| GEORGIA Georgians call themselves Kartvelebi, and their land Sakartvelo. These names are derived from a pagan god called Kartlos, said to be the father of all Georgians. The foreign name of Georgia, used throughout Western Europe, is mistakenly believed to come from the country's patron saint, St George. Actually it is derived from the names Kurj or Gurj, by which the Georgians are known to the Arabs and modern Iranians.
Another theory purports that the name comes from the Greek geo (earth); because when the Greeks came to Georgia they saw the Georgians working the land. The Classical world knew the inhabitants of eastern Georgia as Iberians, thus confusing the geographers of antiquity who thought this name applied only to the inhabitants of Spain. The Romans called it Iberi and the people Iberians; the Slavs preferred Iveria and Ivers respectively.
Kingdom
of Kolkis (Colchis / Qulha) :
Geographically, ancient Kolkis comprised the land bounded by the Black Sea to the west, the Caucasus Mountains to the north, the Surami Range to the east and the Meskhetian Mountains to the south. In this fertile, sheltered area, this civilisation flourished. Their Late Bronze Age (fifteenth to eighth century BC) saw the development of an expertise in the smelting and casting of metals that began long before this skill was mastered elsewhere in Europe. Sophisticated farming implements were made and fertile, well-watered lowlands blessed with a mild climate promoted the growth of progressive agricultural techniques.
Ancient Greek legends told of a fabulously wealthy land from which Jason (Mycenaean king of Iolkos) and the Argonauts stole the Golden Fleece from King Aeëtes with the help of his daughter, Medea. It was a distant land that was reached via the Black Sea and then heading down the River Phasis. The site of this legendary kingdom has never been identified with any certainty but the Greeks must have been greatly impressed by the Kolkis region of Georgia, through which the River Phasis (now the River Rioni) runs, for such stories to have been born. Kolkis remained an important district bordering the kingdom of Iberia.
(Additional information from The Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), and from External Link: Encyclopaedia Iranica.)
13th cent BC :
The kingdom of Kolkis forms along the south-eastern Black Sea coast as part of a pattern of the increasing consolidation of regional tribes. The Kaskans on the western border soon participate in the collapse of the Hittite empire. Some versions of Greek myth state that Aeëtes of Corinth gives his kingdom to Bonos and takes Kolkis as his birthright, founding a new colony there by building Aea near the mouth of the River Phasis.
fl c.1220 BC :
Aeëtes : Legendary opponent of Jason and the Argonauts.
c.1220 BC :
Jason of Iolkos makes the heroic voyage to Kolkis to secure the Golden Fleece, rescuing Phineas of Thrace along the way and later abandoning Medea, daughter of Aeëtes, in Corinth, her father's home city.
Perses : Brother. Usurped the throne. Slain by Medea.
Aeëtes : Restored by Medea.
After his return to Iolkos, Jason's new wife, Medea, kills Pelias and the couple flee to Corinth. There, Jason leaves her after King Creon offers his own daughter, Glauce. Euripides' play Medea describes how she gains her revenge by sending a dress and golden coronet laced with poison to Glauce which not only kills her but her father too. Rumoured also to be responsible for the death of her own two children by Jason (accidental or otherwise), Medea flees to Thebes and then Athens, where she marries King Aegeus. When his son, Theseus, returns Medea leaves for Kolkis, where she kills her usurper uncle and restores her father to his throne.
Medus : Son of Medea and Jason of Iolkos.
The Greek myths and stories about Kolkis end with Medus. His descendants and successors are unknown, because the only recorders of the kingdom's history (mythical or otherwise) are overthrown throughout much of Mycenaean Greece by the invading Dorians. Greece enters a Dark Age.
c.900 BC :
From around this date, rich, well-organised 'kingdoms' or 'chiefdoms' develop in the Caucuses to the north of Kolkis. They interact with civilisations to their south, in Anatolia and Mesopotamia, usually by raiding into their territory. Typical horse bits and cheek-pieces of an early Thraco-Cimmerian type are found by archaeologists in the same region of the Caucuses.
It is later in this century that the Cimmerians are pushed out of their homeland in the Caucuses by the Scythians. The most probable reason is over-population and increasing border tensions between the two, but it is common for pastoral tribal groups to migrate when conditions become too cramped. Possibly the Scythians have jumped the gun and invaded Cimmerian territory before this can take place. Either way, the Cimmerians are forced to move on, seemingly following the Black Sea coastline southwards until they meet the kingdom of Kolkis.
This image shows Cimmerians battling early Greeks - prior to the advent of accepted 'Classical' Greece - with the mounted Cimmerians warriors apparently being accompanied by their dogs c.750 BC :
Kolkis, always an aggressive nation in a seemingly permanent state of warfare against its neighbours, seizes part of Diaokhi.
750 - 748 BC :
Kolkis is at war with Urartu, showing the extent of Urartu's northwards expansion at this time.
744 - 742 BC :
In a second war, Kolkis loses several provinces, including the 'royal city' of Iidemusa, to Urartu.
730s - 720s BC :
The kingdom is overrun by Cimmerians and Scythians, and it disintegrates. Whatever had taken place between Scythians and Cimmerians in the previous century to push the former out of their homeland, the two seem to be acting in unison now.
In the mid-sixth century the Kolkis region is incorporated into Achaemenid Persia, being organised as the minor satrapy of Colchis under the oversight of the main satrapy of Armina. This unit owes its short-lived existence as a satrapy to the successes achieved by Darius I to the east of the Black Sea during his Scythian campaign in 513-512 BC. Herodotus is witness that Darius I reaches the Oarus and builds castles there. Since this river empties into Lake Maeotis (Sea of Azov), it is to be identified with the Sal. From the Sal the border must extend to the mouth of the Don, along the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea down to the Caucasus. To the east it is not known how far it stretches or where the border runs.
Colchis soon regains its independence though, probably following the defeat of Xerxes in Greece. The region remains weak and unorganised until the founding of the Iberian kingdom in the east at the end of the fourth century BC. The west of Georgia remains fractured until the third century AD with the creation of the kingdom of Egrisi.
Kingdom
of Iberia (Kartli) :
Iberia was the sole main Georgian kingdom of late antiquity - occupying the east of Georgia - while the west was fractured and occupied by various tribes and kingdoms until the kingdom of Egrisi was forged in the third and fourth centuries. Along with Egrisi, Iberia was among the first nations in the region to adopt Christianity (in AD 317).
The first king of Iberia, Parnavaz, forged his Iberian state from several early Georgian tribal states, creating a single eastern Georgian state. He set his capital at Mtskheta, with a residence of the kings on the high mountain opposite. Iberia was a rich, densely inhabited country which consisted of highland and lowland areas. The population of the highlands were mainly occupied with cattle-breeding, while the lowlands were predominantly concerned with agriculture. The highlanders were distinguished by being warriors and they played a big role in the military organisation of Iberia. The cities were filled with merchants and skilled artisans, with a large population of Jews and Syrians.
(Additional information from The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol 3: The Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian Periods, Ehsan Yarshater (Cambridge University Press, 1968), from An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples, Peter B Golden (1992), and from External Link: Encyclopaedia Iranica.)
c.302 BC :
The annexation of a significant part of Kolkis (Egrisi) signals the creation of the kingdom of Iberia.
Pharnabazids :
299 - 234 BC :
Parnavaz / Pharnabazus I of Iberia : Alternate dates are 284-219 BC.
234 - 159 BC :
Saurmag / Sauromaces I : Son. These reigns are implausibly long for this period.
c.189 BC :
In the South, the country loses several important districts when they are cut off by the newly-created Armenian kingdom.
