Tamar, daughter of David IV of Georgia facts for kids

Tamar (Georgian: თამარი) was a princess from Georgia. She was the daughter of King David IV, a famous ruler of Georgia. Tamar became a queen when she married Shirvanshah Manuchehr III, the ruler of Shirvan, around the year 1112. After her husband passed away, she returned to Georgia. She later became a nun at the Tigva monastery in Georgia.

Early Life and Marriage

Tamar was born into the royal Bagrationi family of Georgia. Her father, King David IV, was known for his strength and wisdom. The story of Tamar's marriage to the ruler of Shirvan is found in an old book called Life of the King of Kings David. This book praises Tamar and her sister, Kata. Kata married a prince from the Byzantine Empire. The book says that Tamar and Kata showed how great their father was, like bright stars in the East and West.

Life as a Queen and Nun

After her husband, King Manuchehr III of Shirvan, died, Queen Tamar went back to her home country, Georgia. In 1152, she decided to become a nun. She joined a monastery that she herself had helped to build. This monastery was located in a place called Tigva in eastern Georgia. Old Georgian records and an inscription from the monastery itself confirm this.

Tamar lived as a nun for many years. A historical book written around 1223, called History of the Five Reigns, mentions her death. It says she died as a nun after her brother, King Demetrius I, passed away around 1156. However, we know she was still alive in 1161. At that time, she met her nephew, King George III, during his successful military trip to a city called Ani.

Political Challenges in Shirvan

Some historians believe that Tamar's return to Georgia was because of political problems in Shirvan after her husband died. It seems Tamar got involved in a power struggle between her own sons. She supported her younger son. They tried to join Shirvan with Georgia, even using soldiers from a group called the Kipchaks.

However, Tamar's older son, Akhsitan I, managed to get help from a powerful family called the Ildegizid dynasty from Azerbaijan. Akhsitan I won the fight for the throne. This forced Tamar and her younger son to leave Shirvan and go back to Georgia.

Tamar's Children

According to a historian named Ziya Bunyadov, Queen Tamar and King Manuchehr had five sons. Their names were Akhsitan, Shahinshah, Paridun, Parruhzad, and one son who died when he was very young. They also had two daughters, but their names are not known today. Another historian, Cyril Toumanoff, suggests that one of Tamar's sons settled in Georgia. He was given land in Abkhazia and became the ancestor of the Shervashidze family.