Demetrius I of Georgia

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Demetrius I
დემეტრე I
King of Kings of Georgia
Demetrius I by Michael Maglakeli, from Matskhvarishi, 1140. He is wearing front-opening qaba with Arabic tiraz bands inscribed in Kufic script.[1]
King of Georgia
1st Reign1125–1154
PredecessorDavid IV
SuccessorDavid V
2nd Reign1155-1156
PredecessorDavid V
SuccessorGeorge III
Bornc. 1093
Died1156 (aged 62–63)
Mtskheta
Burial
IssueDavid V
George III
Rusudan
DynastyBagrationi
FatherDavid IV of Georgia
MotherRusudan of Armenia
ReligionGeorgian Orthodox Church

Demetrius I (Georgian: დემეტრე I, romanized: demet're I) (c. 1093 – 1156), from the Bagrationi dynasty, was King (mepe) of Georgia from 1125 to 1156. He is also known as a poet. He was King of Georgian kingdom two times, first in 1125 to 1154 and second in 1155 before his death in 1156. King Demetrius I struggled tirelessly to protect the inheritance he had received from his father he guarded Georgia’s borders and fought to enlarge its frontiers. Many regions, including Hereti, Somkhiti, Tashiri, Javakheti, Artaani and Tao were repopulated during King Demetrius ’s reign.

Early life[edit]

Demetrius was the eldest son of king David the Builder by his first wife Rusudan. He was brought up in Kutaisi

King David proclaimed his son co-ruler of Georgia and crowned him with his own hands. He declared that his son Demetrius, through his wisdom, chastity, bravery, and handsome appearance, would rule Georgia better than he himself had. Demetrius acquired great glory while his father was still alive.

In 1117 David sent him to Shirvan to fight, and the young commander astonished the people with his deftness in battle. Demetrius seized Kaladzori Castle (later Alberd, now Ağdaş[2]) and returned home with many captives and much wealth.[3][4]

Demetrius succeeded on his father's death on January 24, 1125.

Reign[edit]

In 1125 Demetrius attacked Dmanisi. Armenian historian Vardan tells us that Demetrius recaptured Khunan, but lost it again after a while. Finally, he recaptured Khunan in 1128, and Dmanisi a little later.

In 1125 Manuchihr, who was Demetrius' brother-in-law, regained control of western Shirvan. And in 1126, the Muslim population of Shirvan rebelled with the support of the Seljuks. In 1129-30, Demetrius reached a compromise with the support of his sister, Shirvan was again divided into two parts, the Christian part was incorporated into Georgia and the border being the Tetritsqali, while Manuchihr was appointed as the emir of eastern Shirvan and recognized Georgia's vassalage.[5]

In 1130, Georgia was attacked by the Sultan of Ahlat, Shah-Armen Sökmen II (c. 1128–1183). This war was started by the passage of Ani into the hands of the Georgians; Demetrius I had to compromise and give up Ani to the Shaddadid emir Fadl ibn Mahmud on terms of vassalage and inviolability of the Christian churches.

In 1130, his half-brother Vakhtang rebelled against the king. He was supported by great feudal lord Ivane Abuletisdze, tried to overthrow Demetrius from the throne but the king captured and punished the conspirators and Vakhtang was captured, blinded and cast in prison where he apparently died shortly afterwards.[6][7]

In 1138 or 1139, Demetrius raided the city of Ganja in Arran. He brought the iron gate of the defeated city to Georgia and donated it to Gelati Monastery at Kutaisi. Despite this brilliant victory, Demetrius could hold Ganja only for a few years.[8][9] In reply to this, the sultan of the Eldiguzids attacked Ganja several times, and in 1143 the town again fell to the sultan. According to Mkhitar Gosh, Demetrius ultimately gained possession of Ganja, but, when he gave his daughter in marriage to the sultan, he presented the latter with the town as dowry, and the sultan appointed his own emir to rule it. Thus, Ganja once again fell into the hands of the Eldiguzids.

