David X of Kartli
Encyclopedia
David X (1482–1526) was a king of the Georgian
kingdom of Kartli
from 1505 to 1525.
He was the eldest son of Constantine II
, whom he succeeded as king of Kartli in 1505 . Despite the fact that Constantine had recognised the independence of the breakaway Georgian kingdoms of Imereti
and Kakheti
, the rivalry among these polities was to continue under David. He had to defend his kingdom against the attacks by Alexander II of Imereti
in the west, and George II of Kakheti
in the east. In August 1509, Alexander took a fort-city Gori
and the northwestern corner of Kartli, but had to abandon the occupied lands to David due to the Ottoman
raid on Imereti in 1510. A year later, George of Kakheti surged into Kartli, but failed to capture the king in a besieged castle of Ateni
. In 1513, George invaded again, only to be defeated and taken prisoner by David’s younger brother Bagrat I of Mukhrani
. He died in captivity and his kingdom was annexed to Kartli. In 1518, the Persian shah
Ismail I
of the newly established Safavid dynasty, sent in an army under Div Sultan Rumlu
, who was joined by the Georgian prince Qvarqvare III Jakeli, atabeg
of Samtskhe. The invaders occupied Surami
and Gori, and David had to make peace with the Persians and to promise to pay tribute. Meanwhile, the Kakhetian nobles used the opportunity to install Levan
, son of the late king George II, as their king. David besieged the Maghrani Castle where Levan had taken positions, but soon had to abandon the siege as the Turkomans appeared again in the Georgian lands. David recognised Lavan as the king of Kakheti in order to win his support against the invaders. In 1522, he refused to convert to Islam
as Shah Ismail had demanded. A new Persian invasion ensued, led this time personally by the shah. David and his son, Luarsab I
, offered him a fierce resistance at the Battle of Teleti, but were finally outnumbered and defeated. The Kartlian capital Tbilisi
was taken by treachery and garrisoned by a large Persian force. On the death of Ismail in 1524, David liberated Tbilisi and expelled the Persians from the country. In 1525, he reconquered Aghjakala
, Lower Kartli, and massacred all the Turkomans who had settled there. The same year, he abdicated the throne in favor of his younger brother, George IX
, and retired to a monastery under the name of Damiane.
David X died in 1526 and was buried at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral at Mtskheta
. He was survived by three sons:
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...
kingdom of Kartli
Kartli
Kartli is a historical region in central-to-eastern Georgia traversed by the river Mtkvari , on which Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is situated. Known to the Classical authors as Iberia, Kartli played a crucial role in ethnic and political consolidation of the Georgians in the Middle Ages...
from 1505 to 1525.
He was the eldest son of Constantine II
Constantine II of Georgia
Constantine II , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Georgia since 1478. Early in the 1490s, he had to recognise the independence of his rival rulers of Imereti and Kakheti, and to confine his power to Kartli....
, whom he succeeded as king of Kartli in 1505 . Despite the fact that Constantine had recognised the independence of the breakaway Georgian kingdoms 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...
and Kakheti
Kakheti
Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...
, the rivalry among these polities was to continue under David. He had to defend his kingdom against the attacks by Alexander II of Imereti
Alexander II of Imereti
Alexander II was a king of Georgia in 1478 and of Imereti from 1483 to 1510.In 1478, his father Bagrat VI died and Alexander became king of Georgia, initially ruling its two major regions, Imereti in the west and Kartli in the east. Alexander was expelled from the kingdom by a rival prince...
in the west, and George II of Kakheti
George II of Kakheti
George II also known as George "the Bad" or "the Evil" , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from 1511 to 1513....
in the east. In August 1509, Alexander took a fort-city Gori
Gori, Georgia
Gori is a city in eastern Georgia, which serves as the regional capital of Shida Kartli and the centre of the homonymous administrative district. The name is from Georgian gora , that is, "heap", or "hill"...
and the northwestern corner of Kartli, but had to abandon the occupied lands to David due to the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
raid on Imereti in 1510. A year later, George of Kakheti surged into Kartli, but failed to capture the king in a besieged castle of Ateni
Ateni (Georgia)
Ateni was a medieval city in Georgia, in the valley of the Tana river, on both banks of the river. Ateni was built in the 11th century by the Georgian king Bagrat IV. The city was secured with three fortresses located near Ateni: Ateni fortress, Vere fortress and Dektsikhe...
