Samtskhe-Saatabago

Samtskhesaatabago სამცხე-საათაბაგო
1266–1625
Flag according toVakhushti Coat of arms
boundaries of the Samtskhe-Saatabago in the 2nd half of the 13th and the 1st quarter of the 14th centuries.
Capital	Akhaltsikhe 41°38′20″N42°59′10″E
Common languages	Georgian
Religion	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Government	Principality
Prince of Meskheti
• 1260–1285	Sargis I(first)
• 1607–1625	Manuchar III(last)
Historical era	Late Middle Ages
• Established	1266
• Vassal ofMongol Empire	1266–1334
• Reunited withKingdom of Georgia	1334–1535
•Peace of Amasya	1555
• Disestablished	1625
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Georgia Childir Eyalet
Today part of	Armenia Georgia Turkey

TheSamtskhe-SaatabagoorSamtskhe Atabegate(Georgian:სამცხე-საათაბაგო), also called thePrincipality of Samtskhe(სამცხის სამთავრო), was a Georgian feudalprincipalityinZemo Kartli,ruled by anatabeg(tutor) ofGeorgiafor nearly three and a half centuries, between 1268 and 1625. Its territory consisted of the modern-daySamtskhe-Javakhetiregion and the historical region ofTao-Klarjeti.

History

Duchy of Samtskhe

By the early 13th century, members of thehouse of Jaqeliwere one among many powerfulmarcher lords,and certainly not the most significant. The titleatabeg,by which the Jaqelis would later be known, was as yet reserved for theMkhargrdzelis,the Armenian family that controlledAni.The rise of the Jaqeli line was intimately bound up with theMongol invasion of Georgia.In this initial phase of conquest, most of the Georgian and Armenian nobles, who held military posts along the frontier regions submitted without any serious opposition or confined their resistance to their castles while others preferred to flee to safer areas. QueenRusudanhad to evacuateTbilisiforKutaisi,leavingeastern Georgiain the hands ofatabegAvag Mkhargrdzeli and Egarslan Bakurtsikheli, who made peace with the Mongols and agreed to pay them tribute. The only Georgian great noble to have resisted wasIvane I Jaqeli,prince ofSamtskhe.His extensive possessions were fearfully devastated, and Ivane had to finally, with the consent of Queen Rusudan, submit to the invaders in 1238.

Taking advantage of Georgia's weakness, Turkmen incursions started to south-western Georgia. The population ofTao,KlarjetiandKolacalled onQvarqvare,lord of Samtskhe, to assist them against the Turkmens. Qvarqvare subsequently sent his grandson Sargis to seizeOltisi.Although an Arabic chroniclerBaybars al-Mansuristates that the Georgians took advantage of theMongol invasion of Anatolia(1243) to seize the castles ofBabrawan,Washlawan, andBayburt.By the mid-13th century, the Jaqelis realm thus incorporated most of the mountainous areas of north eastern Anatolia south of theBlack Seacoast up to the edge of the plain ofErzurum.The Jaqelis' lands became a stronghold of opposition to Mongol rule.

Sargis I JaqeliandDavid VII of Georgia"Ulu" rebelled against their Mongol overlords, a huge army of Mongols led byArghun Noyanattacked the southern Georgian province of Samtskhe, defeated the king and his spasalar (general) Sargis Jaqeli, but could not capture the rebels’ main strongholds and left the country in June 1261. Nevertheless, the forces were unequal and David Ulu had to take refuge at his cousin,David VI Narin’s court atKutaisi.In 1262, he had to make peace with the Mongols and returned toTbilisi,effectively splitting the country into two parts with both rulers titled as kings of Georgia.

Establishment of the Princedom

By theIlkhanrequest, David Ulu's army was dispatched to defend the fortifications ofSibaagainst theGolden Hordein 1263. In 1265, the Georgian forces serving as a vanguard of the Ilkhanid army, defeatedBerke,Khan of the Golden Horde, and expelled his troops fromShirvan.Sargis Jaqeli distinguished himself in battle against the Horde, even saving Hulagu's life, for which Hulagu offered him rich rewards, including the city ofErzurum.David Ulu subsequently persuaded Hulegu to revoke that award on the basis that it would make Sargis too powerful. As a result of a dispute with the royal court, the province of Samtskhe seceded and submitted directly to the Ilkhan rule in 1266. Thus, Georgia further disintegrated to form three separate political entities. Samtskhe managed to remain a culturally developed part of Georgia as well as maintaining territorial integrity, sometimes even expanding along its borders.