Nimrodids / Second Pharnabazid Dynasty :
159 -109 BC :
Meribanes / Mirvan I : Son-in-law & adopted son.
109 - 90 BC :
Parnajom : Son.
c.101 BC :
Mithridates VI of Pontus annexes the neighbouring district of Kolkis.
Artaxiads :
Artaxias / Arsaces / Arshak I : Brother-in-law. Son-in-law of Meribanes.
90 - 78 BC : Artaxias may have been the son of Artavasdes I of Armenia. He may have returned there to rule in 30 BC.
78 - 63 BC :
Artoces / Artog : Son.
c.77 BC :
Iberia is an ally of the kingdom of Pontus against Rome.
65 BC :
Rome invades Iberia for its part in assisting Pontus. General Pompey defeats Artog but general hostility from the populace forces him to conclude peace terms with the king. Iberia becomes an unequal ally of Rome, after which Pompey enters and seizes Kolkis.
63 - 30 BC :
Pharnabazus II / Bartom : Son.
Nimrodids :
30 - 20 BC :
Meribanes / Mirvan II : Son of Parnajom.
20 BC - AD 1 :
Artaxias II : Son.
Third Pharnabazid Dynasty :
AD 1 - 58 :
Pharasmanes I / Parsman / Aderk
AD 35 - 54 :
Pharasmanes uses the opposition between Rome and Parthia to possess Armenia. Rome actually appoints his brother Mithridates there as king in 35-37. An Iberian army then conquers Armenia and beats off a counter-attack by the Parthians. Mithridates is restored in 42-51, and Pharasmanes secures his son, Radamisto, on the Armenian throne in 51-53 and 53-54.
58 - 106 :
Mithridates / Mihrdat
106 - 116 :
Amazaspus / Amazasp I : Son.
116 - 132 :
Pharasmanes II / Parsman the Good : Son.
132 - 135 :
Radamistus / Adam : Son.
135 - 185 :
Pharasmanes III / Parsman
185 - 189 :
Amazaspus / Amazasp II : Son.
Arsacids in Iberia :
The Parthian Arsacids ruled in Persia and Armenia, but by this date they were fragmented and ripe for replacement.
189 - 216 :
Rev I the Just : Son of Vologases II of Armenia.
216 - 234 :
Vache : Son.
234 - 249 :
Bacurius / Bakur I : Son.
249 - 265 :
Mithridates / Mihrdat II
260 - 265 :
Amazaspus / Amazasp III : Anti-king.
265 - 284 :
Aspacures / Aspagur II : Son of Mithridates II.
Chosroids :
The Chosrids were related to the House of Mihran, one of the seven great houses of the Sassanid empire and one which claimed descent from the preceding Arsacids.
284 - 361 :
Meribanes / Mirian III : Son of the 'Great King of Persia'.
317 :
Meribanes adopted Christianity as the state religion for Iberia.
345 - 361 :
Rev II : Son. Co-ruler.
361 - 363 :
Sauromaces II : Diarch 370-378.
363 - 365 :
Aspacures II (Varaz-Bakar I) : Son of Meribanes III.
365 - 380 :
Mithridates / Mihrdat III : Son. Diarch 370-378.
c.372 :
The Huns burst into Scythia and surrounding territories and defeat the Alani, who later re-emerge as the Ossetians, based immediately to the north of Georgia.
380 - 394 :
Aspacures III (Varaz-Bakar II) : Son.
394 - 406 :
Tiridates / Trdat : Son of Rev II.
406 - 409 :
Pharasmanes IV / Parsman : Son of Aspacures III.
409 - 411 :
Mithridates / Mihrdat IV : Son of Aspacures III.
411 - 435 :
Archil : Son.
435 - 447 :
Mithridates / Mihrdat V : Son.
447 - 522 :
Vakhtang I Gorgasil (Gurgenes) : Son.
c.450 :
The Georgian city of Tbilisi is founded at the site of a century-old village by Vakhtang.
c.467 :
Oguric-speaking tribes have recently been pushed out of the Kazakh steppe by the Sabirs due to population pressures from farther east and a domino effect of tribal movement in a westwards direction. Now they make their presence felt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe. The Saragurs attack the Akatirs and other tribes that had been part of the Hunnic union. Then, perhaps prompted by the Eastern Roman empire, the Ogurics raid Sassanid-held Transcaucasia, ravaging the Georgian kingdoms of Egrisi and Iberia and also Armenia while on their way southwards.
Soon after the middle of the fifth century AD the Hunnic empire crashed into extinction, starting with the death of Attila in 453. His son and successor, Ellac, was killed in battle in 454, and the Huns were defeated by the Ostrogoths in 456, ending Hunnic unity 481 :
A Second Sassanid-Hephthalite War is launched by Shah Peroz, with Vakhtang I Gorgasil in support. Initially successful by chasing the Hephthalites out of Bactra, the war ends in the capture (again) of Peroz, with him agreeing to the payment of thirty mule packs of silver drachms as a ransom, parts of which he pays through imposing a poll tax. To meet the rest of the demanded sum he leaves his son Kavad as a hostage with the Hephthalites, along with a daughter and the Sassanid chief priest.
522 - 534 :
Dachi : Son.
534 - 547 :
Bacurius / Bakur II : Son.
547 - 561 :
Pharasmanes / Parsman V : Son.
561 - ? :
Pharasmanes / Parsman VI : Nephew.
? - 580 :
Bacurius / Bakur III : Son.
Presiding Princes of Iberia :
The Byzantine emperors appointed curopalates to govern Georgia on their behalf.
588 - c.590 :
Guaram I the Guaramid : In the name of the Emperor.
c.590 - 627 :
Stephen I the Guaramid
627 - 637 :
Adarnase I the Chosroid : In the name of the Emperor.
637 :
Stephen II the Chosroid : In the name of the Emperor.
642 :
Adarnase I the Chosroid : In the name of the Emperor.
642 - 645 :
Stephen II the Chosroid : In the name of the Emperor.
645 :
The Islamic empire conquers Iberia, but Islamic Arab control is distant and only effective in central areas.
In AD 632, Qaghan Koubrat came to power as the head of an Onogur-Bulgar confederation on the Pontic-Caspian steppe, and three years later he was able to throw off Avar domination and found Great Bulgaria 645 - c.650? :
Stephen II the Chosroid : In the name of the Caliph.
c.650 :
Adarnase II the Chosroid : In the name of the Caliph.
c.662 - 684/5 :
Adarnase II the Chosroid : Patrician for the Emperor.
684/5 - 689 :
Guaram II the Guaramid : In the name of the Caliph.
689 - before 693 :
Guaram II the Guaramid : Curopalate for the Emperor.
before 693 :
Guaram III the Guaramid : Curopalate for the Emperor.
693 - c.748 :
Guaram III the Guaramid : In the name of the Caliph.
c.748 - 760 :
Adarnase III Nersiani : Curopalate for the Emperor.
c.760 - 772 :
Nerse Nersiani : In the name of the Emperor.
775 - 779/80 :
Nerse Nersiani : In the name of the Caliph.
813 - 830 :
Ashot I Bagrationi (Bagratuni) : Curopalate for the Emperor & the Caliph.
813 :
Ashot Bagrationi is the first of a dynasty that very quickly goes on to rule all of Georgia and its later splinter kingdoms.
842/3 - 876 :
Bagrat I Bagrationi : Son. Curopalate for the Emperor & the Caliph.
