Kingdom of Kartli: Map & History
The Kingdom of Kartli was a late medieval and early modern monarchy in eastern Georgia, centred on the province of Kartli, with its capital at Tbilisi.
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The Kingdom of Kartli was a late medieval and early modern monarchy in eastern Georgia, centred on the province of Kartli, with its capital at Tbilisi. It emerged in the process of a tripartite division of the Kingdom of Georgia in 1478 and existed, with several brief intervals, until 1762 when Kartli and the neighbouring Georgian kingdom of Kakheti were merged through dynastic succession under the Kakhetian branch of the Bagrationi dynasty. Through much of this period, the kingdom was a vassal of the successive dynasties of Iran, and to a much shorter period Ottoman Empire, but enjoyed intermittent periods of greater independence, especially after 1747.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Kartli
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Kartli 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.
- Georgia1463–1467 CE · most
- Armenia1463–1467 CE · a large part
- Azerbaijan1463–1467 CE · a small part
- Turkey1463–1467 CE · a small part
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Kartli'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 Kartli in Depth
History
From circa 1450, in the Kingdom of Georgia rival movements arose among competing feudal factions within the royal house and nobility. These caused a high degree of instability across the entire territory of the kingdom. This period was characterised by feudal competition, separatism, and civil war.
Major disintegration of the Georgian kingdom dates from 1463 with the defeat of George VIII at the Battle of Chikhori by the rebellious nobleman Bagrat. The latter destroyed any outward vestige of Georgian national unity by proclaiming himself the King of Imereti. This move led to the beginning of the wholesale disintegration of the former united Georgian monarchy and state. This devolution was to be repeated in various forms for rest of the collective history of this region.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Kartli (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Kartli: Key Facts
| Capital | Tbilisi |
|---|---|
| Official language | Georgian |
| Founded | 1466 |
| Dissolved | 1762 |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
- Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti
Facts from Wikidata Q195972 (CC0).
Kingdom of Kartli Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Kartli appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Kartli Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 130,082 km² in 1465 CE.
Kingdom of Kartli: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Kartli exist?
The Kingdom of Kartli is dated to 1463 CE – 1705 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Kartli?
The capital of the Kingdom of Kartli was Tbilisi.
How large was the Kingdom of Kartli at its peak?
At its peak in 1465 AD the Kingdom of Kartli covered about 130,082 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Avarga
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad