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{{Short description|Medieval Georgian state}}
{{inline|date=January 2009
{{For|a historical district on the Georgian-Turkish border|Tao-Klarjeti (historical region)}}
|nombre_oficial=ტაო–კლარჯეთი}}
{{Infobox country
|native_name = ქართველთა სამეფო<br>''kartvelta samepo''
|conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the Iberians
|common_name = Tao-Klarjeti
|status =
|era = ]
|year_start = 888
|year_end = 1008
|government_type = {{plainlist|
* ]
* <small>(c. 813–888)</small>
* ]
* <small>(888–1008)</small>}}
|title_leader = ]
|leader1 = ]
|leader2 = ]
|leader3 = ]
|leader4 = ]
|year_leader1 = 813–826
|year_leader2 = 826–876
|year_leader3 = 876–881
|year_leader4 = 881–888
|title_representative = ]
|representative1 = ]
|representative2 = ]
|representative3 = ]
|representative4 = ]
|representative5 = ]
|year_representative1 = 888–923
|year_representative2 = 923–937
|year_representative3 = 937–945
|year_representative4 = 958-994
|year_representative5 = 994–1008
|s1 = Kingdom of Georgia
|s2 = Iberia (theme){{!}}Byzantine Empire
|p1 = Principality of Iberia
|image_flag = Kartli - drosha jvari.svg
|flag_type =
|image_coat =
|coa_size =
|symbol =
|symbol_type =
|image_map = Georgian states (830-1020)-fr.svg
|image_map_caption = Boundaries of the Kingdom
|capital = ]<br />]
|national_motto =
|national_anthem =
|common_languages = ]
|religion = ] <small>(])</small>
|currency =
|stat_pop3 =
|footnotes =
|today = ]<br>]
}}
{{History of Georgia (country)}}
The '''Kingdom of the Iberians'''{{cref2|a}} ({{lang-ka|ქართველთა სამეფო|tr}}) was a medieval ] ] under the ] which emerged circa 888 ], succeeding the ], in historical region of ], or ] in north-eastern ] as well parts of modern southwestern ], that stretched from the ] in the south and to the ] in the north.


Historically, the area comprised the following historical districts: West of the ] were ], ], ], and ], to the east lay ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. The landscape is characterised by mountains and the river-systems of the ] and the ]. The region played a crucial role in the ] and principalities into the ] in 1008.
]
{{Georgian statehood}}
'''Tao-Klarjeti''' ({{lang-ka|ტაო–კლარჯეთი}}, {{lang-hy|Տայք-Կղարջք}}) is the term conventionally used in modern history writing to describe the historic south-western ] principalities, now forming part of north-eastern ] and divided among the provinces of ], ], ] and ]. ] and ] were ori] ginally only the names of the two most important provinces of the Georgian lands that stretched from the “Georgian Gorge” (Turk. Gürcü Boğazı) in the south to the ] in the north. Tao-Klarjeti corresponds to the province of ] and the canton of Kgharjk of the ]. <ref>], ''Armenia: a Historical Atlas.'' ], 2001</ref>

Historically, the area comprised the following provinces: West of the ] (Turk. Yalnızçam Dağları) were ]/], ] and ], to the east lay ], ], ], ] and ]. The landscape is characterised by mountains and the river-systems of the Chorokhi (Turk. ]) and the Mtkvari (Turk. ]).
Tao-Klarjeti’s geographical position between the great Empires of the East and the West, and the fact that one branch of the ] ran through its territory, meant that it was subject to a constant stream of diverging influences. In the 9th-11th centuries, Tao-Klarjeti was ruled by the ], and the region played a crucial role in the unification of the Georgian principalities into a single feudal state in 1008.
Alongside the magnificent nature, the ] (churches, monasteries, bridges and castles) function as tourist attractions today, but many monuments are endangered, since nothing is done for their preservation. There have also been cases of deliberate destruction (for instance in ] and Tbeti).


== History == == History ==
=== Early history ===
The history of the region goes back to ], i.e. the ] known as the ]. In the ], the area was predominantly inhabited by various proto-] people which was divided into the kingdoms of ], ] and ].


=== Establishment ===
In ca. ], these territories were absorbed into the ancient ] under the king of ] and since then it was occupied and annexed by various countries.
In 813, the last Iberian prince ] of the ] established himself in his patrimonial ], where he restored the castle of ], said to have been built by the king ] in the 5th century, and received the ] protection. Being recognized as the presiding prince and curopalates of Iberia, Ashot fought the Arabs from there, gradually incorporating the surrounding lands from the Arab dominance.{{sfn|Suny|1994|page=29}}


