Georgia, 1200, 1260-1810, History Folder, Imeretian Kingdom.kmz

Georgia, 1200, 1260-1810, History Folder, Imeretian Kingdom

Georgia, 1201, 13th Century Folder, Battle of Bassian, Home Grown Moslem Terrorists, Multiple M. Invasions

Georgia, 1203, Battle of Bassian, 60 K NE Erzurum, Georgia over Persian Turks
Georgia, 1202, Battle of Bassian, 60 K NE Erzurum; St. Eulogius of Salosi, the Prophet and Fool-for-Christ, Commemorated on April 1; Right-believing Tamara, Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on May 1;

Georgia, 1223-1245, Rusudan, King, Tamar's d, unable, beautiful, pleasure, d first by Khwarezmians 1228 then Mongols 1240
Georgian King (Queen), 1223-1245, Rusudan of Georgia ; (c. 1194-1245), a member of the Bagrationi dynasty, ruled as queen of Georgia in 1223–1245. of Queen Tamar of Georgia by David Soslan, she succeeded her brother George IV on January 18, 1223.[1] George’s untimely death marked the beginning of the end of the Georgian Golden Age. Rusudan was unable to preserve whatever was gained by her mother and brother. She was known as a beautiful woman devoted to pleasure, whose hand was sought by her Muslim neighbors. In Muslim sources, such as Ata-Malik Juvayni, Rusudan was known as Qiz-Malik, from the Turkish qiz, "maiden", and the Arabic malik, "king".[2] the autumn of 1225, Georgia was attacked by the Khwarazmshah Jalal 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. 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. made an alliance with the neighbouring Seljuk rulers of Rüm and Ahlat, but the Georgians were routed by the Khwarezmians at Battle of Bolnisi, before the allies could arrive (1228). Khwarezmians were superseded by the Mongols.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. 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. that her nephew David 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 to the Mongol court to get his official recognition as heir apparent. She died in 1245, still waiting for her son to return. and children[edit] married in 1224 to the Seljuk prince Ghias ad-Din, a grandson of Kilij Arslan II who converted to 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. St Tsotne Dadiani the Confessor, Commemorated on July 30 ; St Shalva of Akhaltsikhe, Commemorated on June 17; St Eulogius of Salosi, the Prophet and Fool-for-Christ, Commemorated on April 1;

Georgia, 1227, Home Grown Moslem Terrorists helped Invading Moslems attack Georgia
Khwarezmid Empire; Sultan Jalal al-Din ; In 1227 Sultan Jalal al-Din of Khwarazm and his army of Turkmen attacked Georgia; 100,000 Martyrs of Tbilisi by the Mongols, Commemorated on October 31 ;

Georgia, 1227, 100K Martyrs, Tbilisi, Jalal al-Din, Khwarazm, repelled but inside m traitors opened gates at night
Georgia, 1227, Tbilisi, Kartli, Georgia Capital (Tiblisi River Mouth, Kura River 9), Jalal al-Din of Khwarazm, Turkmenistan attacked, Georgia repelled but inside moslem traitors opened the gates at night; Tbilisi; 100,000 Martyrs of Tbilisi by the Mongols, Commemorated on October 31 ; 1227 Sultan Jalal al-Din of Khwarazm and his army of Turkmen attacked Georgia. the first day of the battle the Georgian army valorously warded off the invaders as they were approaching Tbilisi. night, however, a group of Persians who were living in Tbilisi secretly opened the gates and summoned the enemy army into the city. to one manuscript in which this most terrible day in Georgian history was described: “Words are powerless to convey the destruction that the enemy wrought: tearing infants from their mothers’ breasts, they beat their heads against the bridge, watching as their eyes dropped from their skulls....” river of blood flowed through the city. The Turkmen castrated young children, raped women, and stabbed mothers to death over their children’s lifeless bodies. The whole city shuddered at the sound of wailing and lamentation. The river and streets of the city were filled with death. sultan ordered that the cupola of Sioni Cathedral be taken down and replaced by his vile throne. And at his command the icons of the Theotokos and our Savior were carried out of Sioni Cathedral and placed at the center of the bridge across the Mtkvari River. invaders goaded the people to the bridge, ordering them to cross it and spit on the holy icons. Those who betrayed the Christian Faith and mocked the icons were spared their lives, while the Orthodox confessors were beheaded. hundred thousand Georgians sacrificed their lives to venerate the holy icons. One hundred thousand severed heads and headless bodies were carried by the bloody current down the Mtkvari River.

Georgia, 1247-1270, Georgian King, David VII of Georgia, mongol overlordship
Georgian King, 1247-1270, David VII of Georgia ; VII, also known as David Ulu (1215-1270), from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia from 1247 to 1270, jointly with his namesake cousin, David VI, from 1247 to 1259, when David VI, revolting from the Mongol hegemony, seceded in the western moiety of the kingdom, while David VII was relegated to the rule of eastern Georgia. During his reign, Georgia went into further decline under the Mongol overlordship. St Tbeli Abuseridze, Commemorated on August 17; St Demetrius the Devoted, King of Georgia, Commemorated on March 16; St Pimen of Salosi the Enlightener of Dagestan and the North Caucasus People, Commemorated on March 16;

Georgia, 1247-1270, Mongol Hegemony, Mongol Invasions of Georgia throughout 13th Century
Georgia, 1247-1270, Mongol Hegemony, Mongol Invasions of Georgia throughout 13th Century; St. Tsotne Dadiani the Confessor, Commemorated on July 30;

Georgia, 1260-1810, Imeretian Kingdom
Georgia, Imeretian Kingdom; St Hilarion the Georgian, the New;

Georgia, 1270-1289, Georgian King, Demetrius II, The Devoted, 3 wives at once, went to Khan to be killed
Georgian King, 1270-1289, Demetrius II, The Devoted ; II the Self-Sacrificer or the Devoted (1259-12 March 1289) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1270–1289. 1 Life 2 Marriages and children 3 References 4 External links II goes to the Khan", by Henryk Hryniewski. of King David VII and his wife Gvantsa, Demetrius was only 2 years old when his mother was killed by the Mongols in 1261. He succeeded on his father's death in 1270, when he was 11 years old. He ruled under the regency of Sadun Mankaberdeli for some time. In 1277–1281, he took part in Abaqa Khan's campaigns against Egypt and in particularly distinguished himself at the Second Battle of Homs, (29 October 1281). Although he continued to be titled "king of Georgians and Abkhazians, etc", Demetrius's rule extended only over the eastern part of the kingdom. Western Georgia was under the rule of the Imeretian branch of the Bagrationi dynasty. Demetrius was considered quite a controversial person. Devoted to Christianity, he was criticized for his polygamy.[citation needed] In 1288, on the order of Arghun Khan, he subdued the rebel province of Derbend at the Caspian Sea. The same year, Arghun revealed a plot organized by his powerful minister Buqa, whose son was married to Demetrius's daughter. Bugha and his family were massacred, and the Georgian king, suspected to be involved in a plot, was ordered to the Mongol capital, or Arghun threatened to invade Georgia. Despite much advice from nobles, Demetrius headed for the Khan's residence to face apparent death, and was imprisoned there. He was beheaded at Movakan on 12 March 1289. He was buried at Mtskheta, Georgia, and canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church. was succeeded by his cousin Vakhtang II. St Tbeli Abuseridze, Commemorated on August 17; Venerable Nicholas, Radiant Star of the Georgians, Commemorated on November 3; St. John Chimchimeli the Philosopher, Commemorated on February 10 St Demetrius the Devoted, King of Georgia, Commemorated on March 16; St Pimen of Salosi the Enlightener of Dagestan and the North Caucasus People, Commemorated on March 16; St Basil Ratishvili of Georgia, Commemorated on April 18 ;

Georgia, 1277, Luke, Holy Cross Georgian Monastery, Jerusalem, L followed mother to Jerusalem, severed head thanked God
Jerusalem, 1277, Luke & Fathers of Holy Cross Georgian Monastery near Jerusalem, 3 trees of the Cross, Luke followed his mother to Jerusalem, became monk there, became abbot, monks ousted, Luke confronted, beheaded, then severed head turned East and thanked God ; Holy Cross Georgian Monastery near Jerusalem; Fathers & Luke Martyrs of the Georgian Monasteries in Jerusalem, Commemorated February 12 ; holy martyr Luka of Jerusalem lived in the 13th century. He was born to an honorable, pious Georgian family by the name of Mukhaisdze. After the repose of Luka’s father, his mother left her children and went to labor at a monastery in Jerusalem. Luka reached the age of twenty, he traveled to Jerusalem to visit his mother and venerate the holy places. After spending some time there he decided to remain and be tonsured a monk. was later ordained a deacon and became fluent in Arabic. Soon the brothers of the monastery recognized his wisdom and asked him to guide them as abbot. For three years Luka directed the monastery in an exemplary manner. the devil was envious of the holy father and provoked a certain Shekh-Khidar, an influential Persian at the court of Sultan Penducht, (Probably Sultan Zakhir-Rukedin-Baibars-Bundukdar of Egypt (1260-1277)) to take up arms against Saint Luka. Penducht then transferred possession of theHoly CrossMonastery to Shekh-Khidar, who “treated the Georgian monks in a beastly manner and finally ousted them from the monastery altogether.” his God-given duty, the blessed Luka insisted on personally confronting Shekh-Khidar in defense of his brotherhood. ’s Christian brothers and sisters warned him, saying, “Shekh-Khidar is threatening you.... Flee and hide fromhim!” But Luka paid no heed to their admonitions, certain that it was more fitting to die for Christ than to live for the world. As he had insisted, he himself approached and asked for the release of the imprisoned fathers. told him that he was prepared to accept any demands. The wicked Persian leader demanded nothing from Luka except that he convert to Islam, promising to make him emir if he consented. When he refused, the furious Shekh-Khidar ordered Saint Luka’s beheading. the terrible deed had been performed, Saint Luka’s severed head turned toward the east and gave thanks to God with an expression of pure peace. Soon after, his precious body was set on fire at the command of the bewildered Shekh-Khidar. This occurred in 1277. Martyr Luke of Jerusalem, the Georgian, Commemorated on February 12 ; story as above

Georgia, 1289-1292, King, Vakhtang II of Georgia
Georgian King, 1289-1292, Vakhtang II of Georgia; Venerable Nicholas, Radiant Star of the Georgians, Commemorated on November 3;

Georgia, 1292-1311, King, David VIII of Georgia
Georgian King, 1292-1311, David VIII of Georgia; Venerable Nicholas, Radiant Star of the Georgians, Commemorated on November 3;

Georgia, 1300, 14th Century Folder, Tamerlane Invasions, Black Plague

Georgia, 1302-1308, Georgian King, Vakhtang III of Georgia
Georgian King, 1302-1308, Vakhtang III of Georgia ; Venerable Nicholas, Radiant Star of the Georgians, Commemorated on November 3;

Georgia, 1314-1346, King George V of Georgia, The Brilliant
Georgian King, 1314-1346, George V of Georgia, The Brilliant; St. Demetrius the Devoted, King of Georgia, Commemorated on March 16;

Georgia, 1314, Martyr Nicholas Dvali, Klarjeti W, H Cross M, Forerunner, Spiritual f, MOG, Damascus, h f 500 L, head 7 times
Jerusalem, 1314, Martyr Nicholas Dvali; Holy Cross Georgian Monastery near Jerusalem; Martyr Nicholas Dvali, Commemorated October 19 ; Fathers and Martyrs of the Georgian Monasteries in Jerusalem, Commemorated February 12 ; Nikoloz Dvali the Martyr was born at the end of the 13th century to a God-fearing couple who directed his path toward the spiritual life. the age of twelve Nikoloz traveled to the Klarjeti Wilderness and was tonsured a monk. From there he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and remained in the holy city, settling at the Holy Cross Monastery. Burning with desire for the apostolic life, Monk Nikoloz was determined to die a martyr’s death. Jerusalem a group of godless men arrested and tormented Saint Nikoloz for publicly confessing the Christian Faith, but a group of Christians succeeded in rescuing him from prison. in accordance with his abbot’s counsel, Saint Nikoloz relocated to a Georgian monastery on Cyprus. There the pious monk beseeched the Lord to make him worthy of the crown of martyrdom. One day, while he was praying before the icon of Saint John the Baptist, he heard a voice saying, “Nikoloz! Arise and go to Jerusalem. There you will find a Georgian monk who will teach you the way of righteousness and encourage you on the path of martyrdom. He has been appointed to guide you.” Saint Nikoloz returned to Jerusalem, met the monk whom God had appointed, and informed him of what had been revealed. Most Holy Theotokos and Saint John the Baptist appeared to Saint Nikoloz’s spiritual father, who had been praying intensely for guidance, and told him that it was the Lord’s will for Nikoloz to journey to Damascus. in Damascus, the holy father entered a mosque and openly confessed Christ to be the Savior, reproving those present for their folly. The angry Muslims seized Saint Nikoloz, beat him, and cast him into prison. a great struggle, the metropolitan and local Christians succeeded in recovering him from captivity, but he immediately returned to the Muslims and began again to denounce their ungodly ways. Again they beat him mercilessly, lashed him five hundred times, and cast him in prison for a second time. the holy martyr’s wounds were healed through the miraculous intercession of Saint John the Baptist, and after two months he was released from prison. chance the emir of the city caught a glimpse of Saint Nikoloz as he was preparing to return to Jerusalem. The emir recognized him and sent him to Dengiz, the emir of emirs. Dengiz flattered him and offered to convert him to Islam, but Saint Nikoloz bravely defended his faith in Christ. In response, Dengiz ordered his execution. the hour appointed by Dengiz, the blessed martyr turned to the east, joyfully bowed his neck to the sword, and prayed, “Glory to Thee, O Christ God, Who hast accounted me worthy to die for Thy name’s sake.” The sword pierced his neck, but the severed head glorified God seven times, crying out, “Glory to Thee, O Christ our God!” Persians burned the saint’s body, and for three days a pillar of light shone at the place where it lay. Saint Nikoloz’s spiritual father heard about his martyrdom, he prayed to God to reveal to him whether Nikoloz would be numbered among the saints. Then one day while he was reading, he saw a vision of a host of saints standing atop a mountain, illumined and surrounded by a cloud of incense. Among them the Great-martyr George shone especially brightly, and he called Saint Nikoloz, saying, “Nikoloz! Come and see the monk, your spiritual father. He has shed many tears for you.” greeted his spiritual father, saying, “Behold me and the place where I am, and from this day cease your sorrowing for me.” Nikoloz Dvali was tortured to death on Tuesday, October 19, in the year 1314. The Georgian Church continues to commemorate him on that date. Martyr Luke of Jerusalem, the Georgian, Commemorated on February 12 ; Martyr Nicholas Dvali, Commemorated February 12 ;

Georgia, 1360-1394, Georgian King, Bagrat V
Georgian King, 1360-1394, Bagrat V ; Mothers of the Kvabtakhevi Monastery in Georgia, Commemorated on April 10;

Georgia, 1360-1394, Timur (Tamerlane) invaded Georgia seven times (1360-1394)
Georgia,Timur (Tamerlane) invaded Georgia seven times (1360-1394) ; Timur (Tamerlane) ; Mothers of the Kvabtakhevi Monastery in Georgia, Commemorated on April 10;

Georgia, 1366, Black Plague in Georgia
Georgia, 1366, Black Plague in Georgia; St. Euthymius the Elder of the St. John the Baptist Monastery, Commemorated on August 8;

Georgia, 1400, 15th Century Folder, Chavchavadze family, end United Georgia, Kartli Kingdom

Georgia, 1412-1907, Chavchavadze Family, of Alazani, Kakheti
Georgia, Alazani, Kakheti, 1412-1907, Chavchavadze Family; Martyr Ilia Chavchavadze of Georgia, Commemorated on July 20; Ilia, called the “Uncrowned King of Georgia,” the “Father of the Nation” and “the Righteous,” belonged to the noble family Chavchavadze. was born on October 27, 1837, in the village of Qvareli in Kakheti. He received his primary education at home: his mother instructed him in reading and writing, prayer and the law of God. When he was eight years old, Ilia was sent to study with Archdeacon Nikoloz Sepashvili of Qvareli. The years he spent there left an indelible impression on this holy man’s life. continued his education at a Tbilisi boarding school, and later at the court gymnasium (high school). His parents died at a young age, and the orphaned children were entrusted to the care of their aunt Macrina. 1857 Ilia enrolled in the law school at Saint Petersburg University. There he read a great deal and struggled to improve himself as an individual. He was fascinated by Georgian history and spent much of his time in the Saint Petersburg archives in search of old Georgian texts. His academic achievements were outstanding, but he was uninterested in receiving an official diploma from the school of law. In his fourth year he dropped out of the program and returned to Georgia. was certain that a nation that forgets its own history “is like a beggar who knows neither his past nor where he is going.” For this reason he sought to inspire his fellow countrymen with the past glories of their nation and the loyalty of their forefathers to the Christian Faith and the Georgian nation. restoration of national independence and the autocephaly of the Georgian Church were the chief objectives toward which Saint Ilia strove in every aspect of his life. As a means by which to achieve these goals, Ilia took up the work of a historian: he conducted intensive research and exposed those who had falsified history and dishonored the Georgian nation. great philosopher, writer, and historian often repeated the statement “A nation whose language is corrupted can no longer exist as a nation.” He cared deeply about the Georgian language and fought to ensure that it remained the primary language taught in schools. inspired many with his patriotic zeal, and he founded the Society for the Propagation of Literacy among the Georgians. He established a depository of Georgian manuscripts and antiquities. In addition he initiated a movement to document oral folk traditions and helped to found the Georgian Agrarian Bank. the Righteous was often heard declaring, “We, the Georgian people, have inherited three divine gifts from our ancestors: our motherland, our language and our faith. If we fail to protect these gifts, what merit will we have as men?” Ilia’s righteous deeds were an affront and threat to those who adhered to the new atheist ideology, so they plotted to kill him. On August 30, 1907, Ilia Chavchavadze and his wife, Olga (Guramishvili), had just set off from Tbilisi for Saguramo when their carriage stopped abruptly outside of Mtskheta, near Tsitsamuri Forest. were awaited by a band of militant social democrats who attacked them and shot Ilia to death. Military Court of the Caucasus sentenced Ilia Chavchavadze’s murderers to death by hanging. But Ilia’s wife Olga requested that the governor-general pardon her husband’s murderers. She asserted that, if Ilia had survived, he would have done the same, since the killers were simply his “unlucky brothers gone astray.” Ilia had forgiven his murderers’ offense long before, in his prophetic poem “Prayer”: Our Father Who art in Heaven! With tenderness I stand before Thee on my knees; I ask for neither wealth nor glory; I won’t debase my holy prayer with earthly matters. I would wish for my soul to rest in heaven, My heart to be radiant with love heralded by Thee, I would wish to be able to ask forgiveness of mine enemies, Even if they pierce me in the heart: Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do! 1987 the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church considered the deeds of Ilia Chavchavadze before God and his country and decreed him worthy to be numbered among the saints. He was joyously canonized as Saint Ilia “the Righteous.”

