Rusudan (daughter of Demetrius I of Georgia) facts for kids
Rusudan (pronounced Roo-soo-dan) was a princess from the country of Georgia a long time ago, in the 1100s. She belonged to the Bagrationi royal family, which was the ruling family of Georgia. She was the daughter of King Demetrius I of Georgia. Her brothers, David V and George III, also became kings. Rusudan was also the aunt of the famous Queen Tamar of Georgia. In Georgia, people called her dedopali, which means queen. In the Seljuk Empire, she was known by another name, Abkhaziyya Khatun.
Her Life and Marriages
Princess Rusudan married a powerful ruler called Sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud from the Seljuk dynasty in 1143. When they married, she was given the city of Ganja as a special gift. This marriage lasted for a few years until the Sultan passed away in 1152.
After his death, she married his uncle, Sultan Ahmad Sanjar. When Sultan Sanjar died in 1157, she married his nephew, Sultan Suleiman-Shah. This marriage lasted until 1161, when he also passed away. After this, Rusudan returned to Georgia. She did not have any children and did not marry again.
Rusudan's Influence on Queen Tamar
Rusudan played an important role in the lives of her two nieces. These were Tamar and Rusudan, the daughters of her brother King George III. They grew up and were educated at her court in Samshvilde.
After her brother King George III died in 1184, his daughter Tamar became the new queen. Princess Rusudan was very influential during Queen Tamar's rule. In 1185, a person named Yury Bogolyubsky was part of a group that wanted to limit Queen Tamar's power. During this time, Princess Rusudan worked with the leader of the Georgian Church, called the Catholicos. Together, they helped arrange the marriage between Yury and Tamar.
Even though Tamar was already crowned as mepe (which means ruler) by her father, her marriage to Yury meant he also held the title of mepe. This changed Tamar's title to 'king of kings and queen of queens'. Princess Rusudan also became a foster-mother to an Alan prince named David Soslan. Queen Tamar later married David Soslan in 1189, after her first marriage ended in 1187.