Ashot I encouraged resettlement of Georgians in these lands, and patronized monastic life initiated by the prominent Georgian ecclesiastic figure ] ({{Circa}} 759–861). For a long time the region became a ] safe-house and one of the most important ] centers of Georgia. As a result, the political and religious center of Iberia was effectively transferred from central Iberia to the south-west, in ].<ref name="Rapp">Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), ''Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts'', ''passim''. Peeters Publishers, {{ISBN|90-429-1318-5}}</ref>{{sfn|Suny|1994|pages=29-30}} The geographical position of the princedom, between the great Empires of the East and the West, and the fact that one branch of the ] ran through its territory, meant that it was subject to a constant stream of diverging influences.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
Contested between Iberia and ] throughout the following centuries, the region was invaded and completely destroyed by the ]s in the 7th century.
=== Tao-Klarjeti in the 9th-11th centuries ===
]
]
]
The new era began in Tao-Klarjeti in 813, when the Georgian ] (]) ] of the ] family made ] a base in his struggle against the ] occupation. Recognizing the ] suzerainty, he received a title of ''κουροπαλάτης'' and established the Principality of the Georgians known to the Byzantines as the ''Kouropalatate'' (Kuropalatinate) of ]. Ashot fought the Arabs from there, gradually liberating the surrounding lands of ], Kola, Artaani and Shavsheti, along with a few other lesser lands, from the Arab dominance. He encouraged resettlement of Georgians in these lands, and patronized monastic life initiated by the prominent Georgian ecclesiastic figure ] (Gregory of Khandzta; 759–861) in Klarjeti. For a long time the region became a ] ] and one of the most important ] centers of Georgia.


With local Arab emirs in the ] growing ever more independent, the ] recognized Ashot as the prince of Iberia in order to counter the rebellious ] Isma’il ibn Shu’aib c. 818. The emir of Tbilisi had enlisted support of Ashot's foe, the prince ] and the Georgian highland tribes of ]. Ashot allied himself with king ] and met the emir on the ], winning a victory and pushing the Kakhetians from central Iberia.{{sfn|Suny|1994|pages=29-30}} But when the governor of ], ] reasserted control over eastern Georgia, Ashot was pushed back to Tao-Klarjeti.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
Ashot’s successors continued fighting for the ]an lands, contested also by the ]n dynasty of western Georgia (]), the ] ] and even by ]an (kingdom in eastern Georgia) and ]n rulers. However, internal feuds, not infrequent in the principality, were an important obstacle. A civil war following the assassination of ] (876–881) brought the victory of ] (881–923) over his major rival, ], David’s murderer, allowing him to be crowned as King of the Georgians in 888. During the reign of Adarnase’s son ] (923–937) the Georgians had also to defend against the ] aggression, a problem they seem to have successfully managed. However, the ] dynasty failed to maintain the integrity of their kingdom which was actually divided between the three branches of the family with the main branch retaining ] and the title of King of the Kartvelians, and another controlling ] and nominally recognizing the sovereignty of the king. The Kingdom of the Kartvelians included also several other minor princedoms more or less dependent to the Tao crown.
] as despicted on a bas-relief from the ] monastery.]]
In 958, ], "the Simple" (958–994) was crowned King of the Georgians and inherited Northern Tao (also known as Amier-Tao), while ] (961–1001) received a title of Kuropalates and got Southern Tao (also known as Imier-Tao) in possession. A just ruler and a friend of the church, David allied with the ] ] to defeat the rebel Byzantine noble ] (976–979) and was rewarded with extensive lands that made him the most powerful ruler in the south ]: his state included several Georgian and ]n provinces up to the ]. With the strong intention to unite all Georgian lands, he adopted Prince Bagrat (the future king ]), a grandchild of Bagrat Regueni, also being an Abkhazian heir apparent. David installed him as a residing prince in ] (975) and as king of ] (978), and helped Bagrat’s natural father ] to be crowned as King of Kings of the Kartvelians on the death of Bagrat the Simple (994), thus making Bagrat a ruler of the two and a ] of another two Georgian states. The only setback was the 987–989 unsuccessful conflict with the ] that forced David to agree to cede his dominion to Emperor ] on his death. Despite this reverse, Bagrat was able to become the first ruler of the unified Georgian kingdom (officially called the Kingdom of the Georgians and Abkhazians) on his father’s death in 1008.


=== Later history === === Division ===
On Ashot the Great's death he divided his principality between his three sons:
The area continued to remain a Georgian territory and was administered by the princes of ] until conquered by the ] in 1551. During their rule, a policy of ] was implemented and many of the ] were converted into ]s. Following the ] of 1877-1878, most of the former Tao-Klarjetian territory was ceded to the ], but it was taken back by the Turks in the ] with the ] in 1918. The Ottoman defeat in ] allowed the newly created ] to regain control of the region. ] district, which was heavily contested between Georgians and Armenians had stayed under Turkish control. However, the nation’s independence soon collapsed under the Soviet ] attack in February 1921 and simultaneously the area was reoccupied by ], a fact that was acknowledged by the ] signed between the Turkish and Soviet governments on 16 March 1921.
{{History of Georgia}}


* The eldest son ] (826–869), a grand duke (]), ruled the capital, Artanuji, and the centre of his father's territory, Shavsheti, and western Klarjeti.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
== Architecture ==
* The middle son ] I (826–876) ruled the district of Kola and most of Tao, which reached deep into Anatolia and, eventually, proved to be the strategic core of Ashot's domain.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
Several monuments of medieval ] – abandoned or converted churches, monasteries, bridges and castles – are scattered across the area. Best known are the ] (Turk. Haho/Bağbaşi), the churches of ] (Turk. Öşk Vank/Çamlıyamaç), ] (Turk. Işhan), ] (Turk. Penek), ] (Turk. Barhal/Altıparmak), ] (Turk. Dolişhane/ Hamamlıköy), ] (Turk. Dörtkilise), ] (Turk. Bağcılar), and ] (Turk. Cevizli).
* The youngest son ] (826–882) ruled the north: Samtskhe, Javakheti and Trialeti (western Kartli), and had the non-regal title ] meaning 'ruler'.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


