Georgian expedition to Iran

Georgian expedition to Iran

route of the campaign
Date1208-1210
LocationNorthern Iran.
Result Nominal submission of northern Iran
Belligerents
Kingdom of Georgia Eldiguzids
Strength
Zakaria II Mkhargrdzeli
Ivane Mkhargrdzeli		 Muzaffar al-Din Uzbek

Georgia's military campaign in Iran is the remarkable event of Queen Tamar's reign – as a revenge for the local Muslim ruler's attack on Ani and his massacre of the city's Christian population.[1]

Background

In the year 1199, Georgia's Queen Tamar captured Ani and gave the governorship of the city to her High Constable Zakare and Ivane Mkhargrzeli.[2]

According to the Georgian Chronicler, during Lent, when Mkhargrdzeli-brothers, were at the royal palace of Geguti in Western Georgia, with the Queen who had lost her husband, the Sultan of Ardabil (an ancestor of Shah Ismail Safavi) crossed the Arak mountains, and entered Ani at dawn on Easter day, when the town-gates were being opened and the entire population was at prayer. He made a terrible massacre of the local population crowded in the churches. After perpetrating a dreadful massacre (12,000 people were slaughtered in the churches alone) and pillaging the town, the Sultan returned loaded with spoils and captives to his domains.

History

When news of the tragedy of Ani reached Geguti, Tamar called Darbazi – the supreme royal council – where the Mkhargrdzeli brothers proposed punishing the Sultan immediately. War against Iran was started with the council's agreement. Queen Tamar then decided to launch a large-scale offensive against Eldiguzids. This war did not pursue the purpose of territorial conquest or even of establishing some form of political dependence on Georgia. It was a typical invasion by a feudal state into a rich and relatively weak country with the aim of pillage and of showing its military strength. Preparations were made carefully and in secret.

The brothers Mkhargrdzeli went to Ani and started preparations. Expedition took place in the following year, The Mkhargrdzelis sent a messenger to the Queen with a request to send her troops to join them. She gave an order to the Meskhians, Torelians, Tmogvians, Her-Kakhetians and Armenians. They gathered in Ani and from there they planned their way to Ardabil, Georgian cavalry crossed the Araxes through Khodaafarin bridge, to the north of Ardabad, and headed straight to Ardabil, one of the most important towns of northern Persia. In the night, the day before "Eid", they surrounded Ardabil. Georgians burst into the city from all sides and seized it without a fight. The Mkhargdzeli's massacred 12,000 locals "as many as were killed in Ani", including the Sultan. By the same road, consoled, they returned victorious to Ani and appeared before the Queen Tamar.

Military campaign to Iran

The attack on Ardebil showed the Georgian leaders that they could attack Eldiguzids once more. Large Georgian forces concentrated in Tbilisi, which then marched to Northern Iran, through Nakhchivan and Julfa (vassal territories in a march), under the orders of Zakaria and Ivane Mkhargrdzeli. The Georgian army crossed the Araxes, entered the narrow gorge of Daraduz and marched to Marand, Learning of this, the inhabitants of Marand hid themselves among the rocks. Entering Marand and finding no man there, Zakaria thought that the enemy's army was on the mountain of Marand, and he selected detachment of five hundred horsemen under the command of certain Taki ad-Din Tmogveli as their commander and sent them to the Marand Mountain. Seeing a small detachment, Marandians armed themselves, and attacked it. Poorly organized Muslims were crushed; very few of the enemy escaped, most of them were killed, and those who fled were pursued for a long time.[3] Zakaria posted a garrison in the town and went on to Tabriz in 1208, they crossed the mountains, known as "Devsopni". When the citizens of Tabriz learned of the appearance of the Georgian army, they were seized with terror. The frightened inhabitants of Tebriz secured themselves by paying huge contributions; especially Muhammad Jahan Pahlavan's wife, Zahide, gave a lot of money, stones, and craftsmanship to save the city. They even provided food for the army. Georgians promised them peace and declared they would cross their lands without inflicting harm; The Georgians left guards at the city and leaving Adarbadagan went to and Miana. The Melik of Miana also asked them for peace and promised countless presents. Accumulating all kinds of riches the Georgians stationed guards at the city and left Miana in peace. From Tabriz and Miana the Georgian cavalry then rode through Gilan, to the small town of Zinjan, surrounded by a wattle and daub wall, the citizens reinforced it and began to fight, however Georgians captured it by storm and received the submission. From there they continued their way to Khorasan and approached another large center Qazwin,[4] which capitulated without a fight. After the capture of Rogmor, in the district of Nishapur, in 1210, Georgians went to Gorgan,[5][6] pillaging several settlements on their way, in northeast Persia.[7][1] As a Georgian chronicler noted, the Georgians reached countries where nobody had heard of either their name or existence. The return voyage was long, the spoils, which were looted throughout the north of Persia, did not allow them to move fast. The annihilation of the Georgian garrison by the inhabitants of Maian compelled Zakaria to revisit it again and to destroy its townsmen.

Aftermath

The Georgian army returned with enormous booty; the chronicler does not conceal his surprise and delight over the huge quantity of precious stones, rugs, gold, splendid works of art and handicraft-articles that was seized. These victories brought Georgia to the summit of its power and glory, establishing a pan-Caucasian Georgian Empire that extended from the Black Sea to the Caspian and from the Caucasus Mountains to Lake Van.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Lordkipanidze & Hewitt 1987, p. 154.
  2. ↑ Lordkipanidze, Mariam (1987). Georgia in the XI-XII Centuries. Tbilisi: Genatleba. p. 150.
  3. ↑ Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Kartlis Tskhovreba (History of Georgia), Artanuji pub. Tbilisi 2014
  4. ↑ Mikaberidze, Alexander (2011). Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World: A Historical Encyclopedia, Volume 1. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO. p. 196. ISBN 1598843362.
  5. ↑ Yar-Shater, Ehsan (2010). Encyclopaedia Iranica, Volume 2, Parts 5-8. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 892.
  6. ↑ Brosset, Marie-Felicite (1858). Histoire de la Géorgie depuis l'Antiquité jusqu'au XIXe siècle. France: imprimerie de l'Académie Impériale des sciences. pp. 468–472.
  7. ↑ L. Baker, Patricia; Smith, Hilary; Oleynik, Maria (2014). Iran. London, United Kingdom: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 158. ISBN 1841624020.


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