Kingdom of Georgia: Map & History
The Kingdom of Georgia, also known as the Georgian Empire, was a medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in c.
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The Kingdom of Georgia, also known as the Georgian Empire, was a medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in c. 1008 AD. It reached its Golden Age of political and economic strength during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar the Great from the 11th to 13th centuries. Georgia became one of the pre-eminent nations of the Christian East, and its pan-Caucasian empire and network of tributaries stretched from Eastern Europe to Anatolia and northern frontiers of Iran. At the height of its influence, Georgia also maintained several important religious centers abroad, such as the Bachkovo Monastery in Bulgaria, Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem and the Monastery of Iviron in Greece. It is the principal historical precursor of present-day Georgia.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Georgia
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Georgia covered territory in 4 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Armenia1126–1802 CE · nearly all
- Georgia1010–1802 CE · most
- Azerbaijan1010–1802 CE · most
- Turkey1126–1462 CE · a small part
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Georgia's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Georgia in Depth
History
During the 10th century, David III of Tao invaded Kartli, a de-facto independent region under the control of the kingdom of Abkhazian, giving it to his adopted son, who would later be known as Bagrat III of Georgia, with his biological father, Gurgen of Iberia, as regent. In 994, Gurgen was crowned King of the Iberians. In 975, supported by a Duke of Kartli Ioane Marushisdze and David, Bagrat claimed the throne of Kartli, becoming King of the Kartlians. During this time, the Kingdom of Abkhazia encompassing what is today western Georgia was under the rule of Theodosius the Blind, who did not have a successor and was the maternal uncle of Bagrat III.
Government and society
Bagrat IV's (r.1027 – 1072) coins featured Greek inscriptions alongside Georgian. By the reigns of Demetrius I (r.1125-1154), Giorgi III (r.1156–1184), David IV (r.1089–1125), and Tamar (r.1184 – 1213), coins were minted bearing the titles "malik al-mulūk" and "malikat al-malikāt", respectively. According to Brosset, Georgia used Arabic as a lingua franca because of the importance of trade relations with the Islamic world. Karst supports this stating that the bilingual coins served as an official and visible symbol of the cordial relationship between Georgia and the Caliphate.
Demetrius I's (r.1125-1154) reign exclusively struck copper coins. There are several recognized patterns in his coinage, which eschewed Byzantine conventions in favor of a hybrid Georgian-Muslim style.
Background
Over the course of the Roman–Persian wars, early Georgian kingdoms were weakened and reduced to feudal regions. As a result of this decline, some parts of the region subsequently fell prey to the early Muslim conquests of the 7th century.
Iberian princes from the Bagrationi dynasty fought against the Arab occupation and came to rule the Tao-Klarjeti region. They established the Kouropalatate of Iberia as a nominal vassal of the Byzantine Empire. By 888, they had gained control of the central Georgian land, Kartli, and restored the Iberian kingship. The Bagrationi dynasty was unable to maintain their kingdom, and it was divided between the three branches of the family. The main branch controlled Tao, while another controlled Klarjeti.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Georgia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Georgia: Key Facts
| Capital | Tbilisi |
|---|---|
| Official language | Georgian |
| Form of government | feudal monarchy |
| Founded | 1008 |
| Dissolved | 1466 |
Preceded by
- Kingdom of the Iberians
- Kingdom of Abkhazia
- First Kingdom of Kakheti
- Bagratid Armenia
- Emirate of Tbilisi
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q154667 (CC0).
Kingdom of Georgia Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Georgia appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Georgia Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 197,402 km² in 1132 CE.
Kingdom of Georgia: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Georgia exist?
The Kingdom of Georgia is dated to 1010 CE – 1802 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Georgia?
The capital of the Kingdom of Georgia was Tbilisi.
How large was the Kingdom of Georgia at its peak?
At its peak in 1132 AD the Kingdom of Georgia covered about 197,402 km².
How did the map of the Kingdom of Georgia change over time?
The Kingdom of Georgia appears on 5 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1100 CE to 1800 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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