Anna of Trebizond, Queen of Georgia
Encyclopedia
Anna Megale Komnene (6 April 1357 - after 31 November 1406), was a Trapezuntine
Queen consort of Georgia as the second wife of King Bagrat V
. She was the mother of his youngest son, Constantine I of Georgia
, who would later in 1407 succeed his half-brother, King George VII
and reign as king.
She was a member of the powerful Byzantine
Greek Komnenos dynasty which was founded by Isaac I Komnenos
in 1057.
Anna was born in Trebizond
on 6 April 1357, which was the day before Good Friday
, the eldest daughter and child of Emperor Alexios III of Trebizond
and Theodora Kantakouzene
. The Chronicle of Michael Panaretos
records the birth on "April 6, around Good Friday" in 1357, of "Lady Anna to the Emperor by our empress the Lady Theodora". She had two younger brothers, Basil and Manuel
; and three younger sisters: Eudokia
, Maria, and another whose name is not known; all three were later married to Muslim
Turkmen
rulers. Anna had also at least two illegitimate half-brothers by her father's liaison with an unnamed mistress.
In April 1362, in Constantinople
, she was betrothed to Andronikos Palaiologos
who would later rule as Byzantine Emperor Andronikos IV. For unknown reasons, the betrothal was annulled, and another husband was later chosen for her.
noble family of Georgia. His first wife, Helena
had died the previous year of bubonic plague
, leaving behind two sons. Anna was accompanied to Georgia by her father and formidable paternal grandmother, Irene of Trebizond
.
On an unknown date, sometime after 1369, Anna gave birth to a son, Constantine (died 1411/1412). He would later reign as King Constantine I of Georgia, succeeding his childless half-brother, King George VII in 1407. His wife was Natia Amirejibi
, by whom he had issue. It is not recorded if Anna had other children besides Constantine.
In November 1386, Tbilisi
was besieged and captured by the invading forces of Mongol warlord
Tamerlane; and she, along with her husband and son were taken prisoner. As a means of securing their release, King Bagrat agreed to become a Muslim, and Tamerlane sent them back to Georgia with 20,000 Mongol troops. However, Prince George
, her husband's son from his first marriage, was able to completely destroy the Mongol army and released the king and queen from captivity. In the end they didn't convert to Islam
, although further battles were fought with Tamerlane before he allowed the kingdom of Georgia to remain Christian
.
In 1393, Anna's husband died; she herself died on an unknown date sometime after 1406.
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
Queen consort of Georgia as the second wife of King Bagrat V
Bagrat V of Georgia
Bagrat V, “the Great” was the son of the Georgian king Davit IX with whom he was co-ruler from 1355, and became king after the death of his father in 1360....
. She was the mother of his youngest son, Constantine I of Georgia
Constantine 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....
, who would later in 1407 succeed his half-brother, King George VII
George VII of Georgia
George VII was king of Georgia from 1393 to 1407 .George was the son of the king Bagrat V and his first wife Helena of Trebizond...
and reign as king.
She was a member of the powerful Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Greek Komnenos dynasty which was founded by Isaac I Komnenos
Isaac I Komnenos
Isaac I Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1057 to 1059, and the first reigning member of the Komnenos dynasty...
in 1057.
Family and betrothal
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
on 6 April 1357, which was the day before Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
, the eldest daughter and child of Emperor Alexios III of Trebizond
Alexios III of Trebizond
Alexios III Megas Komnenos or Alexius III , Emperor of Trebizond from December 1349 until his death. He was the son of Emperor Basil of Trebizond and his second wife, Irene of Trebizond...
and Theodora Kantakouzene
Theodora Kantakouzene
Theodora Kantakouzene was the Empress consort of Alexios III of Trebizond.- Family :Theodora is considered a daughter of Nikephoros Kantakouzenos, sebastokratōr...
. The Chronicle of Michael Panaretos
Michael Panaretos
Michael Panaretos wrote a chronicle of the Trapezuntine empire of Alexios I Komnenos and his successors from 1204 to 1426. Panaretos was a protosebastos and protonotarios in the service of Alexios III Komnenos...
records the birth on "April 6, around Good Friday" in 1357, of "Lady Anna to the Emperor by our empress the Lady Theodora". She had two younger brothers, Basil and Manuel
Manuel III of Trebizond
Manuel III Megas Komnenos was Emperor of Trebizond from March 20, 1390 to his death in 1417. He was the son of Emperor Alexios III of Trebizond by Theodora Kantakouzene.Manuel became the heir of his father in 1377, after the death of his elder brother Basil...
; and three younger sisters: Eudokia
Eudokia of Trebizond
Eudokia Megale Komnene , was a Trapezuntine noblewoman, and a member of the powerful Byzantine Komnenos dynasty as a daughter of Emperor Alexios III of Trebizond....
, Maria, and another whose name is not known; all three were later married to Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Turkmen
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,...
rulers. Anna had also at least two illegitimate half-brothers by her father's liaison with an unnamed mistress.
In April 1362, in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, she was betrothed to Andronikos Palaiologos
Andronikos IV Palaiologos
Andronikos IV Palaiologos was Byzantine Emperor from 1376 to 1379.-Life:...
who would later rule as Byzantine Emperor Andronikos IV. For unknown reasons, the betrothal was annulled, and another husband was later chosen for her.
Queen of Georgia
In June 1367, at the age of 10 years and two months, she married as his second wife, King Bagrat V of Georgia, also known as Bagrat the Great. They were related, both of them being descendants of the JaqeliJaqeli
Jaqeli was a Georgian noble family, an offshoot of the House of Chorchaneli, that rose to a ruling house of the principality of Samtskhe in the 13th century, and eventually Islamized to become a dynasty of Akhaltsikhe under the Ottoman Empire in the 16th/17th century.-History:"Jaqeli", literally...
noble family of Georgia. His first wife, Helena
Helena Megale Komnene
Helena Megale Komnene is the name given for the first wife of King Bagrat V of Georgia. Her first name is recorded in "The Georgian Chronicle" , and her family name is based on a theory which identifies her as a daughter of Basil of Trebizond. If true, the identity of her mother would be...
had died the previous year of bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
, leaving behind two sons. Anna was accompanied to Georgia by her father and formidable paternal grandmother, Irene of Trebizond
Irene of Trebizond
Irene Palaiologina , was Empress of Trebizond from April 6, 1340 to July 17, 1341...
.
On an unknown date, sometime after 1369, Anna gave birth to a son, Constantine (died 1411/1412). He would later reign as King Constantine I of Georgia, succeeding his childless half-brother, King George VII in 1407. His wife was Natia 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...
, by whom he had issue. It is not recorded if Anna had other children besides Constantine.
In November 1386, 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...
was besieged and captured by the invading forces of Mongol warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
Tamerlane; and she, along with her husband and son were taken prisoner. As a means of securing their release, King Bagrat agreed to become a Muslim, and Tamerlane sent them back to Georgia with 20,000 Mongol troops. However, Prince George
George VII of Georgia
George VII was king of Georgia from 1393 to 1407 .George was the son of the king Bagrat V and his first wife Helena of Trebizond...
, her husband's son from his first marriage, was able to completely destroy the Mongol army and released the king and queen from captivity. In the end they didn't convert to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, although further battles were fought with Tamerlane before he allowed the kingdom of Georgia to remain Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
In 1393, Anna's husband died; she herself died on an unknown date sometime after 1406.