George I of Georgia facts for kids
- There was also a Giorgi I, Catholicos of Kartli who ruled in 677–678.
Quick facts for kids George Iგიორგი I |
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A symbolic representation of George I ("Georgios of Abasgia") fleeing on horseback from Emperor Basil II after defeat, Skylitzes Chronicle
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| King of Georgia (more...) | |
| Reign | 7 May 1014 – 16 August 1027 |
| Predecessor | Bagrat III |
| Successor | Bagrat IV |
| Born | 998 or 1002 |
| Died | 16 August 1027 Mqinwarni or Itaroni |
| Burial | Bagrati Cathedral, Kutaisi |
| Spouse | Mariam of Vaspurakan Alda of Alania |
| Issue Among others |
Bagrat IV of Georgia Demetrius of Anakopia |
| Dynasty | Bagrationi |
| Father | Bagrat III of Georgia |
| Mother | Martha |
| Religion | Georgian Orthodox Church |
George I (Georgian: გიორგი I, romanized: giorgi I) was the second king of the Kingdom of Georgia. He ruled from 1014 until his death in 1027. George was part of the Bagrationi dynasty.
He became king at a young age. This meant he faced challenges from powerful nobles. They forced him to give up control of the Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti. But George soon grew stronger. He expanded Georgia's influence in the Caucasus region. He also had many vassals (rulers who owed loyalty) in the area.
George I also fought a major war with the Byzantine Empire. This conflict, led by Emperor Basil II, caused a lot of damage. It led to Georgia losing some southern lands. However, George was a clever diplomat. He made alliances, like with the Fatimid Caliphate. This helped Georgia stay independent and avoid becoming a vassal of the Byzantines.
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Early Life of King George I
George was born in either 998 or 1002. His father was King Bagrat III. Bagrat III had started the important work of uniting the different Georgian lands.
George was the adopted grandson of David III the Kuropalates. David III was a key figure in uniting Georgia. George was also the biological grandson of Gurgen of Iberia. This made George the heir to the ancient Bagrationi dynasty. This family had ruled most Georgian states before 1010.
In 1010, King Kvirike III of Kakheti and Hereti was defeated. His lands were added to Georgia. This meant Georgia was finally united. George's father, Bagrat III, became one of the most powerful rulers in the Caucasus. He made many tribes and even Armenian lands his vassals. But Bagrat III died four years later, on May 7, 1014. His only son, George, became the new king.
George I's Reign
Losing Kakheti-Hereti
King George I was very young when he became king. He did not have much experience in politics. He was too old for a regent (someone who rules for a young king). But he also needed to avoid being controlled by powerful lords.
Because of his youth, George could not stop the first big problem of his reign. The nobles, who were the old upper class of Georgia, rebelled. They attacked Kakheti, a region that had joined the kingdom most recently.
These nobles, called aznaurs, had been exiled by King Bagrat III. They returned to Kakheti and captured the local governors. King George I was surprised. He had to agree to their demands. This agreement meant Georgia lost more than a third of its land. Kakheti became independent again. Kvirike III became the "King of Kakheti-Hereti." George I had to remove the title "King of Ranis and Kakhetians" from his own royal titles.
However, Kvirike III still saw himself as a Georgian ruler. His people and he still belonged to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Later, Kakheti even allied with Georgia against common enemies. These enemies were the Alans and the Shaddadids.
Georgia's Influence in the Caucasus
By 1014, Georgia was a leading power in the Caucasus. Few other states could challenge it. To the north, many nomadic tribes were under Georgia's rule. To the east, neither Kakheti-Hereti nor the Shaddadids were a threat. The Shaddadids still paid tribute to Georgia.
Only the kingdom of Armenia to the south had similar military strength. Gagik I ruled Armenia since 989. He was known as a strong king. He died in 1020, leaving a powerful kingdom. But his sons, Hovhannes-Smbat III and Ashot, fought over who should rule.
King Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni of Vaspurakan tried to settle their dispute. But he failed. Then, King George I of Georgia stepped in. He offered a solution. He divided Armenia between the two brothers. Hovhannes-Smbat III received the region of Ani. Ashot received lands between Georgia and the Abbasid Caliphate.
But a small incident broke the agreement. Ashot got angry when his brother stopped in his territory. Ashot asked George I for help. George I went to Ani and captured the city without a fight. He plundered and destroyed it. Nobles loyal to Hovhannes-Smbat III then handed him over to George. George freed him in exchange for fortresses and Hovhannes-Smbat becoming his vassal. Georgia was now the top power in the Caucasus. But George wanted more land, not just titles. He was ready to fight a bigger enemy.
War with the Byzantine Empire
George I was young and proud of his successes. He decided to restart old conflicts with the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines had been trying to expand their power in the Caucasus for centuries. George also saw himself as the true heir to the Georgian lands. After losing Kakheti-Hereti, he wanted new lands in the southwest. He thought of Tao, an ancient Georgian region. This land had been given to Emperor Basil II by David III Kuropalates.