857 :
Boga, a general of the caliph of Baghdad, invades Transcaucasia and the northern Caucasus, devastating Georgia, Abasgia, the Alan country, and the Khazar lands. The Alani soon recover however, and restore their state.
876 - 881 :
David I Bagrationi : Son. Curopalate for the Emperor & the Caliph.
881 - 891 :
Gurgen I Bagrationi : Curopalate for the Emperor.
Kings & Curopalates of Iberia (Bagratid Dynasty) :
891 - 923 :
Adarnase IV : Son of David I. King 888-923, Curopalate 891-923.
912 - 975 :
Iberia is controlled by the kingdom of Abasgia. David II : Son. Titular king 923-937.
923 - 954 :
Ashot II : Brother. Curopalate.
954 - 958 :
Sumbat I : Brother. Curopalate. Titular king 937-958.
Bagrat II the Simple : Son. Titular king 958-994.
958 - 961 :
Adarnase V : Son. Curopalate.
975 :
Abasgian control is ended.
975 - 994 :
Bagrat II the Simple
975 :
Gurgen I : Son. Co-ruler.
990 - 1000 :
David II the Great : Son. Curopalate.
994 - 1008 :
Gurgen I : King of kings.
1000 :
Bagrat III : Son. Curopalate.
1008 :
Bagrat III : King of kings.
1008 :
Bagrat unifies the Georgian states to form a single, united Kingdom of Georgia.
Kingdom
of Egrisi (Kolkis / Lazica) :
The advanced economy and favourable geographic and natural conditions of western Georgia attracted the Milesian Greeks who colonised the Black Sea coast in the sixth to fifth centuries BC. It was considered 'the farthest voyage' according to an ancient Greek proverbial expression, the easternmost location in the known world where the sun rose. It was situated just outside the lands conquered by the Macedonian Alexander the Great. After the fall of the Persian empire, a significant part of Kolkis (known locally as Egrisi) was annexed to the recently created kingdom of Iberia. However, soon Kolkis seceded and broke up into several small principalities which retained a degree of independence until conquered by Pontus and then subsumed within the Roman empire.
The lowlands and coastal area was frequently raided by the fierce mountainous tribes, with the Soanes and Heniochi being the most powerful of them. Paying a nominal homage to Rome, they created their own kingdoms and enjoyed significant independence. Christianity began to spread in the early first century. By the 130s, the petty kingdoms of Machelons, Heniochi, Lazica, Apsilia, Abasgia, and Sanigia had occupied the district north to south. By the third to fourth centuries, most of the local kingdoms and principalities had been subjugated by the Lazic kings, and thereafter the country was generally referred to as Lazica (Egrisi).
Egrisi often saw battles between rivals Persia and the Eastern Roman empire, both of which managed to conquer western Georgia from time to time. As a result, that kingdom disintegrated into various feudal regions. Much of western Georgia was then conquered by Arabs in the seventh century. The regions were liberated and united into the Georgian kingdom at the beginning of the eleventh century.
(Additional information from The Encyclopaedia of Pontian Hellenism (various editors, 1988), from The Odes of Pindar, Dawson William Turner & Abraham Moore, from The Name of the Black Sea (The Classical Quarterly Vol 41, No 3/4, Jul-Oct 1947), from The Name of the Euxinus Pontus, A C Moorhouse (The Classical Quarterly, Vol 34, No 3/4, Jul-Oct 1940), from The Foreign Wars, Appian, from Lives: Demetrius, Plutarch, from Who's Who in the Greek World, John Hazel (2003), from The Augustan Empire, 43 BC-AD 69, A K Bowman, E Champlin, & A Lintott (1996), from An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples, Peter B Golden (1992), and from External Link: Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online Edition).)
c.302 BC :
Significant parts of Kolkis are annexed by Iberia.
c.101 BC :
Mithradates VI of Pontus conquers much of the area. The idea behind this is to turn Pontus into the dominant power on the Black Sea coast. Following this Mithradates clashes with Palacus, a Scythian ruler, on the steppelands of the northern Black Sea coast. Following an attempted invasion of Crimea, Palacus is forced to accept Mithradates as his overlord, becoming the last Scythian king to be named by classical sources.
c.101 - 83 BC :
Mithradates VI Eupator (the Great) : King of Pontus.
83 BC :
Mithradates of Pontus quells an uprising in the region and hands it over to his son, Mithradates Chrestus, to govern in his name. The younger Mithradates is soon executed for plotting against his father.
83 - ? BC :
Mithradates Chrestus : Son of Mithradates VI of Pontus. Executed.
? - 74 BC :
Mithradates VI Eupator (the Great) : King of Pontus.
74 BC :
Nicomedes IV of Bithynia dies in 74 BC, having bequeathed his kingdom to Rome. This will give Rome a permanent foothold in the region so, at the same time as Sertorius launches his own revolt in Hispania, Mithradates attacks the Roman forces that are moving on Bithynia, and the Third Mithridatic War is under way. Amastris is captured by Lucius Lucullus in 70 BC, and Mithradates is defeated by Pompey in 66 BC.
74 - 65 BC :
Machares / Macharis : Son of Mithradates VI of Pontus. Also in Bosporan. Killed.
66 - 65 BC :
Mithradates VI is defeated by Pompey in 66 BC and is forced to withdraw to Kolkis. From there he makes his way to his sub-kingdom of Cimmerian Bosporus, located in eastern Crimea and along the opposing coastline. His son, the viceroy Machares, declines to aid him so Machares is killed and Mithradates seizes full control. However, his ambition to reclaim Pontus and remove Rome from Anatolia is thwarted by another of his sons, Pharnaces, who rebels against him. With his enemies closing in, Mithradates chooses honourable suicide.
63 - 49 BC :
Pontus becomes a Roman province through Pompey, although some areas become principalities and free cities which are not absorbed into the empire until between 7 BC and AD 63. Upon Pompey's fall in 49 BC, Pharnaces, newly resurgent king of a reduced Pontus and Cimmerian Bosporus, takes advantage of Julius Caesar being occupied in Egypt, and reduces Kolkis, Armenia, and part of Cappadocia, defeating Domitius Calvinus at Nicopolis, whom Caesar subsequently sends against him. Kolkis becomes part of the kingdom, along with Lesser Armenia.
63 - 47 BC :
Pharnaces / Pharnakes II : Son. King of Pontus.
47 - 44 BC :
Julius Caesar has already realised the usefulness of Mithradates of Pergamon, son of Mithradates VI of Pontus by his Galatian wife (a cousin of Deiotarus Philoromaeus, tetrach of the Tolistoboges). Following victory at Zela, Caesar commands him to attack and assume control of the Bosporan kingdom. This he does, no doubt with the support of Roman troops.
39 - 37 BC :
Darius : Son. Vassal king of Cilicia & Pontus to Mark Antony. Died.
39 - 37 BC :
Having made Darius a vassal king of Cilicia, Mark Antony moves him to Pontus in 39 BC and hands Cilicia to one Polemon I Pythodoros in thanks for services rendered to Rome by his father, Zenon. When Arsaces of Pontus dies in 37 BC, Pontus is added to Polemon's domains.
37 BC :
Arsaces : Brother. Vassal king to Mark Antony. Died.
39 - 8 BC :
Polemon I Pythodoros : Roman vassal king of Bosporan (17 BC), Cilicia, Kolkis, Pontus.
31 - 30 BC :
With Octavian's defeat of Mark Antony at Actium and no other opponents to his hold on power, Egypt and Libya become provinces of Rome upon the death of Cleopatra in the following year. Octavian also recognises the authority of the turncoat Polemon I, confirming his governance of Cilicia, Kolkis, and Pontus.
