The
Golden Age Of Georgia
Seljuk dominance persisted unchecked for almost a decade as the country
continued to be devastated by the enemy invasions, internal dissent and
natural disasters. King Giorgi II failed to rise to the occasion and the
people needed a strong and energetic ruler to lead the struggle. In 1089, a
bloodless coup forced the king to abdicate in favor of his 16-year-old son
David. The new king faced the daunting challenge of defeating powerful enemy
and rebuilding a devastated country. Despite his young age, Kind David IV
proved to be a capable statesman and military commander. In 1089-1100, he
organized small detachments to harass and destroy isolated Seljuk troops and
began resettlement of desolate regions. In 1092, he ceased the payment of
annual tribute to the Seljuk sultan and, over the next 10 years, he gradually
liberated most of eastern Georgia. King David reformed the Georgian Orthodox
Church and strengthened the royal authority throughout the kingdom. In
1110-1117, he continued his conquests throughout southern Caucasia, defeating
the Seljuk invasions in 1105, 1110 and 1116. To strengthen his army, King
David launched a major military reform in 1118 – 1120 and resettled some
40,000 Qipchak families (approx. 200,000 men) from the northern Caucasus
steppes to Kartli; recruiting one soldier per each family, David raised a
45,000-men strong standing Qipchak army in addition to Georgian feudal troops.
The new army provided the king with a much needed force to fight both external
threats and internal discontent of powerful lords.
Starting in 1120, King David began a more aggressive policy of expansion. He
established contact with the Crusaders in the Holy Land and there is evidence
that the two sides tried to coordinate their actions against the Muslims. In
1121, he achieved his greatest victory as the Georgian army routed a massive
Muslim coalition in the Didgori Valley, near Tbilisi, on 12 August. The battle
is widely known as “dzlevai sakvirveli” (incredible victory) in Georgia
and is considered an apogee of Georgian military history. Following his
triumph, King David captured Tbilisi, the last Muslim enclave remaining from
the Arab occupation, in 1122 and declared it the capital of the Kingdom of
Georgia. In 1123-1124, Georgian armies were victorious in neighboring
territories of Armenia, Shirwan and northern Caucasus, greatly expanding the
Georgian sphere of influence. By the time of King David’s death on 24
January 1125, Georgia became one of the most powerful states in all of the
Near East. King David’s successful campaigns inspired the Georgian people
and gave them confidence in their own strength. The country enjoyed a revival
in agriculture and industry as well as in literature and arts. For his
contributions, King David was hailed as aghmashenebeli (reviver, [re]builder)
and canonized as a saint.
The reign of King David ushered in the “Golden Age” of Georgian history,
which in many ways was facilitated by the Crusaders, whose successful
campaigns in Palestine diverted the Muslim resources and enabled Georgia to
open a victorious campaign in the north. During the reign of King Demetre I
(1125-1156), Georgia continued to dominate southern Caucasia and contiguous
territories. Georgian kings established a close relation with the neighboring
states though many dynastic marriages. One of King David Aghmashenebeli’s
daughters, Kata, was married the Byzantine prince Alexius Bryennius-Comnenus,
the son of the famous Anna Comnena, while the other, Tamar, became the wife of
Shirwan Shah Akhsitan (Aghsartan). Later, King Demetre secured an alliance
with the Kievan Rus through the marriage of his daughter with Prince Izyaslav
II of Kiev.
Under King Giorgi III (1156-1184), a new wave of Georgian expansion was
initiated as Georgian armies seized the Armenian capital of Ani in 1161 and
conquered Shirwan in 1167. However, internal dissent among the nobles grew as
the king aged, especially after it became apparent that he would be succeeded
by his daughter Tamar. In 1177, the nobles rose in rebellion but were
suppressed. The following year, King Giorgi III ceded the throne to his
daughter Tamar, but remained coregnant until his death in 1184. Powerful lords
took advantage of the king’s passing to reassert themselves. Queen Tamar was
forced to agree to the second coronation that emphasized the role of the
nobility in investing her with royal power. The nobility then demanded the
establishment of the karavi, a political body with legislative and
judicial power. Tamar’s refusal to satisfy these demands brought the
Georgian monarchy to the verge of a civil war that was averted through
negotiations. In the end, royal authority was significantly limited and the
responsibilities of the royal council, dominated by the nobles,
expanded.
Despite internal dissent, Georgia remained a powerful kingdom and enjoyed
major successes in its foreign policy. In 1195, a large Muslim coalition was
crushed in the battle at Shamkhor, and another one at Basian in 1203. The
Georgians annexed Arran and Duin in 1203, and, in 1209, their armies captured
the Emirate of Kars while the mighty Armen-Shahs, the emirs of Erzurum and
Erzinjan as well as the north Caucasian tribes became the vassals. Georgian
influence also extended to the southern coastline of the Black Sea, populated
by a large Georgian-speaking population. The Empire of Trebizond, a Georgian
vassal state, was established here in 1204 and soon turned into a major
trading emporium surviving for over 250 years. Georgians then carried war into
Azerbaijan and northern Persia in 1208-1210. These victories brought Georgia
to the summit of its power and glory, establishing a pan-Caucasian Georgian
empire stretching from the Black Sea to the Caspian and from the Caucasus
Mountains to the Lake Van.
The rise of Georgia as a great power was accompanied by an expansion of its
religious and cultural presence throughout Asia Minor. Centralized royal power
facilitated the growth of cities and towns and development of trade and
crafts. A sophisticated irrigation system in Samgori and the Alazani valleys
covered some 53,000 hectares of land. Changes in agricultural technology led
to the development of a large “Georgian plough,” which improved
cultivation of land and increased productivity. Tbilisi became a major center
of regional and international trade, with one of the routes of the famous Silk
Road, linking China, Central Asia and the West, passing through it. The period
also witnessed a renaissance of Georgian sciences and art. Georgian craftsmen,
especially Beshken and Beka Opizari, gained fame for their unique goldsmith
works. Numerous scholarly and literary works (Amiran-Darejaniani, Abdulmesia,
Tamariani, etc.) were produced both within Georgia and abroad, while the art
of illumination of manuscripts and miniature painting reached its zenith.
Georgian architecture rose to a new level and is well represented in the
Gelati Cathedral, the domed church at Tighva, the churches of Ikorta and
Betania and the rock-carved monastic complexes of David Gareja and Vardzia.
Georgian monasteries were also constructed and flourished throughout the Holy
Land and Antioch, including the Gethsemane, Golgotha, Karpana and the Holy
Cross monasteries in Jerusalem, the Mangana and Trianflios in Constantinople,
the Alexandrian in Kilikia, the Petritsoni in Bulgaria, St. Athanasios and the
Iviron on Mt. Athos and others. Georgian philosophers and scholars - Giorgi
Atoneli, Eprem Mtsire (Epraim the Letter), Giorgi Mtsire (the Lesser), Arsen
Ikaltoeli and others - enjoyed international eminence. Finally, Shota
Rustaveli’s epic poem Vepkhistkaosani (The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin)
remains the greatest cultural achievement of this age.
