognizing Georgia as a tributary and vassal of the Mongol Khan. The once strong and independent Georgian state retained its unity only outwardly, internal conflicts and the weakness of royal power led to its disintegration into separate kingdoms already at the beginning of the 14th century.
"History of the Kingdom of Georgia" by Vakhushti Bagrationi
One of the most significant literary monuments dedicated to the Georgian medieval kingdom is a scientific work written by the Georgian prince Vakhushti Bagrationi in the 18th century. In his fundamental essay, he spoke in detail about the emergence of the united kingdom, about its rulers, described the area, the traditions of medieval Georgians, Christian shrines and monuments. The work of Vakhushti Bagrationi is still relevant and is used in the creation of a history-art cinema about the history of the Georgian kingdom. directionality.