13 or 12 BC :
Polemon's marriage to Dynamis of the Bosporan kingdom is relatively brief. In either 13 or 12 BC he replaces her with Pythodoria of Pontus by whom he has two sons and a daughter. During this period he is also able to expand the borders of the Bosporan kingdom to the River Tanais (otherwise known as the Jaxartes/Iaxartes or Syr Darya, which traditionally forms the boundary between Sogdiana and Scythia). Upon the death of Polemon in 8 BC, Dynamis resumes command of her kingdom while his second wife retains Pontus and its holdings (which includes Kolkis).
8 BC - AD 23 :
Pythodoria of Pontus : Wife. Queen of Cilicia, Kolkis, & Pontus.
23 - 63 :
Marcus Antonius Polemon (II) Pythodoros : Son. Roman client king of Kolkis & Pontus.
63 - 4th century :
Polemon II is persuaded to abdicate his throne by the Roman Emperor Nero, and Pontus becomes part of the Roman province of Galatia. As a satellite state of Pontus, the Georgian kingdom of Kolkis is also drawn into the Galatian province. It remains part of a Roman province until the fourth century AD.
372 :
The Huns burst into Scythia to the north of the Caucuses and defeat the Alani, splintering their tribes. Probably with little choice in the matter, the Alani ally themselves with the Huns, following them as they head west. Some Alan tribes manage to remain, migrating into the valleys of the northern Caucuses where they maintain their identity.
4th century :
Kolkis has re-emerged as Egrisi and now begins to assert its independence.
c.467 :
Oguric-speaking tribes have recently been pushed out of the Kazakh steppe by the Sabirs due to population pressures from farther east and a domino effect of tribal movement in a westwards direction. Now they make their presence felt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe. The Saragurs attack the Akatirs and other tribes that had been part of the Hunnic union. Then, perhaps prompted by the Eastern Roman empire, the Ogurics raid Sassanid-held Transcaucasia, ravaging the Georgian kingdoms of Egrisi and Iberia and also Armenia while on their way southwards.
Soon after the middle of the fifth century AD the Hunnic empire crashed into extinction, starting with the death of Attila in 453. His son and successor, Ellac, was killed in battle in 454, and the Huns were defeated by the Ostrogoths in 456, ending Hunnic unity fl c.523 :
Gubazes I : Accepted Christianity.
523 :
Egrisi adopts Christianity.
542 - 562 :
The Lazic War is fought between the Byzantine empire and the Sassanid Persians for control over Egrisi. The truce of 557 ends actual hostilities.
541 - 555 :
Gubazes II : Sided with Byzantines but was murdered by them.
555 - 561 :
Tzathes : Brother. Helped Byzantines finally expel Persians.
562 :
Peace terms are concluded, but Byzantium removes the freedom that the kingdom had previously enjoyed, as well as removing its king.
c.651 :
Kingdom of Abasgia / Abkhazia (Anchabad Dynasty) :
With the fall of the Sassanid Persians, much of the region is conquered by the Arab empire. The remnants eventually reform to create the kingdom of Abasgia.
AD 767 - 1008 :
The name Abasgia initially referred to a distinct tribal grouping based north of the Kodori River which was made up of the Abkhaz-Adyghe tribes. By the time of the kingdom's first independent ruler, the name had come to encompass all the western Georgian lands, including the former kingdom of Egrisi.
(Additional information from External Link: Encyclopaedia Iranica.)
c.710 :
Prior to his accession as Leo III of Byzantium, Leo the Isaurian is sent on a diplomatic mission to bribe the Alani into severing links with the pro-Islamic kingdom of Abasgia. The mission proves successful.
767/8 - 811/2 :
Leo II : Rose in rebellion against Byzantine rule.
811/2 - 837/8 :
Theodosius II : Son.
837/8 - 872/3 :
Demetrius II : Brother.
857 :
Boga, a general of the caliph of Baghdad, invades Transcaucasia and the northern Caucasus, devastating Georgia, Abasgia, the Alan country, and the Khazar lands. The Alani soon recover however, and restore their state.
872/3 - 878/9 :
Giorgi I Aghtsepeli : Brother.
878/9 - c.880 :
John Shavliani : Non-dynastic.
c.880 - 887/8 :
Adarnase Shavliani : Son.
887/8 - 898/9 :
Bagrat I : Son of Demetrius II.
898/9 - 916/7 :
Constantine III : Son.
912 - 975 :
Abasgia controls the kingdom of Iberia.
1008 :
A single, unified Georgian kingdom is formed.
Kingdom
of Georgia (Bagratid Dynasty) :
The rebellious western regions were liberated and united into the Georgian Kingdom at the beginning of the eleventh century. Starting in the twelfth century the rule of Georgia extended over the significant part of the Southern Caucasus, including north-eastern areas and almost the entire northern coast of what is now Turkey.
(Additional information from External Link: Georgia - The Bagratid Dynasty.)
1008 - 1014 :
Bagrat III : King of a united Georgia.
1014 - 1027 :
Giorgi I : Son.
1027 - 1072 :
Bagrat IV : Son. Brother-in-law of Durgulel the Great of Alania.
1068 :
The Seljuk Turks invade the region, destroying towns and farmland.
1080 :
The 'Great Turkish Conquests' of Georgia begin.
1072 - 1089 :
Giorgi II : Son.
1089 - 1125 :
David III (II) the Builder : Son.
1089 - 1125 :
David throws off allegiance to Byzantium, extinguishes the semi-independence of Kakheti, and unifies Georgia from the Black Sea to Daghestan. Between 1110-1124 he expels the Seljuk Turks, and re-conquers Tiflis after four hundred years of Islamic control, making it his new capital. It is also possible that there is some intermarriage between the Bagratids and the Alani prior to the union between Thamar and David Soslan around 1193, as an Aton Bagratuni appears as a ruler of the Alani around 1125.
1089 - 1112 :
Giorgi II : Co-ruler.
1125 :
Demetre I : Son of David III and the dau of Huddan of Alania . Co-ruler.
1125 - 1155 :
Demetre I
1155 :
David IV (III) : Son. Ruled for six months.
1155 - 1156 :
Demetre I : Returned to throne.
1156 - 1184 :
Giorgi III : Brother of David IV.
1179 :
Thamar / Tamar : Daughter. Co-ruler. Sole rule in 1184.
1184 - 1213 :
Thamar the Great : Former co-ruler. m David Soslan of Alania.
c.1193 - 1207 :
David Soslan : Cousin and consort. Co-ruler. King of Alania.
1205 :
Giorgi IV : Son of David and Thamar. Co-ruler. Sole rule in 1213.
1213 - 1223 :
Giorgi IV Lasha (the Resplendant) : Killed by Mongols.
1223 :
Georgia is subordinated by the Mongols when its king is killed in battle against them. From this point different local Georgian rulers fight for independence from central Georgian rule until the kingdom collapses. However, the descendants of Thamar and David survive and continue to supply Georgia with kings until the nineteenth century.
David Soslan, king of Alania, and his wife, Queen Tamar of Georgia who provided the latter state with kings until the nineteenth century 1223 - 1231 :
Georgia is conquered by a briefly resurgent Mongol-controlled emirate of Khwarazm., which is now based largely on territory in northern Mesopotamia, western Persia, and the Caucuses to the south of Georgia.
1223 - 1245 :
Rusudan : Sister of Giorgi IV.