Georgia, 1442-1446, Georgian King, Vakhtang IV of Georgia, nobles rivalry, Turkoman attack, Okonsk icon
Georgian King, 1442-1446, Vakhtang IV of Georgia; IV (c. 1413 – December 1446), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was King of Georgia from 1442 until his death. was the eldest son of Alexander I of Georgia by his first wife Dulandukht. He was raised to the co-kingship by his father in 1433. Alexander I abdicated in 1442, Vakhtang succeeded him to the throne of Georgia, leaving his brothers – Demetrius and George as co-kings. ’s rule was threatened by the rivalry among the nobles and general instability in the kingdom.[1] According to the 18th-century Georgian scholar Vakhushti, also faced an attack by the Turkoman prince Jahan Shah of the Kara Koyunlu. Vakhtang met him at Akhaltsikhe in southern Georgia, but a fierce fight did not reveal a victor. In the night, Jahan Shah left the battlefield and returned to Tabriz. IV married Sitikhatun, daughter of Prince Zaza I Panaskerteli in 1442, outlived her by two years and died without issue in 1446, being buried, together with Sitikhatun, at the Bana cathedral in Tao (now in Turkey).[1] was followed by his rivaling brothers Demetrius and George. This marked the beginning of a fierce and extended struggle for hegemony in Georgia, which eventually ended with the partition of the Georgian kingdom.[2] Icon of the Mother of God of Okonsk, Commemorated July 30 ; Okonsk Icon of the Mother of God, by tradition, was received by the Georgian emperor Vakhtang IV from Jerusalem and initially it was at the Gaenat monastery in Georgia. Georgian emperor’s son George Alexandrovich transferred the holy icon to the cathedral church of the village of Lyskov, Nizhegorod diocese. St Jotham Zedgenidze, Commemorated on October 30; Hierarch Peter, First Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on November 30;

Georgia, 1446-1466, George VIII, end United Georgia, 1453 turning point, Georgian isolation, Western nobles revolts, Bagrat
Georgian King, 1446-1466, George VIII ; VIII (1417–1476) was the last king of the united Georgia, though his kingdom was already splintered and embroiled in a civil war, from 1446 to 1465. by his rivals, he was left with an eastern province Kakheti alone, where he reigned as George I from 1465 until his death, founding a local branch of the Bagrationi royal house. was the third son of Alexander I of Georgia by his second wife Tamar. Though Demetre, Alexander’s second son, seems to have been a rightful successor to his elder brother Vakhtang IV, George actually held power after Vakhtang’s death in December 1446. The process of the disintegration of the Georgian kingdom had already begun and was close to reach its climax. The most troublesome were revolts by the western Georgian nobles and the atabegs of Samtskhe. The latter even attempted to create a separate church for his princedom, but the efforts of the Georgian Catholicos Patriarch David IV prevented the Georgian Orthodox Church from being split into two. ’s reign coincided with a major turning point in Near East history: in 1453 the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople and put an end to the Byzantine Empire, with the emperor Constantine XI, to whom George’s daughter was betrothed, dying in battle. The Georgian politicians, preoccupied in their own power struggle, seem to have underestimated the event which would leave Georgia isolated from Christian Europe for almost the three subsequent centuries. Georgia was considered as a possible participant of a large anti-Ottoman crusade planned by the Pope Pius II and Western European powers. For this purpose, Ludovico da Bologna was sent to hold talks in Georgia and George VIII agreed a truce with his internal opponents. hoped to mobilise in total 120,000 soldiers to fight sultan Mehmed the Conqueror and proposed even to continue the Crusade on Jerusalem. The coalition was never formed, however, and the fratricidal struggles within Georgia were soon resumed. 1462, George took Samokalako (Kutaisi and the surrounding area) from its owner, a royal kinsman, Bagrat for his support to the rebel prince Qvarqvare II Jaqeli, a powerful atabeg of Samtskhe. 1463, Bagrat allied himself with other oppositionist royal subjects, dukes (eristavi) of Mingrelia, Guria, Svaneti and Abkhazia. The rebels met and defeated the king at the Battle of Chikhori. the king lost all western provinces and Bagrat was crowned king of Imereti. 1465, George attempted to subdue Qvarqvare II of Samtskhe, only to be attacked and taken prisoner at Lake Paravani. situation was immediately exploited by Bagrat of Imereti, who seized control of Tbilisi and declared himself king of Georgia. Qvarqvare, who now considered Bagrat as his major rival, freed George. latter, unsuccessful in his attempt to recover his crown, was only able to establish himself as a separate king in the easternmost province of Kakheti. he substantially reorganised the administration, subdividing the kingdom into much smaller and easily controllable samouravo (counties) instead of autonomous saeristavo (duchies). to other Georgian polities, he put ecclesiastic lords (bishops of Bodbe, Alaverdi, Rustavi, and Nekresi), generally more loyal to the crown than secular nobles, in charge of special military districts, sadrosho. died in 1476 to be succeeded by Alexander I as king of Kakheti. and children[edit] VIII's royal charters make mention of two names of his consort, Tamar (fl. 1453) and Nestan-Darejan (fl. 1458–1463). Two explanations exist to account for this. One of them, suggested by Cyril Toumanoff, has it that both names were borne by the same woman, a daughter of Bagrat, son of Constantine I of Georgia, and, thus a first cousin of George VIII, whom she married in 1445. Such polyonymy was not infrequent in Georgia, Toumanoff explains, reflecting the twofold cultural background of the country, "Hellenistic-Christian on the one hand, and Caucasio-Iranoid, on the other." She is last mentioned in 1510.[1] alternative view, enjoying a more general currency in Georgia, holds it that George VIII was married twice, first to Tamar, sometimes thought to have been daughter of Kvarkvare II Jaqeli, Atabag of Samtskhe, whom he wed c. 1445 and, secondly to Nestan-Darejan, of unknown origin, whom the king took as his wife sometime before 1456. According to this version, Alexander had a son, Vakhtang, and two daughters; and a son, Aleksandre, and a daughter, Mariam, by Nestan-Darejan.[2] Nestan-Darejan was known as the "builder of churches" for his patronage of religious construction, notably, the Alaverdi Monastery. VIII's children were: Prince Vakhtang (c. 1445 – before 1510), a "provincial king", he was married to the certain Gulkan; Princess Elene, married to Spiridon Beenashvili, a nobleman from Meskheti; Princess Keteon (Kristine), married to Vakhushti Shalikahsvili, a nobleman from Samtskhe; Prince Aleksandre (1445 or c. 1456 – 1511), King of Kakheti (1476–1511); Princess Mariam (fl. 1465), married to Prince Giorgi Shaburidze, son of Vamek, Duke of Argavi. She is identified by C. Toumanoff with the anonymous daughter of George VIII betrothed in 1451 to Constantine XI, the last Byzantine emperor, who was killed in the fall of Constantinople two years later, before the marriage could be consummated. Icon of the Mother of God of Okonsk, Commemorated July 30 ; Okonsk Icon of the Mother of God, by tradition, was received by the Georgian emperor Vakhtang IV from Jerusalem and initially it was at the Gaenat monastery in Georgia. Georgian emperor’s son George Alexandrovich transferred the holy icon to the cathedral church of the village of Lyskov, Nizhegorod diocese. St Jotham Zedgenidze, Commemorated on October 30; St Zosimas II of Kumurdo, Commemorated on May 1;

Georgia, 1466-1762, Kingdom of Kartli, tripartite division of Georgia, vassal of Persia mostly
Georgia, 1466-1762, Kingdom of Kartli; Kingdom of Kartli was a late medieval/early modern monarchy in eastern Georgia, centred on the province of Kartli, with its capital at Tbilisi. emerged in the process of a tripartite division of the Kingdom of Georgia in 1478 and existed, with several brief intervals, until 1762 when Kartli and the neighbouring Georgian kingdom of Kakheti were merged through dynastic succession under the Kakhetian branch of the Bagrationi dynasty. much of this period, the kingdom was a vassal of the successive dynasties of Iran, but enjoyed intermittent periods of greater independence, especially after 1747.

Georgia, 1500, 16th Century Folder, Luther's 95 Theses, Queen Ketevan

Georgia, 1512-1801, House of Makhran-Batoni, a branch of Bagrationi, still in power
Georgia, House of Makhran-Batoni, 1512-1801 ; House of Mukhrani is a Georgian family, a branch of the former royal dynasty of Bagrationi from which it sprang early in the 16th century, and received in appanage the domain of Mukhrani located in Kartli, central Georgia. family has since been known as Mukhran-Batoni, that is, "Princes (batoni) of Mukhrani". elder branch of the house of Mukhrani, now extinct, furnished five royal sovereigns of Kartli between 1658 and 1724. Its descendants bore the Imperial Russian titles of Prince Gruzinsky and Princes Bagration. branch, presiding in Mukhrani as tavadi and received among the princely nobility of Russia under the name of Bagration of Mukhrani, still flourishes and has, since 1957, claimed to be the Royal House of Georgia by virtue of being the genealogically eldest surviving line of the Bagrationi dynasty.[1] David Bagration of Mukhrani has been the head of this house since January 16, 2008.[2][3] Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13;

Georgia, 1517, Ninety Five Theses, Martin Luther, Protestant
Germany, 1517, Ninety Five Theses, Martin Luther, Protestant; Germany, 1503-1546, Martin Luther, Protestant ; Wittenberg, Germany ; Lutherhaus; MARTIN LUTHER, EDUCATOR, TRANSLATOR (18 FEB 1546); JAN HUS, PRIEST and MARTYR, 6 July 1415;

Georgia, 1539-1561, Ashotan I, Prince of Mukhrani, Ketevan's father, defended M in 1554 and 1561 invasion, where he died
Georgian Prince, 1539-1561, Ashotan I, Prince of Mukhrani ; I (died 1561) was a Georgian tavadi ("prince") of the House of Mukhrani, a collateral branch of the royal Bagrationi dynasty, and a co-prince (batoni) of Mukhrani from 1539 to 1561. was a son of Bagrat I, son of Constantine II of Georgia, by his wife Elene. the resignation of Bagrat in 1539, Ashotan acceded as co-prince with his elder brother Vakhtang I.[1] the same time, he was commander of the Banner of Shida Kartli, one of the key provinces of the Kingdom of Kartli, a successor of the Kingdom of Georgia ruled by his royal cousins.[2] followed the tradition of the Georgian royals of patronizing the Iviron monastery on Mount Athos.[3] refectory at the Iviron commissioned by Ashotan housed the tomb of Catholicos Nicholas V of Georgia. the Safavid invasion of Georgia in 1554, Ashotan joined his brothers, Vakhtang and Archil, in their refuge at the court of their sister, Dedisimedi, in Samtskhe. to his demesne, Ashotan successfully defended Mukhrani against the attack by the highlanders of Pkhovi in 1561, but he himself died in the battle.[2] identity of Ashotan's wife is not known, but he had a daughter, Ketevan (c. 1560 – 13 September 1624), who was married to King David I of Kakheti. She was tortured to death at the order of Shah Abbas I of Persia for having refused to convert to Islam and was subsequently canonized as a saint by the Georgian Orthodox Church.[4] Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13;

Georgia, 1520-1574, Georgian King, Levan 1 of Kakheti, prosperous and peaceful reign, St Nicholas' father
Georgia, 1520-1574, Georgian King, Levan 1 of Kakheti; also known as Leon (1503–1574), was a Georgian monarch of the Bagrationi Dynasty, who reigned as king of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from 1518/1520 to 1574. presided over the most prosperous and peaceful period in the history of the Kakhetian realm. presumed tomb was discovered in the south-western corner of the Gremi church in 2021.[1] Georgian King, 1574-1605, Alexander II of Kakheti ; Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; St Nicholas the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on February 18;

Georgia, 1549-1591, Nicholas V , Saint, Catholicos, king's son, Iveron Monastery, love between faith countries
Georgian Saint, 1549-1591, Nicholas V of Georgia, Catholicos Patriarch; Nicholas V, also known as Nicholas VIII (Georgian: ნიკოლოზ V/VIII, Nikoloz; c. 1529 – 1591) was the Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia from 28 February 1584 to 1591. He was born into the Bagrationi dynasty of Kakheti, a son of King Levan (r. 1520–1574). He was canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church as the Holy Father Nicholas the Catholicos of Georgia, his feast day marked on 18 February (N.S.: 2 March).[1] St Nicholas the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on February 18; Batonishvili was the son of Levan I, King of Kakheti (1520-1574). lived during the grievous period of the Persian invasion of eastern Georgia. The young prince chose the path of monastic life and bravely helped his elder brother, King Alexandre II (1574-1605). his royal blood, he preferred the monk’s habit and the sweet, light yoke of Christ to the glamour and opulence of his inheritance. to God’s will, Nicholas was enthroned as Catholicos of All Georgia. The Georgian chronicle Life of Kartli relates the date of his enthronement as Saturday, February 28, 1584. with the highest hierarchical rank, royal blood, and personal integrity, Catholicos Nicholas was an exemplary leader for the Georgian nation. He struggled to plant the seeds of Christian love between countries of like faith. corresponded with Patriarch Job of Russia (1586-1590) and even sent him a horse. He also donated a leather-bound illuminated manuscript of the Gospels, copied in 1049, to the Metekhi Church of the Theotokos. his book Pilgrimage, the renowned eighteenth-century historian Archbishop Timote reports that there is an icon of Holy Catholicos Nicholas hanging in the refectory at the Ivḗron Monastery on Mt. Athos. Bishop Timote also describes another refectory, built by Ashotan Mukhran-Batoni, and notes, “There, I believe, Catholicos Nicholas Batonishvili reposed.”

Georgia, 1574-1605, Georgian King, Alexander II of Kakheti, econ stability, coup by son and Iran
Georgian King, 1574-1605, Alexander II of Kakheti ; II (1527 – March 12, 1605) of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from 1574 to 1605. spite of a precarious international situation, he managed to retain relative economic stability in his kingdom and tried to establish contacts with the Tsardom of Russia. Alexander fell victim to the Iran-sponsored coup led by his own son, Constantine I. Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; St Nicholas the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on February 18;

Georgia, 1580-1624, Ketevan the Martyr, Queen of Kakheti, clever and pious, inspired others not to convert, Teimuraz m,
Georgia, 1580-1624, Ketevan the Martyr, Queen of Kakheti; Greatmartyr Ketevan, Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; holy Queen Ketevan was the daughter of Ashotan Mukhran-Batoni, a prominent ruler from the Bagrationi royal family. clever and pious Ketevan was married to Prince David, heir to the throne of Kakheti. David’s father, King Alexander II (1574-1605), had two other sons, George and Constantine, but according to the law the throne belonged to David. Constantine was converted to Islam and raised in the court of the Persian shah Abbas I. years after David and Ketevan were married, King Alexander stepped down from the throne and was tonsured a monk at Alaverdi. But after four months, in the year 1602, the young king David died suddenly. He was survived by his wife, Ketevan, and two children—a son, Teimuraz, and a daughter, Elene—and his father ascended the throne once more. hearing of David’s death and Alexander’s return to the royal throne, Shah Abbas commanded Alexander’s youngest son, Constantine-Mirza, to travel to Kakheti, murder his father and the middle brother, George, and seize the throne of Kakheti. As instructed, Constantine-Mirza beheaded his father and brother, then sent their heads, like a precious gift, to Shah Abbas. headless bodies he sent to Alaverdi. (Since the beginning of the 11th century, Alaverdi had been the resting place of the Kakhetian kings.) The widowed Queen Ketevan was left to bury her father-in-law and brother-in-law. Constantine-Mirza was still unsatisfied, and he proposed to take Queen Ketevan as his wife. at his proposition, the nobles of Kakheti rose up and killed the young man who had committed patricide and profaned his Faith and the throne. Having buried the wicked Constantine-Mirza with the honor befitting his royal ancestry, Ketevan sent generous gifts to Shah Abbas and requested that he proclaim her son, Teimuraz, the rightful heir to the throne. While she was awaiting his reply, Ketevan assumed personal responsibility for the rule of Kakheti. Concerned that, if he denied this request, Kakheti would forcibly separate from him and unite with Kartli, Shah Abbas hastily sent Prince Teimuraz to Georgia, laden with great wealth. 1614 Shah Abbas informed King Teimuraz that his son would be taken hostage, and Teimuraz was forced to send his young son Alexander and his mother Ketevan to Persia. a final attempt to divide the royal family of Kakheti, Shah Abbas demanded that the eldest prince, Levan, be brought before him, and he finally summoned King Teimuraz himself. shah’s intentions were clear: to hold all of the royal family in Persia and send his own viceroys to rule in Kakheti. He sought to eliminate King Luarsab II of Kartli as well, but Teimuraz and Luarsab agreed to attack the Persian army with joint forces and drive the enemy out of Georgia. Abbas sent his hostages, Queen Ketevan and her grandsons, deep into Persia, while he himself launched an attack on Kakheti. fire and the sword the godless ruler plundered all of Georgia. The royal palace was razed, churches and monasteries were destroyed, and entire villages were abandoned. By order of the shah, more than three hundred thousand Georgians were exiled to Persia, and their homes were occupied by Turkic tribes from Central Asia. Hunger and violence reigned over Georgia. defeated Georgian kings Teimuraz and Luarsab sought refuge with King George III of Imereti. they had spent five years exiled in Shiraz (Persia), the princes Alexander and Levan were separated from Ketevan and castrated in Isfahan. Alexander could not endure the suffering and died, while Levan went mad. Ketevan, meanwhile, remained a prisoner of the ruler of southeastern Persia, the ethnic Georgian imam Quli-Khan Undiladze, who regarded the widowed Queen of Kakheti with great respect. According to his command, Ketevan was not to discover the fate of her grandsons. Ketevan spent ten years in prison, praying for her motherland and loved ones with all her might and adhering to a strict ascetic regime. Constant fasting, prayer and a stone bed exhausted her previously pampered body, but in spirit she was courageous and full of vitality. She looked after those assigned to her care and instructed them in the spiritual life. some time Abbas resolved to convert Ketevan to Islam, and he announced his intention to marry her. He asked that his proposal be conveyed to her the same day she was informed of the fate of her grandsons. As a condition of their marriage, Abbas insisted that Ketevan renounce the Christian Faith and convert to Islam. In the case of her acquiescence, Imam Quli-Khan was to respect and honor her as a queen, and in the case of her refusal, to subject her to public torture. alarmed imam begged the queen to submit to the shah’s will and save herself, but the queen firmly refused and began to prepare for her martyrdom. (According to one foreign observer, her steadfastness delayed the Islamization of the Georgians in Persia: “In the course of a conversation at the court of Shah Abbas, where a young and recently converted Georgian was present, the question arose as to why it was that, while all young Georgians were forced to embrace Islam, their mothers were not. The explanation given by one of those present was that since the Queen would not change her faith Georgian mothers likewise refused.” (Z. Avalishvili, “Teimuraz I and His Poem ‘The Martyrdom of Queen Ketevan,’” Georgica [vol I, no. 4/5, 1937] pp. 22.) Ketevan was robed in festive attire and led out to a crowded square. Her persecutors subjected her to indescribable torment: they placed a red-hot copper cauldron on her head, tore at her chest with heated tongs, pierced her body with glowing spears, tore off her fingernails, nailed a board to her spine, and finally split her forehead with a red-hot spade. Ketevan’s soul departed from her body, and the executioners cast her mutilated body to the beasts. But the Lord God sent a miracle: her holy relics were illumined with a radiant light. group of French Augustinian missionary fathers, who had witnessed the inhuman tortures, wrapped Queen Ketevan’s body in linens scented with myrrh and incense and buried it in a Catholic monastery. time later the holy relics of Great-martyr Ketevan were delivered to her son, Teimuraz, King of Kakheti. wept bitterly for his mother and sons and buried the relics with great honor in the Alaverdi Cathedral of Saint George. St. Zosimas II of Kumurdo, Commemorated on May 1 (Not the same Ketevan ?);

