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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Besarion (Vissarion) son of Pavle (Paul) Chikovani (1856–…) Alexander son of Mikhail Kazbegi (Georgian writer Aleksandr Kazbegi) (1848–1893) Shota son of Vasily Sulkhanishvili (1923–2009) Salome daughter of Ioann Avalishvili (1795–1847) Konstantin Aleksandrovich Bagration of Mukhrani (1889–1915) Sofia (Sonia) daughter of Revaz Eristavi of Ksani (1865–…) Aleksandr Georgievich Bagration of Mukhrani (1873–1892) Mariam (Masho) daughter of Vakhtang Orbeliani (Poet Masho Orbeliani) (1852–1941) Simon (Svimon) son of Nicholas Tsereteli (noble) (1868–…) Catherine Skavronskaya (1783–1857) Shota son of Vasily Sulkhanishvili (1923–2009) Prince Aleksandr Nikolaevich Obolensky (1872–1924) Aleksandr Sergeevich Griboedov (1795–1829) George (Grigori) son of Konstantin Eristavi of Ksani (1875–1910) David son of George Sarajishvili (1765–…) Mikhail Gavrilovich Kazbegi (1812–1866) Ivan (Mananich) son of David Orbeliani (1824–1893) Varvara (Babo) daughter of Makar (Mamuka) Orbeliani (1842–1913) Ivan son of Malkhaz Andronikashvili (1798–1868) Nikoloz (Bichuna) son of Leonti Asatiani (1898–1963) Giorgi son of Rostom Tsereteli (1882–1905) Tamara daughter of Archil Chavchavadze (1879–1937) Rostom son of Revaz Lordkipanidze (1824–1896) Leonida Georgievana Bagration of Mukhrani (Grand Duchess of Russia) (1914–2010) Levan son of Manuchar Dadiani (Levan II Dadiani) (1591–1657) Konstantin son of Nikoloz Avalishvili (1878–1937) George son of Vasil Machabeli (Founder of perfume line Prince Matchabelli) (1885–1935) Kesaria daughter of Gregory Shervashidze (1849–1906) Simon Kharitonis dze Baratashvili (1896–…) Elizabeth daughter of Irakli Bagration-Gruzinskaya (1870–1942) Valerian Nikolaevich Kolupailov (1896–…) Tamara daughter of Archil Chavchavadze (1879–1937) Nina daughter of Estate Tarkhan-Mouravi (Sisters of Charity) (1895–1947) Inna Ivanovna Koreneva (1875–1967) Aleksandr son of Archil Bagration-Imeretinsky (1674–1711) Vakhtang son of Simon Amilakhvari (1891–1916) Archil son of Gulbaat Chavchavadze (1841–1902) George son of Mikhail Bagration-Imeretinsky (1873–1932) Gregory son of David Gurieli (1819–1891) Zakhari (Shakro) son of Ivane Berishvili (Actor and film director) (1887–1965) Nicholas (Didi Nico) son of Zurab Chavchavadze (General) (1829–1897) Bidzina son of Otar Cholokashvili (prince) (1829–1902) Ekaterina Ilinichna Bagration-Gruzinskaya (…–1888) Zakhar son of George Eristavi of Ksani (1844–1912) Dimitri Amashukeli (1900–…) Asinet daughter of Shamshe Lordkipanidze (1859–1881) Konstantin (Kichi) son of Alexander Shervashidze (1894–1938) Malkhaz Amashukeli (1961–) Tamar Bagrationi (Queen Tamar of Georgia) (1166–…)