1230 :
David V Narin is crowned at Kutaisi, as joint sovereign by his mother, Rusudan.
1231 :
The Mongols renew their control of the region with a new invasion which also sweeps away the last remnants of Khwarazm.
1234 :
David (V) : Co-ruler.
1242 :
Rusudan is forced to accept the sovereignty of the great khan of the Mongols and pay an annual tribute of 50,000 gold pieces. The following year her son David Narin is sent to the great khan. He is believed by the Georgian nobles to have disappeared two years later, so they proclaim David VI, son of Giorgi IV Lasha, as king of Georgia.
1245 - 1250 :
Interregnum when the newly crowned David VI Ulu is imprisoned by the Mongols at Karakorum for five years.
1249 :
David Narin is recognised as junior joint sovereign by the Mongol great khan. He is thereafter known as Davit Narin. The move is a deliberate one by the Great Khan, designed to weaken Georgia by stirring up internal feuding.
1250 - 1269 :
David VI (V) Ulu (the Big) : Son of Giorgi IV.
1250 - 1258 :
David V (IV) Narin (the Clever) : Son of Rusudan.
1258 :
David Narin establishes himself at Kutais, from where he holds a separate court as king of Imeratia. The division of the kingdoms is formalised in 1260 and the treasure of the Bagratides, hitherto hidden in the Khomli caves of Mingrelia, is divided equally between the two cousin kings.
1269 - 1273 :
Interregnum.
1273 - 1289 :
Demetre II the Devoted : Son.
1289 - 1292 :
Vakhtang II of Imeretia : Son of David V.
1291 :
David (VII) : Co-ruler.
1292 - 1301 :
David VII (VI) : Son of Demetre II. Anti-king until 1311.
1299 :
Giorgi VI : Co-ruler.
Vakhtang III : Brother of David VII.
David (VII) : Co-ruler.
1301 - 1307 : Giorgi VI : Co-ruler.
Giorgi V the Minor / the Little : Son of David VII.
David (VII) : Co-ruler. Died 1310.
1307 - 1314 : Giorgi VI : Regent.
1314 - 1346 :
Giorgi VI the Illustrious : Son of Demetre II
1330 - 1387 :
Imeretia is recovered by Giorgi VI.
1346 - 1360 :
David VIII (VII) : Son.
1355 :
Bagrat V : Co-ruler.
1360 - 1395 :
Bagrat V the Great : Son of David VIII.
1369 :
Giorgi VII : Co-ruler.
1387 :
Imeretia is lost.
1395 - 1405 :
Giorgi VII : Son.
1401 :
Imeretia is recovered when its king is killed at the Battle of Chalaghan.
1405 - 1412 :
Konstantine I : Brother.
c.1408 :
Alexandre I : Son. Co-ruler.
c.1408 :
Bagrat : Brother. Co-ruler.
c.1408 :
Giorgi : Brother. Co-ruler.
Alexandre I the Great : Son of Konstantine I. Died 1446.
Vaxtang IV : Son. Co-ruler in Kakhetia.
Demetre III : Brother. Co-ruler in Kakhetia.
Giorgi VIII : Brother. Co-ruler in Kakhetia.
1412 - 1442 :
Zaal : Brother. Co-ruler. Died c.1438.
Vaxtang IV Demetre III : Co-ruler.
1442 - 1446 : Giorgi VIII : Co-ruler.
1446 - 1453 :
Demetre III : de jure.
1446 - 1465 :
Giorgi VIII : de facto. Seceded in Kakhetia upon the kingdom's collapse.
c.1460 :
Alexandre : Son. Succeeded to the throne of Kakhetia.
1466 - 1490 :
The kingdom of Georgia disintegrates under the internal pressure of factions fighting for independence. Neighbouring kingdoms exploit the situation, and by the sixteenth century, the Safavid Persians annexe eastern Georgia and the Ottoman empire takes the west. The regions remain partly autonomous and retain their own leaders who organise rebellions on occasion. Subsequent Persian and Turkish invasions further weaken local kingdoms and regions.
The Mongol empire created by Chingiz Khan gradually broke up over the course of three hundred years until, by around AD 1500, it had fragmented into several more-or-less stable khanates that each vied with the others for power and influence, while having to fend off the growing power of the Ottoman empire to the south and Moscow Sate (Muscovy) to the north - in the end it was an unwinnable fight 1465 - 1478 :
Bagrat VI : Son of Giorgi VIII. His son seceded in Imeretia.
c.1465 :
Konstantine II : Son of Demetre III. Co-ruler.
1478 - 1493 :
Konstantine II : Son of Giorgi VIII.
1490 - 1493 :
Official partition of Georgia into several minor kingdoms. Konstantine recognises the independence of Kakhetia in 1490, and Imeretia in 1493. He is left with the dominant region of Kartli.
Kingdom
of Kartli :
This regional kingdom was located in eastern Georgia, and was historically the dominant province in Georgia. It includes the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, and two other major cities, Gori and Rustavi. It was bordered by the mountain-range of the Greater Caucasus to the north, by the province of Kakheti to the east, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the south, by Ottoman Turkey and the Samtskhe-Javakheti region to the south-west, and by the province of Imeretia to the west. Before the unification of Georgia the region had also been known as Iberia.
The numbering of kings is continuous from the kingdom of Georgia.
1493 - 1505 :
Konstantine II : Son of Giorgi VIII of the Kingdom of Georgia.
1505 - 1524 :
David X : Son.
1513 :
With a claim on the throne of Kakheti, David captures its king but failed to take the crown prince. Nevertheless, he takes control of the kingdom until 1520.
1520 :
David is defeated by Kakheti at the battle of Kiziki, and is hereafter recognised solely as the king of Kartli. He goes on to defeat a large Iranian occupying force at Tiflis, conquers Aghjakala, and massacres all the Turkomans who have settled there.
1522 :
David X takes holy orders. Two years later he abdicates the throne in favour of his younger brother.
1524 - 1534 :
Giorgi IX : Brother. Abdicated and took holy orders. d.after 1540.
1534 - 1558 :
Luarsab I : Son of David X. Killed in battle.
1558 - 1569 :
Svimeon I : Son.
1569 :
Taken prisoner by the Qizilbashi at the battle of Partzkhisi in 1569. Sent to Persia where he refuses to convert to Islam despite repeated threats and blandishments. He is imprisoned at the fortress of Alamut for many years. Released from captivity in 1578, he is granted the title of Shah Nawaz Khan and sent with an army to fight against the Turks.
1569 - 1578 :
David XI : Son of Luarsab I. Deposed by Svimeon's return.
1578 - 1600 :
Svimeon I : Finally captured by Turks. d.1612.
1600 - 1605 :
Giorgi X : Son. Died from eating a cake with a bee in it.
1606 - 1615 :
Luarsab II : Son. Deposed by Shah Abbas I of Iran.
1615 :
The Ottoman-Safavid War (1603-1618) is the result of Shah Abbas rebuilding Iran and ending the chaos of his father's reign. Abbas reverses the losses suffered during the previous war and increases Iran's territories even beyond their traditional borders at Dagestan in the north, with the Ottomans being roundly defeated and out-manoeuvred by the shah. After recapturing the Caucuses, in 1615 Abbas deposes Luarsab of Kartli for attempting to make the most of the chaos of war to try and unify Georgia.
The reign of Shah Abbas was one that involved a restoration of Iranian regional greatness, although he did have to wait eleven years to be able to retake the city of Mashhad where he is pictured in this illustration 1615 - 1619 :
Bagrat VII : Son of David XI.