In 1150, Demetrius' son David rebelled. Demetrius punished the conspirators, but did not punish his son.

Fadl's successor, Fakr al-Din Shaddad, a Shaddadid emir of Ani asked for Saltuk's daughter's hand, however Saltuk refused him. This caused a deep hatred in Shaddad towards Saltuk. In 1154 he planned a plot and formed a secret alliance with Demetrius. While a Georgian army waited in ambush, he offered tribute to Saltukids, ruler of Erzerum and asked the latter to accept him as a vassal. In 1153–1154, Emir Saltuk II marched on Ani, but Shaddad informed his suzerain, the King of Georgia, of this. Demetrius marched to Ani, defeated and captured the emir. At the request of neighbouring Muslim rulers and released him for a ransom of 100,000 dinars, paid by Saltuk's sons in law and Saltuk swore not to fight against the Georgians he returned home.[10]

In 1154, David, Demetrius's elder son forced his father to abdicate and become a monk, receiving the monastic name Damian (Damianus). However, David died six months later and Demetrius was restored to the throne. David was survived by his son Demna who was regarded by the aristocratic opposition as a lawful pretender. Demetrius crowned his younger son, George, as co-ruler, and retired to David Gareja for good, where he wrote hymns until his death.

He died in 1156 and was buried at Gelati Monastery.

He is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church and his feast day is celebrated on May 23 on the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar.[11]

Marriage and children[edit]

The name of Demetrius's wife is unknown, but he had several children:

Poems[edit]

King Demetrius I was an author of several poems, mainly on religious themes. Shen Khar Venakhi (Georgian: შენ ხარ ვენახი, English: Thou Art a Vineyard), a hymn to the Virgin Mary, is the most famous of them.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Flood, Finbarr Barry (2017). A Turk in the Dukhang? Comparative Perspectives on Elite Dress in Medieval Ladakh and the Caucasus. Austrian Academy of Science. p. 252, Fig. 18.
  2. ^ Hewsen, Robert H. (1992). The Geography of Ananias of Širak: Ašxarhac'oyc', the Long and the Short Recensions. Wiesbaden: Reichert. p. 249. ISBN 3-88226-485-3.
  3. ^ History of Georgia 2012, p. 386.
  4. ^ Hewsen, Robert H. (1992). The Geography of Ananias of Širak: Ašxarhac'oyc', the Long and the Short Recensions. Wiesbaden: Reichert. p. 249. ISBN 3-88226-485-3.
  5. ^ Rayfield 2012, p. 98.
  6. ^ Lordkipanidze, Mariam (1987), Georgia in the XI-XII Centuries, p. 129. Tbilisi: Ganatleba
  7. ^ (in Georgian) Melikishvili, Giorgi & Anchabadze, Zurab (ed., 1979), საქართველოს ისტორიის ნარკვევები, ტ. 3: საქართველო XI–XV საუკუნეებში (Studies in the History of Georgia, vol. 3: Georgia in the 11th–15th centuries). Tbilisi: Sabchota Sakartvelo
  8. ^ Rayfield, Donald (2013). Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. Reaktion Books. p. 100. ISBN 978-1780230702.
  9. ^ Mikaberidze, Alexander (2015). Historical Dictionary of Georgia (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 259. ISBN 978-1442241466.
  10. ^ Prof. Yaşar Yüce-Prof. Ali Sevim: Türkiye tarihi Cilt I, AKDTYKTTK Yayınları, İstanbul, 1991, p. 149–150.
  11. ^ (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Δαμιανὸς ἐκ Γεωργίας. 23 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  12. ^ a b Rayfield, D. (2013). Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. Reaktion Books. pp. 98, 100. ISBN 978-1-78023-070-2.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

Preceded by King of Georgia
1125–1154
Succeeded by
Preceded by King of Georgia
1154–1156
Succeeded by