. In 1513, George invaded again, only to be defeated and taken prisoner by David’s younger brother Bagrat I of Mukhrani
Bagrat I of Mukhrani
Bagrat, 1st Prince of Mukhrani or Mukhran-Batoni , was the third son of Constantine II of Georgia, of the Bagrationi dynasty, and the founder of the House of Mukhrani.-Biography:...
. He died in captivity and his kingdom was annexed to Kartli. In 1518, the Persian shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
Ismail I
Ismail I
Ismail I , known in Persian as Shāh Ismāʿil , was a Shah of Iran and the founder of the Safavid dynasty which survived until 1736. Isma'il started his campaign in Azerbaijan in 1500 as the leader of the Safaviyya, an extremist heterodox Twelver Shi'i militant religious order and unified all of Iran...
of the newly established Safavid dynasty, sent in an army under Div Sultan Rumlu
Div Sultan Rumlu
Div Sultan Rumlu was a Persian military commander and politician from the Rumlu clan, one of the seven chief Qizilbash tribes which provided crack troops for Safavid guard. From 1524 to 1527, he was a powerful regent to Shah Tahmasp I, who was then underage....
, who was joined by the Georgian prince Qvarqvare III Jakeli, atabeg
Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince...
of Samtskhe. The invaders occupied Surami
Surami
Surami is a townlet in Georgia’s Shida Kartli region with the population of 9,800 . It is a popular mountain climatic resort and a home to a medieval fortress.- Location :...
and Gori, and David had to make peace with the Persians and to promise to pay tribute. Meanwhile, the Kakhetian nobles used the opportunity to install Levan
Levan of Kakheti
Levan also known as Leon , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from 1518/1520 to 1574. He presided over the most prosperous and peaceful period in the history of the Kingdom of Kakheti.- Biography :...
, son of the late king George II, as their king. David besieged the Maghrani Castle where Levan had taken positions, but soon had to abandon the siege as the Turkomans appeared again in the Georgian lands. David recognised Lavan as the king of Kakheti in order to win his support against the invaders. In 1522, he refused to convert to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
as Shah Ismail had demanded. A new Persian invasion ensued, led this time personally by the shah. David and his son, Luarsab I
Luarsab I of Kartli
Luarsab I , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of the Georgian kingdom of Kartli from 1527 to 1556 or from 1534 to 1558...
, offered him a fierce resistance at the Battle of Teleti, but were finally outnumbered and defeated. The Kartlian 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...
was taken by treachery and garrisoned by a large Persian force. On the death of Ismail in 1524, David liberated Tbilisi and expelled the Persians from the country. In 1525, he reconquered Aghjakala
Aghjakala
Gagi, also known as Aghjakala, is a historic fortress in Marneuli district, Kvemo Kartli, Georgia....
, Lower Kartli, and massacred all the Turkomans who had settled there. The same year, he abdicated the throne in favor of his younger brother, George IX
George IX of Kartli
George IX was a king of the Georgian kingdom of Kartli from 1525 to 1527 .The second son of the Georgian king Constantine II, he succeeded on the abdication of his elder brother, David X, in 1525. The relations of the king with other members of the royal family were strained...
, and retired to a monastery under the name of Damiane.
David X died in 1526 and was buried at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral at Mtskheta
Mtskheta
Mtskheta , one of the oldest cities of the country of Georgia , is located approximately 20 kilometers north of Tbilisi at the confluence of the Aragvi and Kura rivers. The city is now the administrative centre of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region...
. He was survived by three sons:
- Luarsab ILuarsab I of KartliLuarsab I , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of the Georgian kingdom of Kartli from 1527 to 1556 or from 1534 to 1558...
- Ramaz (ca 1512-ca 1546)
- Demetre (ca 1516-ca 1540)