1619 - 1630 :
Svimeon II : Son. Deposed by Taimurazi of Kakhetia.
1616 - 1634 :
Kartli rules Kakhetia.
1634 - 1658 :
Rustam : Son. Sent by the shah of Iran to regain his kingdom.
1648 - 1656 :
Kartli invades Kakhetia and re-captures the kingdom.
1658 - 1676 :
Vakhtang V (VI) : Cousin adopted by Rustam in 1653.
1661 :
Vakhtang deposes Bagrat V of Imeretia and places his own son, Archili, on the throne.
1676 - 1688 :
Giorgi XI : Son. Deposed for leading a revolt against Persia.
1688 - 1691 :
Kartli is united with Kakhetia under the rule of the latter kingdom, under the shah of Persia's direction.
1692 - 1695 :
Giorgi XI : Restored after submitting to Persia. Deposed again.
1695 - 1703 :
Kartli is united with Kakhetia under the rule of the latter kingdom, under the shah of Persia's direction.
1703 - 1709 :
Giorgi XI : Restored for a second time. Killed in battle.
1709 :
In his role as governor of the Kandahar province of Afghanistan, which he has held since 1704, King Giorgi XI is committed to leading a Persian force against rebel Ghilzai Afghan tribes under Mirwais Khan Hotak. The latter is creating a kingdom of his own, and he manages to defeat and kill Giorgi.
1709 :
Levanti : Son of Vakhtang V. Ruled 23.04 to 13.05 or 13.07. Died.
1709 - 1711 :
Kaikhusru : Son. Never crowned. Reigned in absentia whilst serving Shah.
1711 - 1714 :
Interregnum.
1714 - 1716 :
Jesse : Son of Levanti. Deposed by the Shah.
1716 - 1723 :
Vakhtang VI (VII) : Brother. Deposed in favour of Jesse. Exiled in Moscow.
1723 - 1727 :
Jesse : Restored by the Shah.
1727 - 1744 :
The throne passes to the kings of Kakhetia upon Jesse's death.
1744 - 1762 :
Taimurazi II : King of Kakhetia (his son ruled there from 1744).
1747 :
Nadir Shah is assassinated. Iran appears to lose direct control of Bahrain from this point, with Nasr Al-Madhkur, governor of Bushire (Bushehr) and Bahrain exercising semi-independent control of the island. The territories in the Caucuses break away as independent khanates, whilst the Georgian kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti also reclaim their independence under the energetic Erekle II.
1762 :
Upon the death of Taimurazi, his son unites the kingdoms of Kartli and Kakhetia to form Kartl-Kakheit.
Kingdom
of Kakhetia :
This petty kingdom was located in eastern Georgia, and was ruled by the Bagrationi dynasty. It is now bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and mountain-range of Greater Caucasus to the north, Azerbaijan to the east and the south, and the Georgian province of Kartli to the west. Kakhetia is geographically divided into the Inner Kakhetia to the east of Tsiv-Gombori mountain-range and the Outer Kakhetia to the west of it. The major river in the eastern section is Alazani, and in the western, Iori.
Kakhetia was an independent feudal principality from the end of the eighth century. It was incorporated into the united Georgian Kingdom at the beginning of the eleventh century, but for less than a decade. Only at the beginning of the twelfth century did Georgian king David the Builder annexe Kakhetia to his kingdom successfully. After the disintegration of the Georgian kingdom, Kakhetia became an independent kingdom in the 1460s.
1465 - 1476 :
Giorgi I : Formerly Giorgi VIII of the Kingdom of Georgia.
1476 - 1511 :
Alexandre I : Son.
1478 - 1483 :
Kakhetia is united with Imeretia under Alexandre I.
1490 :
Konstantine king of Georgia recognises the independence of Kakhetia.
1511 - 1513 :
Giorgi II Av-Giorgi (Bad George) : Son. Deposed by David VIII of Kartli.
1513 - 1520 :
Kartli is united with Kakhetia under David VIII's rule.
1520 - 1574 :
Levanti I : Son. Killed by his son.
1574 - 1603 :
Alexandre II : Son. Seized the throne through regicide.
1603 - 1604 :
David I : Son.
1604 - 1605 :
Giorgi III : Brother.
1605 :
Konstantine I : Brother.
1605 - 1616 :
Taimurazi I : Son of David I.
1615 :
The Ottoman-Safavid War (1603-1618) is the result of Shah Abbas rebuilding Iran and ending the chaos of his father's reign. Abbas reverses the losses suffered during the previous war and increases Iran's territories even beyond their traditional borders at Dagestan in the north, with the Ottomans being roundly defeated and out-manoeuvred by the shah. After recapturing the Caucuses, in 1615 Abbas deposes Luarsab of Kartli for attempting to make the most of the chaos of war to try and unify Georgia.
1616 - 1630 :
Kartli rules Kakheti, with waning influence towards the end, as Taimurazi restores his powerbase.
1626 - 1632 :
Taimurazi I
1632 - 1634 :
Taimurazi loses the kingdom to Rustam of Kartli, who throws off Taimurazi with a force sent by the shah of Persia.
1634 - 1648 :
Taimurazi I
1648 - 1656 :
Taimurazi is put to flight when Kartli invades captures and rules the kingdom.
1656 - 1664 :
Interregnum under Persian governors.
1664 - 1675 :
Archili
1675 - 1703 :
Erekle / Irakle I
1688 - 1691 :
Kartli is united with Kakhetia under Erekle's rule, under the shah of Persia's direction.
1695 - 1703 :
Kartli is again united with Kakhetia under Erekle's rule, under the shah of Persia's direction.
1703 - 1721 :
David II : Son.
1721 - 1732 :
Konstantine II : Illegitimate brother.
1732 - 1744 :
Taimurazi II : Brother.
1738 - 1739 :
The powerful Afsharid ruler, Nadir Shah, marches his army through Afghanistan in 1738, destroying the ruling Hotaki dynasty at Kandahar and capturing that city along with Ghazni, Kandahar, Kabul, and Lahore. Alongside him is his vassal, the future King Erekle II of Kakhetia, and a contingent of Georgian troops. The following year Nadir loots Delhi, heart of the Moghul empire, humiliating the emperor, looting his treasures and causing the empire to fragment into a loose association of states.
1744 :
Taimurazi accedes to the throne of Kartli through his marriage, and gives the throne of Kakheti to his only son. Father and son make a firm alliance to fight Persian occupants and defend the borders from permanent raids by North Caucasians.
1744 - 1762 :
Erekle / Irakle II : Son. Born 1720.
1747 :
Nadir Shah is assassinated. Iran appears to lose direct control of Bahrain from this point, with Nasr Al-Madhkur, governor of Bushire (Bushehr) and Bahrain exercising semi-independent control of the island. The territories in the Caucuses break away as independent khanates, whilst the Georgian kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti also reclaim their independence under the energetic Erekle II.
1762 :
Upon the death of his father, Erekle unites the kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti to form Kartli-Kakheti.
Kingdom
of Kartli-Kakheti (Georgia) :
This regional kingdom was located in eastern Georgia, and was created by the unification of two minor Georgian states which had existed since the disintegration of the Georgian kingdom, with its capital in Tbilisi.
Historically, Kartli was the dominant province in Georgia, but at that time, it was weakened by Persian military invasions more than its neighbouring kingdom in the east. Therefore, kings of Kakheti were the rulers of the new kingdom and Telavi, the capital of Kakheti, was the capital of the new state. The unification did not deter the Persians from their aggression towards Georgia and by the end of the eighteenth century the frequently-attacked kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti was almost totally devastated. In 1801 it was annexed by the Russian empire, former ally and patron.
