Alexander I of Georgia
Encyclopedia
Alexander I, “the Great” (1386 – between August 26, 1445 and March 7, 1446), of the Bagrationi house, was king of Georgia
from 1412 to 1442. Despite his efforts to restore the country from the ruins left by the Turco-Mongol
warlord Timur Leng’s invasions
, Georgia never recovered and faced the inevitable fragmentation that was followed by a long period of stagnation. In 1442, he abdicated the throne and retired to a monastery.
and his wife Natia, daughter of the Georgian diplomat prince Kutsna Amirejibi
. He was brought up by his grandmother (Natia’s mother) Rusa (died 1413), an educated and religious noblewoman, who greatly influenced the future king’s preoccupations and his enthusiasm for religious building.
With his ascension to the throne (1412), Alexander moved to western Georgia and mediated a peace between his vassals, the rival princes of Mingrelia and Abkhazia
. Then he, in 1414, met the rebellious prince Atabeg
Ivane Jakeli of Samtskhe on battlefield and forced him into submission. Having dealt with these powerful feudal lords, he, aided by Catholicos Patriarch Shio II
, began a program the restoration of major Georgian fortresses and churches. He imposed a temporary building tax on his subjects from 1425 to 1440, but despite the king’s efforts many towns and villages, once flourished, were left in ruin and overgrown by forest.
In 1431, he re-conquered Lorri
, a Georgian marchland occupied by the Kara Koyunlu
Turkoman tribesmen
of Persia who had frequently raided the southern Georgian marches from there and had even sacked Akhaltsikhe
in 1416. Around 1434/5, Alexander encouraged the Armenian prince Beshken II Orbelian
to attack the Kara Koyunlu clansmen in Syunik
(Siunia) and, for his victory, granted him Lorri under terms of vassalage. In 1440, Alexander refused to pay tribute to Jahan Shah
of the Kara Kouynlu. 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
.
In order to reduce the power of frequently rebellious aristocracy, he opposed them by appointing his sons – Vakhtang, Demetre, and George – as his co-rulers in Kakheti
, Imereti
and Kartli
, respectively. This, however, proved to be even dangerous to the kingdom’s integrity and the fragile unity kept by Alexander would soon disappear under his sons. For this reason, Alexander the Great is frequently claimed to have disintegrated Georgia and said not to deserve his epithet "the Great" his people bestowed on him. This appellation dates almost from his own day, however, and as the modern Georgian historian Ivane Javakhishvili
presumes, might have been related to the large-scale restoration projects launched by the king and his initial success in the struggle with the Turkmen nomads.
As worldly problems overwhelmed his kingdom, Alexander abdicated the throne in 1442 and retired to a monastery under the name of Athanasius.
, by whom he had two sons:
Alexander’s second marriage with Tamar (died 1455), daughter of prince Alexander I of Imereti
, took place around 1414. Their children were:
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
from 1412 to 1442. Despite his efforts to restore the country from the ruins left by the Turco-Mongol
Turco-Mongol
Turko-Mongol is a modern designation for various nomads who were subjects of the Mongol Empire. Being progressively Turkicized in terms of language and identity following the Mongol conquests, they derived their ethnic and cultural origins from steppes of Central Asia...
warlord Timur Leng’s invasions
Timur's invasions of Georgia
Georgia, a Christian kingdom in the Caucasus, was subjected, between 1386 and 1404, to several disastrous invasions by the Islamic armies of Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, whose vast empire stretched, at its greatest extent, from Central Asia into Anatolia.These conflicts were intimately linked with...
, Georgia never recovered and faced the inevitable fragmentation that was followed by a long period of stagnation. In 1442, he abdicated the throne and retired to a monastery.
Life
Alexander was the eldest son of Constantine I of GeorgiaConstantine I of Georgia
Constantine I was King of Georgia from 1407 to 1411 .He was the elder son of King Bagrat V of Georgia by his second wife, Anna of Trebizond. His maternal grandparents were Alexios III of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene....
and his wife Natia, daughter of the Georgian diplomat prince Kutsna Amirejibi
Amirejibi
Amirejibi or Amirajibi is a Georgian family, formerly a prominent noble house, which branched off the House of Palavandishvili and rose in prominence in the late 14th century...
. He was brought up by his grandmother (Natia’s mother) Rusa (died 1413), an educated and religious noblewoman, who greatly influenced the future king’s preoccupations and his enthusiasm for religious building.
With his ascension to the throne (1412), Alexander moved to western Georgia and mediated a peace between his vassals, the rival princes of Mingrelia and Abkhazia
Principality of Abkhazia
The Principality of Abkhazia emerged as a separate feudal entity in the 15th-16th centuries, amid the civil wars in the Kingdom of Georgia that concluded with the dissolution of the unified Georgian monarchy...
. Then he, in 1414, met the rebellious prince Atabeg
Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince...
Ivane Jakeli of Samtskhe on battlefield and forced him into submission. Having dealt with these powerful feudal lords, he, aided by Catholicos Patriarch Shio II
Patriarch Shio II of Georgia
Shio II was Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia from 1440 to 1443. A close ally of the king Alexander I of Georgia, he was actively involved in the rehabilitation of the country after the devastating invasions by Timur....
, began a program the restoration of major Georgian fortresses and churches. He imposed a temporary building tax on his subjects from 1425 to 1440, but despite the king’s efforts many towns and villages, once flourished, were left in ruin and overgrown by forest.
In 1431, he re-conquered Lorri
Lorri
-Given name:*Lorri Bagley, an American actress and model*Lorri Jean, a leader in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights movement in America-Acronym:...
, a Georgian marchland occupied by the Kara Koyunlu
Kara Koyunlu
The Kara Koyunlu or Qara Qoyunlu, also called the Black Sheep Turkomans , were a Shi'ite Oghuz Turkic tribal federation that ruled over the territory comprising the present-day Armenia, Azerbaijan, north-western Iran, eastern Turkey and Iraq from about 1375 to 1468.The Kara Koyunlu Turkomans at one...
Turkoman tribesmen
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
of Persia who had frequently raided the southern Georgian marches from there and had even sacked Akhaltsikhe
Akhaltsikhe
Akhaltsikhe is a small city in Georgia's southwestern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. It is situated on the both banks of a small river Potskhovi, which separates the city to the old city in the north and new in the south. The name of the city translates from Georgian as "new fortress".- History...
in 1416. Around 1434/5, Alexander encouraged the Armenian prince Beshken II Orbelian
Orbelian Dynasty
The Orbelian lords of Syunik were a noble family, documented in inscriptions throughout Vayots Dzor and Syunik, and recorded by the family bishop Stepanos in his 1297 History of Syunik....
to attack the Kara Koyunlu clansmen in Syunik
Syunik
Syunik is the southernmost province of Armenia. It borders the Vayots Dzor marz to the north, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave to the west, Karabakh to the east, and Iran to the south. Its capital is Kapan. Other important cities and towns include Goris, Sisian, Meghri, Agarak, and Dastakert...
(Siunia) and, for his victory, granted him Lorri under terms of vassalage. In 1440, Alexander refused to pay tribute to Jahan Shah
Jahan Shah
Muzaffar al-Din Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf was the leader of the Kara Koyunlu Turkmen tribal federation in Azerbaijan and Arran who reigned c.1438-1467. During his reign he managed to expand the Kara Koyunlu’s territory to its largest extent, including Western Anatolia, most of present day Iraq,...
of the Kara Kouynlu. In March, Jahan Shah surged into Georgia with 20,000 troops, destroyed the city of Samshvilde and sacked the capital city Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
. He massacred thousands of Christians, put heavy indemnity on Georgia, and returned to Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
.
In order to reduce the power of frequently rebellious aristocracy, he opposed them by appointing his sons – Vakhtang, Demetre, and George – as his co-rulers in Kakheti
Kakheti
Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...
, Imereti
Imereti
Imereti is a province in Georgia situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river. It consists of the following Georgian administrative-territorial units:#Kutaisi #Baghdati region#Vani region#Zestafoni region...
and Kartli
Kartli
Kartli is a historical region in central-to-eastern Georgia traversed by the river Mtkvari , on which Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is situated. Known to the Classical authors as Iberia, Kartli played a crucial role in ethnic and political consolidation of the Georgians in the Middle Ages...
, respectively. This, however, proved to be even dangerous to the kingdom’s integrity and the fragile unity kept by Alexander would soon disappear under his sons. For this reason, Alexander the Great is frequently claimed to have disintegrated Georgia and said not to deserve his epithet "the Great" his people bestowed on him. This appellation dates almost from his own day, however, and as the modern Georgian historian Ivane Javakhishvili
Ivane Javakhishvili
Ivane Javakhishvili was a Georgian historian whose voluminous works heavily influenced the modern scholarship of the history and culture of Georgia...
presumes, might have been related to the large-scale restoration projects launched by the king and his initial success in the struggle with the Turkmen nomads.
As worldly problems overwhelmed his kingdom, Alexander abdicated the throne in 1442 and retired to a monastery under the name of Athanasius.
Marriages and children
He married c. 1411 Dulandukht, daughter of Beshken II OrbelianOrbelian Dynasty
The Orbelian lords of Syunik were a noble family, documented in inscriptions throughout Vayots Dzor and Syunik, and recorded by the family bishop Stepanos in his 1297 History of Syunik....
, by whom he had two sons:
- Vakhtang IVVakhtang IV of GeorgiaVakhtang IV , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was King of Georgia from 1442 until his death.Vakhtang was the eldest son of Alexander I of Georgia by his first wife Dulandukht. He was raised to the co-kingship by his father in 1433...
, King of Georgia - Demetre (1413–1452), co-ruler in Imereti; father of Constantine IIConstantine II of GeorgiaConstantine II , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Georgia since 1478. Early in the 1490s, he had to recognise the independence of his rival rulers of Imereti and Kakheti, and to confine his power to Kartli....
Alexander’s second marriage with Tamar (died 1455), daughter of prince Alexander I of Imereti
Alexander I of Imereti
Alexander I of Imereti had been Duke of Imereti in Georgia . He took advantage of military defeats suffered by King Bagrat V of Georgia to proclaim Imereti to be an independent kingdom in 1397....
, took place around 1414. Their children were:
- George VIIIGeorge VIII of GeorgiaGeorge VIII was a king of Georgia, though already fragmentised and dragged into a fierce civil war, from 1446 to 1465...
, the last king of a united Georgia and the first king of independent Kakheti - David (1417–1471), Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia
- Zaal (1425 – c. 1442)
- BagrationiBagrationi, wife of John IV of TrebizondBagrationi was the first Empress consort of John IV of Trebizond. Her first name is unknown.-Family:Bagrationi was a daughter of Alexander I of Georgia and his second wife Tamar...
(1415 – c. 1438) who married, 1425, the emperor John IV of TrebizondJohn IV of TrebizondJohn IV Megas Komnenos , was Emperor of Trebizond from 1429 to 1459. He was a son of Emperor Alexios IV of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene....
See also
- History of GeorgiaHistory of Georgia (country)The nation of Georgia was first unified as a kingdom under the Bagrationi dynasty in the 9th to 10th century, arising from a number of predecessor states of ancient Colchis and Iberia...