Despite being independent, Samtskhe still maintained some kind of relations with Georgia and Beka himself was given a title ofMandaturukhutsesi(Mandator) by Georgian king.At the time of Beka's rule, the Turks became more active the Southwest borders, from theSultanate of Rum.After a series of invasions, he managed tofend off the attacks.Beka was a supporter of maintaining Georgian political influence over theEmpire of Trebizond.For this cause, he married off his daughterJiajakto theTrapezuntineEmperorAlexios II,who granted himLazia.Another daughter of Beka, - Natela, became the consort ofDemetrius II of Georgiaand bore him a son andthe successorto the throne. After the execution of Demetrius, future kingGeorge Vwas raised by his grandfather at his court. In 1334George V of Georgiareasserted royal authority over the virtually independent principality of Samtskhe, ruled by his cousinQvarqvare I Jaqeli.George granted the Jaqelis their title ofatabeg,not only appropriate for their role in raising him but also a title of great prestige.

Timurid invasions

Between 1386 and 1403 Timur launched aseries of campaignsagainst Georgia. The official history of Timur's reign,Zafarnama,represents this campaign as ajihad.Samtskhe was in the frontline of these attacks. Timur set out fromKarsand assailedAkhaltsikhe.From there, hemarched against Tbilisiwhich the Georgian kingBagrat Vhad fortified. The city fell on November 21, 1386, and King Bagrat V was captured and converted toIslamat sword point. Bagrat was given some 12,000 troops to reestablish himself in Georgia whose government was run by Bagrat's son and co-rulerGeorge VIIduring his father's absence at Timur's court. The old king, however, entered in secret negotiations with George who ambushed Bagrat's Islamic escort, and freed his father.

In the spring of 1387, Timur returned in Georgia to take revenge, however, KhanTokhtamysh’s reappearance in Iran forced Timur to temporarily withdraw. As soon as theGolden Hordewas defeated, Timur returned to attack Georgia again. In 1394, he dispatched four generals to the province of Samtskhe, with orders to apply the Islamic law ofghaza(i.e. the systematic raiding of non-Muslim lands). Timur launched a further attack on possessions ofIvane II Jaqeliin 1399. The attack on Samtskhe was followed by an expedition intoTaothat reached as far as Panaskert, where a great battle between Timur and the Georgians took place.

In late 1401, Timur invaded Georgia once again. George VII had to sue for peace, and sent his brother with the contributions. Timur was preparing for a major confrontation with theOttoman dynastyand apparently wished to freeze the currently prevailing situation in Georgia. Thus, he made peace with George on condition that the king of Georgia supplied him with troops and granted the Muslims special privileges.Timur nonetheless undertook some preventive measures and attacked the Georgian garrison ofTortumi,demolishing the citadel and looting the surrounding area.Once the Ottomans weredefeated,Timur, back toErzurumin 1402, decided to punish the king of Georgia for not having come to present his congratulations on his victory. Ivane Jaqeli, however, arrived with gifts, which offered Timur a good cause for keeping on reasonable terms with the rulers of Samtskhe.

Turkmen invasions

After the devastating invasions by Timur and subsequent enfeeblement of the Kingdom of Georgia, it soon faced a new threat. Timurid hegemony was not to last, for on Timur's death in 1405, theKara Koyunlure-established their empire. They took advantage of the temporary weakness of Georgians and launched attacks against them, apparently in which,George VIIwas killed. In responseConstantine Iengaged Turkomans at theBattle of Chalagan,in which he was defeated and executed.Alexander Iwho sought to strengthen and restore his declining Kingdom, faced constant invasions by the tribal Turkomans. They sackedAkhaltsikheseveral times, the first underQara Yusufin 1414, the second underJahan Shahin 1444, whose forces met those of Alexander's successor, KingVakhtang IVat Akhaltsikhe, but the fighting was inconclusive and Jahan Shah returned toTabriz.With the decline of the Kara Koyunlu after Jahan Shah's defeat at the hands ofUzun Hasanin 1467, theAq Qoyunlubecame the major power in eastern Anatolia.