The kingdom was seen as a reunification of the heartland of Georgia so the numbering of kings was continuous from the kingdom of Georgia.
1762 - 1798 :
Erekle / Irakle II
1774 :
The Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 is part of Catherine the Great's move to secure the conquest of territory on Russia's southern borders. Following the repression of revolts in Poland-Lithuania, Russia becomes involved in chasing rebels across the southern border into Ottoman territory. The Ottomans imprison captured Russian forces, effectively declaring war. Despite being slow to mobilise, in 1774 Russia wins Kabardia (in the North Caucuses), part of the Yedisan between the Bug and Dnieper (now covering south-western Ukraine and south-eastern Moldova (southern Transnistria), and the Crimea. Following an invitation by Georgia's King Erekle for Russian troops to protect Georgia from Ottoman and Persian incursions, the Georgians join the Russian empire as a client kingdom.
1783 :
Despite having guaranteed its independence in 1774, Catherine the Great now formally annexes the khanate of Crimea to the Russian empire. This removes any possibility of Ottoman influence or domination. She also agrees with the Treaty of Georgievsk to protect Georgia from any fresh Persian attacks.
1792 :
Erekle deposes the king of Imeretia but is then distracted when he is faced by an invasion by the Turks.
1795 - 1796 :
The new shah of Persia, Agha Mohammad, has put an end to the dynastic struggles at home and now mounts a campaign to re-strengthen Persian positions in Dagestan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. He also launches a devastating attack on Georgia which sees Tiblisi destroyed and from which the kingdom never recovers. However, Georgia's agreement with Russia means that Catherine the Great launches the Persian Expedition of 1796. Georgia is cleared of Persians with little trouble, but with Azerbaijan also seemingly captured, the empress' sudden death means that her son, Paul, is free to cancel the expedition (resulting in a sense of injustice amongst many officers involved).
1798 - 1801 :
Giorgi XII : Son. Russian vassal.
1801 :
On 8 January Czar Paul I signs a decree which incorporates the kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti into the empire. Giorgi is deposed as Russia formally annexes the state on 12 September. The western Georgian kingdom of Imeretia retains its independence for the time being.
Kingdom
of Imeretia :
Imeretia seceded from the Kingdom of Georgia long before its eventual break-up. David Narin was crowned at Kutaisi, as joint sovereign by his mother in 1230. Sent to the great khan of the Mongols in 1243, he was believed by the Georgian nobles to have disappeared two years later so they proclaimed David, son of Giorgi IV Lasha, as king of Georgia. David Narin was recognised as junior joint sovereign by the great khan of the Mongols in 1249 and was thereafter known as Davit Narin (the clever). He established himself at Kutais in 1258, from where he held separate court as king of Imeretia. The division of the kingdoms was formalised in 1260.
All the western regions of Georgia managed to remain independent for a decade after the east fell to Russia. The kingdom of Imeretia had a key role in the diplomatic efforts to maintain Georgian sovereignty in the west of the country and to unite western Georgian regions. Even after conquering Imeretia, it took the Russian empire another 54 years to take full control of all of western Georgia. The region of Guria was abolished in 1828, and the region of Samegrelo in 1857. The region of Svaneti was gradually annexed in 1857-1859 and the principality of Abkhazia in 1864.
1258 - 1293 :
David Narin (the Clever)
1293 - 1327 :
Konstantine I : Son.
1327 - 1329 :
Mikeli II : Brother.
1329 - 1330 :
Bagrat I Mtziré (the Small) : Son. Duke of Choropan 1330-1372.
1330 :
Bagrat I succeeds as a minor on the death of his father, but is deposed when Giorgi V of Georgia subjugates Imeretia. Bagrat is appointed duke of Choropan.
1330 - 1387 :
Imeretia is ruled by lords on behalf of the kings of Georgia.
1387 :
Alexandre son of Bagrat announces the independence of Imeretia and is crowned king.
1387 - 1389 :
Alexandre I : Son of Bagrat I. Duke of Choropan 1372-1387.
1389 - 1396 :
Giorgi I the Sacred : Brother.
1396 - 1401 :
Konstantine II : Brother. Killed at the Battle of Chalaghan.
1401 - 1445 :
On the death of its king Imeretia reverts to the kings of Georgia, who put Demetre, Duke of Imeretia in place to govern the region on their behalf.
1445 - 1455 :
Demetre : Son of Alexandre I the Great of Georgia. Killed by a horse.
1455 - 1478 :
Bagrat II : Son of Prince Giorgi. Bagrat VI of Georgia.
1478 :
Alexandre II : Son.
1478 - 1483 :
Imeretia is united with the kingdom of Kakheti. Alexandre II persists in his attempts to re-establish an independent kingdom and eventually succeeds. He is crowned at Kutais in 1483. He loses the capital to Konstantine II of Georgia in 1485, but recovers it again in 1489.
1483 - 1510 :
Alexandre II : Regained the kingdom.
1493 :
King Konstantine of Georgia officially recognises the independence of Imeretia.
1510 - 1565 :
Bagrat III : Son.
1565 - 1585 :
Giorgi II : Son.
1585 - 1586 :
Konstantine III : Brother. Deposed by his uncle.
1586 - 1589 :
Levanti I : Son of Giorgi II. Seized the throne.
1589 - 1590 :
Bagrat IV : Grandson of Alexandre II. Deposed by his cousin.
1590 - 1605 :
Rustam : Son of Konstantine III.
1605 - 1639 :
Giorgi III : Brother.
1639 - 1660 :
Alexandre III : Son.
1660 :
With Alexandre's death a period of political instability follows, with several factions vying for the throne, and the regionally dominant Ottomans often interfering.
1660 :
Bagrat V : Son. Seized, blinded and deposed.
1660 - 1661 :
Vakhtang Jujuniashvili : Usurper.
1660 :
An insignificant nobleman, Vakhtang is proclaimed king by his wife after she engineers the deposition of her stepson, Bagrat IV, in 1660 because he refuses to marry her. He is deposed by Vameq Dadiani and the great nobles with Turkish support, and exiled to Akhaltsikhe in 1661. He is restored by the Ottoman pasha of Akhaltsikhe in 1668.
1661 :
Prince Vameq III Dadiani : Duke of Mingrelia. Supporter of Bagrat V.
1661 :
Bagrat V : Restored.
1661 :
King Vakhtang V (VI) of Kartli deposes Bagrat V and places his own son on the throne.
1661 - 1663 :
Archili : Son of Vakhtang V (VI) of Kartli.
1663 - 1664 :
Demetre Gurieli : Duke of Mingrelia.
1664 :
Bagrat is restored through Ottoman intervention.
1664 - 1668 :
Bagrat V : Restored for the second time.
1668 :
Bagrat is deposed by the Ottoman pasha of Akhaltsikhe in favour of Vakhtang.
1668 :
Vakhtang Jujuniashvili : Killed.
1668 - 1678 :
Bagrat V : Restored for the third time.
1678 :
Bagrat is deposed by the Ottoman pasha of Akhaltsikhe in favour of Archili.
1678 - 1679 :
Archili : Restored.
1679 :
Bagrat is restored on the orders of the Ottoman sultan.
1679 - 1681 :
Bagrat V : Restored for the fourth time.
1681 :
Alexandre IV : Son of Bagrat V.
1681 - 1683 :
Giorgi III Gurieli : Usurps the throne on the accession of Alexandre.
