Gobron
Encyclopedia
Gobron also known as Mikel-Gobron or Michael-Gobron (მიქელ-გობრონი) (died November 17, 914) was a Christian
Georgian
military commander who led the defense of the fortress of Q'ueli against the Sajid
emir
of Azerbaijan
. When the fortress fell after a 28-day-long siege, Gobron was captured and beheaded, having rejected inducements to convert to Islam
. Shortly after his death Gobron became the subject of the hagiographic
text authored by Bishop Stephen of T'beti
and a saint
of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which commemorates
him on November 30
(O.S. November 17). His martyrdom is also mentioned by the medieval Georgian and Armenia
n chronicles.
prince Ashot I of Tao between 914 and 918. The narrative of Gobron's martyrdom unfolds against the background of the military expedition by Yusuf Ibn Abi'l-Saj
, the Sajid emir of Azerbaijan, in Georgia in 914. This campaign was one of the last major attempts on the part of the Abbasid Caliphate to retain its crumbling hold of the Georgian lands, which, at that time, were a patchwork of rival, native states and Muslim holdings.
Yusuf Ibn Abi'l-Saj, the Abul-Kasim of the medieval Georgian sources, advanced into Georgia from Armenia. He advanced, through the Muslim emirate of Tiflis, into Kakheti
, whence he moved into Kartli
and invaded Samtskhe and Javakheti
. Unable to seize hold of the fortress of Tmogvi, the emir laid siege to Q'ueli, which was then in possession of the Georgian Bagratid prince Gurgen of Tao
. Q'ueli held out for 28 days: the young commander Gobron, whose original name – we are told by his biography – was Mikel (Michael), mounted a fierce resistance and made a series of sorties, but he finally felt oblidged to surrender to the emir. The Georgian king Adarnase
succeeded in ransoming certain nobles who had been seized by the Muslims in Q'ueli, but Gobron was kept by the emir in captivity. Neither the promise of honors, nor tortures and witnessing the massacre of 133 of his comrades-in-arms could inveigle Gobron into renouncing Christianity as demanded by Yusuf. According to the Passion, Gobron, grateful to Christ for being chosen as a martyr
, met his death through decapitation
.
Gobron's defense of Q'ueli, his capture and execution are briefly described by the 11th-century anonymous Chronicle of Kartli, part of the Georgian Chronicles, which makes reference to the more detailed account by Stephen of T'beti. The execution of Mik'ayel, of Gogarene, is also mentioned by the 10th-century Armenian historian John of Draskhanakert and later by his compatriot Stephen of Taron.
Old Georgian hagiographical and homiletic texts: Part No. 22. Accessed November 26, 2011.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
Georgian
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...
military commander who led the defense of the fortress of Q'ueli against the Sajid
Sajids
The Sajid dynasty was an Islamic dynasty that ruled the Iranian region of Azerbaijan from 889-890 until 929. The Sajids originated from the Central Asian province of Ushrusana and were of Iranian...
emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (Iran)
Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan , also Iranian Azerbaijan, Persian Azarbaijan is a region in northwestern Iran. It is also historically known as Atropatene and Aturpatakan....
. When the fortress fell after a 28-day-long siege, Gobron was captured and beheaded, having rejected inducements 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 ~~~...
. Shortly after his death Gobron became the subject of the hagiographic
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
text authored by Bishop Stephen of T'beti
Stepane Mtbevari
Stepane Mtbevari , Stephen of T'beti, was a 10th-century hierarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church and religious writer. Mtbevari, "of T'beti", is the title indicating his holding of the diocese of T'beti, centered on the eponymous monastery in Shavsheti...
and a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which commemorates
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
him on November 30
November 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Nov. 29 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - Dec. 1-Fixed commemorations:All fixed commemorations below are observed on December 13 by Old Calendarist Orthodox-Saints:* Holy and Glorious Apostle Andrew* Saint Frumentius, bishop of Axum...
(O.S. November 17). His martyrdom is also mentioned by the medieval Georgian and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n chronicles.
Biography
Gobron's is a subject of The Passion of the Holy Martyr Gobron, who was Abducted from the Castle of Q'ueli (წამებაჲ წმიდისა მოწამისა გობრონისი, რომელი განიყვანეს ყუელის ციხით), composed by Bishop Stephen of T'beti (Stepane Mtbevari) at the behest of the Georgian BagratidBagrationi 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...
prince Ashot I of Tao between 914 and 918. The narrative of Gobron's martyrdom unfolds against the background of the military expedition by Yusuf Ibn Abi'l-Saj
Yusuf Ibn Abi'l-Saj
Yusuf ibn Abi'l Saj was the Sajid amir of Azerbaijan from 901 until his death. He was the son of Abi'l-Saj Devdad.-War with Armenians and Georgians:...
, the Sajid emir of Azerbaijan, in Georgia in 914. This campaign was one of the last major attempts on the part of the Abbasid Caliphate to retain its crumbling hold of the Georgian lands, which, at that time, were a patchwork of rival, native states and Muslim holdings.
Yusuf Ibn Abi'l-Saj, the Abul-Kasim of the medieval Georgian sources, advanced into Georgia from Armenia. He advanced, through the Muslim emirate of Tiflis, into 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...
, whence he moved into 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...
and invaded Samtskhe and Javakheti
Javakheti
Javakheti is a historical region of the nation of Georgia, in the southeastern part of the country's Samtskhe-Javakheti province. Today it comprises the Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda municipal territories. It was historically bordered in the west with both sides of the Mtkvari river, in the north,...
. Unable to seize hold of the fortress of Tmogvi, the emir laid siege to Q'ueli, which was then in possession of the Georgian Bagratid prince Gurgen of Tao
Gurgen II of Tao
Gurgen II "the Great" was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid dynasty of Tao-Klarjeti and hereditary ruler of Tao with the title of eristavt-eristavi, "duke of dukes". He also bore the Byzantine title of magistros....
. Q'ueli held out for 28 days: the young commander Gobron, whose original name – we are told by his biography – was Mikel (Michael), mounted a fierce resistance and made a series of sorties, but he finally felt oblidged to surrender to the emir. The Georgian king Adarnase
Adarnase IV of Iberia
Adarnase IV was a member of the Georgian Bagratid dynasty of Tao-Klarjeti and prince of Iberia/Kartli, responsible for the restoration of kingship, which had been in abeyance since it had been abolished by Iran in the sixth century, in 888....
succeeded in ransoming certain nobles who had been seized by the Muslims in Q'ueli, but Gobron was kept by the emir in captivity. Neither the promise of honors, nor tortures and witnessing the massacre of 133 of his comrades-in-arms could inveigle Gobron into renouncing Christianity as demanded by Yusuf. According to the Passion, Gobron, grateful to Christ for being chosen as a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
, met his death through decapitation
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
.
Gobron's defense of Q'ueli, his capture and execution are briefly described by the 11th-century anonymous Chronicle of Kartli, part of the Georgian Chronicles, which makes reference to the more detailed account by Stephen of T'beti. The execution of Mik'ayel, of Gogarene, is also mentioned by the 10th-century Armenian historian John of Draskhanakert and later by his compatriot Stephen of Taron.
External links
Martyrium Gobronis TITUSTITUS (project)
TITUS is a project of Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, maintained by Professor Dr...
Old Georgian hagiographical and homiletic texts: Part No. 22. Accessed November 26, 2011.