Georgia-Kartli

   Kartli is the Georgian name for the eastern Georgian kingdom known to the classical world as Iberia. The name is derived from the powerful Georgian tribe, the Karis, who emerged in the eastern part of the country in the eighth or seventh century BC. The Georgian name of the Georgian nation is Sakartvelo (land of the Kartvel-ebi). The names of both the country and the people are derived from the principal province and the tribe that first settled there.

  The Iberian or Kartlian Kingdom with its capital at Mtskheta-Armazi came into existence in approximately the sixth century BC. iberia-Kartli maintained contact with the Greeks, Achacmenid Persia, the Seleucids, Arsacid Iran, the Pontics, and many others. In the third century BC the first king of Iberia-Kartli, Parnavazi, rose to power in Miskheta-Armazi, establishing his dynasty over rival Iberian princes. As a result of the political organization created by Parnavazi, the differences between Georgian tribes were reduced and the tribes were gradually assimilated into the dominant Kartveli group.

   In the first century BC, because of Pompey's punitive expedition into the South Caucasus, Kartli-lberia fell under Roman domination. However, by the last decade of the first century AD Kartli-lberia was recognized as an ally of Rome, not a vassal state required to pay taxes. In 298 the Romans and Iranians signed the Peace of Nisibis, making Kartli-lberia a dependent state of Rome but putting an Iranian candidate, Mirian, on the throne. The orientation of Kartli-lberia to Rome allowed for the subsequent advent of Christianity, when St. Nino arrived preaching the gospel in 328. King Mirian converted in 334, and Christianity became the state religion of Kartli-lberia. In 588 the Byzantine emperor Maurice restored Kartli-Iberia’s autonomy after having defeated the Iranians, but instead of re-establishing the monarchy he appointed a ruling prince named Guaram (588-602). Byzantium and Iran reached an agreement in 591 that split Kartli-lberia between them: one region with the capital in Mtskheta ruled by a Byzantine appointee and the other ruled by Iran in Tbilisi. Guarani's son Stepanoz I (602-627) deserted the Byzantine camp and gave his allegiance to the Iranians, thus reuniting Kartli-lberia. Emperor Heraclius 1 (610-641) sent a punitive expedition to Kartli-lberia, captured Stepanoz I, and flayed him alive. Adarnase 1 of Kakheti was appointed ruler of Kartli-lberia, and Byzantium continued to wield authority over this region until the Arab invasions twenty years later.

  The Arabs captured the Kartli-lberian capital of Tbilisi in 645. 'Byzantium had no intention of giving up its interests in the Caucasus, and for the next two centuries Kartli-lberia was the prize for which the Byzantine and Arab armies constantly contended. By the end of the eighth century, local Georgian lords had wrested a degree of autonomy and ruled their individual regions as they saw fit, while the Arabs controlled the cities, including Tbilisi.

 The tenth century saw the rise, in Tao, of the powerful new Bagratid prince David. Favored by the Byzantine emperor Basil II (975-1025), David was ultimately instrumental in helping Bagrat III become the first king of a united Abkhazeti and Kartli-lberia. In 1068, however, the Seljuk Turks from Iran began incursions into Kartli. Tbilisi was captured and given to a Moslem emir. It remained in Moslem hands until the greatest of all Georgian kings, David the Builder (1089-1125), ascended the throne and recaptured the city in 1122. He made Tbilisi the capital of an expanding empire, which came to encompass all the land from the Black Sea to the Caspian and from the Caucasus south through greater Armenia. He established seats of learning and was especially generous to the monastery of Shiomgvime in Kartli.

  King Davids great-granddaughter. Queen Tamara (1184-1212), ruled at the height of the Georgian empires power and was instrumental in expanding her kingdoms borders and enriching its culture. When her son Giorgi IV Lasha look over in 1212, he inherited a kingdom that was respected throughout Christendom and the Middle East.