[[File:Caucasus 850 map alt de.png|left|thumb|upright=1.2|The Caucasus in 850 (labelled in German).
== Bagratid Rulers of Tao-Klarjeti ==
{{legend|gold|]}}
=== Kartli-line of the Iberian Bagratids ===
{{legend|mediumorchid|] (west), ] (east)}}
* ] (end of the 8th cent. / 813-826)
{{legend|cadetblue|] (northwest), ] (north-central)}}
{{legend|grey|]}}
{{legend|lightpink|]}}
{{legend|tan|]}}
{{legend|khaki|]}}
{{legend|bisque|]}}
{{legend|pink|]}}
{{legend|greenyellow|] (province of the caliphate)}}
{{legend|yellowgreen|] (province of the caliphate)}}
{{legend|lawngreen|]}}
{{legend|darkseagreen|]}}
Broken lines indicate modern borders.]]
Upon Ashot's death, Arabs seized Kartli (central Iberia) and demanded taxes from the remaining domains. Bagrat I allied himself with Caliph against Emirate of Tbilisi and Principality of Kakheti. In 853, now supporting ], Bagrat regained central Iberia, but only for a brief time as the resurgent Abkhazians forced him out of this region.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


Ashot's eldest son, Grand Duke ], was the first brother to die. His possessions were equally divided among his sons: ] obtained Tao, while ] received Klarjeti.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* ] (826-876), co-rulers: ] (830-c.870) and ] (d. 882)


Ashot's youngest son, Guaram pursued an aggressive policy of expansion. In 880 he seized the Bagratids' traditional foe, the Arab emir of Tbilisi, named Gabulots, and sent him in chains to Constantinople, a triumph which won him Trialeti and Javakheti. Prior to 876, Guaram handed over some of his possessions to his brothers and retired himself at the Opiza convent where he was buried after his death in 882.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* ] (876-881)


=== Dynastic strife ===
* ] (881-923), King of the Georgians (888-923)
Liparit, of the ], took over Trialeti, where he built the stronghold ] and placed himself under suzerainty of Guaram's nephew ] (son of Bagrat I) soon after 876. These rearrangements left Guaram's son ] essentially with no inheritance and probably induced him in 881 to murder his cousin David I in a plot. After the murder, Nasra fled to the ] territory from where he was retrieved by his brother-in-law ], the latter managed to secure the Byzantine military aid and invaded the Bagratid possessions on Nasra's behalf. Anxious to counterbalance the Byzantine influence in the Caucasus, ] interfered in support of David I's son ]. Thus, a Bagratid dynastic feud evolved into a regional conflict. Nasra succeeded in taking the forts of ], Juaristsikhe and Lomsianta, but was finally defeated, captured and put to death at ].<ref name="Suny">{{cite book |author-link=Ronald Grigor Suny |last=Suny |first=Ronald Grigor |date=1994 |title=The Making of the Georgian Nation |page=30 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=0-253-20915-3}}</ref><ref name="Toumanoff">] (1967). ''Studies in Christian Caucasian History'', p. 490. ].</ref><ref name="Rapp2">Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), ''Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts'', pp. 388, 404. Peeters Publishers, {{ISBN|90-429-1318-5}}</ref>


As Adarnase was still a minor, the Byzantine emperor – pursuant to the policy of division – appointed as curopalates, not Adarnase, but his cousin ]. Allied with the resurgent Armenians, Adarnase then launched, from his base in ], a policy of expansion. Not being a curopalates and having Armenia's example before him, Adarnase assumed the title of king. The relations between Adarnase and Gurgen grew tense and degenerated into an open warfare. Gurgen was fatally wounded and captured at Mglinavi near Artaani by Adarnase and his ally ] (son of ]) in 891. The Byzantine government adapted itself to the circumstances and, upon Gurgen death in 891, recognized Adarnase as curopalates.<ref name="Toumanoff3">] (1967). ''Studies in Christian Caucasian History'', pp. 490-493. ].</ref>
* ] (923-937)


Gurgen I of Tao left two sons behind – ] and ] – thus being a founder of the Bagratid "first house of Tao" which would become extinct with his grandson ] (r. 918–941).{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* ] (937-954)


=== Restoration of the Kingdom ===
* ] (954-958)
]
Adarnase rewarded ]'s assistance with steadfast loyalty which continued into the reign of Ashot's successor ] whom Adarnase aided to win the crown in dynastic struggles in 890 and later joined him against Ahmed ibn-'Isâ of ], the ]’s former governor of ]. In turn, Smbat recognized Adarnase's royal status and personally crowned him in 899. The two men collaborated in defeating, in 904, the Abkhazian king ], their common relative, who competed with Adarnase for hegemony in Inner Iberia and with Smbat in ]. Adarnase captured Constantine and turned him over to Smbat. But the latter, inclined to balance Adarnase's growing power and extend Armenian influence to west Georgia, freed his captive. This move turned Adarnase against Smbat and the ensuing break and enmity weakened both monarchs: Adarnase was dispossessed by Constantine III in 904, while Smbat was defeated and tortured to death by ], a ] ruler of ] in 914.{{sfn|Suny|1994|pp=30–31}} As a result of these events, Adarnase was relegated to his portion of the Bagratid hereditary lands in Tao.<ref name="Toumanoff3" /> This was the beginning of almost sixty years of Abkhazian dominance over Iberia.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


