Rusudan of Georgia
Encyclopedia
Queen Rusudan (c. 1194–1245), from the Bagrationi dynasty, ruled Georgia
in 1223–1245.
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”. Rusudan was too weak to preserve whatever was gained by her predecessors.
In the autumn of 1225, Georgia
was attacked by the Khwarezmian shah Jelal ad-Din Mingburnu, pursued by the Mongols
. The Georgians suffered bitter defeat at the Battle of Garni
, and the royal court with Queen Rusudan moved to Kutaisi
, when the Georgian capital Tbilisi
was besieged by the Khwarezmians. A year later Jelal ad-Din took Tbilisi
on 9 March 1226. The citizens fought courageously and over 100,000 lost their lives when the city fell to the Khwarezmians. The defeated Georgians were ordered to change religion and become Muslims, but refused and almost the whole population of Tbilisi was massacred. In February 1227, the Georgians took advantage of Jelal ad-Din’s failures in Armenia
, and retook Tbilisi
, but soon were forced to abandon the city – which they themselves had set alight in their battle with the occupation forces. Rusudan made an alliance with the neighbouring Seljuk rulers of Rüm
and Khlat, but the Georgia
ns were routed by the Khwarezmians at Bolnisi
, before the allies could arrive (1228).
The Khwarezmians were superseded by the Mongols. They advanced into Georgia
in 1235. Devastated and plundered by Jelal ad-Din’s incursions, Georgia surrendered without any serious resistance. By 1240 all the country was under the Mongol
yoke. Forced to accept the sovereignty of the Mongol Khan in 1242, Rusudan had to pay an annual tribute of 50,000 gold pieces and support the Mongols with a Georgian army.
Fearing that her nephew David VII of Georgia would aspire to the throne, Rusudan held him prisoner at the court of her son-in-law, the sultan Kaykhusraw II
, and sent her son David VI of Georgia to the Mongol court to get his official recognition as heir apparent. She died in 1245, still waiting for her son to return.
who embraced Christianity on his marriage. They were the parents of David VI of Georgia and a daughter named Tamar
, who married her cousin, the sultan Kaykhusraw II
, and following his death in 1246, the Pervane Mu'in al-Din Suleyman
as one of the preconditions of the peace settlement.
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 1223–1245.
Life
Daughter of Queen Tamar of GeorgiaTamar 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...
by 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 :...
, she succeeded her brother George IV of Georgia
George IV of Georgia
George IV Lasha of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Georgia from 1213 to 1223....
on January 18, 1223. George’s untimely death marked the beginning of the end of the Georgian “golden age”. Rusudan was too weak to preserve whatever was gained by her predecessors.
In the autumn of 1225, 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...
was attacked by the Khwarezmian shah Jelal ad-Din Mingburnu, pursued by the Mongols
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
. The Georgians suffered bitter defeat at the Battle of Garni
Battle of Garni
The Battle of Garni took place near garni , in the part of Armenia that was vassal to Georgia, was fought in 1225 between Georgians and Armenians, and Khwarazmians ; the invaders were led by Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, the desperate last sultan of the Khwarezmid Empire who, driven from his...
, and the royal court with Queen Rusudan moved to Kutaisi
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
, when 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...
was besieged by the Khwarezmians. A year later Jelal ad-Din took 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...
on 9 March 1226. The citizens fought courageously and over 100,000 lost their lives when the city fell to the Khwarezmians. The defeated Georgians were ordered to change religion and become Muslims, but refused and almost the whole population of Tbilisi was massacred. In February 1227, the Georgians took advantage of Jelal ad-Din’s failures in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, and retook 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...
, but soon were forced to abandon the city – which they themselves had set alight in their battle with the occupation forces. Rusudan made an alliance with the neighbouring Seljuk rulers of Rüm
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
and Khlat, but 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...
ns were routed by the Khwarezmians at Bolnisi
Bolnisi
Bolnisi , is a city in the country of Georgia, located in the Kvemo Kartli region and capital of the Bolnisi district. Currently has an estimated 13,800 inhabitants....
, before the allies could arrive (1228).
The Khwarezmians were superseded by the Mongols. They advanced into 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...
in 1235. Devastated and plundered by Jelal ad-Din’s incursions, Georgia surrendered without any serious resistance. By 1240 all the country was under the Mongol
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
yoke. Forced to accept the sovereignty of the Mongol Khan in 1242, Rusudan had to pay an annual tribute of 50,000 gold pieces and support the Mongols with a Georgian army.
Fearing that her nephew David VII of Georgia would aspire to the throne, Rusudan held him prisoner at the court of her son-in-law, the sultan Kaykhusraw II
Kaykhusraw II
Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw II was the sultan of the Seljuqs of Rûm from 1237 until his death in 1246. He ruled at the time of the Babai uprising and the Mongol invasion of Anatolia. He led the Seljuq army with its Christian allies at the Battle of Köse Dağ in 1243...
, and sent her son David VI of Georgia to the Mongol court to get his official recognition as heir apparent. She died in 1245, still waiting for her son to return.
Marriage and children
She married in 1224 to the Seljuk prince Muhammad Mughis ud-din Turkan Shah, a grandson of Kilij Arslan IIKilij Arslan II
Kilij Arslan II was a Seljuk Sultan of Rûm from 1156 until his death in 1192.As Arnold of Lübeck reports in his Chronica Slavorum, he was present at the meeting of Henry the Lion with Kilij-Arslan during the former's pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1172...
who embraced Christianity on his marriage. They were the parents of David VI of Georgia and a daughter named Tamar
Gürcü Hatun
Gürcü Hatun was a Georgian princess and favorite wife of Kaykhusraw II, Seljuk Sultan of Rum. After his death in 1246 she married the Anatolian strongman Pervane Mu‘in al-Din Suleyman. She was the mother of Kayqubad II and patron to Rumi...
, who married her cousin, the sultan Kaykhusraw II
Kaykhusraw II
Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw II was the sultan of the Seljuqs of Rûm from 1237 until his death in 1246. He ruled at the time of the Babai uprising and the Mongol invasion of Anatolia. He led the Seljuq army with its Christian allies at the Battle of Köse Dağ in 1243...
, and following his death in 1246, the Pervane Mu'in al-Din Suleyman
Pervâne
The Pervâne Mu‘in al-Din Suleyman was for a time a key player in Anatolian politics involving the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm, the Mongol Ilkhanate and the Mamluks under Baybars.- Biography :...
as one of the preconditions of the peace settlement.