Kartlis Tskhovreba - History of Georgia

[Solmyr]

As promised, I'm starting my new AAR with the release of the latest bugfix.

Country: Kingdom of Georgia
Dynasty: Bagratuni
Mods: 1066 v4 bugfix (with a few minor corrections I already made to it), Solmyr's events, some events from LUCKS, Tunch Khan's Muslim portraits, lots of new CoAs from the graphics forum including one for Georgia itself

Those interested in the origin of this AAR's title can see here:
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclop...ucasian-Iberia

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Kartlis Tskhovreba - Prologue

Christianity started to spread in Georgia from the 1st century, and became established as a state religion of Kartli in the 330s and about the same time in West Georgia as well. In the mid-5th century, Vakhtang Gorgasali became King of Kartli, leading the struggle against the Persians. Vakhtang further strengthened the Kartlian church by making it autocephalic, having secured permission from Constantinople to elevate the status of the bishop of Mtskheta to that of Catholicos.

The principalities (samtavros) of Kakheti, Hereti and Tao-Klarjeti, as well as the western Georgian Kingdom of Abkhazia, took shape in the 7th-8th centuries. In 645 the Arabs captured Tbilisi and installed an Arab Emir there, but they could not conquer West Georgia. At the end of the 8th century, the archon of Abasgia Leon rose in rebellion against the Roman Empire and declared himself "King of the Abkhazians." He also liberated Lazica (Egrisi) and founded an independent Egrisi-Abkhazian Kingdom with the capital Kutaisi, in the centre of West Georgia.

Another independent feudal state, the Tao-Klarjeti Principality appeared in southwest Georgia in the early 9th century, founded by the Erismtavari of Kartli, Ashot Bagratuni. Rising against the Arabs, Ashot withdrew into his hereditary province of Klarjeti, liberated the neighbouring provinces of Tao, Kola, Artvani, Shavsheti, and others from the Arabs, and firmly established himself there with the help of the Roman emperor, receiving from the latter the title of "Kuropalate."

The most important events in Tao-Klarjeti are connected with name of David III who ruled in the second part of the 10th century. He freed more Georgian provinces from the Arabs. David III rendered effective assistance to the Roman Emperors Basil and Constantine in quelling the rebellion of Bardas Skleros in 979, receiving in recognition of his service a number of provinces up to Lake Van. Using his power and authority and supported by the Kartlian Eristavi Ioanne Marushidze, David III began the unification of the Georgian lands. David III raised his adopted son Bagrat Bagratui to the throne of Kartli (975) and Abkhazia (978). After the death of David III, Bagrat added Tao-Klarjeti to Kartli, inherited the title of King of the Kartvels, and in 1010 added Kakheti and Hereti to his Kingdom, completing the unification of the Georgian territories into one state, with the exeption of the Emirate of Tiflis. Bagrat III, The first king of unified Georgia bore the title of "King of the Abkhazians, Kartvels, Hers and Kakhs". Kutaisi was the capital of the kingdom.

Bagrat's son Giorgi I (ruled 1014-1027) fought the Romans for border lands but achieved little. Giorgi's son and successor, Bagrat IV, at first had to contend with his half-brother Demetre for the throne. But Demetre was finally defeated in 1053, and his son Davit fled to Constantinople. In 1064, the first Turkish raids on Armenian and Georgian lands took place. Bagrat had to prepare the defenses of his kingdom.


Kingdom of Georgia and surrounding lands at the end of 1066


King Bagrat IV the Strong

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Genealogy will follow in my usual manner as soon as I get this game going.

[tombom]

Interesting choice. For some bizarre reason I have a soft spot for Georgia.

[DoS]

Interesting indeed, I´m looking forward to this AAR and since I had not the time to follow your last one even more so!

[Nikolai]

A new Solmyr AAR! This will be interesting! With the attacks often coming in the start of the campaign(though I haven't tried the bugfix, so it might be different), this could be an interesting choice.

[Badgerios]

*waves the flag of Georgia*

Georgia is my favourite kingdom to play, I don't know why...too bad my own Bagratuni dynasty ended in 1326 with the death of Konstantine the Child (1320-26) . I will propably start new game with 1066 v4 bugfix.

I wish you better luck.

