David XI of Kartli
Encyclopedia
Although some contemporary Georgian sources refer to him as David XI (Ge
: დავით XI), king of Kartli
(kingdom in eastern Georgia
), Daud Khan (died ca. 1579), a convert to Islam
, was actually a puppet ruler (khan
) of Kartli for the Persian shah
Tahmasp I
from 1562 (effectively from 1569) to 1578.
David was a brother of the Kartlian king Simon I
, who led a long-lasting liberation war against the Safavid Persian
and Ottoman
empires. David submitted in 1562 to Tahmasp at Kazvin, renounced Christianity
and was named Daud Khan. The shah appointed him ruler in Kartli and sent with a Persian army to claim the power. Relying on the Persian occupation forces and a few loyal nobles, he was invested with the Georgian capital Tbilisi
and the province of Lower Kartli, while the rest of the kingdom remained faithful to Simon. The rival brothers met on battlefield on several occasions. The hostilities took place mainly around Tbilisi, which was blockaded by Simon’s forces from 1567 to 1569. Although the king won the battles at Dighomi
(1567) and Samadlo (1569), the Persians eventually prevailed and took Simon captive at the Battle of Partskhisi, 1569. He was sent in chains to the fortress of Alamut
, and Daud Khan assumed full control of Kartli. As previously, he relied on the Persians and paid an annual tribute to the Shah. A patriotic alliance of nobles led by Prince Sachino Baratashvili continued, however, resistance to the renegade Georgian ruler. In 1578, a peace between the Safavids and the Ottomans collapsed. The Turkish army commanded by Lala Mustafa Pasha overran much of Georgia and dislodged Daud Khan, who had burnt the citadel of Tbilisi and taken shelter at Lorri
. The Shah presently freed Simon to fight against the Ottomans and reinstated him as king of Kartli. In retaliation, Daud Khan handed the control over Lorri to the Turks and fled to Istanbul
, where he was welcomed and granted a lordship over two sanjak
s. His sons, Bagrat and Khosro, took shelter in Persia. During his stay in Turkey
, Daud Khan compiled two Ottoman-era medical treatises (qarabadin) and translated it into Georgian, sending a copy to his motherland.
He was married to a princess of Tarki
, who bore him three children:
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
: დავით XI), king of 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...
(kingdom in eastern Georgia
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...
), Daud Khan (died ca. 1579), a convert to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, was actually a puppet ruler (khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
) of Kartli for the Persian shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
Tahmasp I
Tahmasp I
Tahmasp or Tahmasb I was an influential Shah of Iran, who enjoyed the longest reign of any member of the Safavid dynasty...
from 1562 (effectively from 1569) to 1578.
David was a brother of the Kartlian king Simon I
Simon I of Kartli
Simon I also known as Svimon , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a Georgian king of Kartli from 1556 to 1569 and again from 1578 to 1599...
, who led a long-lasting liberation war against the Safavid Persian
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
and Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
empires. David submitted in 1562 to Tahmasp at Kazvin, renounced Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and was named Daud Khan. The shah appointed him ruler in Kartli and sent with a Persian army to claim the power. Relying on the Persian occupation forces and a few loyal nobles, he was invested with the Georgian capital 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...
and the province of Lower Kartli, while the rest of the kingdom remained faithful to Simon. The rival brothers met on battlefield on several occasions. The hostilities took place mainly around Tbilisi, which was blockaded by Simon’s forces from 1567 to 1569. Although the king won the battles at Dighomi
Battle of Digomi
The Battle of Digomi was part of a campaign launched by the Georgian king Simon I of Kartli aimed at the liberation of the capital Tbilisi from the Persians in 1567....
(1567) and Samadlo (1569), the Persians eventually prevailed and took Simon captive at the Battle of Partskhisi, 1569. He was sent in chains to the fortress of Alamut
Alamut
Alamut was a mountain fortress located in the South Caspian province of Daylam near the Rudbar region in Iran, approximately 100 kilometres from present-day Tehran, Iran...
, and Daud Khan assumed full control of Kartli. As previously, he relied on the Persians and paid an annual tribute to the Shah. A patriotic alliance of nobles led by Prince Sachino Baratashvili continued, however, resistance to the renegade Georgian ruler. In 1578, a peace between the Safavids and the Ottomans collapsed. The Turkish army commanded by Lala Mustafa Pasha overran much of Georgia and dislodged Daud Khan, who had burnt the citadel of Tbilisi and taken shelter at 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:...
. The Shah presently freed Simon to fight against the Ottomans and reinstated him as king of Kartli. In retaliation, Daud Khan handed the control over Lorri to the Turks and fled to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, where he was welcomed and granted a lordship over two sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
s. His sons, Bagrat and Khosro, took shelter in Persia. During his stay in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Daud Khan compiled two Ottoman-era medical treatises (qarabadin) and translated it into Georgian, sending a copy to his motherland.
He was married to a princess of Tarki
Tarki
Tarki is an urban locality under the administrative jurisdiction of Sovetsky City District of the city of Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, situated on the Tarkitau Mountain. Population:...
, who bore him three children:
- Bagrat VII of KartliBagrat VII of KartliBagrat Khan also known as Bagrat VII , was king of Kartli, eastern Georgia, effectively serving as a khan for the Persian shah Abbas I from 1615 to 1619....
- Rostom of KartliRostom of KartliRostom or Rustam Khan was a ruler of Kartli, eastern Georgia, from 1633 until his death. Appointed by a Persian shah as a Wāli of Kartli, he styled himself king of kings and sovereign.- Life :...
- A daughter who married a certain Georgian prince Teimuraz.
External links
- Biography of Simon I (In Georgian) Kings of Kartli at Royal Ark website