Upon Adarnase's death, his possessions were divided between his sons:
* ], "the Simple" (958-994)


* The eldest son ]'s (r. 923–937) control was limited to Javakheti and Artaani as the core lands of Inner Iberia were under the Abkhazian control.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* ], King of Kings (994-1008)
* The second son ]'s (r. 937–954) original holding was Lower Tao. He also received ] from the Byzantine emperor in c. 952.<ref name="Toumanoff2">] (1967). ''Studies in Christian Caucasian History'', pp. 493-493. ].</ref>
* The third son ] (r. 937–945) obtained Upper Tao following the death of his relative ] (r. 918–941).{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* The youngest son ] (r. 954–958) obtained lands and titles following the death of his brother Ashot II.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


In spite of his royal title and unlike his father, David II did not bear the traditional high Byzantine title of ''curopalates'' which was bestowed by the emperor upon David's younger brother ]. David only had the title of '']'' which he shared with his relative ]. As a result, David's influence and prestige were overshadowed by those of his younger brother. Both Gurgen II of Tao and David resolutely opposed the Byzantine takeover of the Bagratid town of ], a fief of Gurgen's father-in-law, ].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* ], King of Apkhazeti (]) since 978, King of united ] (1008-1014)


=== Tao-line of the Iberian Bagratids === === Abkhazian dominance ===
] (r. 923–957) continued the expansionist policy of his predecessor aimed primarily at retaining the control of Iberia. To secure the allegiance of local nobility, in 917 he appointed his son ] as a viceroy of Iberia, but the latter staged a coup against his father three years later. George entered into Iberia and placed the city of ] under siege. He lured Constantine by treachery and had him blinded and castrated. George installed his another son, Leon (the future king ]) to secure his supremacy over Iberia, George allied himself with the Bagratids, and gave his daughter, ] to ] (the son of ]) in marriage.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* ] (c. 870-891)


=== Independence ===
* ] (891-896)
] of Tao as depicted on a bas-relief from the 10th-century Georgian Orthodox monastery of ] in modern ] of present-day ].]]
In 958, ]'s son ] took over his father's titles (except for Couropalates) and only ruled Lower Tao. Bagrat frequently appeared as a collaborator of his relative ], the most influential person among the Bagratids of that time, aiding him against the ] of ].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


=== Principality of Tao ===
* ] (896/908-918)
]
A just ruler and a friend of the church, David allied with the Byzantine Emperor ] to ] the rebel Byzantine noble ] ({{Circa}} 976–979) and was rewarded with extensive lands, known to the contemporary Georgian sources as the "Upper Lands of Greece", that made him the most powerful ruler in the ]: his state included several former ] lands consisting chiefly of lands up to the ].<ref>Ter-Ghewondyan, p. 112</ref> The only setback was the 987–989 unsuccessful conflict with the ] that forced David to agree to cede his dominion to Emperor Basil II on his death, whose domains later would be organized into the ].{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


With the strong intention to unite all Georgian lands, David adopted Prince Bagrat (the future King ]),<ref name="Toumanoff6">] (1967). ''Studies in Christian Caucasian History'', pp. 490-5. ].</ref> a grandchild of Bagrat II, also being an Abkhazian heir apparent. In 975, David installed him as a residing prince in Kartli (central Iberia) and later as king of ] (978), and helped Bagrat's natural father ] to be crowned as King of Iberia on the death of Bagrat II in 994, thus making Bagrat a ruler of the two and ] of another two Georgian states. Upon David of Tao's death in 1001, Gurgen, and Bagrat met with Basil but, unable to prevent the annexation of David's realm to the Byzantine Empire, were forced to recognize the new borders.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
* ] (918-941)


== Unification ==
=== Second House of Tao ===
{{Main|Kingdom of Georgia#Unification of the Georgian State|Byzantine–Georgian wars}}
* ] (d. 945)
Despite this reverse, Bagrat III was able to become the first ruler of the ] (officially called: "the Kingdom of the Abkhazians and the Iberians") on his father's death in 1008. Bagrat's reign, a period of uttermost importance in the history of Georgia, brought about the final victory of the Georgian Bagratids in the centuries-long power struggles. Anxious to create more stable and centralized monarchy, Bagrat eliminated or at least diminished the autonomy of the dynastic princes. In his eyes, the most possible internal danger came from the Klarjeti line of the Bagrationi, represented by the king's cousins, ]. Although seem to have acknowledged Bagrat's authority, they continued to be styled as Kings, and Sovereigns of Klarjeti. To secure the succession to his son, ], Bagrat lured his cousins, on pretext of a reconciliatory meeting, to the Panaskerti Castle, and threw them in prison in 1010. Their children managed to escape to ], but Sumbat and Gurgen died in custody by 1012.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}


==See also==
* ] (945-961)
*]
*]
* ]
* ]


