Rusudan (daughter of Demetrius I of Georgia) facts for kids

Rusudan (Georgian: რუსუდანი) was a Georgian princess from the Bagrationi royal family who lived in the 1100s. She was the daughter of King Demetrius I of Georgia and the sister of Kings David V and George III. She 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 as Abkhaziyya Khatun.

Princess Rusudan of Georgia

Her Royal Marriages

In 1143, Princess Rusudan married Seljuk Sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud. As a wedding gift, she received the city of Ganja. This marriage lasted only a few years because the Sultan passed away in 1152.

After his death, she married his uncle, Sultan Ahmad Sanjar. This marriage ended when Sultan Sanjar died in 1157. Rusudan then married his nephew, Sultan Suleiman-Shah. This third marriage lasted until 1161, when he also passed away. After this, Rusudan returned to her home in Georgia. She did not have any children and never married again.

Educating Future Queens

Rusudan played an important role in her family. Her brother George III had two daughters, Tamar and Rusudan. These nieces were educated at Princess Rusudan's court in Samshvilde. This means she helped teach and guide them, preparing them for their future roles.

Influence in Queen Tamar's Court

After her brother King George III died in 1184, her niece Tamar became the queen. Princess Rusudan was very influential during Queen Tamar's reign.

In 1185, a political group tried to limit Queen Tamar's power. During this time, Princess Rusudan worked with the Catholicos (the leader of the Georgian Church). Together, they arranged for Queen Tamar to marry Yury Bogolyubsky. Even though Tamar was already crowned as "mepe" (ruler) by her father, this marriage meant Yury also held the title of "mepe." This changed Tamar's title to 'king of kings and queen of queens.'

Princess Rusudan also acted as a foster-mother to Alan prince David Soslan. Queen Tamar later married David Soslan as her second husband in 1189, after divorcing her first husband in 1187. Rusudan's guidance and connections were very important in these royal decisions.