Georgia, 1599-1606, King, George X of Kartli, first king to seek help from Russia, sided w persia a Ottomans
Georgian King, 1599-1606, George X of Kartli ; X (c. 1561 - September 7, 1606), of the Bagrationi royal dynasty, was a king of the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli from 1599 until his death. was the eldest son of Simon I of Kartli and his wife, Nestan-Darejan of Kakheti. George fought alongside his father against the Ottoman occupation forces since 1598. held power after Simon was taken captive by the Turks at the Battle of Nakhiduri in 1599. George attempted several times, though vainly, to ransom his father (who would die as a prisoner in 1612) from captivity and even offered to the Sublime Porte his son as hostage. He soon returned to his struggle against the Ottomans and recovered Lorri in 1601. In 1602, when the Safavid shah of Persia Abbas I resumed a war against the Ottomans, George sided with the Persians and led the Georgian auxiliary troops which took part in the conquest of Erivan in 1603/1604. As a reward, Abbas I granted Giorgi X a minor possession in Iran. In exchange, the shah asked for an area in the Debed River valley in the strategic Lorri district. Abbas I populated this territory with members of the Turkmen tribe Borchali. Finally, the Shah permitted Giorgi X to return to Kartli. was the first king of Kartli who attempted to establish diplomatic ties with the northern co-religionist power of Muscovy. George decided even to give his daughter Elene to the Czar Boris Godunov in marriage. However, unstable political situation in both countries terminated these contacts. to Georgian chronicles, George X died suddenly, from a sting on his tongue, after biting into a cake with a bee in it, at Mejvriskhevi, 1606. There have also been some speculations that the king was poisoned on the orders of the shah Abbas I.[1] He was buried at Mtskheta. Martyrs of Lazeti, Commemorated on April 29; Martyr Luarsab II the King of Georgia, Commemorated on June 21;

Georgia, 1600, 17th Century Folder, Persian Resettlement, Catolicos Evdemoz, Queen Ketevan

Georgia, 1601-1602, King, David I of Kakheti, forced f to abdicate, loyalty to Rus Tsar, forced other to Tsar
Georgian King, 1601-1602, David I of Kakheti; I (1569 – October 21, 1602), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from October 1601 until his death in October 1602. was a son of Alexander II of Kakheti by his wife Tinatin Amilakhvari. In mid-1601, he capitalized on the illness of his father and gained an effective control of the government, sidelining his younger brother George. When Alexander recovered, David refused to relinquish his powers and forced his father into abdication in October 1601. David was crowned king of Kakheti, but his brother, George, masterminded a plot which quickly collapsed and led to repressions. David had George imprisoned while seventeen of his supporters were executed. ’s foreign policy was a continuation of his father’s line. In 1602, he received a Russian embassy and reaffirmed his loyalty to the tsar. He then marched against Nugzar, the defiant lord of the Aragvi and forced him into submission. suddenly died on October 21, 1602, and Alexander II recovered the crown. David is also remembered as a translator of a portion of the Tales of Kalila and Dimna from Persian. David married, c. 1581, Ketevan, daughter of Ashotan I, Prince of Mukhrani. They were the parents of: Teimuraz I of Kakheti, King of Kakheti Prince Vakhtang (died 1604) Princess Helene, given in marriage to Abbas I of Persia.[1][2] Princess Marta, married Abbas I of Persia Georgian Queen, 1601-1602, Ketevan the Martyr; Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; Martyrs of Lazeti, Commemorated on April 29;

Georgia, 1601-1602, Ketevan the Martyr, Queen, Teimuraz' m, regent, sent to P with gs Alex, T attacks P, Gs exiled to P
Georgian Queen, 1601-1602, Ketevan the Martyr; the Martyr (c. 1560 - September 13, 1624) was a queen of Kakheti, a kingdom in eastern Georgia. She was regent of Kakheti during the minority of her son Teimuraz I of Kakheti from 1605 to 1614. She was killed at Shiraz, Iran, after prolonged tortures by the Safavid suzerains of Kakheti for refusing to give up the Christian faith and convert to Islam. She has been canonized as a saint by the Georgian Orthodox Church. Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; holy Queen Ketevan was the daughter of Ashotan Mukhran-Batoni, a prominent ruler from the Bagrationi royal family. The clever and pious Ketevan was married to Prince David, heir to the throne of Kakheti. David’s father, King Alexander II (1574-1605), had two other sons, George and Constantine, but according to the law the throne belonged to David. Constantine was converted to Islam and raised in the court of the Persian shah Abbas I. years after David and Ketevan were married, King Alexander stepped down from the throne and was tonsured a monk at Alaverdi. But after four months, in the year 1602, the young king David died suddenly. He was survived by his wife, Ketevan, and two children—a son, Teimuraz, and a daughter, Elene—and his father ascended the throne once more. hearing of David’s death and Alexander’s return to the royal throne, Shah Abbas commanded Alexander’s youngest son, Constantine-Mirza, to travel to Kakheti, murder his father and the middle brother, George, and seize the throne of Kakheti. As instructed, Constantine-Mirza beheaded his father and brother, then sent their heads, like a precious gift, to Shah Abbas. headless bodies he sent to Alaverdi. (Since the beginning of the 11th century, Alaverdi had been the resting place of the Kakhetian kings.) The widowed Queen Ketevan was left to bury her father-in-law and brother-in-law. Constantine-Mirza was still unsatisfied, and he proposed to take Queen Ketevan as his wife. at his proposition, the nobles of Kakheti rose up and killed the young man who had committed patricide and profaned his Faith and the throne. Having buried the wicked Constantine-Mirza with the honor befitting his royal ancestry, Ketevan sent generous gifts to Shah Abbas and requested that he proclaim her son, Teimuraz, the rightful heir to the throne. she was awaiting his reply, Ketevan assumed personal responsibility for the rule of Kakheti. Concerned that, if he denied this request, Kakheti would forcibly separate from him and unite with Kartli, Shah Abbas hastily sent Prince Teimuraz to Georgia, laden with great wealth. 1614 Shah Abbas informed King Teimuraz that his son would be taken hostage, and Teimuraz was forced to send his young son Alexander and his mother Ketevan to Persia. As a final attempt to divide the royal family of Kakheti, Shah Abbas demanded that the eldest prince, Levan, be brought before him, and he finally summoned King Teimuraz himself. shah’s intentions were clear: to hold all of the royal family in Persia and send his own viceroys to rule in Kakheti. He sought to eliminate King Luarsab II of Kartli as well, but Teimuraz and Luarsab agreed to attack the Persian army with joint forces and drive the enemy out of Georgia. Abbas sent his hostages, Queen Ketevan and her grandsons, deep into Persia, while he himself launched an attack on Kakheti. fire and the sword the godless ruler plundered all of Georgia. The royal palace was razed, churches and monasteries were destroyed, and entire villages were abandoned. By order of the shah, more than three hundred thousand Georgians were exiled to Persia, and their homes were occupied by Turkic tribes from Central Asia. Hunger and violence reigned over Georgia. defeated Georgian kings Teimuraz and Luarsab sought refuge with King George III of Imereti. they had spent five years exiled in Shiraz (Persia), the princes Alexander and Levan were separated from Ketevan and castrated in Isfahan. Alexander could not endure the suffering and died, while Levan went mad. Ketevan, meanwhile, remained a prisoner of the ruler of southeastern Persia, the ethnic Georgian imam Quli-Khan Undiladze, who regarded the widowed Queen of Kakheti with great respect. According to his command, Ketevan was not to discover the fate of her grandsons. Ketevan spent ten years in prison, praying for her motherland and loved ones with all her might and adhering to a strict ascetic regime. Constant fasting, prayer and a stone bed exhausted her previously pampered body, but in spirit she was courageous and full of vitality. She looked after those assigned to her care and instructed them in the spiritual life. some time Abbas resolved to convert Ketevan to Islam, and he announced his intention to marry her. He asked that his proposal be conveyed to her the same day she was informed of the fate of her grandsons. As a condition of their marriage, Abbas insisted that Ketevan renounce the Christian Faith and convert to Islam. In the case of her acquiescence, Imam Quli-Khan was to respect and honor her as a queen, and in the case of her refusal, to subject her to public torture. alarmed imam begged the queen to submit to the shah’s will and save herself, but the queen firmly refused and began to prepare for her martyrdom. (According to one foreign observer, her steadfastness delayed the Islamization of the Georgians in Persia: “In the course of a conversation at the court of Shah Abbas, where a young and recently converted Georgian was present, the question arose as to why it was that, while all young Georgians were forced to embrace Islam, their mothers were not. The explanation given by one of those present was that since the Queen would not change her faith Georgian mothers likewise refused.” (Z. Avalishvili, “Teimuraz I and His Poem ‘The Martyrdom of Queen Ketevan,’” Georgica [vol I, no. 4/5, 1937] pp. 22.) Ketevan was robed in festive attire and led out to a crowded square. Her persecutors subjected her to indescribable torment: they placed a red-hot copper cauldron on her head, tore at her chest with heated tongs, pierced her body with glowing spears, tore off her fingernails, nailed a board to her spine, and finally split her forehead with a red-hot spade. Ketevan’s soul departed from her body, and the executioners cast her mutilated body to the beasts. But the Lord God sent a miracle: her holy relics were illumined with a radiant light. group of French Augustinian missionary fathers, who had witnessed the inhuman tortures, wrapped Queen Ketevan’s body in linens scented with myrrh and incense and buried it in a Catholic monastery. time later the holy relics of Great-martyr Ketevan were delivered to her son, Teimuraz, King of Kakheti. wept bitterly for his mother and sons and buried the relics with great honor in the Alaverdi Cathedral of Saint George.

Georgia, 1605, George of Kakheti, revolted against b David, pacified, coup plot, released by f, regent, Russian allegiance
Georgian Prince, 1605, Prince George of Kakheti (died 1605); (ca. 1570 - 12 March 1605), of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a crown prince (batonishvili) of Kakheti, a kingdom in eastern Georgia. was a son of Alexander II, king of Kakheti (1574-1605), who was temporarily dispossessed of the crown by his oldest son David I in 1601. revolted against David, who managed to pacify his defiant brother through awarding him a large estate. Nevertheless, George conspired with some of the oppositionist nobles, in 1602, to murder David, but the plot collapsed and the prince fled to the neighboring Georgian ruler, George X of Kartli, who, however, surrendered him to David. George was cast in prison and released when his father, Alexander II, was able to resume his reign upon David's death. functioned as a regent during his father’s absence at the Safavid Iranian court from early 1604 to March 1605. In August 1604, he received Russian ambassadors and in October employed their armed entourage of 40 musketeers in defeating the expedition of the governors of Ganja and Shemakha against the frontier town of Zagem. January 1, 1605, George pledged his allegiance to the Tsar of Russia. was murdered, together with Alexander II, by his Islamized brother Constantin Khan on 12 March 1605.[1] He was survived by two sons, Iese (died 1625) and Konstantine (fl. 1593), and a daughter, Elene, who was married to Prince Parsadan Tsitsishvili (fl. 1609–1640). Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; Martyrs of Lazeti, Commemorated on April 29;

Georgia, 1605, King, Constantine I of Kakheti, Shia, beheaded his father and brother, proposed to Ketevan, killed by nobles
Georgian Queen, 1601-1602, Ketevan the Martyr; Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; hearing of David’s death and Alexander’s return to the royal throne, Shah Abbas commanded Alexander’s youngest son, Constantine-Mirza, to travel to Kakheti, murder his father and the middle brother, George, and seize the throne of Kakheti. As instructed, Constantine-Mirza beheaded his father and brother, then sent their heads, like a precious gift, to Shah Abbas. headless bodies he sent to Alaverdi. (Since the beginning of the 11th century, Alaverdi had been the resting place of the Kakhetian kings.) The widowed Queen Ketevan was left to bury her father-in-law and brother-in-law. Constantine-Mirza was still unsatisfied, and he proposed to take Queen Ketevan as his wife. at his proposition, the nobles of Kakheti rose up and killed the young man who had committed patricide and profaned his Faith and the throne. Having buried the wicked Constantine-Mirza with the honor befitting his royal ancestry, Ketevan sent generous gifts to Shah Abbas and requested that he proclaim her son, Teimuraz, the rightful heir to the throne. holy Queen Ketevan was the daughter of Ashotan Mukhran-Batoni, a prominent ruler from the Bagrationi royal family. The clever and pious Ketevan was married to Prince David, heir to the throne of Kakheti. David’s father, King Alexander II (1574-1605), had two other sons, George and Constantine, but according to the law the throne belonged to David. Constantine was converted to Islam and raised in the court of the Persian shah Abbas I. years after David and Ketevan were married, King Alexander stepped down from the throne and was tonsured a monk at Alaverdi. But after four months, in the year 1602, the young king David died suddenly. He was survived by his wife, Ketevan, and two children—a son, Teimuraz, and a daughter, Elene—and his father ascended the throne once more. hearing of David’s death and Alexander’s return to the royal throne, Shah Abbas commanded Alexander’s youngest son, Constantine-Mirza, to travel to Kakheti, murder his father and the middle brother, George, and seize the throne of Kakheti. As instructed, Constantine-Mirza beheaded his father and brother, then sent their heads, like a precious gift, to Shah Abbas. headless bodies he sent to Alaverdi. (Since the beginning of the 11th century, Alaverdi had been the resting place of the Kakhetian kings.) The widowed Queen Ketevan was left to bury her father-in-law and brother-in-law. Constantine-Mirza was still unsatisfied, and he proposed to take Queen Ketevan as his wife. at his proposition, the nobles of Kakheti rose up and killed the young man who had committed patricide and profaned his Faith and the throne. Having buried the wicked Constantine-Mirza with the honor befitting his royal ancestry, Ketevan sent generous gifts to Shah Abbas and requested that he proclaim her son, Teimuraz, the rightful heir to the throne. she was awaiting his reply, Ketevan assumed personal responsibility for the rule of Kakheti. Concerned that, if he denied this request, Kakheti would forcibly separate from him and unite with Kartli, Shah Abbas hastily sent Prince Teimuraz to Georgia, laden with great wealth. 1614 Shah Abbas informed King Teimuraz that his son would be taken hostage, and Teimuraz was forced to send his young son Alexander and his mother Ketevan to Persia. As a final attempt to divide the royal family of Kakheti, Shah Abbas demanded that the eldest prince, Levan, be brought before him, and he finally summoned King Teimuraz himself. shah’s intentions were clear: to hold all of the royal family in Persia and send his own viceroys to rule in Kakheti. He sought to eliminate King Luarsab II of Kartli as well, but Teimuraz and Luarsab agreed to attack the Persian army with joint forces and drive the enemy out of Georgia. Abbas sent his hostages, Queen Ketevan and her grandsons, deep into Persia, while he himself launched an attack on Kakheti. fire and the sword the godless ruler plundered all of Georgia. The royal palace was razed, churches and monasteries were destroyed, and entire villages were abandoned. By order of the shah, more than three hundred thousand Georgians were exiled to Persia, and their homes were occupied by Turkic tribes from Central Asia. Hunger and violence reigned over Georgia. defeated Georgian kings Teimuraz and Luarsab sought refuge with King George III of Imereti. they had spent five years exiled in Shiraz (Persia), the princes Alexander and Levan were separated from Ketevan and castrated in Isfahan. Alexander could not endure the suffering and died, while Levan went mad. Ketevan, meanwhile, remained a prisoner of the ruler of southeastern Persia, the ethnic Georgian imam Quli-Khan Undiladze, who regarded the widowed Queen of Kakheti with great respect. According to his command, Ketevan was not to discover the fate of her grandsons. Ketevan spent ten years in prison, praying for her motherland and loved ones with all her might and adhering to a strict ascetic regime. Constant fasting, prayer and a stone bed exhausted her previously pampered body, but in spirit she was courageous and full of vitality. She looked after those assigned to her care and instructed them in the spiritual life. some time Abbas resolved to convert Ketevan to Islam, and he announced his intention to marry her. He asked that his proposal be conveyed to her the same day she was informed of the fate of her grandsons. As a condition of their marriage, Abbas insisted that Ketevan renounce the Christian Faith and convert to Islam. In the case of her acquiescence, Imam Quli-Khan was to respect and honor her as a queen, and in the case of her refusal, to subject her to public torture. alarmed imam begged the queen to submit to the shah’s will and save herself, but the queen firmly refused and began to prepare for her martyrdom. (According to one foreign observer, her steadfastness delayed the Islamization of the Georgians in Persia: “In the course of a conversation at the court of Shah Abbas, where a young and recently converted Georgian was present, the question arose as to why it was that, while all young Georgians were forced to embrace Islam, their mothers were not. The explanation given by one of those present was that since the Queen would not change her faith Georgian mothers likewise refused.” (Z. Avalishvili, “Teimuraz I and His Poem ‘The Martyrdom of Queen Ketevan,’” Georgica [vol I, no. 4/5, 1937] pp. 22.) Ketevan was robed in festive attire and led out to a crowded square. Her persecutors subjected her to indescribable torment: they placed a red-hot copper cauldron on her head, tore at her chest with heated tongs, pierced her body with glowing spears, tore off her fingernails, nailed a board to her spine, and finally split her forehead with a red-hot spade. Ketevan’s soul departed from her body, and the executioners cast her mutilated body to the beasts. But the Lord God sent a miracle: her holy relics were illumined with a radiant light. group of French Augustinian missionary fathers, who had witnessed the inhuman tortures, wrapped Queen Ketevan’s body in linens scented with myrrh and incense and buried it in a Catholic monastery. time later the holy relics of Great-martyr Ketevan were delivered to her son, Teimuraz, King of Kakheti. wept bitterly for his mother and sons and buried the relics with great honor in the Alaverdi Cathedral of Saint George. Martyrs of Lazeti, Commemorated on April 29;

Georgia, 1605-1648, King, Teimuraz I of Kakheti, raised in Persia, 50 yr struggle against Persia, Ketevan's son
Georgian King, 1605-1648, Teimuraz I of Kakheti ; I (1589-1661), of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a Georgian monarch who ruled, with intermissions, as King of Kakheti from 1605 to 1648 and also of Kartli from 1625 to 1633. The eldest son of David I and Ketevan, Teimuraz spent most of his childhood at the court of Shah of Iran, where he came to be known as Tahmuras Khan. He was made king of Kakheti following a revolt against his reigning uncle, Constantine I, in 1605. 1614 on, he waged a five-decade long struggle against the Safavid Iranian domination of Georgia in the course of which he lost several members of his family and ended up his life as the shah's prisoner at Astarabad at the age of 74. versatile poet and admirer of Persian poetry, Teimuraz translated into Georgian several Persian love-stories and transformed the personal experiences of his long and difficult reign into a series of original poems influenced by the contemporary Persian tradition.[2] 9 Kherkheulidze Brothers with their Mother and Sister and Nine Thousand Martyrs of Marabda, Commemorated on August 3; Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; 6,000 Martyrs of the St David Gareji Monastery, Georgia, Commemorated on April 26; Martyrs of Lazeti, Commemorated on April 29; Martyr Luarsab II the King of Georgia, Commemorated on June 21;

Georgia, 1605-1639, King George III of Imereti, allied with Teimuraz I of Kakheti
Georgia, 1605-1639, King George III of Imereti; III (died 1639), of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Imereti from 1605 to 1639. was a natural half-brother of Rostom of Imereti on whose death he succeeded in 1605, but his authority was seriously challenged by the energetic prince of Mingrelia, Levan II Dadiani, whose increasing influence over the western Georgian polities George tried to restrict without any success. In 1623, Levan, with a combined Mingrelian-Abkhaziann army, inflicted a heavy defeat upon the royal troops. his quest for allies, George established close ties with the influential eastern Georgian noble Giorgi Saakadze who employed an Imeretian force in his struggle against King Teimuraz I of Kakheti. Saakadze's defeat in 1626, George made an alliance with Teimuraz and arranged a marriage between his son, Alexander (III), and Teimuraz's daughter Darejan (1629). This, however, failed to bring the feudal anarchy in Imereti to an end and the unrest continued. in his reign, George III once again campaigned against Levan Dadiani, but was defeated and taken captive. He was ransomed by his son Alexander, but George did not live long and died in 1639. III of Imereti was married to the certain Tamar (died 1639). He had four sons and one daughter: Alexander III (1609–1 March 1660), King of Imereti; Rostom (fl. 1619–1639); Mamuka (died 1654), military commander; Beri, Archbishop of Gelati as Svimeon Genateli (fl. 1639); Khvaramze (fl. 1619–1626), married to Avtandil Saakadze (died 1629), son of Giorgi Saakadze. Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; 6,000 Martyrs of the St David Gareji Monastery, Georgia, Commemorated on April 26; Martyrs of Lazeti, Commemorated on April 29; Martyr Luarsab II the King of Georgia, Commemorated on June 21;

Georgia, 1606-1616, King, Luarsab II of Kartli, w Teimuraz I of Kakheti and George III of Imereti, martyred by Abbas I
Georgian King, 1606-1616, Luarsab II of Kartli ; II the Holy Martyr (1592 - 21 June (O.S.), 1 July (N.S.), 1622), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Kartli (eastern Georgia) from 1606 to 1615. is known for his martyr’s death at the hands of the Persian shah Abbas I. The Georgian Orthodox Church regards him as saint and marks his memory on the day of his death, July 1. ascended the Kartlian throne at the age of 14 after his father, Giorgi X, suddenly died in 1606. During his minority, the government was actually run by a royal tutor Shadiman Baratashvili. ---------------------------------------------It was when Abbas I succeeded in driving the Ottoman armies out of eastern Georgia, leaving a Persian force in Tbilisi, and confirming Luarsab as king of Kartli. The Ottomans attempted to remove Luarsab, sending in Georgia a large army, only to be destroyed by the Georgian general Giorgi Saakadze at the Battle of Tashiskari, 1609. this victory, Luarsab was granted again the control of the citadel of Tbilisi and the shah married his sister Tinatin, 1610. Late in 1611, Luarsab himself married Makrine, a sister of a lower-class noble Saakadze. The great nobles of the realm led by Shadiman Baratashvili convinced the king that Saakadze was a Persian agent seeking a royal crown. They induced Luarsab to divorce Makrine and forced Saakadze into exile to Persia. Abbas indeed demanded more loyalty and obedience from the Georgians and encouraged a khan of Kazakh Mohammad to trouble the Kartlian lands.[citation needed] 1612, Luarsab had Mohammad Khan assassinated[1] and allied with another Georgian monarch, Teimuraz I of Kakheti to counter an anticipated Persian aggression. in 1614, a large Persian army invaded Kakheti, destroying several settlements on its way, and moved into Kartli. Luarsab and Teimuraz fled to a western Georgian Kingdom of Imereti. III of Imereti refused to surrender the refugees. Abbas threatened Kartli with ruin, promising that if Luarsab submitted, he would conclude a peace. In October 1615, Luarsab surrendered to save his kingdom from being wiped out, and, refusing to convert to Islam, was incarcerated first in Astarabad and then somewhere near Shiraz. Georgians attempted to free their king through the mediation of Tsar Mikhail I of Russia. However, the negotiations yielded no results and, in 1622, Luarsab was executed (strangled with a bow string) on the orders of the shah at the fortress of Qal‘eh-ye GolÄb in southwest Iran.[2] Greatmartyr Ketevan the Queen of Georgia, Commemorated on September 13; 6,000 Martyrs of the St David Gareji Monastery, Georgia, Commemorated on April 26; Martyrs of Lazeti, Commemorated on April 29; Martyr Luarsab II the King of Georgia, Commemorated on June 21; Hieromartyr Theodore (Tevdore) of Kvelta, Commemorated on June 8; Tevdore was a simple priest who labored in the 16th century in the village of Kvelta. At that time the Ottoman Empire and Persia were locked in a bitter feud over control of the Near East. At the beginning of 1609 the Ottomans conquered first the city of Baghdadi, then part of Samtskhe in southern Georgia. In June of that year they launched an attack on eastern Georgia. that time the Georgian ruler was the young King Luarsab II. When the Ottomans penetrated Kartli, the king was absent, abiding in his summer residence, Tskhireti Castle. But the Ottomans knew the location of his castle, and they also knew that his troops were small in number. They plotted to lay siege to the castle, capture the king, and ultimately annex all of Georgia. Ottomans quickly crossed the Trialeti mountain range and advanced into Manglisi, pillaging the lands and laying waste to the people as they went. Miraculously, the Manglisi Church of the Most Holy Mother of God remained unharmed. One chronicler wrote: “A dense fog surrounded the church and village, concealing it from the enemy.â€ Luarsab had received no warning of the attack, and the enemy was just minutes from his castle. the village of Kvelta, not far from Manglisi, the Turks captured the priest Tevdore, a man sincere before God and devoted to his king and motherland. Fr. Tevdore was unable to escape to the woods with the other villagers, so he locked the doors to the church and concealed its sacred treasures. When the Ottoman Turks found Fr. Tevdore, they commanded him to lead them to Tskhireti Castle and threatened to kill him if he refused. to deceive them, Tevdore led the Ottomans along a narrow, rocky mountain path away from Tskhireti Castle. Many horses and soldiers fell from the path to their deaths. after some time the Ottomans realized that the priest had led them in the wrong direction. Embittered and hungry for revenge, they beheaded Fr. Tevdore. a result of Saint Tevdore’s great sacrifice, Saint Luarsab had time to strengthen his fortifications, assemble his armies, and finally annihilate the enemy.

Georgia, 1609, Turkish Invasion, Kvenadkotsi, Georgia (between Gori and Surami) 60k Persians to flight
In 1609 Georgia suffered invasion by a Turkish army under the leadership of Deli-Mamad-khan. The young emperor gave decisive battle to the Turks near the village of Kvenadkotsi (between Gori and Surami). On the eve of battle the 14,000 Georgians spent all night in prayer. In the morning after Divine Liturgy and having received the Holy Mysteries, the Georgian forces put 60,000 enemy soldiers to flight in a heroic battle. Martyr Luarsab II the King of Georgia, Commemorated on June 21;

Georgia, 1615-1619, King, Bagrat VII of Kartli, moslem, khan for Persian Abbas I, disgusted by Kartlians
Georgian King, 1615-1619, Bagrat VII of Kartli; VII (1569–1619), also known as Bagrat Khan, was King of Kartli, eastern Georgia, effectively serving as a khan for the Persian shah Abbas I from 1615/1616 to 1619. 1 Life 2 Family 3 References 4 Sources 5 External links son of David XI of Kartli, he took refuge in Persia after his father was dislodged by the Ottoman invasion in 1578. He was raised at the shah’s court in Isfahan, brought up Muslim and adopted Persian customs.[1] Later, for his efforts, he was given a fiefdom in mainland Iran.[2] Around the mid 1590s, he assisted Farhad Khan Qaramanlu in arranging a match for Abbas I with a daughter of the Amilakhori noble family.[2] 1615/1616, he was installed by Abbas I as a puppet king/khan in Kartli on the deposition of his cousin, King Luarsab II the Martyr. exercised only a limited power confined to Lower Kartli and largely relied on Persian forces. Considered as a renegade, he was disgusted by most of the kingdom’s population and, in spite of the Persian presence, he was unable to control even seemingly loyal nobility. short reign was spent mostly in the town of Bolnisi, where he died in 1619, to be succeeded by his son, Simon II (Semayun Khan). His half-brother Khosrow was given his land in Iran.[2] 9 Kherkheulidze Brothers with their Mother and Sister and Nine Thousand Martyrs of Marabda, Commemorated on August 3 ; 6,000 Martyrs of the St David Gareji Monastery, Georgia, Commemorated on April 26; Martyrs of Lazeti, Commemorated on April 29;

Georgia, 1616, Abbas I of Persia war with Georgia
Abbas I of Persia attack on Georgia (1616) ; returned to eastern Georgia in 1615, taking advantage of a resurgence in Ottoman-Safavid hostilities, and there he defeated a Safavid force. However, when the Ottoman army postponed its invasion of the Safavids, Abbas was able to briefly send an army back to defeat Teimuraz, and redoubled his invasion after brokering a truce with the Ottomans.[77] Now Iranian rule was fully restored over eastern Georgia.[78] Subsequently, the Shah marched on Kutaisi, the capital of Imereti, and punished its peoples for harbouring the defectors.[citation needed] In a punitive expedition to Kakhetia, his army then killed perhaps 60–70,000[39][40][41][79] or 100,000[77] Georgians, with twice as many more being deported to Iran, removing about two-thirds of the Kakhetian population.[80][77] More refugees were rounded up in 1617.[77] In 1619 Abbas appointed the loyal Simon II (or Semayun Khan) as a puppet ruler of Kakheti, while placing a series of his own governors to rule over districts where the rebellious inhabitants were mostly located.[49] the Georgian uprisings[edit] Teimuraz I of Kakheti (also known as Tahmuras Khan). See also: Abbas I's Kakhetian and Kartlian campaigns Rostom (also known as Rustam Khan), viceroy of Kartli, eastern Georgia, from 1633–1658. 1614 and 1616, during the Ottoman-Safavid War, Abbas suppressed a rebellion led by his formerly loyal Georgian subjects Luarsab II and Teimuraz I in the Kingdom of Kakheti. 1606, Abbas had appointed these Georgians onto the thrones of Safavid vassals Kartli and Kakheti, at the behest of Kartlian nobles and Teimuraz's mother Ketevan; both seemed like malleable youths.[77] tensions soon arose between the Shah and the Georgian kings. In 1613, when the Shah summoned them to join him on a hunting expedition in Mazandaran, they did not appear as they feared that they would be either imprisoned or killed.[49] this point war broke out, Iranian armies invaded the two territories in March 1614, and the two allied kings subsequently sought refuge in the Ottoman vassal Imeretia.[77] Abbas, as reported by the Safavid court historian Iskander Beg Munshi, was infuriated by what was perceived as the defection of two of his most trusted subjects and gholams.[49] deported 30,000 Kakhetian peasants to Iran, and appointed a grandson of Alexander II of Imereti to the throne of Kartli, Jesse of Kakheti.[49][77] Raised up at the court in Isfahan and a Muslim, he was perceived as fully loyal to the Shah. threatened Imeretia with devastation if they did not give up the fugitive kings; the Imeretian, Mingrelian and Gurian rulers jointly refused his demand. however, surrendered voluntarily to the Shah; Abbas initially treated him well but when he learned that Luarsab and Teimuraz had offered an alliance with the Ottomans he demanded that Luarsab accept Islam. When Luarsab refused, he was thrown in prison.[77] returned to eastern Georgia in 1615, taking advantage of a resurgence in Ottoman-Safavid hostilities, and there he defeated a Safavid force. However, when the Ottoman army postponed its invasion of the Safavids, Abbas was able to briefly send an army back to defeat Teimuraz, and redoubled his invasion after brokering a truce with the Ottomans.[77] Now Iranian rule was fully restored over eastern Georgia.[78] Subsequently, the Shah marched on Kutaisi, the capital of Imereti, and punished its peoples for harbouring the defectors.[citation needed] In a punitive expedition to Kakhetia, his army then killed perhaps 60–70,000[39][40][41][79] or 100,000[77] Georgians, with twice as many more being deported to Iran, removing about two-thirds of the Kakhetian population.[80][77] More refugees were rounded up in 1617.[77] In 1619 Abbas appointed the loyal Simon II (or Semayun Khan) as a puppet ruler of Kakheti, while placing a series of his own governors to rule over districts where the rebellious inhabitants were mostly located.[49] momentarily secured the region, Abbas took further acts of revenge for the recalcitrance of Teimuraz and Luarsab. He castrated Teimuraz's sons, who both died shortly afterwards.[77] He executed Luarsab in 1622, and in 1624 he had Ketevan, who had been sent to the Shah as a negotiator, tortured to death when she refused to renounce Christianity.[81][82][77] Teimuraz, meanwhile, sought aid from the Ottomans and Russia.[77] was then warned of another imminent Kakhetian uprising, so he returned to Georgia in early 1625. He lured Kakhetian soldiers on a false pretext and then began executing them. He also had plans to execute all armed Kartlians, including his own general Giorgi Saakadze; however Saakadze intercepted a courier and uncovered the plot. Saakadze then defected to the Georgians, and led a new rebellion which succeeded in throwing the Persians out of Kartli and Kakheti while crowning Teimuraz as king of both territories. Abbas counterattacked in June, won the subsequent war and dethroned Teimuraz, but lost half his army at the hands of the Georgians and was forced to accept Kartli and Kakheti only as vassal states while abandoning his plans to eliminate Christians from the area.[77] then, Saakadze and Teimuraz launched another rebellion in 1626, and were effective in clearing Iranian forces from most of the region.[77] Thus, the Georgian territories continued to resist Safavid encroachments until Abbas' death.[78] 9 Kherkheulidze Brothers with their Mother and Sister and Nine Thousand Martyrs of Marabda, Commemorated on August 3; Icon of the Mother of God of Georgia, Commemorated August 22 ; 6,000 Martyrs of the St David Gareji Monastery, Georgia, Commemorated on April 26;

Georgia, 1616, 6,000 Martyrs of David Gareja, Georgia, angel gave them choice, die and be or flee, myrrh to this day
Georgia, 1616, 6,000 Martyrs of David Gareja monastery complex, Kakheti, Georgia (Iori River 4), while, Celebrating Resurrection with lights, angel gave them choice, die and be or flee, only 2 fled, rose bush in dry soil, bones stream myrrh to this day; David Gareja monastery complex (Georgia) ; 6,000 Martyrs of the St David Gareji Monastery, Georgia, Commemorated on April 26; 1616 the Persian shah Abbas I led his enormous army in an attack on Georgia. quenched his thirst for the blood of the Christians, he arranged a hunt in the valley of Gare (Outer) Kakheti. He encamped with his escorts in the mountains of Gareji and spent the night in that place. midnight the shah’s attention was drawn to a flaming column of lights advancing up the mountain. At first he took it to be an apparition. He was soon informed, however, that a famous monastery was situated in that place and on that night the monks were circling their church three times with lighted candles in celebration of Christ’s Holy Resurrection. Immediately the shah commanded his army to march to the monastery and destroy all those found celebrating. same night an angel of the Lord appeared to Abbot Arsenius of David-Gareji and told him, “Our Lord Jesus Christ is calling the brothers to His Heavenly Kingdom. On this night great suffering awaits you—you will be killed by the sword. He who desires to prolong his earthly life, let him flee, but he who thirsts to purify his soul for eternity, let him perish by the sword, and the Lord God will adorn him with the crown of immortality. Tell this to all who dwell in the monastery, and let each man choose for himself!” abbot informed the monks about his vision, and they began to prepare for their imminent sufferings. Only two young monks feared death and fled to a mountain not far from the monastery. the chanting of the Lord’s Prayer near the end of the Paschal Liturgy, the monastery was completely surrounded by Persian warriors. Abbot Arsenius stepped out of the church and approached their leader to request that the monks be given a bit more time to finish the service and for all the brothers to receive Holy Communion. Persians consulted among themselves and agreed to honor this request. The fathers partook of the Holy Gifts, encouraged one another, and presented themselves clad in festive garments before the unbelievers. the Persians beheaded Abbot Arsenius; then they massacred his brothers in Christ without mercy. the Persians finished killing the monks, they were organized into several regiments and made their way towards the other monasteries of the Gareji Wilderness. Halfway between the Chichkhituri and Saint John the Baptist Monasteries the Muslims captured the two young monks who had earlier fled and demanded that they convert to Islam. monks refused to abandon the Christian Faith and for this they were killed. A rose bush grew up in the place where they were killed and continued to fragrantly blossom through the 19th century, despite the dry and rocky soil. the end of the 17th century, King Archil gathered the bones of the martyrs with great reverence and buried them in a large stone reliquary to the left of the altar in the Transfiguration Church of David-Gareji Monastery. Their holy relics continue to stream myrrh to this day. brothers of the Monasteries of Saint David of Gareji and Saint John the Baptist received a blessing from Catholicos Anton I to compose a commemorative service for the martyrs and to designate their feast day as Bright Tuesday, or the third day of Holy Pascha.

Georgia, 1616, Persian Capture of Tbilisi and Gokce war, Shah Abbas 1, Resettlement
Shah Abbas 1; Persian Capture of Tbilisi and Gokce war 1616 Shah Abbas 1; Icon of the Mother of God of Georgia, Commemorated August 22 ; St Nicholas the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated February 18 ;

Georgia, 1617-1642, Eudemus I, labors of the Catholicos and Queen Mariam, the Christian Georgian soul not extinguished
Georgia, 1617-1642, Saint, Eudemus I, Catholicos of Georgia; Bodbe Monastery; Martyr Evdemoz the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on October 4; Evdemoz led the Georgian Orthodox Church in the mid-17th century during the reign of King Rostom-Khan (1632-1658), a Georgian who had converted to Islam. murdered King Luarsab II of Kartli and chased out King Teimuraz I of Kakheti, the Persian shah Abbas I had declared Rostom-Khan ruler of a unified Kartli-Kakheti kingdom. tried to be accommodating in his policies and protect the beliefs and traditions of both the Persian shah and the Georgian people: he set a standard salary for the Georgian clergy and even built churches, but society deteriorated rapidly nevertheless. Human vices became commonplace, and sins like those of Sodom and Gomorrah were multiplied. The nation was so overtaken by sin that even the clergy ceased to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their God-given role. the chief shepherd of the Georgian nation would not yield to the moral decline of his flock, and he confronted this crisis with conviction and fearlessness. Several times he led his most valiant military leaders in revolt against Persia. Following the example of Catholicos Evdemoz, several Georgian princes rebelled against the pro-Persian policies of Rostom-Khan and cast out the Islamic influence from their territories. Evdemoz resisted the Islamic custom of raising the king’s heirs in the shah’s court from a young age. He was never too intimidated by the king to expose his wrongdoing and tell him at every convenient opportunity: “You are the natural father of the Muslims, but the stepfather of the Christians!” was the spiritual father of Rostom-Khan’s wife, the faithful Queen Mariam, the daughter of Manuchar Dadiani, Prince of Samegrelo. a result of the holy labors of Catholicos Evdemoz and Queen Mariam, the Christian soul of the Georgian people was not entirely extinguished. The Georgians built churches, wrote spiritual literature, and gradually regained their national consciousness. Catholicos Evdemoz preached throughout the country and developed and implemented a plan to bring King Teimuraz, who had been driven out by Shah Abbas, back to the throne. Rostom-Khan felt threatened by the strong influence Catholicos Evdemoz had on the people. In 1642 he arrested the chief shepherd of the Georgian people and tried to win him over, but neither his feigned tenderness nor his threats could break the firm will of the man who loved Christ and his motherland above all else. After his arrest, Saint Evdemoz criticized the king even more harshly and called on the people to rise up against him. Finally Rostom-Khan ordered that Catholicos Evdemoz be strangled to death in his prison cell, and as a further insult, his body was cast off Nariqala Fortress (in Tbilisi) in the direction of the Turkish baths. night, a group of Christians stole the body of the holy hieromartyr Catholicos-Patriarch Evdemoz and buried it in the northwest corner of Anchiskhati Church in Tbilisi. St Nino (Nina), Equal of the Apostles and Enlightener of Georgia, Commemorated January 14 ;

Georgia, 1621-1682, Mariam, labors of t Queen and Evdemoz, t Christian Georgian soul not extinguished, 3 marriages
Mingrelia (Samegrelo); Georgia, 1621-1682, Queen Mariam Dadiani; Dadiani (born between 1599 and 1609;[1] died 1682) was a daughter of Manuchar I Dadiani, Prince of Mingrelia, by his second wife, Tamar Jaqeli. married, successively to Simon I Gurieli, Prince of Guria, in 1621, King Rostom of Kartli in 1638, and the latter's adopted son and successor, King Vakhtang V in 1658. dynastic marriages were part of complex political relations in the successor states of the former Kingdom of Georgia. Her first marriage was disrupted by her half-brother Levan II Dadiani, Prince of Mingrelia, in response to Simon Gurieli's patricidal coup. The second marriage, that with Rostom of Kartli, turned Mariam into an important figure in the contemporaneous Georgian politics. The wedding entourage was a thousands-strong army, which had to fight their way to Kartli against the forces of the principal opponent of the union, King George III of Imereti, an ally of Rostom's major foe, King Teimuraz I of Kakheti, being a factor of rapprochement between Mingrelia and Kartli, Mariam, a devout Christian, acted as a protector of Georgian Christianity in lieu of her Muslim and religiously tolerant husband and helped relax religious tension in the country. At her request, the couple's wedding ceremony was held in a Christian rite. The queen had several churches repaired and restored and the medieval Georgian chronicles copied and compiled. only child, born of her first marriage to Prince Gurieli, died young. The childless Rostom, anxious to secure the dynastic survival of the Bagrationi family under the protection of the Safavid empire of Iran, adopted the prince of Mukhrani, also of Bagrationi descent, who succeeded on his death as Vakhtang V and married the queen dowager Mariam as her third husband. She outlived Vakhtang and died aged over 70. She was buried with royal honors at the Cathedral of the Living Pillar at Mtskheta. Martyr Evdemoz the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on October 4; Evdemoz led the Georgian Orthodox Church in the mid-17th century during the reign of King Rostom-Khan (1632-1658), a Georgian who had converted to Islam. murdered King Luarsab II of Kartli and chased out King Teimuraz I of Kakheti, the Persian shah Abbas I had declared Rostom-Khan ruler of a unified Kartli-Kakheti kingdom. tried to be accommodating in his policies and protect the beliefs and traditions of both the Persian shah and the Georgian people: he set a standard salary for the Georgian clergy and even built churches, but society deteriorated rapidly nevertheless. Human vices became commonplace, and sins like those of Sodom and Gomorrah were multiplied. The nation was so overtaken by sin that even the clergy ceased to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their God-given role. the chief shepherd of the Georgian nation would not yield to the moral decline of his flock, and he confronted this crisis with conviction and fearlessness. Several times he led his most valiant military leaders in revolt against Persia. Following the example of Catholicos Evdemoz, several Georgian princes rebelled against the pro-Persian policies of Rostom-Khan and cast out the Islamic influence from their territories. Evdemoz resisted the Islamic custom of raising the king’s heirs in the shah’s court from a young age. He was never too intimidated by the king to expose his wrongdoing and tell him at every convenient opportunity: “You are the natural father of the Muslims, but the stepfather of the Christians!” was the spiritual father of Rostom-Khan’s wife, the faithful Queen Mariam, the daughter of Manuchar Dadiani, Prince of Samegrelo. a result of the holy labors of Catholicos Evdemoz and Queen Mariam, the Christian soul of the Georgian people was not entirely extinguished. The Georgians built churches, wrote spiritual literature, and gradually regained their national consciousness. Catholicos Evdemoz preached throughout the country and developed and implemented a plan to bring King Teimuraz, who had been driven out by Shah Abbas, back to the throne. Rostom-Khan felt threatened by the strong influence Catholicos Evdemoz had on the people. In 1642 he arrested the chief shepherd of the Georgian people and tried to win him over, but neither his feigned tenderness nor his threats could break the firm will of the man who loved Christ and his motherland above all else. After his arrest, Saint Evdemoz criticized the king even more harshly and called on the people to rise up against him. Finally Rostom-Khan ordered that Catholicos Evdemoz be strangled to death in his prison cell, and as a further insult, his body was cast off Nariqala Fortress (in Tbilisi) in the direction of the Turkish baths. night, a group of Christians stole the body of the holy hieromartyr Catholicos-Patriarch Evdemoz and buried it in the northwest corner of Anchiskhati Church in Tbilisi.

Georgia, 1622, Georgia Icon to Archangelsk from Persia, via MOG
Russia, Vologda, 1622, Georgia Icon to Archangelsk from Persia, via MOG; 1622, the Persian Shah Abbas I, after the devastating invasion of Orthodox Georgia, took part of the Robe of the Lord, and some especially revered icons. Three years later, when the Russian clerk Stephen Lazarev, who was in Persia to do some trading, a certain person from the Shah's retinue offered to let him purchase one of the stolen Georgian icons: an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. At the same time, at Yaroslavl, the merchant Gregory Lytkin, by whom Stephen was employed, had a revelation of his clerk's imminent arrival with the precious acquisition. had been instructed by a voice from above to take the Icon from Yaroslavl to Arkhangelsk, near the Pinega River. Here, 16 versts from Kholmogorsk, was the Black Mountain monastery (which took its name from the mountain, on which a church was built in 1603.) Later, it was called Krasnogorsk (Beautiful Mountain). the merchant delivered the Georgian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1629, during the reign of Tsar Michael. On August 22, with a large contingent of the faithful, the Icon was reverently placed in the monastery. At the same time, the miraculous healing of the blind and deaf monk Pitirim took place. The subsequent manifestations of the Icon's miraculous power prompted Metropolitan Nikon of Novgorod (later the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia) to investigate. Afterward, from 1650, the annual celebration of this Icon took place on August 22, the day of its arrival at Krasnogorsk Monastery. that time, the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God was brought to Arkhangelsk each year with honors. The revered Icon was left for a certain time in the main cathedral of the city, for the sanctification of the city and of the Christ-loving people. During the reign of Tsar Alexei (1645-1676), the miraculous Icon was taken to Vologda, Great Ustyug, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, and Siberia. Archangelsk; Icon of the Mother of God of Georgia, Commemorated on August 22; 1622, the Persian Shah Abbas I, after the devastating invasion of Orthodox Georgia, took part of the Robe of the Lord, and some especially revered icons. Three years later, when the Russian clerk Stephen Lazarev, who was in Persia to do some trading, a certain person from the Shah's retinue offered to let him purchase one of the stolen Georgian icons: an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. At the same time, at Yaroslavl, the merchant Gregory Lytkin, by whom Stephen was employed, had a revelation of his clerk's imminent arrival with the precious acquisition. had been instructed by a voice from above to take the Icon from Yaroslavl to Arkhangelsk, near the Pinega River. Here, 16 versts from Kholmogorsk, was the Black Mountain monastery (which took its name from the mountain, on which a church was built in 1603.) Later, it was called Krasnogorsk (Beautiful Mountain). the merchant delivered the Georgian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1629, during the reign of Tsar Michael. On August 22, with a large contingent of the faithful, the Icon was reverently placed in the monastery. At the same time, the miraculous healing of the blind and deaf monk Pitirim took place. The subsequent manifestations of the Icon's miraculous power prompted Metropolitan Nikon of Novgorod (later the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia) to investigate. Afterward, from 1650, the annual celebration of this Icon took place on August 22, the day of its arrival at Krasnogorsk Monastery. that time, the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God was brought to Arkhangelsk each year with honors. The revered Icon was left for a certain time in the main cathedral of the city, for the sanctification of the city and of the Christ-loving people. During the reign of Tsar Alexei (1645-1676), the miraculous Icon was taken to Vologda, Great Ustyug, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, and Siberia. 1654, Hieromonk Makarios of Krasnogorsk Monastery brought the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (which had been brought from Persia) to Moscow for restoration, and to be covered with a new riza. It was placed in the newly-built church, dedicated to the Life-giving Trinity, at Nikitnikov Lane near the Saint Barbara Gate, where the Kremlin masters carried on their iconographic work. Gregory Nikitnikov had built the church on his property at his own expense (1628-1651). In the church was a chapel dedicated to Saint Nikḗtas (September 15). Members of the Nikitnikov family were also entombed there. that time, a plague or pestilence was raging in Moscow. At the request of the master silversmith Gabriel Evdokimov, whose son was near death, a Moleben was served in his house before the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God from Krasnogorsk Monastery. The patient soon recovered. In gratitude for this miraculous healing, a copy of Georgian Icon was made and placed in Holy Trinity church. From that time, the church was also called Georgian. gracious help of the Most Holy Theotokos continued to be conferred by the aforementioned copy of her Icon. During the plague epidemic of 1654, the Moscow merchant Stephanov prayed continuously to the Queen of Heaven. The Most Holy Virgin appeared to him three times in a dream saying: "Pray to the Georgian Theotokos, on the Glinishchi at the mills, and you will be spared." The Holy Trinity church at Nikitniki was also called the church of the Great Martyr Nikḗtas (one of the chapels) on Glinishchi, near the mills. The merchant did not take his family from Moscow as he intended, but began to pray fervently in the Holy Trinity church. The epidemic did not touch him or his family. Churchwide celebration of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God was established with the blessing of Patriarch Nikon in 1654. In 1698, the caretaker of the Moscow printing house Theodore Polikarpov compiled a second edition of the Service. the liberation of Moscow from Napoleon's troops, on December 1, 1812 the wonderworking Georgian Icon of the Mother of God, along with other miraculous Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos (Vladimir, Iveron, and Assuage my Sorrows) were carried in solemn procession around the Kremlin. 1904, a chapel was built in Holy Trinity church in honor of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God. Now this Icon is in the church of the Holy Trinity in Nikitnikov (Razin Street). healings were granted by the Most Holy Theotokos through her wonderworking Icon, which were documented and verified at the end of the XIX century. For example, on June 17, 1887, Lydia Tserkovnitskaya, the wife of a priest in the village of Shuysk, Vologda Province, was critically ill. She recovered after praying before the wonderworking Georgian Icon. There is historical evidence of four more Georgian icons of the Most Holy Theotokos. the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God, which was in Moscow's Alekseevsky Convent, church evidence reports that it is not a copy of the Icons from Krasnogorsk Monastery nor from Holy Trinity church at Nikitnikov, which were brought from Georgia. In the same deadly plague epidemic of 1654, one of the nuns at the Alekseev Convent fell ill. While she addressed long prayers to the Heavenly Healer, the sick woman suddenly remembered the miraculous recovery she had heard about from the Icon of the Mother of God, which is in the church of the Life-giving Trinity by Saint Barbara's Gate. However, there was no one to send there. After some time, an unknown monk came to the Convent. Turning to the sick nun, he said: "Do not be sad that the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God cannot be brought here. You have here exactly the same Icon as the one brought from Georgia. You will find it in the cave, and you shall behold God's mercy." allegorical meaning of these words became clear afterward in the monastery sacristy, which was laid out like caves, when a hitherto unknown Icon of the Mother of God was discovered. After a Moleben, the miraculous Icon was carried to the cells of the nuns who were suffering from the pestilence. All of them were healed. From that time, the epidemic in Moscow began to abate. the prayerful intercession of the Georgian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos at the Alekseev Convent, the blind Princess Martha Prozorovskaya received miraculous healing in 1662. She gained her sight by the prayers of her parents, after seven years of serious illness. the northwest of Kazan, 18 versts from the city of Sviyazhsk, in the middle of the XVII century was the Raithu communal Hermitage of the Theotokos, which got its name from one of its churches, which was dedicated to the Venerable Fathers slain at Sinai and Raithu (January 14). Tradition states that during the construction of the monastery, Metropolitan Laurence of Kazan, by a revelation from above, sent the best local iconographers to Pinega, to the Krasnogorsk Monastery, which was very far from Kazan, in order to make a faithful copy of the wonderworking Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which was brought from Persia. 1661, a skillfully executed copy of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God was delivered from Arkhangelsk. It became highly revered by the local population. Subsequently, this Icon was placed in the cathedral church in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos. the XVIII century, the pious peasants of the village of Klyucharev, Korchev county, Tver Province, presented the caretaker of the Moscow Archangel Cathedral with a copy of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God, which became highly regarded by the locals, when the rye crop was threatened with destruction in the late 1860s. Vast fields of newly-sprouted crops were being eaten by an unknown worm, and nothing they did was of any use. Then the peasants prayed for help to the Most Holy Theotokos, whose Georgian Icon they revered. After a Cross Procession around the fields with the Icon, a sudden, unprecedented torrential rain fell. Streams of water washed the worms out of the ground, which were eaten by a large flock of birds. See also other revered copies of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God in the Protection church at Vorontsov Field, and in the Holy Cross Church in the city of Tula. Icon disappeared after the closure of the monastery (1920-1922), and later it was returned to the monastery. In his 1946 report to the Moscow Patriarchate, Bishop Leonty (Smirnov) of Arkhangelsk states that the Georgian Icon was carried in a procession, which took place at Arkhangelsk in 1946. The further fate of the Georgian Icon is unknown. St Spyridon the Patriarch, Commemorated on August 30; Venerable Tryphon the Abbot of Vyatka, Commemorated on October 8; Hieromartyr Hilarion, Archbishop of Vereiya, Commemorated December 15 ; Repose of St John of Kronstadt, Commemorated December 20 ; Glorification of St John of Kronstadt, Commemorated on June 8 ; Venerable Elisha of Suma, Solovki, Commemorated on June 14; Venerable Nikon of Optina, Commemorated on June 25 ;

Georgia, 1625, Battle of Martkopi, Georgia defeats Persia
Martkopi, Georgia; 9 Kherkheulidze Brothers with their Mother and Sister and Nine Thousand Martyrs of Marabda, Commemorated August 3 ; the Feast of the Annunciation in the year 1625, the Georgians annihilated the army of the Persian shah Abbas I in the Battle of Martqopi. The victory unified Georgia’s eastern provinces of Kartli and Kakheti. It also instilled hope in other enslaved peoples of the Transcaucasus, and rebellions began to break out everywhere. the enraged Shah Abbas marched his finest and largest army toward Georgia under the leadership of Isa-Khan Qurchibash. A Georgian army of some twenty thousand men encamped near Kojori-Tabakhmela in preparation for the attack, while the enemy’s army, which numbered in excess of fifty thousand men, encamped at Marabda. According to tradition, the Georgian soldiers received Holy Communion at dawn before the battle. Domenti (Avalishvili) of Ruisi prepared to serve the Holy Gifts to the soldiers but they cried out with a single voice: “If you will join us and take up your sword and fight, then do so. We can receive Holy Communion from another!” by these words, the bishop joined in, proclaiming, “Today we will fight a battle for faith and for Christ; therefore my blood must be spilled before yours!” With his vestments as armor, the bishop blessed the soldiers and took his place in the front line. banner of the Georgian army was entrusted to the nine Kherkheulidze brothers. Persians panicked upon coming face-to-face with the courage and fortitude of the Georgian soldiers, but the experienced commander Isa-Khan Qurchibash would not yield in battle. Help arrived from Beglerbeg Shaybani-Khan, and with the extra forces the Persians soon gained the advantage over the Georgian army. The Georgian colonel Teimuraz Mukhranbatoni was fatally wounded, and rumors of his death threw the soldiers into a frenzy, since they erroneously believed that the dead man was King Teimuraz I of Kakheti, the commander of their army. that their leader had fallen, the Georgian soldiers became anxious and their army was enfeebled. Before long they recognized their mistake, but it was too late—the fate of the battle had already been decided. military leaders Davit Jandieri, Aghatang Kherkheulidze and Baadur Tsitsishvili and the bishops of Rustavi and Kharchasho all fell in the battle at Marabda. The nine banner-bearing Kherkheulidze brothers were also killed. When the banner that had led their army through the battles at Didgori and Basiani fell from the hands of the youngest brother, their sister grabbed hold of it immediately, and when she also fell, the banner and symbol of Georgian invincibility was raised up again by their mother. Teimuraz fought until sunset, when every sword he had held in his hands had been broken. Even his rings were broken in the combat. The uniform of the brilliant military leader Giorgi Saakadze was stained with blood from top to bottom. Atabeg Manuchar of Samtskhe and his sons also fought bravely in this battle. exhausted and debilitated by the heat, the Georgians fought heroically to the last moment. But the battle that had begun at dawn finally ended late that night with the defeat of the Georgian army. Nine thousand Georgians gave their lives for Christ and their motherland on the battlefield at Marabda. St Anthony the Founder of Monasticism in Georgia, Commemorated on January 19 ; St Macarius the Stylite of Martkobsk, Georgia, Commemorated on January 19 ;

Georgia, 1625, 9 Kherkheulidze Brothers of Marabda Battle, 9K gave lives for Christ, K brothers, sister, mother banner bearing
Georgia, 1625, 9 Kherkheulidze Brothers of Marabda Battle, Kartli (Khrami River 2), 9K gave lives for Christ, K brothers, sister, mother banner bearing; Marabda; 9 Kherkheulidze Brothers with their Mother and Sister and Nine Thousand Martyrs of Marabda, Commemorated August 3 ; the Feast of the Annunciation in the year 1625, the Georgians annihilated the army of the Persian shah Abbas I in the Battle of Martqopi. victory unified Georgia’s eastern provinces of Kartli and Kakheti. also instilled hope in other enslaved peoples of the Transcaucasus, and rebellions began to break out everywhere. the enraged Shah Abbas marched his finest and largest army toward Georgia under the leadership of Isa-Khan Qurchibash. Georgian army of some twenty thousand men encamped near Kojori-Tabakhmela in preparation for the attack, while the enemy’s army, which numbered in excess of fifty thousand men, encamped at Marabda. to tradition, the Georgian soldiers received Holy Communion at dawn before the battle. Domenti (Avalishvili) of Ruisi prepared to serve the Holy Gifts to the soldiers they cried out with a single voice: “If you will join us and take up your sword and fight, then do so. We can receive Holy Communion from another!” by these words, the bishop joined in, proclaiming, “Today we will fight a battle for faith and for Christ; therefore my blood must be spilled before yours!” With his vestments as armor, the bishop blessed the soldiers and took his place in the front line. banner of the Georgian army was entrusted to the nine Kherkheulidze brothers. Persians panicked upon coming face-to-face with the courage and fortitude of the Georgian soldiers, but the experienced commander Isa-Khan Qurchibash would not yield in battle. arrived from Beglerbeg Shaybani-Khan, and with the extra forces the Persians soon gained the advantage over the Georgian army. Georgian colonel Teimuraz Mukhranbatoni was fatally wounded, and rumors of his death threw the soldiers into a frenzy, since they erroneously believed that the dead man was King Teimuraz I of Kakheti, the commander of their army. that their leader had fallen, the Georgian soldiers became anxious and their army was enfeebled. Before long they recognized their mistake, but it was too late—the fate of the battle had already been decided. military leaders Davit Jandieri, Aghatang Kherkheulidze and Baadur Tsitsishvili and the bishops of Rustavi and Kharchasho all fell in the battle at Marabda. nine banner-bearing Kherkheulidze brothers were also killed. When the banner that had led their army through the battles at Didgori and Basiani fell from the hands of the youngest brother, their sister grabbed hold of it immediately, and when she also fell, the banner and symbol of Georgian invincibility was raised up again by their mother. Teimuraz fought until sunset, when every sword he had held in his hands had been broken. Even his rings were broken in the combat. uniform of the brilliant military leader Giorgi Saakadze was stained with blood from top to bottom. Manuchar of Samtskhe and his sons also fought bravely in this battle. exhausted and debilitated by the heat, the Georgians fought heroically to the last moment. But the battle that had begun at dawn finally ended late that night with the defeat of the Georgian army. Nine thousand Georgians gave their lives for Christ and their motherland on the battlefield at Marabda.

Georgia, 1625, Battle of Marabda, Persia defeats Georgia
Georgia, 1625, Battle of Marabda, Persia defeats Georgia Marabda; 9 Kherkheulidze Brothers with their Mother and Sister and Nine Thousand Martyrs of Marabda, Commemorated August 3 ; the Feast of the Annunciation in the year 1625, the Georgians annihilated the army of the Persian shah Abbas I in the Battle of Martqopi. The victory unified Georgia’s eastern provinces of Kartli and Kakheti. It also instilled hope in other enslaved peoples of the Transcaucasus, and rebellions began to break out everywhere. the enraged Shah Abbas marched his finest and largest army toward Georgia under the leadership of Isa-Khan Qurchibash. A Georgian army of some twenty thousand men encamped near Kojori-Tabakhmela in preparation for the attack, while the enemy’s army, which numbered in excess of fifty thousand men, encamped at Marabda. According to tradition, the Georgian soldiers received Holy Communion at dawn before the battle. Domenti (Avalishvili) of Ruisi prepared to serve the Holy Gifts to the soldiers but they cried out with a single voice: “If you will join us and take up your sword and fight, then do so. We can receive Holy Communion from another!” by these words, the bishop joined in, proclaiming, “Today we will fight a battle for faith and for Christ; therefore my blood must be spilled before yours!” With his vestments as armor, the bishop blessed the soldiers and took his place in the front line. banner of the Georgian army was entrusted to the nine Kherkheulidze brothers. Persians panicked upon coming face-to-face with the courage and fortitude of the Georgian soldiers, but the experienced commander Isa-Khan Qurchibash would not yield in battle. Help arrived from Beglerbeg Shaybani-Khan, and with the extra forces the Persians soon gained the advantage over the Georgian army. The Georgian colonel Teimuraz Mukhranbatoni was fatally wounded, and rumors of his death threw the soldiers into a frenzy, since they erroneously believed that the dead man was King Teimuraz I of Kakheti, the commander of their army. that their leader had fallen, the Georgian soldiers became anxious and their army was enfeebled. Before long they recognized their mistake, but it was too late—the fate of the battle had already been decided. military leaders Davit Jandieri, Aghatang Kherkheulidze and Baadur Tsitsishvili and the bishops of Rustavi and Kharchasho all fell in the battle at Marabda. The nine banner-bearing Kherkheulidze brothers were also killed. When the banner that had led their army through the battles at Didgori and Basiani fell from the hands of the youngest brother, their sister grabbed hold of it immediately, and when she also fell, the banner and symbol of Georgian invincibility was raised up again by their mother. Teimuraz fought until sunset, when every sword he had held in his hands had been broken. Even his rings were broken in the combat. The uniform of the brilliant military leader Giorgi Saakadze was stained with blood from top to bottom. Atabeg Manuchar of Samtskhe and his sons also fought bravely in this battle. exhausted and debilitated by the heat, the Georgians fought heroically to the last moment. But the battle that had begun at dawn finally ended late that night with the defeat of the Georgian army. Nine thousand Georgians gave their lives for Christ and their motherland on the battlefield at Marabda.

Georgia, 1630, Dagestani Raid on David Gareja Monastery
Dagestani Raid on David Gareja Monastery 1630 Abbas I of Persia attack on Georgia (1616) ; Hieromartyr Kozman, Commemorated on July 18; 6,000 Martyrs of the St David Gareji Monastery, Georgia, Commemorated on April 26;

Georgia, 1632-1642, Catholicos, Evdemoz or Eudemus I of Georgia
Georgian Catholicos, 1632-1642, Evdemoz or Eudemus I of Georgia ; Martyr Evdemoz the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on October 4;

Georgia, 1632-1658, King, Rostom-Khan or Rostom of Kartli, Shia Muslim
Georgian King, 1632-1658, Rostom-Khan or Rostom of Kartli, Shia Muslim; Martyr Evdemoz the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on October 4;

Georgia, 1645-1762, Kingdom of Kakheti, Eastern Georgia
Kingdom of Kakheti; Martyr Ilia Chavchavadze of Georgia, Commemorated on July 20; Venerable Salome of Ujarma, Commemorated January 15 ; St Damiane (Demetrius) the King and Hymnographer, Commemorated on May 23;

Georgia, 1650-1660, Saint, Bidzina Cholokashvili, Bakhtroni Uprising 1659,
Georgia, 1650-1660, Saint, Bidzina Cholokashvili; Cholokashvili (died c. 1660) is a Christian martyr canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church. His feast is celebrated on October 1. He was one of the leaders of Bakhtrioni Uprising (1659). During the 1630s he was a "sakhltukhutsesi" of Kingdom of Kakheti. In the battle between Teimuraz and Rostom he supported the former. In 1648 by order of Teimuraz he invaded Ertso in order to make Ertso-Tianeti subordinate to the King. After the uprising Shah summoned Bidzina as well as Shalva and Elizbar Eristavi, who later were forced to converse their religion, but none of them accepted. As a result, they were given to tribes whose members were slaughtered during the uprising. Bidzina was tortured and killed. Greatmartyr and Prince Bidzina of Georgia, Commemorated on September 18;

Georgia, 1658-1675, King, King Vakhtang V of Kartli, Shia Muslim
Georgian King, 1658-1675, King Vakhtang V of Kartli, Shia Muslim ; Greatmartyr and Prince Bidzina of Georgia, Commemorated on September 18; Venerable John, Bishop of Manglisi, Commemorated on March 28;

Georgia, 1661-1675, King, Archil II of Imereti, unsuccessful, retired to Russia, poet
Georgian King, 1661-1675, Archil II of Imereti ; (1647 - April 16, 1713), of Bagrationi dynasty, king of Imereti in western Georgia (1661-1663, 1678-1679, 1690-1691, 1695–1696, and 1698) and of Kakheti in eastern Georgia (1664 - 75). After a series of unsuccessful attempts to establish himself on the throne of Imereti, Archil retired to Russia where he spearheaded the cultural life of a local Georgian community. He was also a lyric poet. Repose of St. Anthimus, Bishop of Georgia, Commemorated on September 14; Martyr Archil II the King of Georgia, Commemorated on June 21 ; Venerable John, Bishop of Manglisi, Commemorated on March 28;

Georgia, 1675-1703, King, Heraclius I of Kakheti, then Kartli, Shia Muslim
Georgian King, 1675-1703, Heraclius I of Kakheti; I or Nazar AlÄ« Khan (1642-1709), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a Georgian monarch who ruled the kingdoms of Kakheti (1675-1676, 1703-1709) and Kartli (1688-1703) under the protection of the Safavid dynasty of Iran. Fathers martyred by the Dagestanians, Commemorated on June 1; Venerable John, Bishop of Manglisi, Commemorated on March 28;

Georgia, 1690, Fathers martyred by the Dagestanians, David Gareja monastery, Kakheti, dagestani robbers killed & destroyed icons
Georgia, 1690, Fathers martyred by the Dagestanians, David Gareja monastery complex, Kakheti, Georgia (Iori River 4), Shio's brother killed b, became monk, in charge, dagestani robbers killed and destroyed icons; David Gareja monastery complex (Georgia) ; Fathers martyred by the Dagestanians, Commemorated on June 1; holy monk-martyrs Shio the New, David, Gabriel and Paul labored in the David-Gareji Wilderness at the end of the 17th century. Shio was from the village of Vedzisi in the Kartli region. His parents, Papuna and Tamar, were wealthy and highly influential people. They had eight children: five sons and three daughters. After their parents died, Shio’s brothers quarreled so intensely over their inheritance that the eldest brother finally killed the youngest. disturbed by this tragedy, blessed Shio sought to withdraw from the vanity of the world—a world in which brother can murder brother and a son can murder his father. Shio confessed his desire to his spiritual father, and he was advised to journey to the David-Gareji Monastery and be tonsured a monk. In fact, the abbot, Fr. Onopre (Machutadze), had invited Shio to the monastery several times before, saying, “Come, brother Shio, and let us finish our lives here.” great joy Onopre received Shio, who was already revered by many for his faith and chastity. He directed him to a cell and clothed him as a novice. Shio’s tireless labors, humility, and manifest love for his brothers inspired many to seek his counsel. The abbot himself often trusted Shio to administer the affairs of the monastery in his absence. Fr. Onopre departed to attend to some matters outside the monastery, leaving Shio in charge. After Vespers and a meal, the exhausted brothers were settling down to rest when a band of Dagestani robbers suddenly stormed the monastery grounds. They ransacked the monastery and captured Hieromonk Shio and the monks David, Gabriel and Paul and killed them. Some of the brothers who remained tried to flee, but they were caught and brutally slain. cells of the David-Gareji Monastery were soaked with blood. Then the Dagestanis, yet unsatisfied, seized and destroyed nearly all the monastery’s property. They stole some of the clerical vestments, and the rest they cut in pieces and tossed in a well. Then they hacked the holy icons to pieces with their axes. the blessing of the catholicos and by order of the king, the mutilated relics of the holy martyrs were buried in the courtyard south of the grave of Saint David of Gareji. Martyrs Shio, David, Gabriel, and Paul of Akhalkalaki in Georgia, Commemorated on June 1; holy monk-martyrs Shio the New, David, Gabriel and Paul labored in the David-Gareji Wilderness at the end of the 17th century. Shio was from the village of Vedzisi in the Kartli region. His parents, Papuna and Tamar, were wealthy and highly influential people. They had eight children: five sons and three daughters. After their parents died, Shio’s brothers quarreled so intensely over their inheritance that the eldest brother finally killed the youngest. disturbed by this tragedy, blessed Shio sought to withdraw from the vanity of the world—a world in which brother can murder brother and a son can murder his father. Shio confessed his desire to his spiritual father, and he was advised to journey to the David-Gareji Monastery and be tonsured a monk. In fact, the abbot, Fr. Onopre (Machutadze), had invited Shio to the monastery several times before, saying, “Come, brother Shio, and let us finish our lives here.” great joy Onopre received Shio, who was already revered by many for his faith and chastity. He directed him to a cell and clothed him as a novice. Shio’s tireless labors, humility, and manifest love for his brothers inspired many to seek his counsel. The abbot himself often trusted Shio to administer the affairs of the monastery in his absence. Fr. Onopre departed to attend to some matters outside the monastery, leaving Shio in charge. After Vespers and a meal, the exhausted brothers were settling down to rest when a band of Dagestani robbers suddenly stormed the monastery grounds. They ransacked the monastery and captured Hieromonk Shio and the monks David, Gabriel and Paul and killed them. Some of the brothers who remained tried to flee, but they were caught and brutally slain. cells of the David-Gareji Monastery were soaked with blood. Then the Dagestanis, yet unsatisfied, seized and destroyed nearly all the monastery’s property. They stole some of the clerical vestments, and the rest they cut in pieces and tossed in a well. Then they hacked the holy icons to pieces with their axes. the blessing of the catholicos and by order of the king, the mutilated relics of the holy martyrs were buried in the courtyard south of the grave of Saint David of Gareji.

Georgia, 1690-1716, Anthimus tGeorgian, Turk slave, Romanian Metropolitn, author, printer, woodcarver, builder, R spirit legacy
Georgia, 1690-1716, Anthimus the Georgian, Georgia (Iberia, the land of St George), Orthodox, captured by Turks invading Georgia, slave in Constantinople, Greek, Arabic, Turkish, skilled woodcarving, embroidery, painting, Escaped tEcumenical Patriarchate, invited to Wallachia by Constantine Brancoveanu for his talents, became monk 1691, later priest, royal print shop iBucharest, printing house iSnagov Monastery, printed 63 books iRomanian, Greek, Arabic, Georgian, author 38 oThem, Igumen 1696, Bishop Rimnicu-Vilcea 1705, Metropolitan Wallachia 1708, schools, churches, monasteries, spiritual legacy Romanian Church, arrested by Turks 1716, tSt Catherines Mt Sinai, killed along the way; Georgia (country) ; Saint Anthimus the Georgian, Commemorated on September 27; Anthimus was born in Georgia, and his parents were called John and Mary. The child received the name Andrew in Baptism, and his parents raised him as an Orthodox Christian. was captured by Turks who invaded Georgia when he was young, he was one of many who were made slaves in Constantinople. he learned to speak Greek, Arabic, and Turkish, and also became skilled in woodcarving, embroidery, and painting. a few years as a slave, Andrew escaped and fled to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for refuge. 1690, Andrew was invited to Wallachia by Prince Constantine Brancoveanu (August 16), who had heard of his talents. a year or so, he became a monk and received the name Anthimus. he was ordained to the holy priesthood. was placed in charge of the royal print shop in Bucharest, and later set up a printing house in the Snagov Monastery. monastery printed sixty-three books in Romanian, Greek, Arabic, and Georgian. Anthimus was the author of thirty-eight of them. He was chosen to be the igumen of Snagov in 1696. saint was consecrated as Bishop of Rimnicu-Vilcea in 1705, three years later he was made Metropolitan of Wallachia. Metropolitan, he established schools for poor children, and built churches and monasteries. Since he was a woodcarver, he used his talent to beautify many churches. Anthimus was a zealous pastor who satisfied his flock’s hunger for spiritual knowledge. in the Romanian language, he taught them the saving truths of Orthodoxy, and offered words of encouragement and consolation. His edifying books and sermons are part of the spiritual legacy of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Anthimus was arrested by the Turks in 1716 and sentenced to be exiled at Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mt. Sinai, but he never arrived at his destination. September 27, 1716, he was killed by the soldiers who were escorting him. cut his body into little pieces and threw them into the Tungia River, south of the Danube. Thus, the faithful servant of Christ received the crown of martyrdom. Anthimus was a true shepherd of his flock, and a father to his clergy. He was glorified by the Orthodox Church of Romania in 1992.

Georgia, 1700, 18th and 19th Century, Georgia under Russian Control

Georgia, 1703-1724, Georgian King, Vakhtang VI, of Kartli, Persian Vassal, statesman, failed getting rus help
Georgian King, 1703-1724, Vakhtang VI, of Kartli; VI, also known as Vakhtang the Scholar, Vakhtang the Lawgiver and Ḥosaynqolī Khan (September 15, 1675 - March 26, 1737), was a Georgian monarch of the royal Bagrationi dynasty. ruled the East Georgian Kingdom of Kartli as a vassal of Safavid Persia from 1716 to 1724. of the most important and extraordinary statesman of early 18th-century Georgia, he is known as a notable legislator, scholar, critic, translator and poet. reign was eventually terminated by the Ottoman invasion following the disintegration of Safavid Persia, which forced Vakhtang into exile in the Russian Empire. was unable to get the tsar's support for his kingdom and instead had to permanently stay with his northern neighbors for his own safety. his way to a diplomatic mission sanctioned by Empress Anna, he fell ill and died in southern Russia in 1737, never reaching Georgia. Venerable Serapion, Abbot and Wonderworker of the St. John the Baptist Monastery, Commemorated August 24 ; Venerable Simeon the Wonderworker, Commemorated September 4 ; Venerable John, Bishop of Manglisi, Commemorated on March 28; Venerable John, Bishop of Manglisi, Commemorated on March 28;

Georgia, 1710-1770, George of Caucasian Iberia, Kartli, young slave, forced Islam, at 70 announced christian, martyred
Georgia, 1710-1770, George of Iberia, Caucasian Iberia, Kartli, Central Georgia, young, into slavery, forced to Islam, Mytilene shop owner, at 70 announced Orthodox christian, beaten, endured, hanged; Caucasian Iberia; New Martyr George of Iberia, Commemorated on January 2 ; George (Zorzes) was from Georgia, and was sold into slavery when he was young. His master, a Muslim from the Greek island of Mytilene, forced him to embrace Islam and renamed him Sali. After his master died, George remained on the island and opened a small shop. In 1770, when he was seventy years old, he appeared before the authorities and announced that he was an Orthodox Christian. The kadi thought that George had lost his mind, since his declaration would lead to his death. next day George was questioned again, and then he was beaten. He endured his torments with silence, but would not be turned from his confession of faith. After more torture, the holy martyr was hanged on January 2, 1770, receiving a crown of glory from the Savior Christ.

Georgia, 1716-1757, Vakhushti of Kartli, Vakhushti Bagrationi, historian and prince
Georgia, 1716-1757, Vakhushti of Kartli, Vakhushti Bagration; Saint Basil of Georgia, son of King Bagrat III, Commemorated on May 27;

Georgia, 1724-1727, Jesse of Kartli, King, Muslim, Persian and Ottoman viceroy
Georgian King, 1724-1727, Jesse of Kartli; also known by his Muslim names Ali-Quli Khan and Mustafa Pasha, (1680 or 1681-1727), of the Mukhranian Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Kartli (Georgia), acting actually as a Safavid Persian and later Ottoman viceroy (wali) from 1714 to 1716 and from 1724 until his death, respectively. Venerable John, Bishop of Manglisi, Commemorated on March 28;

Georgia, 1727-1762, King, Teimuraz II of Kakheti, Power after Turks and G rebel against Persians, s rus help, poet
Georgian King, 1727-1744, Teimuraz II of Kakheti; II (1680/1700-1762) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Kakheti, eastern Georgia, from 1732 to 1744, then of Kartli from 1744 until his death. Teimuraz was also a lyric poet. 1 Life 2 Reburial 3 Family 4 References 5 Sources was a son of Erekle I and his wife Anna. Together with his mother, Teimuraz ruled as regent for his absent brother David II (Imam Quli-Khan) from 1709 to 1715. In 1732, the Turks killed the next king and Teimuraz’s other brother, Constantine, and took control of his kingdom. His successor, Teimuraz, fled to the mountains of Pshavi and fought the occupants from there. July 1735, the resurgent Persian ruler Nader Shah Afshar invaded Kakheti and forced the Turks out of most of eastern Georgia. Nader summoned Teimuraz to his headquarters at Erivan and, upon his refusal to convert to Islam, had him detained. was placed under the nominal government of Teimuraz's Muslim nephew Ali Mirza. In October 1735, Teimuraz escaped to the mountains of Kakheti and fomented unrest against the Persian rule, but he was captured by the close of 1736. these years, part of Georgian nobles staged a powerful rebellion against the Persian regime. 1738, the shah had to release Teimuraz to counter the Georgian opposition, and made him governor of Kakheti, while his son Erekle II campaigned with Nader in India.[1][2] uprising now turned into a brutal civil war between pro- and anti-Persian factions. Teimuraz, aided by his son Erekle II, was able to crush the rebels led by Givi Amilakhvari. a reward, the shah abolished, in 1742, a heavy tribute laid upon Kakheti, and helped Teimuraz to subdue autonomous duchies of the Aragvi and the Ksani in 1743 and 1744 respectively. For his service against the Ottomans and an anti-Persian revolt, in 1744, Teimuraz was confirmed by the shah as king of Kartli, and his son Erekle was given a Kakhetian crown, thus laying the ground for the eventual reunification of these Georgian kingdoms. importantly, they were recognised as Christian kings for the first time since 1632. Both monarchs were crowned at the Cathedral of the Living Pillar (Svetitskhoveli) at Mtskheta on October 1, 1745. their power growing increasingly stronger, Teimuraz and Erekle soon repudiated their allegiance to the Persian suzerain. Shah ordered 30,000 Persian troops to move into Georgia and entrusted a Georgian convert (and a former anti-Persian leader) Amilakhvari with the punitive operation. The shah was, however, murdered in 1747, and his empire became engulf into complete chaos. rulers of Kartli and Kakheti took advantage of the situation and expelled all Persian garrisons from their kingdoms. 1749 to 1750, they checked several attempts of Persian pretenders to create their powerbase in the eastern Transcaucasia, and made the neighbouring khanates of Yerevan, Ganja, and Nakhichevan their tributaries. fought then against the Dagestani clansmen who frequently raided the Georgian marchlands, but without complete success. several previous Georgian rulers, he hoped that the expanding Russian empire would be the only protector for the Christians of Caucasus against the Ottoman and Persian aggressions. sent an embassy to St Petersburg in 1752, but nothing came of this mission. In 1760, he visited the Russian court himself to gain a support for his project of a Georgian expedition to Persia to put a Russian candidate on the shah’s throne. The Russians were too preoccupied with the Seven Years' War to seriously consider Teimuraz’s idea. died suddenly in the Russian capital on January 8, 1762 (just a fortnight after Elizabeth of Russia incidentally), and was buried next to his father-in-law Vakhtang VI in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Astrakhan. his death, Erekle succeeded as king of Kartli, bringing both eastern Georgian kingdoms into a single state (Kingdom of Kartli and Kakheti) he was constantly at war or on guard, Teimuraz found some time to translate from Persian and compose, virtually on horseback, his own poems and lyrics. Venerable Shio Mgvime, Commemorated on March 3; Hieromartyr Gabriel the Lesser, Commemorated on March 17 ; Venerable John, Bishop of Manglisi, Commemorated on March 28;

Georgia, 1732-1778, Rousseau, modern thought, Facist, Nazi, Marxist, progressive
Switzerland, 1732-1778, Rousseau, enlightenment, modern political, social thought, Facism, Naziism, Communism, democracy, progressive; Rousseau; 28 June 1712 - 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the development of modern political, economic and educational thought.[1] Discourse on Inequality and The Social Contract are cornerstones in modern political and social thought. Rousseau's sentimental novel Julie, or the New Heloise (1761) was important to the development of preromanticism and romanticism in fiction.[2][3] His Emile, or On Education (1762) is an educational treatise on the place of the individual in society. Rousseau's autobiographical writings—the posthumously published Confessions (composed in 1769), which initiated the modern autobiography, and the unfinished Reveries of the Solitary Walker (composed 1776–1778)—exemplified the late-18th-century "Age of Sensibility", and featured an increased focus on subjectivity and introspection that later characterized modern writing. befriended fellow philosopher Denis Diderot in 1742, and would later write about Diderot's romantic troubles in his Confessions. During the period of the French Revolution, Rousseau was the most popular of the philosophers among members of the Jacobin Club. He was interred as a national hero in the Panthéon in Paris, in 1794, 16 years after his death. Absolved From Being Good-Mannered: The Romantic Totalitarianism of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, May 20, 2021 ;

Georgia, 1736, Nadir, Persian Afsharid Shah, Sunni, Invaded Georgia, destroyed Shio's relics
Persia, 1736-1747, Persian Afsharid Shah, Nadir, Sunni ; Hieromartyr Dositheus of Tbilisi, Commemorated September 12 ; Venerable Shio Mgvime (relics story), Commemorated on March 3;

Georgia, 1744-1761, Teimuraz II, Kakheti and Kartli, sought Russian help
Georgian King, 1744-1761, Teimuraz II, of Kakheti and Kartli; II (1680/1700-1762) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Kakheti, eastern Georgia, from 1732 to 1744, then of Kartli from 1744 until his death. Teimuraz was also a lyric poet. 1 Life 2 Reburial 3 Family 4 References 5 Sources was a son of Erekle I and his wife Anna. Together with his mother, Teimuraz ruled as regent for his absent brother David II (Imam Quli-Khan) from 1709 to 1715. In 1732, the Turks killed the next king and Teimuraz’s other brother, Constantine, and took control of his kingdom. His successor, Teimuraz, fled to the mountains of Pshavi and fought the occupants from there. July 1735, the resurgent Persian ruler Nader Shah Afshar invaded Kakheti and forced the Turks out of most of eastern Georgia. Nader summoned Teimuraz to his headquarters at Erivan and, upon his refusal to convert to Islam, had him detained. was placed under the nominal government of Teimuraz's Muslim nephew Ali Mirza. In October 1735, Teimuraz escaped to the mountains of Kakheti and fomented unrest against the Persian rule, but he was captured by the close of 1736. these years, part of Georgian nobles staged a powerful rebellion against the Persian regime. 1738, the shah had to release Teimuraz to counter the Georgian opposition, and made him governor of Kakheti, while his son Erekle II campaigned with Nader in India.[1][2] uprising now turned into a brutal civil war between pro- and anti-Persian factions. Teimuraz, aided by his son Erekle II, was able to crush the rebels led by Givi Amilakhvari. a reward, the shah abolished, in 1742, a heavy tribute laid upon Kakheti, and helped Teimuraz to subdue autonomous duchies of the Aragvi and the Ksani in 1743 and 1744 respectively. For his service against the Ottomans and an anti-Persian revolt, in 1744, Teimuraz was confirmed by the shah as king of Kartli, and his son Erekle was given a Kakhetian crown, thus laying the ground for the eventual reunification of these Georgian kingdoms. importantly, they were recognised as Christian kings for the first time since 1632. Both monarchs were crowned at the Cathedral of the Living Pillar (Svetitskhoveli) at Mtskheta on October 1, 1745. their power growing increasingly stronger, Teimuraz and Erekle soon repudiated their allegiance to the Persian suzerain. Shah ordered 30,000 Persian troops to move into Georgia and entrusted a Georgian convert (and a former anti-Persian leader) Amilakhvari with the punitive operation. The shah was, however, murdered in 1747, and his empire became engulf into complete chaos. rulers of Kartli and Kakheti took advantage of the situation and expelled all Persian garrisons from their kingdoms. 1749 to 1750, they checked several attempts of Persian pretenders to create their powerbase in the eastern Transcaucasia, and made the neighbouring khanates of Yerevan, Ganja, and Nakhichevan their tributaries. fought then against the Dagestani clansmen who frequently raided the Georgian marchlands, but without complete success. several previous Georgian rulers, he hoped that the expanding Russian empire would be the only protector for the Christians of Caucasus against the Ottoman and Persian aggressions. sent an embassy to St Petersburg in 1752, but nothing came of this mission. In 1760, he visited the Russian court himself to gain a support for his project of a Georgian expedition to Persia to put a Russian candidate on the shah’s throne. The Russians were too preoccupied with the Seven Years' War to seriously consider Teimuraz’s idea. died suddenly in the Russian capital on January 8, 1762 (just a fortnight after Elizabeth of Russia incidentally), and was buried next to his father-in-law Vakhtang VI in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Astrakhan. his death, Erekle succeeded as king of Kartli, bringing both eastern Georgian kingdoms into a single state (Kingdom of Kartli and Kakheti) he was constantly at war or on guard, Teimuraz found some time to translate from Persian and compose, virtually on horseback, his own poems and lyrics. St Euthymius the Elder of the St John the Baptist Monastery, Commemorated on August 8; Venerable Serapion, Abbot and Wonderworker of the St. John the Baptist Monastery, Commemorated August 24 ; Venerable Simeon the Wonderworker, Commemorated September 4 ; St Joseph the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on October 17; New Martyr George of Iberia, Commemorated on January 2; Venerable Shio Mgvime, Commemorated on March 3; Hieromartyr Gabriel the Lesser, Commemorated on March 17 ; Venerable John, Bishop of Manglisi, Commemorated on March 28;

Georgia, 1745-1815, Anthony oChkondid, built monasteries, eloquent sermons, divine fasting face
Georgia, 1745-1815, Jacob tElder, & disciple oAnthony oChkondid, Georgia (Chkondidi River 1), Dadiani family fEgrisi (Samegrelo), Prince Shoshita III fRacha mom's f, mom raised 6 children as Christians, father dies, older bro prepares A fDiplomat, philosophy, lit, poetry, art, languages, but A took bro's monastic place, tMartvili Monastery to catch up monk prep, French missionaries' fashhionable scholastic philosophy, tainted Orthodox doctrine, water with oil not mixing, impossible, tTiblisi fKnowledge, tCousin Queen a Dadiani, 1761 Bishop oTsageri, eloquent sermons, divine light fasting face resembled angel, C daily meal for Poor, Engrisi slave trade, his councils condemn, land for Martvili, Nakharebou, Sairme monasteries, exempt them taxes, tN monastery 1789-1815; Chqondidi; Martvili Monastery in Egrisi; St Jacob the Elder, and disciple of St Anthony of Chkondidi, Commemorated on October 13; Anthony of Chqondidi was born to the family of Otia Dadiani, the prince of Egrisi (now Samegrelo). ’s mother, Gulkan, was the daughter of the prince Shoshita III of Racha. were six children in the family: five boys and one girl. Anthony’s sister, Mariam, later married King Solomon the Great of Imereti. children received their primary education from their mother, who was raised in the Christian Faith and transmitted the Faith to her children. vibrant faith and valorous labors were an example for all who surrounded her. his father’s death, young Anthony was raised by his older brother Katsia. family was preparing Anthony for a diplomatic career, and therefore they devoted special attention to his study of philosophy, literature, the fundamentals of poetry and art, and foreign languages (particularly Turkish and Persian). the beginning of the 17th century, the rulers of Egrisi appointed only their own relatives to the Chqondidi diocese. one of Anthony’s older brothers, was prepared for the bishopric, but he was too attached to the world to commit to the heavy yoke of asceticism. young Anthony, however, was zealous for the monastic life, and soon he was tonsured. new monk Anthony sensed the imperfection of his spiritual education and asked the monks of Martvili Monastery in Egrisi to help him make up for his insufficient knowledge. group of French missionaries arrived to instruct him in the foundations of Scholastic philosophy, which was very fashionable in Europe at that time. however, recognized that his foreign tutors had tainted Orthodox doctrine with the poison of heresy. during a meal, Anthony turned to a certain Frenchman and asked, “Can you pour wine into this water-filled cup and keep it from mixing with the water?” Catholic priest answered that it was impossible, and Anthony replied, “As it is impossible to pour water and wine into a single vessel and keep them from mixing, so it is impossible to accommodate both Orthodox doctrine and heresy!” that day Anthony parted with the French missionaries. thirst for learning would not give the young monk any rest. deepen his knowledge, Saint Anthony traveled to Tbilisi, to the court of King Erekle II. The king’s wife, Queen Darejan, was Anthony’s cousin—a child of his uncle, Katsia Dadiani. 1761 Saint Anthony was consecrated bishop of Tsageri (in lower Svaneti). He soon became famous for his eloquent sermons, which inspired even the Catholicos of Georgia himself. weary from fasting, Saint Anthony’s face began to resemble that of an angel. accordance with his orders, a daily meal was prepared for the poor at the Chqondidi residence. Every subsequent bishop of Chqondidi has continued this practice. the 18th century many feudal lords in western Georgia (in Egrisi especially) began to trade slaves for profit. Anthony boldly opposed this immoral activity, and in the years 1792 to 1794 he convened a series of Church councils to publicly condemn the slave traders. 1788 Anthony approved vast land grants to the monasteries of Martvili, Nakharebou, and Sairme. persuaded the Dadianis to exempt these lands from taxation. 1789 Anthony, now a metropolitan, left Chqondidi for Nakharebou Monastery, which he had built. He enriched the monastery with sacred objects, ancient icons and lands. There he spent the remainder of his days. Anthony of Chqondidi reposed in 1815 at a very old age and was buried at Nakharebou Monastery. Anthony’s spiritual son, devoted friend, and helper, Hieromonk Jacob, also dwelt as a saint in this world and was received into the Heavenly Kingdom. Saint Anthony, Metropolitan of Chqondidi, and Saint Jacob, Elder of Chqondidi, Commemorated on October 13; info as Above, Jacob not mentioned there either Anthony of Chqondidi was born to the family of Otia Dadiani, the prince of Egrisi (now Samegrelo). Anthony’s mother, Gulkan, was the daughter of the prince Shoshita III of Racha. There were six children in the family: five boys and one girl. Anthony’s sister, Mariam, later married King Solomon the Great of Imereti. The children received their primary education from their mother, who was raised in the Christian Faith and transmitted the Faith to her children. Her vibrant faith and valorous labors were an example for all who surrounded her. After his father’s death, young Anthony was raised by his older brother Katsia. His family was preparing Anthony for a diplomatic career, and therefore they devoted special attention to his study of philosophy, literature, the fundamentals of poetry and art, and foreign languages (particularly Turkish and Persian). From the beginning of the 17th century, the rulers of Egrisi appointed only their own relatives to the Chqondidi diocese. Nicholas, one of Anthony’s older brothers, was prepared for the bishopric, but he was too attached to the world to commit to the heavy yoke of asceticism. The young Anthony, however, was zealous for the monastic life, and soon he was tonsured. The new monk Anthony sensed the imperfection of his spiritual education and asked the monks of Martvili Monastery in Egrisi to help him make up for his insufficient knowledge. A group of French missionaries arrived to instruct him in the foundations of Scholastic philosophy, which was very fashionable in Europe at that time. Anthony, however, recognized that his foreign tutors had tainted Orthodox doctrine with the poison of heresy. Once, during a meal, Anthony turned to a certain Frenchman and asked, “Can you pour wine into this water-filled cup and keep it from mixing with the water?” The Catholic priest answered that it was impossible, and Anthony replied, “As it is impossible to pour water and wine into a single vessel and keep them from mixing, so it is impossible to accommodate both Orthodox doctrine and heresy!” From that day Anthony parted with the French missionaries. The thirst for learning would not give the young monk any rest. To deepen his knowledge, Saint Anthony traveled to Tbilisi, to the court of King Erekle II. The king’s wife, Queen Darejan, was Anthony’s cousin—a child of his uncle, Katsia Dadiani. In 1761 Saint Anthony was consecrated bishop of Tsageri (in lower Svaneti). He soon became famous for his eloquent sermons, which inspired even the Catholicos of Georgia himself. Grown weary from fasting, Saint Anthony’s face began to resemble that of an angel. In accordance with his orders, a daily meal was prepared for the poor at the Chqondidi residence. Every subsequent bishop of Chqondidi has continued this practice. In the 18th century many feudal lords in western Georgia (in Egrisi especially) began to trade slaves for profit. Bishop Anthony boldly opposed this immoral activity, and in the years 1792 to 1794 he convened a series of Church councils to publicly condemn the slave traders. In 1788 Anthony approved vast land grants to the monasteries of Martvili, Nakharebou, and Sairme. He persuaded the Dadianis to exempt these lands from taxation. In 1789 Anthony, now a metropolitan, left Chqondidi for Nakharebou Monastery, which he had built. He enriched the monastery with sacred objects, ancient icons and lands. There he spent the remainder of his days. Saint Anthony of Chqondidi reposed in 1815 at a very old age and was buried at Nakharebou Monastery. Saint Anthony’s spiritual son, devoted friend, and helper, Hieromonk Jacob, also dwelt as a saint in this world and was received into the Heavenly Kingdom.