==Notes==
* ] (961-966)
{{Cnote2 Begin}}
{{Cnote2|a|Also known as the '''Kingdom of Iberia''', although the monarchy was restored officially as the '''Kingdom of the Iberians''' under King ]. The kingdom was concentrated on the historical lands of ] and ]. "Iberians" refers specifically to Kartvelians/].<ref>Rapp, S. H. Jr. (2016) The Sasanian World Through Georgian Eyes, Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature, location: '''686''' Sam Houston State University, USA, Routledge, {{ISBN|9781472425522}}</ref>}}
{{Cnote2 End}}


==References==
* ] (966-1000)
{{Reflist}}

=== Klarjeti-line of the Iberian Bagratids ===
* ], the Great (c. 870-889)

* ] (889-900)

* ] (900-943)

* ] (943-988)

* ] (988-992/993)

* ] (992/993-1011)

* ] (d. 1012)


== Sources == == Sources ==
*]: Histoire Universelle par Étienne Asolik de Taron, transl. F. Macler, 2e partie, livre III (888-1004), Paris 1917 *]: Histoire Universelle par Étienne Asolik de Taron, transl. F. Macler, 2e partie, livre III (888–1004), Paris 1917
*]: De Administrando Imperio, ed. G. Moravcsik and R.J.H. Jenkins, Dumbarton Oaks 1967 *]: De Administrando Imperio, ed. G. Moravcsik and R.J.H. Jenkins, Dumbarton Oaks 1967
*Aristakes Lastivert: Récit des malheurs de la nation arménienne, transl. M. Canard and H. Berberian, Brussels 1973 *Aristakes Lastivert: Récit des malheurs de la nation arménienne, transl. M. Canard and H. Berberian, Brussels 1973
*]: Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum, ed. I. Thurn, Berlin – New York 1973 * {{Cite book|editor-last=Thurn|editor-first=Hans|title=Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum|year=1973|location=Berlin-New York|publisher=De Gruyter|isbn=9783110022858 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=79jH-QXdf0EC}}
*]: History of Vardan and the Armenian War, transl. R.W. Thomson, Cambridge, Mass. 1982 *]: History of Vardan and the Armenian War, transl. R.W. Thomson, Cambridge, Mass. 1982
*The Life of Kartli: Das Leben Kartlis. Eine Chronik aus Georgien. 300-1200, ed. G. Pätsch, Leipzig 1985 *The Life of Kartli: Das Leben Kartlis. Eine Chronik aus Georgien. 300–1200, ed. G. Pätsch, Leipzig 1985
*Life of John and Euthymius: B. Martin-Hisard, “La Vie de Jean et Euthyme: le statut du monastère des Ibères sur l'Athos”, Revue des Études Byzantines 49 (1991), 67-142 *Life of John and Euthymius: B. Martin-Hisard, “La Vie de Jean et Euthyme: le statut du monastère des Ibères sur l'Athos”, Revue des Études Byzantines 49 (1991), 67-142
*Yahyā ibn Sa‘īd al-Antākī: “Histoire de Yahya-Ibn-Sa‘ïd d’Antioche”, ed. and transl. I. Kratchkovsky and A. Vasiliev, Patrologia Orientalis 18 (1924), 700-833 *Yahyā ibn Sa‘īd al-Antākī: “Histoire de Yahya-Ibn-Sa‘ïd d’Antioche”, ed. and transl. I. Kratchkovsky and A. Vasiliev, Patrologia Orientalis 18 (1924), 700-833
Line 104: Line 162:
*Yovhannes Drasxanakertci: Histoire d'Arménie, transl. P. Boisson-Chenorhokian, Leuven 2004 *Yovhannes Drasxanakertci: Histoire d'Arménie, transl. P. Boisson-Chenorhokian, Leuven 2004
*Bruno Baumgartner, Studien zur historischen Geographie von Tao-Klarjeti, PhD-Dissertation, 2 Volumes, Vienna 1996 ("Studies on the historical Geography of Tao-Klarjeti", in German) *Bruno Baumgartner, Studien zur historischen Geographie von Tao-Klarjeti, PhD-Dissertation, 2 Volumes, Vienna 1996 ("Studies on the historical Geography of Tao-Klarjeti", in German)
== References ==
{{reflist|25em}}
==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


== External links == == External links ==
{{Commons category|Bagratid Iberia}}
{{commonscat|Tao-Klarjeti}}
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{{Georgian historical regions}}


{{Historical states of Georgia |state=collapsed}}
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Latest revision as of 20:29, 9 November 2024

Medieval Georgian state For a historical district on the Georgian-Turkish border, see Tao-Klarjeti (historical region).
Kingdom of the Iberiansქართველთა სამეფო
kartvelta samepo
888–1008
Flag of Tao-Klarjeti Flag
Boundaries of the KingdomBoundaries of the Kingdom
CapitalArtanuji
Bana
Common languagesGeorgian
Religion Eastern Orthodox (Georgian Orthodox Church)
Government
Prince 
• 813–826 Ashot I of Iberia
• 826–876 Bagrat I
• 876–881 David I
• 881–888 Adarnase IV
King 
• 888–923 Adarnase IV
• 923–937 David II
• 937–945 Bagrat I
• 958-994 Bagrat II
• 994–1008 Gurgen
Historical eraEarly Middle Ages
• Established 888
• Disestablished 1008
Preceded by Succeeded by
Principality of Iberia
Kingdom of Georgia
Byzantine Empire
Today part ofGeorgia
Turkey
Part of a series on the
History of Georgia
Prehistoric Georgia
Ancient history
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The Kingdom of the Iberians (Georgian: ქართველთა სამეფო, romanized: kartvelta samepo) was a medieval Georgian monarchy under the Bagrationi dynasty which emerged circa 888 AD, succeeding the Principality of Iberia, in historical region of Tao-Klarjeti, or upper Iberia in north-eastern Turkey as well parts of modern southwestern Georgia, that stretched from the Iberian gates in the south and to the Lesser Caucasus in the north.