  The success was short-lived, however, with the coming of the Mongol invasions. By the end of the 15th century, Georgia was divided into three kingdoms: Kartli, Imereti, and Kakheti. The country was not to be reunited until the beginning of the 19th century when it was annexed by Russia.


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David (Dodo) son of Ivan Abashidze (Actor Dodo Abashidze) (1924–1990) Vakhtang son of Simon Amilakhvari (1891–1916) Aleksandr son of Mikhail Bagration of Mukhrani (1856–1935) Kirill son of Bezhan Lordkipanidze (Tergdaleuli) (1839–1919) Ivan (Niko) son of Givi Amilakhvari (1829–1905) Vladimir son of Mikhail Iashvili (1815–1864) Ekaterina Ilinichna Bagration-Gruzinskaya (…–1888) David Grigorevich Amashukeli (1910–…) Anna (Anna-Mate) daughter of Mamuka Orbeliani Imeretinskaia tsaritsa Anna (1765–1832) Tato son of Iason Sreseli (…–1862) Vera Yakovlevna Malama (1887–1974) Nina daughter of Estate Tarkhan-Mouravi (Sisters of Charity) (1895–1947) Boris Konstantinovich Gorbachev (noble) (…–…) Viktor Illarionovich Nakashidze (1865–…) David son of Alexander Mikeladze (David Mevele) (1844–1918) Ivan son of Mamuka (Makar) Orbeliani (1844–1919) Michael son of Edisher Chiaureli (Film director Mikhail Chiaureli) (1894–1974) Erast Stepanovich Andreevsky (1809–1872) Gela son of Grigori Dadiani (1888–1937) Mikhail son of Levan Shervashidze (1871–1919) Dmitry son of Pyotr Bagration (1863–1919) Petr son of Roman Bagration (1818–1876) George Mikeladze (…–1919) Tamara daughter of Ivan Vakhvakhishvili (1839–1898) Bekirbi son of Otar Dadeshkeliani (…–…) Svimon Ivanovich Machabeli (1895–…) Ivan (Vaniko) son of David Abashidze (Actor) (…–1937) Aleksandr Davidovich Orbeliani (1829–1869) Sokrat son of Vasily Amashukeli (1864–…) Mikhail Aleksandrovich Shervashidze (1861–1884) George son of Ilia Orbeliani (General George Orbeliani) (1853–1924) Sofia Aleksandrovna Chavchavadze (1833–1862) Elisabed (Liza) Spiridonovna Kacharava (1894–…) Kote (Konstantin) Ivanovich Makharadze (Georgian actor and sport commentator) (1926–2002) Zaal Terishvili (1839–…) George Alexandrovich Romanov (Grand Duke) (1871–1899) Simon son of Grigol (Gregory) Lordkipanidze (1918–1999) Dimitri son of Ivan (Kocho) Kipiani (1811–1887) Salome daughter of Ivan Amilakhvari (1856–…) George (Pachua) son of Ivan Amilakhvari (1821–1895) Levan son of Tevdore Metreveli (Georgian writer) (1884–1941) George son of Konstantin Eliozishvili (1906–1929) Erekle (Nazar Ali khan) son of David Bagrationi (King of Kakheti and Kartli Erekle I) (…–1709) Prince Aleksandr Ivanovich Gagarin (1801–1857) Ushangi Lordkipanidze (1933–1983) Evgenia Avetisovna Meloian (1910–2006) Anton Purtseladze (1841–…) Tanuria daughter of Puto (Putu) Shervashidze (…–…) Ilia son of Grigory Chavchavadze (Saint Ilia the Righteous) (1837–1907) Viktor Georgievich Gelovani (1878–1921) Dimitri Amashukeli (1900–…) Grigori son of Nicholas Abkhazi (1854–…) Elena daughter of Simon Abamelik (1770–1836) George son of Ilia Orbeliani (General George Orbeliani) (1853–1924) Aleksandr Borisovich Buchkiashvili (1825–1902)