[Brannart]

Georgia is one of my favorites as well. Looking forward to this, as usual.

[Solmyr]

Kartlis Tskhovreba - Chapter I (1066-1070)

Bagrat IV was by all accounts a strong king. A just, energetic, and valorous ruler, he was anything a kingdom could ask for. Himself descended from the legendary Ashot Bagratuni, Bagrat had prestigious pedigree in most of his family. His mother was Mariam Arcruni, a woman of that fine family and a distant relative to Roupen, the prince of Armenia Minor. His first wife was Helene Argyrosa, niece of Emperor Romanos III and aunt of Nikephoros, the then-prince of Hellas. Helene gave him a daughter, Mariam, who was soon wed to Smbat, a distant relative and father of the count of Siunik. Bagrat's second wife, Borena of Ossetia, had less noble pedigree, but not only was she instrumental in bringing about an alliance with the recently converted chiefs of Alania, but she also gave Bagrat his only son and heir Giorgi. Giorgi had married Helena, a daughter of the deposed Armenian King Gagik II. Bagrat's sister Goranduxt was mother to Agsartan, the count of Kakheti; and her daughter Terken Khatun was the newest wife of the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan.

Bagrat looked with consternation as the Seljuks advanced into Armenia, and was certain that his family ties with the Sultan would likely prove no salvation should the Turks turn their sights to Georgia again. The king had to strengthen his realm and acquire more lands to support his army. His first target became the ancient Georgian city of Tbilisi, or Tiflis as it was called by the Arabs who ruled it.

In December 1066, Bagrat received envoys from Roupen of Cilicia, accepting their offer of alliance. A month later, envoys from Constantinople offered an alliance on behalf of Emperor Konstantinos Dukas, and Bagrat accepted as well. However, Konstantinos died only five months later, and his successor Alexios Komnenos did not want to renew the alliance. And so Bagrat formed an alliance with Vsevolod, the Rus prince of Pereyaslavl.

In summer of 1067 the Emperor Alexios advanced into the steppes, fighting the Cumans, and Bagrat felt that his northern border was now secure enough to entertain thoughts of conquest of Tbilisi. Emboldened by the birth of his first grandson Teimuraz to Giorgi and Helena, Bagrat mustered his armies and marched to Guria. From there he advanced east to Tbilisi, when word came that the Emir of Azerbaijan was sending an army in support of P'atlun of Tiflis. Undaunted, Bagrat pressed on.

The war soon became even wider as Mamlan of Azerbaijan dragged the faraway Qarakhans into it. The Qarakhanate did not directly declare war on Georgia, but instead sent an army to besiege Kakheti, where Bagrat's brother-in-law Agsartan had recently died and his infant son Kvirike was the nominal ruler. In November, Bagrat arrived at the walls of Tbilisi, engaging the emir's vanguard. By December, P'atlun had retreated and Bagrat laid siege to Tbilisi.


Battle of Tbilisi

Tbilisi surrendered in March 1068, and soon a message came that the Qarakhan was besieging Kakheti. Bagrat, however, sent envoys to the Qarakhan, persuading him to withdraw. Deciding that little Kvirike was too young to rule, Bagrat recalled him to the royal court and took possession of Kakheti personally.

In May, the old Catholicos died. To fit with the militant situation at hand, Bagrat appointed as his successor Mikael of Abkhazia, a militant though not particularly reverent monk.



Again, word came that Mamlan of Azerbaijan had finally arrived with his army and was besieging Tao. Bagrat hastened there with his army, arriving in June. Though he had some numerical advantage, Bagrat's force consisted in a large part of new recruits who had seen few battles so far. Though they fought valiantly, they broke against the experienced and well-equipped Azeri cavalry, and were routed and destroyed to the last man. Bagrat himself barely escaped north to Guria.


Battle of Tao

However, Azerbaijan sustained some losses as well, and its soldiers were continuously deserting in the Caucasus mountains. Bagrat sent envoys to Mamlan, offering his entire treasury (numbering at 33 thousand Roman nomismata), and the Emir accepted, taking the tribute and withdrawing his army from Georgia. Though its army was lost, Georgia was saved for the moment.

It was time to rest and rebuild. The royal family seemed to enjoy good fortunes, as Giorgi and Helena had a daughter Sinduhtar, and Bagrat's daughter Mariam gave several children to her husband as well. In early 1069, Bagrat's nephew Davit, son of the anti-king Demetre, returned from Constantinople with his family, and was warmly received by the king, who forgave his father's rebellion and even found a wife for Davit among the Georgian nobility. Davit's sister Eirena was also married to Andronik, a Georgian nobleman, and made the kingdom's spymaster. Some time later, Anoush Arcruni, widow of the Armenian King Gagik II (who had died the previous year) and mother-in-law of prince Giorgi, also came to Georgia to live out her old age.

With the new arrivals, Roman art and learning began spreading to Georgia. In Guria especially, local artisans began imitating the Roman art of sculpture. In Abkhazia, scholars formalized the principles of the Seven Liberal Arts, and king Bagrat soon sponsored the construction of a library to hold the new learning.

In July 1070, Giorgi and Helena had their second son, Gubaz. The royal succession looked secure, and none too soon, for Bagrat was already feeling effects of his advanced age. After a short illness, he died on September 11th, and was buried in the new royal tomb at Tbilisi, which he had conquered. His son was crowned as king Giorgi II.



Giorgi II and the kingdom at his ascension

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Bagratuni genealogy updated to September 1070.

[tombom]

I married Mariam to the count's son - who, incidentally, has a name that is too long to fit on the page along with the age . Nice start. BTW, how do you generate the genealogies? Do you just write them by hand? Geneologies are my favourite part of CK.

[DoS]

Good start and I see you´re wasting no time fortifying your stance , well with such neighbors one has to be prepared for the worst. I´m already curious where fortune will lead you, looking forward to that and the next update ! -DoS-

[Solmyr]

tombom: Yes, I write the genealogies by hand. It's fun later in the game, seeing what all my relatives have been doing.

DoS: Yeah, having the Seljuks for a neighbor is exciting when you are not playing Byzantium.

[C.N.]

Looks intresting. What are your plans?
Which one is Azerbaijan, the green or the white one?
Good luck, you will need it!

[tombom]

White one. Darker green one is independent count and light green one is derbent.

[Solmyr]

My most immediate plan is to survive and become strong enough that I don't have to worry about greedy neighbors invading my lands. After that, we'll see. Possibly take some nearby Muslim territories from the Seljuks, maybe expand on the steppes somewhat (if Byz doesn't destroy the Cumans before then!). Get Alania under my thumb.

[Murmurandus]

Good start. Keep it up!

[Nikolai]

Good start, only sad with the army you lost... I guess you'll take revenge as soon as it's reinforced? If Arran is independent, I guess it's...interesting...? BTW, good stats on that new king!

[TheBee]

*Beseeches the gods on Mount Paradox to protect this AAR from CTD*

Great to see another Solmyr AAR! I'll be following this one.

Originally Posted by Badgerios

(...)
Georgia is my favourite kingdom to play, I don't know why...
(...)

Perhaps is has something to do with them being poor Christians being entirely surrounded by hungry Sunni nations. That's my reason, at least. Always sympathizing with underdogs 'n all...

Anyway, my knowledge of the Medieval Caucasus is extremely limited, so I'll hope to learn a bit in the meanwhile too
For example, what sort of state was "Alania"?

[Solmyr]

Nikolai: Giorgi is a starting character, so his stats are preset. His sons have been born during the game though. Their stats aren't too bad either, you may see them in time.

TheBee: Alania aka Ossetia was settled by Alans who were an Indo-Iranian people descended from the Sarmatians and related to Scythians. They settled in the Caucasus north-northeast of Georgia, and were eventually destroyed by the Mongols.

[Morpheus506]

You ought to try vassalizing the Alans, or maybe finessing their kids into marriage so you inherit Alania later on.

Also, the Seljuks appearing to your south look ominous... make sure they don't get the better of you...

[Solmyr]

Originally Posted by Morpheus506

You ought to try vassalizing the Alans, or maybe finessing their kids into marriage so you inherit Alania later on.

Well, the Prince of Alania has only a daughter so far.

[Murmurandus]

Originally Posted by Solmyr

Well, the Prince of Alania has only a daughter so far.

Mmm, let's keep it that way then...