1683 :
Alexandre is proclaimed king on the deposition of Giorgi III.
1683 - 1689 :
Alexandre IV : Restored. Deposed by Archili.
1689 - 1691 :
Archili : Restored for the second time.
1689 - 1691 :
Archili's self-imposed restoration of his rule oversees a period of general instability and misrule. The Ottomans restore Alexandre as a result.
1691 - 1695 :
Alexandre IV : Restored for the second time.
1695 :
Alexandre is arrested by rebellious nobles led by the duke of Radsha, and delivered to the king of Kartli.
1695 - 1696 :
Archili : Restored for the third time. Deposed by nobles.
1696 - 1698 :
Giorgi IV Gotcha : Son of Bagrati Gotchashvili, of a cadet Bagration branch.
1698 :
Giorgi is expelled by the duke of Radsha.
1698 :
Archili : Restored for the fourth time.
1698 :
Archili seizes the vacant throne but is unable to hold onto it when an Ottoman army enters the region. He flees to Dwaleth. Settling in Moscow, he is responsible for setting up the first printing press in the Georgian language.
1698 - 1701 :
Svimeon I : Son of Alexandre IV.
1701 :
Svimeon is shot dead outside his own bedroom at night by Mamia Gurieli, who then seizes the throne.
1701 - 1702 :
Mamia III Gurieli : Usurper.
1702 - 1707 :
Giorgi V Abashidze
1707 - 1711 :
Giorgi VI : Son of Alexandre IV. Expelled by Mamia III.
1711 - 1712 :
Mamia III Gurieli : Restored. Defeated and expelled by Giorgi VI.
1712 - 1713 :
Giorgi VI : Restored. Deposed.
1713 - 1714 :
Mamia III Gurieli : Restored for the second time.
1714 - 1720 :
Giorgi VI : Restored for the second time.
1720 :
Giorgi IV Gurieli
1717 - 1720 :
Alexandre V, the rightful heir to the throne, goes into exile in 1717, at Constantinople, in order to seek aid from the Ottoman Sultan in expelling the Gurielis. He returns to Imeratia with a Turkish army in August 1719. He is proclaimed king on the deposition of Giorgi IV in June 1720. Crowned at Kutais in 1721.
1720 - 1741 :
Alexandre V : Son of Giorgi VI. Deposed by Turks in favour of his brother.
1741 :
Giorgi VII : Brother.
1741 - 1752 :
Alexandre V : Son. Restored after protests.
1752 :
Giorgi VII : Restored. d. after 1772.
1752 - 1766 :
Solomoni I the Great : Son of Alexandre V. Deposed by the Ottomans.
1766 - 1768 :
Taimurazi : Son of Prince Mumaka.
1768 - 1782 :
Solomoni I the Great : Restored.
1782 - 1792 :
David II : Son of Giorgi VIII.
1792 :
David is forced to relinquish the throne when attacked by Erekle II of Georgia. Erekle recommends the raising of Solomoni II to the throne, his maternal grandson, as a compromise candidate, in order to end the divisions that have hitherto plagued the kingdom.
1792 - 1810 :
Solomoni II : Deposed.
1801 :
On 8 January Czar Paul I signs a decree which incorporates the eastern kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti into the empire. Giorgi is deposed as Russia formally annexes the state on 12 September. The western Georgian kingdom of Imeretia retains its independence for the time being.
1804 :
Solomoni is attempting to enlist Ottoman and Persian support for Imeretia in preparation for the anticipated Russian encroachment on his borders. The Russian commander in the region is Prince Pavel Tsitsianov. He marches his army into Imereti and forces Solomoni to accept vassalage under the terms of the convention of Elaznauri, on 25 April 1804. This effectively triggers a Russo-Persian War (1804-1813).
1810 :
Following strained relations between Solomoni and the Russian viceroys of the Caucuses, Russia removes him from the throne and abolishes the western Georgian kingdom in violation of their own protectorate treaty, on 20 February. Later the same year the deposed king flees to Ottoman Akhaltsikhe when he learns of a Russian plot to kidnap him.
Modern
Georgia :
From 1810 until 1991, all of Georgia was occupied as a satellite state of the Soviet Russian empire. Independence in 1991 saw internal conflict resurrected, very much in the traditional format, as the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia refused to be part of a modern Georgian state. Supported by Russia, they maintained themselves as autonomous but internationally-unrecognised independent states.
The line of descent of the hereditary kings is unknown. They are shown with a shaded background.
1866 :
The twenty year-old Prince Giorgi Mikhailovitch, Prince of Abkhazia, is proclaimed at Sukhumi on 29 July 1866 by the people after an uprising against the Russians. He is arrested and deported to Orenburg.
1888 :
The last descendant of the Royal House of Georgia, Prince David, dies in Moscow on 24 September. He had had one son who had already died young in 1861.
1917 - 1921 :
Following the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, in November 1917 the Caucasus is permitted the right to form an independent state. The Federative Democratic Republic is proclaimed in April 1918, but it lasts all of a month as old tensions between Georgians, Armenians, and Turkic-speaking Azeris resurface. Following the conclusion of the Russian Civil War, Soviet Russia invades Georgia, incorporating it into the USSR.
1944 :
Around 160,000 Meskhetian Turks are deported from Georgia to Uzbekistan by Stalin.
Many Georgians refuse to accept the continued Soviet occupation and band together in hiding under the banner of the 'Forest Brothers'. Other central-eastern and Eastern European countries are forming similar movements (with at least one, in Estonia, bearing the same name). These movements are extensive, waging a guerrilla war against the Soviets until the period between 1952 and 1956, when military repression becomes overwhelming.
1973 :
The last descendant of the royal house of Imeretia, Prince Constantine Imeretinski, dies in London at the age of eighty years and without issue.
1991 - 1992 :
As Communism collapses, the Georgians vote overwhelmingly for a restoration of full independence, although the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia declare their wish to be part of the new Russian Confederation of Independent States. The following year, The elected nationalist leader is overthrown by opposition militias and a former Soviet minister, Eduard Shevardnadze, is installed as the country's leader.
The same year, 1992, sees the death of Vladimir Cyrilovich, heir to the Romanov throne. His daughter, Maria Vladimirovna, proclaims herself the new head of the Russian imperial house. She assumes the senior position in the House of Romanov and proclaims her son, George Mikhailovich, to be the heir-apparent. However, her mother is Princess Leonida Bagration-Moukransky (died 2010), a daughter of a line of the Georgian royal house that has not ruled since 1505 and which had already been a junior (cadet) branch when Georgia had been conquered by Russia in 1810. Due to this, some opponents see the marriage as unequal, and Maria's claim as illegal.
2003 :
Mass demonstrations force Shevardnadze from office, clearing the way in 2004 for free elections and the start of a long climb from its position as one of the poorest former Russian Soviet states.
2008 :
Partially fooled by Russia into commencing an attack on South Ossetia to recover the breakaway territory, Georgia is humiliated as a pre-prepared Russian taskforce crushes its forces and occupies South Ossetia under the pretence of protecting Russian passport holders there. Russia soon recognises South Ossetia (and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian region) as independent states. The short conflict is later known as the Russo-Georgian War.
? - Present :
Georgi Bagragiogi : Lives in Marbella in Spain.
2013 - 2014 :
Wine is among a broad range of Moldovan agricultural exports that are banned by Russia before and after the country's signing of an EU association agreement, along with Ukraine and Georgia. But the pro-EU government defies calls from Russia for it to delay the deal's implementation.
Source :
https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/ |
