David VIII of Georgia
Encyclopedia
David VIII (1273–1311), from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia
in 1293–1311.
Eldest son of Demetre II the Self-sacrificing
, he was appointed by the Ilkhan
ruler Gaikhatu as king of Georgia
as reward for his military service during the Rüm
elian uprising in 1293. Succeeding his cousin Vakhtang II
, David's rule actually extended only over the eastern part of the kingdom, whereas western Georgia had been under the Imereti
an branch of the House of Bagrationi since 1259.
In 1295, he supported Baidu Khan
in an internal conflict in the Ilkhanate
. However, Baidu was killed and Ghazan became a khan
. Ghazan ordered the Georgia
n king to arrive to his capital Tabriz
. Remembering the fate of his father, David refused to comply and began preparations for war. Ghazan Khan responded with a punitive expedition
, and ravaged the country. Supported by the Mongols, Ossetes attacked Shida Kartli
province and occupied the Liakhvi gorge. David entrenched himself in the Mtiuleti mountains and defeated a large Mongol force in a desperate guerilla fighting at Tsikare. Then, the Khan declared him deposed and appointed David's younger brother Giorgi V as king in 1299.
Although backed by the Mongol
forces, the power of Giorgi did not extend out of the Georgian capital Tbilisi
, and the Khan replaced him by another brother, Vakhtang III
, in 1302. The new king led a Mongol army against David, but could not penetrate deeply into the largely mountainous provinces held by the rebels, and a truce was negotiated. David was recognized as joint sovereign with his brother and received the princedom of Alastani
in the southern province of Javakheti. He developed friendly relations with the Egypt
ian Mamluk
s, the traditional rivals of the Ilkhanate
, and, mediated by Byzantium
, achieved the restoration of the Monastery of the Cross
in Jerusalem to the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church
in 1305.
He was succeeded by his son Giorgi VI the Little in 1311.
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...
in 1293–1311.
Eldest son of Demetre II the Self-sacrificing
Demetre II of Georgia
Saint King Demetrius II the Self-sacrificer , from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1270–1289.-Life:...
, he was appointed by the Ilkhan
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
ruler Gaikhatu as king of Georgia
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...
as reward for his military service during the Rüm
Rûm
Rûm, also Roum or Rhum , an indefinite term used at different times in the Muslim world to refer to the Balkans and Anatolia generally, and for the Byzantine Empire in particular, for the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in Asia Minor, and referring to Greeks living outside of Greece or non-muslims...
elian uprising in 1293. Succeeding his cousin Vakhtang II
Vakhtang II of Georgia
Vakhtang II , of the dynasty of Bagrationi, was king of Georgia from 1289 to 1292. He reigned during the Mongol dominance of Georgia....
, David's rule actually extended only over the eastern part of the kingdom, whereas western Georgia had been under the 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...
an branch of the House of Bagrationi since 1259.
In 1295, he supported Baidu Khan
Baydu
Baydu was the sixth ruler of the Mongol empire's Ilkhanate division in Iran. He succeeded his cousin Gaykhatu as khan of the Ilkhanate state in 1295....
in an internal conflict in the Ilkhanate
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
. However, Baidu was killed and Ghazan became a 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...
. Ghazan ordered the Georgia
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...
n king to arrive to his capital Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
. Remembering the fate of his father, David refused to comply and began preparations for war. Ghazan Khan responded with a punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
, and ravaged the country. Supported by the Mongols, Ossetes attacked Shida Kartli
Shida Kartli
Shida Kartli is a region in Georgia. It consists of the following districts: Gori, Kaspi, Kareli, Java, Khashuri.The northern part of the region, namely Java, and northern territories of Kareli and Gori, is controlled by the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia since...
province and occupied the Liakhvi gorge. David entrenched himself in the Mtiuleti mountains and defeated a large Mongol force in a desperate guerilla fighting at Tsikare. Then, the Khan declared him deposed and appointed David's younger brother Giorgi V as king in 1299.
Although backed by the Mongol
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
forces, the power of Giorgi did not extend out of the Georgian capital 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...
, and the Khan replaced him by another brother, Vakhtang III
Vakhtang III of Georgia
Vakhtang III , of the dynasty of Bagrationi, was the king of Georgia from 1302 to 1308. he ruled during the Mongol dominance of Georgia....
, in 1302. The new king led a Mongol army against David, but could not penetrate deeply into the largely mountainous provinces held by the rebels, and a truce was negotiated. David was recognized as joint sovereign with his brother and received the princedom of Alastani
Alastaneli
Alastaneli was a title of the Georgian dynastic princes ruling over the province of Javakheti from their castle at Alastani in the 13th and 14th centuries. According to traditional Georgian genealogy, this dynasty was a branch of the royal house of Bagrationi, stemming from King David VIII of...
in the southern province of Javakheti. He developed friendly relations with the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
s, the traditional rivals of the Ilkhanate
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
, and, mediated by Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
, achieved the restoration of the Monastery of the Cross
Monastery of the Cross
The Monastery of the Cross is a monastery near the Nayot neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel. It is located in the Valley of the Cross, below the Israel Museum and the Knesset.- History :...
in Jerusalem to the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church
Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church
The Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church is an autocephalous part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since the 4th century AD, Georgian Orthodoxy has been the state religion of Georgia, and it remains the country's largest religious institution....
in 1305.
He was succeeded by his son Giorgi VI the Little in 1311.
Ancestry
External links
- დავით VIII (in GeorgianGeorgian languageGeorgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
) - Kings of Georgia
| Preceded by: Vakhtang II Vakhtang II of Georgia Vakhtang II , of the dynasty of Bagrationi, was king of Georgia from 1289 to 1292. He reigned during the Mongol dominance of Georgia.... |
King of Georgia with Vakhtang III Vakhtang III of Georgia Vakhtang III , of the dynasty of Bagrationi, was the king of Georgia from 1302 to 1308. he ruled during the Mongol dominance of Georgia.... (1302–1308) |
Succeeded by: Giorgi VI the Little |