George IV of Georgia
Encyclopedia
George IV Lasha (1191–1223) of the Bagrationi Dynasty
, was a king of Georgia
from 1213 to 1223.
A son of Queen Tamar
and David Soslan
i, he was declared as a coregent by his mother in 1207. He continued Tamar’s policy of strengthening of the Georgia
feudal state. He put down the revolts in neighbouring Muslim
vassal states in the 1210s and began preparations for a large-scale campaign against Jerusalem to support the Crusaders
in 1220. However, the Mongol
approach to the Georgian borders made the Crusade plan unrealistic. The first Mongol expedition defeated two Georgian armies in 1221–1222 and left through Inner Caucasus. Georgians suffered heavy losses in this war and the King himself was severely wounded. As a result Lasha George became an invalid and died prematurely at the age of 31. He was succeeded by his sister Rusudan
.
George Lasha was known as an open minded person and met much criticism from a conservative feudal society. The nobles and Christian
clergy
men rejected his wife and failed to recognize her as queen. She was a girl from a family of commoners. Ultimately, the King had to compromise and divorced her formally, refusing, however, to marry anyone else.
Some medieval sources characterize George IV as a wise ruler and brave warrior, while others point to his immoral life style and addiction to mysticism
and even Sufism
.
He was survived by a son David (the future King David VII Ulu
)
Bagrationi Dynasty
The Bagrationi dynasty was the ruling family of Georgia. Their ascendency lasted from the early Middle Ages until the early 19th century. In modern usage, this royal line is frequently referred to as the Georgian Bagratids, a Hellenized form of their dynastic name.The origin of the Bagrationi...
, was a 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...
from 1213 to 1223.
A son of Queen Tamar
Tamar of Georgia
Tamar , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was Queen Regnant of Georgia from 1184 to 1213. Tamar presided over the "Golden age" of the medieval Georgian monarchy...
and David Soslan
David Soslan
David Soslan was an Alan prince and a King Consort of Georgia as the second husband of Queen Regnant Tamar who married him c. 1189. He is chiefly known for his military exploits during Georgia’s wars against its Muslim neighbors.- Origins :...
i, he was declared as a coregent by his mother in 1207. He continued Tamar’s policy of strengthening of 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...
feudal state. He put down the revolts in neighbouring 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...
vassal states in the 1210s and began preparations for a large-scale campaign against Jerusalem to support the Crusaders
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
in 1220. However, the Mongol
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
approach to the Georgian borders made the Crusade plan unrealistic. The first Mongol expedition defeated two Georgian armies in 1221–1222 and left through Inner Caucasus. Georgians suffered heavy losses in this war and the King himself was severely wounded. As a result Lasha George became an invalid and died prematurely at the age of 31. He was succeeded by his sister Rusudan
Rusudan of Georgia
Queen Rusudan , from the Bagrationi dynasty, ruled Georgia in 1223–1245.- Life :Daughter of Queen Tamar of Georgia by David Soslan, she succeeded her brother George IV of Georgia on January 18, 1223. George’s untimely death marked the beginning of the end of the Georgian “golden age”...
.
George Lasha was known as an open minded person and met much criticism from a conservative feudal society. The nobles and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
men rejected his wife and failed to recognize her as queen. She was a girl from a family of commoners. Ultimately, the King had to compromise and divorced her formally, refusing, however, to marry anyone else.
Some medieval sources characterize George IV as a wise ruler and brave warrior, while others point to his immoral life style and addiction to mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
and even Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
.
He was survived by a son David (the future King David VII Ulu
David VII Ulu
David VII Ulu , from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1247–1270. He reigned over the eastern part of the country from 1259 to 1270.-Life:David was an illegitimate son of King Giorgi IV Lasha by a non-noble woman...
)