Historically, the area comprised the following historical districts: West of the Arsiani Mountains were Tao, Klarjeti, Nigali, and Shavsheti, to the east lay Meskheti, Erusheti, Javakheti, Artaani, Abotsi, Kola and Basiani. The landscape is characterised by mountains and the river-systems of the Çoruh and the Kura. The region played a crucial role in the unification of all Georgian lands and principalities into the Kingdom of Georgia in 1008.

History

Establishment

In 813, the last Iberian prince Ashot I of the Bagrationi dynasty established himself in his patrimonial Duchy of Klarjeti, where he restored the castle of Artanuji, said to have been built by the king Vakhtang I of Iberia in the 5th century, and received the Byzantine protection. Being recognized as the presiding prince and curopalates of Iberia, Ashot fought the Arabs from there, gradually incorporating the surrounding lands from the Arab dominance.

Ashot I encouraged resettlement of Georgians in these lands, and patronized monastic life initiated by the prominent Georgian ecclesiastic figure Gregory of Khandzta (c. 759–861). For a long time the region became a cultural safe-house and one of the most important religious centers of Georgia. As a result, the political and religious center of Iberia was effectively transferred from central Iberia to the south-west, in Tao-Klarjeti. The geographical position of the princedom, between the great Empires of the East and the West, and the fact that one branch of the Silk Road ran through its territory, meant that it was subject to a constant stream of diverging influences.

With local Arab emirs in the Caucasus growing ever more independent, the Caliph recognized Ashot as the prince of Iberia in order to counter the rebellious emir of Tbilisi Isma’il ibn Shu’aib c. 818. The emir of Tbilisi had enlisted support of Ashot's foe, the prince Grigol of Kakheti and the Georgian highland tribes of Tsanars. Ashot allied himself with king Theodosius II of Abkhazia and met the emir on the Ksani, winning a victory and pushing the Kakhetians from central Iberia. But when the governor of Arminiya, Khalid ibn Yazid al-Shaybani reasserted control over eastern Georgia, Ashot was pushed back to Tao-Klarjeti.

Division

On Ashot the Great's death he divided his principality between his three sons:

  • The eldest son Adarnase II (826–869), a grand duke (Eristavt-Eristavi), ruled the capital, Artanuji, and the centre of his father's territory, Shavsheti, and western Klarjeti.
  • The middle son Bagrat I (826–876) ruled the district of Kola and most of Tao, which reached deep into Anatolia and, eventually, proved to be the strategic core of Ashot's domain.
  • The youngest son Guaram (826–882) ruled the north: Samtskhe, Javakheti and Trialeti (western Kartli), and had the non-regal title Mampali meaning 'ruler'.
The Caucasus in 850 (labelled in German).   Khazar Khanate   Abkhazia (west), Hereti (east)   Svaneti (northwest), Kakheti (north-central)   Tao-Klarjeti   Byzantine Empire   Emirate of Tbilisi   Gardman   Artsakh   Syunik   Armenia (province of the caliphate)   Beylagan (province of the caliphate)   Abbasid Caliphate   Shirvan Broken lines indicate modern borders.

Upon Ashot's death, Arabs seized Kartli (central Iberia) and demanded taxes from the remaining domains. Bagrat I allied himself with Caliph against Emirate of Tbilisi and Principality of Kakheti. In 853, now supporting Bugha al-Kabir, Bagrat regained central Iberia, but only for a brief time as the resurgent Abkhazians forced him out of this region.

Ashot's eldest son, Grand Duke Adarnase II, was the first brother to die. His possessions were equally divided among his sons: Gurgen I obtained Tao, while Sumbat I received Klarjeti.

Ashot's youngest son, Guaram pursued an aggressive policy of expansion. In 880 he seized the Bagratids' traditional foe, the Arab emir of Tbilisi, named Gabulots, and sent him in chains to Constantinople, a triumph which won him Trialeti and Javakheti. Prior to 876, Guaram handed over some of his possessions to his brothers and retired himself at the Opiza convent where he was buried after his death in 882.

Dynastic strife

Liparit, of the Liparitids, took over Trialeti, where he built the stronghold Klde-Karni and placed himself under suzerainty of Guaram's nephew David I (son of Bagrat I) soon after 876. These rearrangements left Guaram's son Nasra essentially with no inheritance and probably induced him in 881 to murder his cousin David I in a plot. After the murder, Nasra fled to the Byzantine territory from where he was retrieved by his brother-in-law Bagrat I of Abkhazia, the latter managed to secure the Byzantine military aid and invaded the Bagratid possessions on Nasra's behalf. Anxious to counterbalance the Byzantine influence in the Caucasus, Ashot I of Armenia interfered in support of David I's son Adnarnase. Thus, a Bagratid dynastic feud evolved into a regional conflict. Nasra succeeded in taking the forts of Odzrkhe, Juaristsikhe and Lomsianta, but was finally defeated, captured and put to death at Aspindza.

