Bagrat V of Georgia
Encyclopedia
Bagrat V, “the Great” (died 1393) was the son of the Georgian
king Davit IX
with whom he was co-ruler from 1355, and became king after the death of his father in 1360.
A fair and popular ruler, also known as a perfect soldier, he was dubbed as “Bagrat the Great” by his multiethnic subjects. The Trapezuntine
chronicler Michael Panaretos
, who knew the king personally, calls him a “prominent and victorious general”.
Early in his reign, the country was visited again by the Black Death
which took the life of Bagrat’s first wife, Helena in 1366. Later he was an ally of the khan
of Golden Horde
, Tokhtamysh
in his war with Timur
(also known as Tamerlane). In late autumn 1386, a huge army of Timur attacked Georgia
. Tbilisi
was besieged and taken on November 22, 1386 after a fierce fight. The city was pillaged and Bagrat V and his family were imprisoned. Taking advantage of this disaster, the royal vassal Duke Alexander
of Imereti
proclaimed himself an independent ruler and was crowned king of Imereti
at the Gelati Monastery
in 1387.
In order to secure his release, Bagrat V agreed to become Muslim
. Timur agreed to free Bagrat and sent him with the troops of 20,000 Mongols back to Georgia. However, with the secret aid from Bagrat, his son George
completely destroyed a Mongol army and released the king. In the spring of 1387, Timur again invaded Georgia but could not force Georgians to submission. News from Persia (that had started revolt during the absence of Timur) and, more importantly from Azerbaijan
(approach of Tokhtamysh) forced Timur to leave the country. In 1389, on the death of Alexander of Imereti, Bagrat was able to reduce his successor to a vassal duke again.
Bagrat V died in 1393 leaving the throne to his son George.
, daughter of the emperor Basil of Trebizond
. She died of the Black Death
in 1366 leaving two sons, George VII
and David. In June 1367, he married Anna Megale Comnena, daughter of the emperor Alexius III of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene
. She gave birth to a son, Constantine I
.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
king Davit IX
David IX of Georgia
David IX of Georgia , from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia from 1346 until his death.-Family:David was the only known son of George V of Georgia. The identity of his mother is not known. The "Georgian Chronicle" of the 18th century reports George V marrying a daughter of "the Greek...
with whom he was co-ruler from 1355, and became king after the death of his father in 1360.
A fair and popular ruler, also known as a perfect soldier, he was dubbed as “Bagrat the Great” by his multiethnic subjects. The Trapezuntine
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
chronicler Michael Panaretos
Michael Panaretos
Michael Panaretos wrote a chronicle of the Trapezuntine empire of Alexios I Komnenos and his successors from 1204 to 1426. Panaretos was a protosebastos and protonotarios in the service of Alexios III Komnenos...
, who knew the king personally, calls him a “prominent and victorious general”.
Early in his reign, the country was visited again by the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
which took the life of Bagrat’s first wife, Helena in 1366. Later he was an ally of the khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
of Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
, Tokhtamysh
Tokhtamysh
Tokhtamysh was the prominent khan of the White Horde, who briefly unified the White Horde and Blue Horde subdivisions of the Golden Horde into a single state. He was a descendant of Genghis Khan's eldest grandson, Orda Khan or his brother Tuqa-Timur...
in his war with Timur
Timur
Timur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...
(also known as Tamerlane). In late autumn 1386, a huge army of Timur attacked Georgia
Timur's invasions of Georgia
Georgia, a Christian kingdom in the Caucasus, was subjected, between 1386 and 1404, to several disastrous invasions by the Islamic armies of Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, whose vast empire stretched, at its greatest extent, from Central Asia into Anatolia.These conflicts were intimately linked with...
. Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
was besieged and taken on November 22, 1386 after a fierce fight. The city was pillaged and Bagrat V and his family were imprisoned. Taking advantage of this disaster, the royal vassal Duke Alexander
Alexander I of Imereti
Alexander I of Imereti had been Duke of Imereti in Georgia . He took advantage of military defeats suffered by King Bagrat V of Georgia to proclaim Imereti to be an independent kingdom in 1397....
of Imereti
Imereti
Imereti is a province in Georgia situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river. It consists of the following Georgian administrative-territorial units:#Kutaisi #Baghdati region#Vani region#Zestafoni region...
proclaimed himself an independent ruler and was crowned king of Imereti
Kingdom of Imereti
The Kingdom of Imereti was established in 1455 by a member of the house of Bagration when the Kingdom of Georgia was dissolved into rival kingdoms. Before that time, Imereti was considered a separate kingdom within the Kingdom of Georgia, to which a cadet branch of the Bagration royal family held...
at the Gelati Monastery
Gelati Monastery
The Monastery of Gelati is a monastic complex near Kutaisi, Imereti, western Georgia. It contains the Church of the Virgin founded by the King of Georgia David the Builder in 1106, and the 13th-century churches of St George and St Nicholas....
in 1387.
In order to secure his release, Bagrat V agreed to become Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. Timur agreed to free Bagrat and sent him with the troops of 20,000 Mongols back to Georgia. However, with the secret aid from Bagrat, his son George
George VII of Georgia
George VII was king of Georgia from 1393 to 1407 .George was the son of the king Bagrat V and his first wife Helena of Trebizond...
completely destroyed a Mongol army and released the king. In the spring of 1387, Timur again invaded Georgia but could not force Georgians to submission. News from Persia (that had started revolt during the absence of Timur) and, more importantly from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
(approach of Tokhtamysh) forced Timur to leave the country. In 1389, on the death of Alexander of Imereti, Bagrat was able to reduce his successor to a vassal duke again.
Bagrat V died in 1393 leaving the throne to his son George.
Family and children
Bagrat V was married to HelenaHelena Megale Komnene
Helena Megale Komnene is the name given for the first wife of King Bagrat V of Georgia. Her first name is recorded in "The Georgian Chronicle" , and her family name is based on a theory which identifies her as a daughter of Basil of Trebizond. If true, the identity of her mother would be...
, daughter of the emperor Basil of Trebizond
Basil of Trebizond
Basil Megas Komnenos was Emperor of Trebizond from August 1332 to his death in 1340. Basil was a younger son of Emperor Alexios II of Trebizond and his wife Djiadjak Jaqeli...
. She died of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
in 1366 leaving two sons, George VII
George VII of Georgia
George VII was king of Georgia from 1393 to 1407 .George was the son of the king Bagrat V and his first wife Helena of Trebizond...
and David. In June 1367, he married Anna Megale Comnena, daughter of the emperor Alexius III of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene
Theodora Kantakouzene
Theodora Kantakouzene was the Empress consort of Alexios III of Trebizond.- Family :Theodora is considered a daughter of Nikephoros Kantakouzenos, sebastokratōr...
. She gave birth to a son, Constantine I
Constantine I of Georgia
Constantine I was King of Georgia from 1407 to 1411 .He was the elder son of King Bagrat V of Georgia by his second wife, Anna of Trebizond. His maternal grandparents were Alexios III of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene....
.