Giorgi V of Georgia (Brilliant) (d. 1346) was the King of Georgia, reigning first nominally in 1299 and then fully from 1318 until his death in 1346. The son of King Demetre II, he was endorsed by the Mongol overlords in 1299, though his actual authority extended only to Tbilisi at that time. In the 1310s, the Il-Khan Öljeitü named the young son of King David VIII as King Giorgi VI (Mtsire) (1314–1318), appointing Giorgi V as his regent.
During these years, Giorgi demonstrated strong diplomatic skills by building relationships with numerous Middle Eastern powers. Between 1316 and 1320, he dispatched envoys to the Mamluk sultans of Egypt, who granted Georgians custodianship over major Christian holy sites in Jerusalem — including the Church of the Holy Cross, Calvary, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and even the keys to the Edicule at Christ’s Tomb.
Taking full control of the throne in 1318, Giorgi faced the enormous challenge of restoring unity to a kingdom fractured into three parts and ravaged by conflict. Unlike his predecessors who resisted Mongol domination, Giorgi chose cooperation with the Il-Khans and leveraged their military support to his advantage. He subdued the Ossetians, reclaimed the city of Gori, and crushed rebellious nobles — many of whom were executed.
In 1329, following the death of King Michael of western Georgia, Giorgi captured Kutaisi, reuniting eastern and western Georgian realms. In 1334, he annexed the region of Samtskhe after the death of its ruler, Sargis II Jakeli. At the same time, he convened a church council that initiated significant reforms within the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Giorgi also introduced two major legal codes: “Dzeglis Dadeba”, applied in the mountainous regions, and “Khelmtsipis Karis Garigeba”, which restructured the royal court and administrative system. His financial reforms included launching a new silver coin known as the “Giorgauli Tetri.”
Capitalizing on the internal chaos within the Il-Khanate, Giorgi succeeded in expelling the remaining Mongol forces from Georgian territory. He also maintained diplomatic relations with several European leaders, notably King Philip VI of France and Pope John XXII.
Buried in the Gelati monastery.