As Adarnase was still a minor, the Byzantine emperor – pursuant to the policy of division – appointed as curopalates, not Adarnase, but his cousin Gurgen I of Tao. Allied with the resurgent Armenians, Adarnase then launched, from his base in Lower Tao, a policy of expansion. Not being a curopalates and having Armenia's example before him, Adarnase assumed the title of king. The relations between Adarnase and Gurgen grew tense and degenerated into an open warfare. Gurgen was fatally wounded and captured at Mglinavi near Artaani by Adarnase and his ally Bagrat I of Klarjeti (son of Sumbat I) in 891. The Byzantine government adapted itself to the circumstances and, upon Gurgen death in 891, recognized Adarnase as curopalates.

Gurgen I of Tao left two sons behind – Adarnase and Ashot the Immature – thus being a founder of the Bagratid "first house of Tao" which would become extinct with his grandson Gurgen II (r. 918–941).

Restoration of the Kingdom

Boundaries of the kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti in 900.

Adarnase rewarded Ashot I of Armenia's assistance with steadfast loyalty which continued into the reign of Ashot's successor Smbat I whom Adarnase aided to win the crown in dynastic struggles in 890 and later joined him against Ahmed ibn-'Isâ of Diyarbakır, the Caliph’s former governor of Armīniya. In turn, Smbat recognized Adarnase's royal status and personally crowned him in 899. The two men collaborated in defeating, in 904, the Abkhazian king Constantine III, their common relative, who competed with Adarnase for hegemony in Inner Iberia and with Smbat in Gogarene. Adarnase captured Constantine and turned him over to Smbat. But the latter, inclined to balance Adarnase's growing power and extend Armenian influence to west Georgia, freed his captive. This move turned Adarnase against Smbat and the ensuing break and enmity weakened both monarchs: Adarnase was dispossessed by Constantine III in 904, while Smbat was defeated and tortured to death by Yusuf, a Sajid ruler of Azerbaijan in 914. As a result of these events, Adarnase was relegated to his portion of the Bagratid hereditary lands in Tao. This was the beginning of almost sixty years of Abkhazian dominance over Iberia.

Upon Adarnase's death, his possessions were divided between his sons:

  • The eldest son David II's (r. 923–937) control was limited to Javakheti and Artaani as the core lands of Inner Iberia were under the Abkhazian control.
  • The second son Ashot II's (r. 937–954) original holding was Lower Tao. He also received Phasiane from the Byzantine emperor in c. 952.
  • The third son Bagrat I (r. 937–945) obtained Upper Tao following the death of his relative Gurgen II of Tao (r. 918–941).
  • The youngest son Sumbat I (r. 954–958) obtained lands and titles following the death of his brother Ashot II.

In spite of his royal title and unlike his father, David II did not bear the traditional high Byzantine title of curopalates which was bestowed by the emperor upon David's younger brother Ashot II. David only had the title of magistros which he shared with his relative Gurgen II of Tao. As a result, David's influence and prestige were overshadowed by those of his younger brother. Both Gurgen II of Tao and David resolutely opposed the Byzantine takeover of the Bagratid town of Artanuji, a fief of Gurgen's father-in-law, Ashot of Klarjeti.

Abkhazian dominance

George II of Abkhazia (r. 923–957) continued the expansionist policy of his predecessor aimed primarily at retaining the control of Iberia. To secure the allegiance of local nobility, in 917 he appointed his son Constantine as a viceroy of Iberia, but the latter staged a coup against his father three years later. George entered into Iberia and placed the city of Uplistsikhe under siege. He lured Constantine by treachery and had him blinded and castrated. George installed his another son, Leon (the future king Leon III) to secure his supremacy over Iberia, George allied himself with the Bagratids, and gave his daughter, Gurandukht to Gurgen Bagrationi (the son of Bagrat II) in marriage.

Independence

King David III Kuropalates of Tao as depicted on a bas-relief from the 10th-century Georgian Orthodox monastery of Oshki in modern Erzurum Province of present-day Turkey.

In 958, Sumbat I's son Bagrat II took over his father's titles (except for Couropalates) and only ruled Lower Tao. Bagrat frequently appeared as a collaborator of his relative David III of Tao, the most influential person among the Bagratids of that time, aiding him against the Rawadids of Azerbaijan.

Principality of Tao

Boundaries of the kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti in 1000.

A just ruler and a friend of the church, David allied with the Byzantine Emperor Basil II to defeat the rebel Byzantine noble Bardas Skleros (c. 976–979) and was rewarded with extensive lands, known to the contemporary Georgian sources as the "Upper Lands of Greece", that made him the most powerful ruler in the south Caucasus: his state included several former Kaysite lands consisting chiefly of lands up to the Lake Van. The only setback was the 987–989 unsuccessful conflict with the Byzantine Empire that forced David to agree to cede his dominion to Emperor Basil II on his death, whose domains later would be organized into the theme of Iberia.