Secession from Georgia

The politicalsplit of the Kingdom of Georgiawas speeded up by theQvarqvare II Jaqeli,like hisfatherhe fought againstRoyal house of Georgiafor the independence of Samstkhe. In 1462 Qvarqvare II Jaqeli called against the king of GeorgiaUzun Hasan,the leader of theAq Qoyunlu.In 1465 he defeated Georgian KingGeorge VIIIat the battle nearParavani lakeand separated from Georgia. He also participated in theGeorgian civil war,after which United Georgian monarchy fell. Qvarqvare's independent reign was marked by warfare with the powerful Muslim states that surrounded the principality. The Aq Qoyunlu launched major attacks in 1466, 1476–1477 and 1485 and from 1479 theOttoman Empirestarted to encroach on the territories. In 1479 he ravaged the land aroundErzurum,reducing the city to tributary status.Unlike his fatherKaikhosro Iheld peace with the other Georgian kingdoms (Kartli,KakhetiandImereti). Kaikhosro with KingAlexander I of KakhetiandConstantine of Kartliagreed to assist firstSafavidshahIsmailto destroyAq Koyunlurule inPersia.

WhenQvarqvare II'ssonKaikhosro Idied two years after he ascended the throne, and was succeeded by his equally pious brotherMzetchabuk,like hisfatherandgrandfather,Mzetchabuk demanded the separation of the Meskhetian church from theGeorgian Orthodox church.Atabeg Mzetchabuk Strived to strengthen Samtskhe. He nominally obeyedOttoman sultanSelim Iand with his helpAdjaracame fully under Meskhetian rule.In 1515 old Mzetchabuk abdicated and became a monk, received a monastic name Jacob. After MzetchabukAtabeg'stitle would be given to his nephewQvarqvare,the son ofKaikhosro I,but Mzetchabuk's younger brotherManucharrebelled against him. During his brief reign Manuchar sent many gifts to theOttoman sultanSelim Iand claimed himself as an admirer of Ottomans. In 1518 the new revolt started. PrinceQvarqvarewith the help ofSafavidtroops attacked Samtskhe. Manuchar was overthrown and Qvarqvare became the new ruler of Meskheti. After this Manuchar asked his suzerainSultan Selimfor help. Sultan gave him the huge army. He had tried to restore himself as Atabeg, but was defeated by Qvarqvare's forces at the battle nearErzurum.

Samtskhe-Saatabago was abolished in years 1535-1545 and carved up between the Kingdoms of Kartli and Imereti

DuringQvarqvare III's reignPersianinfluence on Samtskhe was growing day by day. Because of that Ottomans greatly damaged the country and especially its southwestern region. Meskhetian lords had recognized that under Qvarqvare's rule Samtskhe would finally turn to the Enemy's hands. They made an alliance with theGeorgiankings,Bagrat III of ImeretiandLuarsab I of Kartli(c.1510–1565) to end upJaqelianrule and protect Samtskhe from dominant Muslim empires (OttomansandSafavids).In 1535 King Bagrat III with help of princeRostom GurieliandOdishianallies invadedSamtskhe.He defeated and capturedQvarqvare IIIat theBattle of MurjakhetinearAkhalkalaki.Georgians had annexed Principality of Samtskhe. Qvarqvare died in prison, while Rostom was awarded his share of Samtskhe:AdjaraandLazeti,long sought after by theGurieli dynasty.A few years later, Qvarqvare's survived youngest sonKaikhosro IIrequested Ottomans to expelImeretianandKartlianforces from Samtskhe. The Ottomans retaliated with a major invasion: Bagrat and Rostom werevictorious at Karagakin 1543, but decisively defeated, in 1545, atSokhoista.Samtskhe became vassal of theOttoman Empire.Qvarqvare III's descendants ruled Samtskhe-Saatabago (until 1628) and thenChildir Eyaletuntil 1820s.

Princes/Atabegs of Samtskhe

Atabeg/Prince	Reign	Notes
1.Sargis I	1268–1285
2.Beka I	1285–1306
3.Sargis II	1306–1334
4.Qvarqvare I	1334–1361
5.Beka II	1361-1391	(ruled withShalvaduring 1372–1389)
6.Shalva	1372–1389	(co-ruler withBeka II)
7.Aghbugha I	1389–1395	(ruled withBeka IIandIvane II)
8.Ivane II	1391–1444	(from 1391 to 1395 ruled withAghbugha I)
9.Aghbugha II	1444–1451
10.Qvarqvare II	1451–1498
11.Kaikhosro I	1498–1500
12.Mzetchabuki	1500–1515
13.Manuchar I	1515–1518
14.Qvarqvare III	1518–1535
15.Kaikhosro II	1545–1573
16.Qvarqvare IV	1573–1581
17.Manuchar II	1581–1607
18.Manuchar III	1607–1625

External links

• Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, vol. 9, pp. 48–49, Tb., 1985