Since 1000, Basil II had been fighting the Bulgarians. So he did not have much time for Georgia. George I invaded Tao in 1015 or 1016. The emperor did not respond militarily at first. But Basil II sent a letter to George, telling him to give up the land. George refused, saying he would not give up any land his father owned.
After George's refusal, Basil II decided to act. He sent troops despite his war in Bulgaria. Georgia had allied with the Fatimid Caliphate, a Byzantine enemy. This alliance pushed back the Greek troops at first. But by 1018, Bulgaria was fully under Byzantine control. The Fatimid leader also died, and his son was too young to help Georgia. George I was left alone. Basil II sent all his troops against him.
The two armies met in the plains of Basiani in Tao. George I retreated, burning the town of Oltisi to slow the Greeks. But he was caught at Cola. On September 11, 1021, a fierce battle happened at Shirimni. Basil II's troops won, but it was a difficult victory. Many Georgian generals died. The Georgian troops fled to Samtskhe. But the Byzantines chased them, destroying Javakheti and burning Artaani.
George I kept retreating. From Samtskhe, he went to Trialeti. His army was joined by soldiers from Kakheti-Hereti and the Caucasus mountains. Basil II camped for the winter, destroying the region. He then moved his camp near Trebizond. There, Hovhannes-Smbat III of Armenia submitted to Basil, even though he was Georgia's vassal. Vaspurakan was also given to Byzantium. Georgia was surrounded. As a last resort, George tried to cause trouble within the Byzantine Empire.
In 1022, two Byzantine generals, Nikephoros Xiphias and Nikephoros Phokas, rebelled against Basil II. George I secretly encouraged this revolt. But on September 11, 1022, exactly one year after the Shirimni defeat, the rebels were defeated. Basil II realized George was behind it. He turned his attention back to Georgia. George had to accept a forced peace.
George sent Prince Zviad Liparitisdze with troops to meet the emperor. George also tried to recapture Tao in the winter of 1022-1023. Following bad advice from some Georgian lords, George ordered an attack on Byzantine troops. A fierce battle began in the plain of Basiani. The Byzantine army was defeated. But soldiers from Kievan Rus' fought hard and defeated the Georgians. Many Georgian lords and fighters died.
Peace talks restarted. A treaty was made between Basil II and George I. George's eldest son, Bagrat, who was only three years old, was sent to Constantinople as a hostage for three years. Georgia also had to give up fourteen fortresses. They also gave up all claims to the lands of David III Kuropalates. Georgia lost Tao, Javakheti, Shavsheti, the plains of Basiani, and the towns of Artaani and Kola. This war ended with a Byzantine victory.
End of Reign and Death
Two years after the war, Basil II died on December 15, 1025. His brother Constantine VIII became emperor. By this time, the three years for Prince Bagrat in Constantinople were over. But Constantine did not want to let Bagrat go. He ordered his general, Nikita, to bring back the six-year-old Bagrat. But it was too late. A large Georgian army was ready to defend their future king.
Later, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Melchizedek I, went to Constantinople. He was Georgia's ambassador. He bought back several villages in Tao. He also bought lands in Shavsheti, Javakheti, and Kola. All these lands were later given to the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Two years later, on August 16, 1027, King George I died. He was traveling in the Trialeti region. He was buried in the Bagrati Cathedral in his capital, Kutaisi. A recently found grave might belong to him. The Georgian Chronicles say the whole country mourned him. They said he was better than all his ancestors in many ways. His son, Bagrat IV, who was seven years old, became the new King of Georgia.
George I's Legacy
King George I left a mixed legacy. He lost a third of his lands to nobles. But he was a very skilled diplomat. He turned his enemy, Kvirike III of Kakheti, into a loyal ally. He also gained control over Armenia's internal affairs. His alliances helped him avoid an earlier invasion by Byzantium. However, the Byzantines still invaded and took land in 1021-1023.
Despite this, a later historian, Vakhushti Bagrationi, praised him greatly. He wrote that George I was young and full of good qualities. He said no one among his ancestors was as energetic, heroic, or generous. He was also praised for his looks and ability to govern.
One important trace of George I's reign is the building of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. This famous cathedral is in Mtskheta. It was started in the 1020s by George I. From his time, almost all future Georgian kings were crowned in Mtskheta. Svetitskhoveli was the official seat of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia until 2004.
Family of George I
George I married Mariam of Vaspurakan. She was the youngest daughter of King Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni. They married before 1018. They had four children:
- Bagrat IV of Georgia (1018 – 1072), who became King of Georgia.
- Gurandukht, who married Smbat.
- Martha.
- Kata, who married Abbas I of Kars.
Later, some sources suggest George I married Alda, an Alanian princess. However, Georgian records do not mention him divorcing Queen Mariam. Some historians think Alda might have been a concubine (a secondary wife). This would make sense because the Alans were vassals of Georgia. It is certain that George had at least one son with Alda:
- Demetrius of Anakopia
George I in Literature
George I is an important character in the historical novel The Hand of the Great Master. This book was written by Konstantine Gamsakhurdia. The author said he was very interested in George's character. He also found George's reign, full of challenges, very fascinating.