With the strong intention to unite all Georgian lands, David adopted Prince Bagrat (the future King Bagrat III), a grandchild of Bagrat II, also being an Abkhazian heir apparent. In 975, David installed him as a residing prince in Kartli (central Iberia) and later as king of Abkhazia (978), and helped Bagrat's natural father Gurgen to be crowned as King of Iberia on the death of Bagrat II in 994, thus making Bagrat a ruler of the two and heir apparent of another two Georgian states. Upon David of Tao's death in 1001, Gurgen, and Bagrat met with Basil but, unable to prevent the annexation of David's realm to the Byzantine Empire, were forced to recognize the new borders.

Unification

Main articles: Kingdom of Georgia § Unification of the Georgian State, and Byzantine–Georgian wars

Despite this reverse, Bagrat III was able to become the first ruler of the unified Georgian kingdom (officially called: "the Kingdom of the Abkhazians and the Iberians") on his father's death in 1008. Bagrat's reign, a period of uttermost importance in the history of Georgia, brought about the final victory of the Georgian Bagratids in the centuries-long power struggles. Anxious to create more stable and centralized monarchy, Bagrat eliminated or at least diminished the autonomy of the dynastic princes. In his eyes, the most possible internal danger came from the Klarjeti line of the Bagrationi, represented by the king's cousins, Sumbat and Gurgen. Although seem to have acknowledged Bagrat's authority, they continued to be styled as Kings, and Sovereigns of Klarjeti. To secure the succession to his son, George, Bagrat lured his cousins, on pretext of a reconciliatory meeting, to the Panaskerti Castle, and threw them in prison in 1010. Their children managed to escape to Constantinople, but Sumbat and Gurgen died in custody by 1012.

See also

Notes

  1. Also known as the Kingdom of Iberia, although the monarchy was restored officially as the Kingdom of the Iberians under King Adarnase IV. The kingdom was concentrated on the historical lands of Tao and Klarjeti. "Iberians" refers specifically to Kartvelians/Georgians.

References

  1. Suny 1994, p. 29.
  2. Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts, passim. Peeters Publishers, ISBN 90-429-1318-5
  3. ^ Suny 1994, pp. 29–30.
  4. Suny, Ronald Grigor (1994). The Making of the Georgian Nation. Indiana University Press. p. 30. ISBN 0-253-20915-3.
  5. Toumanoff, Cyril (1967). Studies in Christian Caucasian History, p. 490. Georgetown University Press.
  6. Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts, pp. 388, 404. Peeters Publishers, ISBN 90-429-1318-5
  7. ^ Toumanoff, Cyril (1967). Studies in Christian Caucasian History, pp. 490-493. Georgetown University Press.
  8. Suny 1994, pp. 30–31.
  9. Toumanoff, Cyril (1967). Studies in Christian Caucasian History, pp. 493-493. Georgetown University Press.
  10. Ter-Ghewondyan, p. 112
  11. Toumanoff, Cyril (1967). Studies in Christian Caucasian History, pp. 490-5. Georgetown University Press.
  12. Rapp, S. H. Jr. (2016) The Sasanian World Through Georgian Eyes, Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature, location: 686 Sam Houston State University, USA, Routledge, ISBN 9781472425522

Sources

  • Stephen of Taron: Histoire Universelle par Étienne Asolik de Taron, transl. F. Macler, 2e partie, livre III (888–1004), Paris 1917
  • Constantine Porphyrogenitus: De Administrando Imperio, ed. G. Moravcsik and R.J.H. Jenkins, Dumbarton Oaks 1967
  • Aristakes Lastivert: Récit des malheurs de la nation arménienne, transl. M. Canard and H. Berberian, Brussels 1973
  • Thurn, Hans, ed. (1973). Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis historiarum. Berlin-New York: De Gruyter. ISBN 9783110022858.
  • Elishe: History of Vardan and the Armenian War, transl. R.W. Thomson, Cambridge, Mass. 1982
  • The Life of Kartli: Das Leben Kartlis. Eine Chronik aus Georgien. 300–1200, ed. G. Pätsch, Leipzig 1985
  • Life of John and Euthymius: B. Martin-Hisard, “La Vie de Jean et Euthyme: le statut du monastère des Ibères sur l'Athos”, Revue des Études Byzantines 49 (1991), 67-142
  • Yahyā ibn Sa‘īd al-Antākī: “Histoire de Yahya-Ibn-Sa‘ïd d’Antioche”, ed. and transl. I. Kratchkovsky and A. Vasiliev, Patrologia Orientalis 18 (1924), 700-833
    • “Histoire de Yahya-Ibn-Sa‘ïd d’Antioche”, ed. and transl. I. Kratchkovsky and A. Vasiliev, Patrologia Orientalis 23 (1932), 347-520
    • “Histoire de Yahyā ibn Sa‘īd d’Antioche”, ed. I. Kratchkovsky, transl. F. Micheau and G. Troupeau, Patrologia Orientalis 47 (1997), 373-559
  • Giorgi Merchule: Georgi Mertschule. Das Leben des Grigol von Chandsta, transl. S. Sardshweladse and H. Fähnrich, Jena 2000
  • Yovhannes Drasxanakertci: Histoire d'Arménie, transl. P. Boisson-Chenorhokian, Leuven 2004
  • Bruno Baumgartner, Studien zur historischen Geographie von Tao-Klarjeti, PhD-Dissertation, 2 Volumes, Vienna 1996 ("Studies on the historical Geography of Tao-Klarjeti", in German)

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