Georgia, 1750-1802, Gabriel the Lesser, Tbilisi, a major figure, writer, historian, k by Dagestanis
Georgia, 1750-1802, Gabriel the Lesser, Tbilisi, Kartli, Georgia Capital (Tiblisi River Mouth, Kura River 9), Gabriel the Lesser was a major figure in the eighteenth-century Georgian Church, well educated, tailor but monastic life, left for monastic life, writer, historian, killed by Moslem Dagestanis; Tbilisi; Hieromartyr Gabriel the Lesser, Commemorated on March 17; Gabriel the Lesser was a major figure in the eighteenth-century Georgian Church. Few details of his life are known, but it is evident that the education he received was quite good for the period. Striving toward the monastic life but still living in the world, Gabriel tried in every way to close himself off from the vanity of the world. He kept a small sewing shop in Tbilisi and distributed most of his profits to the poor. day Saint Gabriel abandoned his business and set off for the Davit-Gareji Wilderness, where he was tonsured a monk. Gabriel occupied much of his time with writing, and his works left a significant mark on the spiritual literature of Georgia. He compiled several collections of patristic writings, and he also wrote original works of a theological nature. His original writings include An Explanation of the Hierarchical Liturgy, which describes in detail the meaning of every part of the service, Spiritual Stories of the Pious, The Life and Labors of Venerable Schemamonk Onisphore, A Short Story of Porphyry, and writings on the Nomocanon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. the brothers at his monastery, Saint Gabriel was distinguished by a remarkable capacity for love and a fervent desire to help others: he helped all, cared for all, and encouraged all. During the Great Fast in 1802, a certain archdeacon came from Tbilisi to Davit-Gareji Monastery, desiring to draw closer to the ascetic way of life. After some time, however, he became anxious to see his family and decided to return home. Saint Gabriel accompanied him on his way, but the two men were suddenly assailed by Dagestanis, and the holy father was killed. The brothers carried his relics back to the monastery and buried them there with great honor.

Georgia, 1752-1782, King, Solomon I of Imereti, The Great, defeated Ottomana invasions, unified Georgia, reforms
Georgia, 1752-1782, King, Solomon I of Imereti, The Great ; I, "the Great", (1735 - April 23, 1784), of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was King of Imereti (western Georgia) from 1752 to 1765 and again from 1767 until his death in 1784. was a son of Alexander V of Imereti by his second wife Tamar née Abashidze and succeeded upon his father's death in 1752. immediately launched a series of stringent measures against the renegade nobles and slave trade from which they profited in conjunction with the Ottoman authorities. In 1752, the aristocratic opposition staged a coup, but Solomon quickly regained the crown and began a program of reforms aimed at stabilizing the kingdom torn apart by chronic civil wars. The Ottomans, which saw Imereti as the sphere of their influence, sent in an army, but Solomon succeeded in mobilizing his nobles around him and defeated the invaders at the Battle of Khresili in 1757. The same year, he forged an alliance with his kinsman, Heraclius II, who ruled in eastern Georgia. He defeated two more Ottoman invasions (20,000 strong and 13,000 strong). The Ottoman instigated invasion of North Caucasus tribes, one of which succeeded, while second one was thwarted. Briefly, Ottomans took Kutaisi in 1765 and placed his cousin, Teimuraz on the throne. In 1767, Solomon managed to stage a comeback, and freed Imereti of Turks again. Next year, another Russo-Turkish broke out, and in May 1769, Solomon traveled to Tbilisi to meet with Heraclius II. The two kings decided to request five Russian regiments and join the war with the Ottoman Empire in exchange of the guarantee that Georgian interests would be protected in the final Russo-Turkish peace deal. The Russians sent a small force under General Gottlieb Heinrich Totleben, but the general's rudeness and condescension alienated the Georgians; Totleben was quickly recalled from Georgia. After the war was over, Solomon was able to force his autonomist vassals, princes of Mingrelia and Guria, into submission, and continued antagonizing the Ottoman hegemony in the region. Ottomans had no choice but to sign a treaty with Imereti, by which Imeterti was no longer Ottoman vassal, slave trade was not even mentioned, with symbolic tribute of 60 women annually (did not stipulate them to be Georgians, and Solomon never honored this clause anyway). He crushed the Ottoman-sponsored insurrection in Abkhazia in 1779, and made a series of forays into the Turkish-controlled southwestern historic Georgian lands. He died in March 1784 and was buried at the Gelati Monastery. He was canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church on 22 December 2016, his feast day set for 23 April (NS 10 April).[1] I was married three times; first, to Princess Tinatin Shervashidze, second to Princess Mariam, daughter of Otia Dadiani (died 1778), Prince of Mingrelia, and third, Princess Gulkan Tsulukidze (1730–1800). He had five children, three sons and two daughters: Prince David, born of Solomon's first marriage to Tinatin Shervashidze. Prince Alexander (1760–1780), born by Mariam Dadiani. He led a revolt against Solomon in 1778. Princess Darejan (ka) (1756–1827), born by Mariam Dadiani. She married, in 1768, Prince Kaikhosro Abashidze. Their son, Ivane Abashidze, was a pretender to the throne of Imereti in 1820. Princess Mariam (1769–1845), born by Mariam Dadiani. She married Prince Elizbar Eristavi of Ksani (1738–1813). Prince Bagrat, an extramarital son. St. Jacob the Elder, and disciple of St. Anthony of Chqondidi, Commemorated on October 13;

Georgia, 1762-1798, Heraclius II, Erekle II, he placed his kingdom under Russian protection in 1783
Georgian King, 1762-1798, Heraclius II (Erekle II) of Georgia and Kartli; II, also known as Erekle II and The Little Kakhetian[1] (7 November 1720 or 7 October 1721 [according to C. Toumanoff[2]] - 11 January 1798), was a Georgian monarch of the Bagrationi dynasty, reigning as the king of Kakheti from 1744 to 1762, and of Kartli and Kakheti from 1762 until 1798. the contemporary Persian sources he is referred to as Erekli Khan, while Russians knew him as Irakly. His name is frequently transliterated in a Latinized form Heraclius because both names Erekle and Irakli are Georgian versions of this Greek name.[3] being granted the kingship of Kakheti by his overlord Nader Shah in 1744 as a reward for his loyalty,[4] to becoming the penultimate king of the united kingdoms of Kakheti and Kartli in eastern Georgia, his reign is regarded as the swan song of the Georgian monarchy.[5] by his personal abilities and the unrest in the Persian Empire, Heraclius established himself as a de facto autonomous ruler, unified eastern Georgia politically for the first time in three centuries,[6] and attempted to modernize the government, economics, and military. by the internal and external menaces to Georgia's precarious independence and its temporary hegemony in eastern Transcaucasia, he placed his kingdom under the formal Russian protection in 1783, but the move did not prevent Georgia from being devastated by the Persian invasion in 1795. Heraclius died in 1798, leaving the throne to his moribund heir, George XII. St Euthymius the Elder of the St John the Baptist Monastery, Commemorated on August 8; Venerable Serapion, Abbot and Wonderworker of the St. John the Baptist Monastery, Commemorated August 24 ; Venerable Simeon the Wonderworker, Commemorated September 4 ; Hieromartyr Dositheus of Tbilisi, Commemorated September 12 ; Venerable Joseph the Elder and Wonderworker of Khevi, Georgia, Commemorated October 7 ; St Jacob the Elder, and disciple of St Anthony of Chqondidi, Commemorated on October 13; St Joseph the Catholicos of Georgia, Commemorated on October 17; New Martyr George of Iberia, Commemorated on January 2; Hieromartyr Gabriel the Lesser, Commemorated on March 17 ;

Georgia, 1762-1800, Georgian Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, Tbilisi, Georgia
Georgian Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, 1762-1800, Tbilisi, Georgia; St Euthymius the Elder of the St John the Baptist Monastery, Commemorated on August 8; Martyr Constantine the King of Georgia, Commemorated on November 10 ; St Hilarion the Georgian, the New, Commemorated February 14 ; New Martyr George of Iberia, Commemorated on January 2;

Georgia, 1768-1774, Russo-Turkish War (1768-“74), Turks in Georgia
Moscow, 1768-1774, Russo-Turkish War (1768-“74) ; Venerable Paisius Velichkovsky, Commemorated on November 15; Repose of the Venerable Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov, Commemorated on January 2;

Georgia, 1783-1917, Georgia in the Russian Empire, by Choice
Georgia, 1783-1917, Georgia in the Russian Empire; Saint Hilarion the New of Georgia, Commemorated on February 14; the Russian annexation of Kartli-Kakheti, the imperial court of the tsar increased diplomatic correspondence with the court of King Solomon II. king was urged likewise to unite the Imeretian Kingdom to Russia. Solomon summoned a council of noblemen, and it was decided that Imereti would remain independent, while maintaining friendly relations with Russia until the king’s death. However, it was agreed that since King Solomon had no heir, after his repose the court of the imperial tsar would acquire jurisdiction over the region. the political climate in Georgia became increasingly tense, and the ability of the Imeretian court to govern was severely undermined. court was suddenly besieged with cases of envy and treason, and it became necessary for the king to flee to Turkey. Protopresbyter Ise Qanchaveli accompanied King Solomon II to his place of exile and remained with him to the end of the king’s life. the king’s death in 1815, Fr. Ise received an amnesty from Tsar Alexander I (1801-1825) on behalf of the king and his court. Ise himself planned to go into reclusion in the village where he was born, King Solomon’s widow, Queen Mariam, summoned him to Moscow where she was being held in “honorable captivity.â€ Fr. Ise brought to her a piece of the Life-giving Cross of our Lord, which had belonged to King Solomon, and the queen preserved her husband’s treasure in the court church. life at the imperial court was tiresome for the God-fearing Fr. Ise, so he exchanged his clothing for beggars’ rags and set off for Mt. Athos in the year 1819.

Georgia, 1788-1830, Prince Ioane of Georgia, John Bagrationi, historian and prince
Georgia, 1788-1830, Prince Ioane of Georgia, John Bagrationi; Saint Basil of Georgia, son of King Bagrat III, Commemorated on May 27;

Georgia, 1789-1815, Georgian King, Solomon II of Imereti, final King of G
Georgian King, 1789-1815,Solomon II of Imereti; II (1772 – February 7, 1815), of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was the last King of Imereti (western Georgia) from 1789 to 1790 and from 1792 until his deposition by the Imperial Russian government in 1810. was born as David to Prince Archil of Imereti, brother of King Solomon I of Imereti, by his wife Helene, daughter of King Heraclius II of Georgia. Solomon I, who died in 1784 without a male heir, named his nephew David as his successor. However, Solomon's cousin David II prevented him, and another rival prince, from being crowned as king and occupied the throne, leading to a civil war. II interfered on behalf of his grandson and sent in an army, defeating David II at the Battle of Matkhoji on June 11, 1789. David, son of Archil, was crowned as King of Imereti under the name of Solomon II, but David II continued his efforts to resume the throne until his final defeat in 1792. He ruled under the protection of his maternal grandfather, Heraclius II, and continued Solomon I's policy of restricting the powers of feudal aristocracy. In 1795, he and Heraclius fought with a small Imeretian force at the Battle of Krtsanisi against the Persians, only to be completely defeated by the latter. Heraclius' death in 1798, and the annexation of the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti (east of Imereti) by Russia in 1800, the situation in Imereti became precarious. refractory vassals, princes of Mingrelia and Guria (west of Imereti), assumed the Russian protection and put forward territorial claims to the royal domains. Solomon attempted to enlist Ottoman and Persian support against the anticipated Russian encroachment. However, the Russian commander in Georgia, Prince Pavel Tsitsianov, moved his army into Imereti and forced Solomon to succumb to Russian vassalage in the convention of Elaznauri of April 25, 1804. Yet, Solomon's relations with Russia continued to be strained. February 20, 1810, the Russian administration removed Solomon from the throne and sent in troops to take control of the kingdom. Solomon retaliated by rallying people against Russia and tried to enlist Turkey, Persia and Napoleonic France in his cause. Outnumbered and defeated, Solomon fled to the Ottoman possessions in Trebizond where he died in 1815 and was buried at the Saint Gregory of Nyssa Church.[1] The body of Solomon II, the last reigning Georgian king, was moved from Trebizond to Gelati Monastery, Georgia, in 1990.[2] was married to Mariam (1783–1841), daughter of Katsia Dadiani, Prince of Mingrelia, with no children. St Hilarion the Georgian, the New, Commemorated on February 14; Hieromartyr Gabriel the Lesser, Commemorated on March 17 ;

Georgia, 1790, Acharistsqali Bridge, Turks chopped heads of elderly, sent tongue ends to pasha
Acharistsqali (Adjara's Water); Martyred Fathers and Mothers of Atchara, Commemorated on May 29; his work The Islamization of Georgia, or the Spread of Islam in Western Georgia in the 17th-18th Centuries, the renowned early twentieth-century scholar Zakaria Chichinadze retold a story he had heard from one elderly Atcharan man: “In Atchara the implanting of Islam faced a powerful opposition. Many of the elderly men and the majority of women stood firmly by the Christian Faith, and even challenged and debated the Turkish mullahs.... The number of these aged men in Atchara was considerably high. In the end an order was issued: to arrest all dissidents, forcibly convert them to Islam, and execute those who resisted. Before long all the elderly Christians of Atchara were arrested and cast in prison. Then they were led to the River Atcharistsqali, to a 12th-century bridge known as the ‘Bridge of Queen Tamar.’ On that bridge the Ottomans erected a guillotine. “They chopped off the heads of the elderly people, sent the ends of their tongues to the pasha, and threw their bodies into the river. This happened one hundred years ago, in the year 1790.â€ and a guillotine were erected in the villages of Atcharistsqali, Keda, Chakvi, Khulo, Machakhela, and Gonio. The documents preserved in the manuscript collection at Akhaltsikhe Museum describe in even more horrific detail the martyrdom of the Atcharan Christians: “The human tongue is powerless to describe the tortures that the Georgians suffered in those years for confessing Christianity. While they were still alive their flesh was stripped and their bodies quartered; they were slashed to pieces with swords, their bellies ripped open; they were roasted over campfires. They were pierced with flaming rods, thrown into cauldrons of boiling water; molten lead was poured down their throats; they were tossed into pools of hot lime....â€

Georgia, 1790, Acharistsqali Bridge, Turks controlled all of Western Georgia and Samtskhe
Acharistsqali (Adjara's Water); Martyred Fathers and Mothers of Atchara, Commemorated on May 29; his work The Islamization of Georgia, or the Spread of Islam in Western Georgia in the 17th-18th Centuries, the renowned early twentieth-century scholar Zakaria Chichinadze retold a story he had heard from one elderly Atcharan man: “In Atchara the implanting of Islam faced a powerful opposition. Many of the elderly men and the majority of women stood firmly by the Christian Faith, and even challenged and debated the Turkish mullahs.... The number of these aged men in Atchara was considerably high. In the end an order was issued: to arrest all dissidents, forcibly convert them to Islam, and execute those who resisted. Before long all the elderly Christians of Atchara were arrested and cast in prison. Then they were led to the River Atcharistsqali, to a 12th-century bridge known as the ‘Bridge of Queen Tamar.’ On that bridge the Ottomans erected a guillotine. “They chopped off the heads of the elderly people, sent the ends of their tongues to the pasha, and threw their bodies into the river. This happened one hundred years ago, in the year 1790.â€ and a guillotine were erected in the villages of Atcharistsqali, Keda, Chakvi, Khulo, Machakhela, and Gonio. The documents preserved in the manuscript collection at Akhaltsikhe Museum describe in even more horrific detail the martyrdom of the Atcharan Christians: “The human tongue is powerless to describe the tortures that the Georgians suffered in those years for confessing Christianity. While they were still alive their flesh was stripped and their bodies quartered; they were slashed to pieces with swords, their bellies ripped open; they were roasted over campfires. They were pierced with flaming rods, thrown into cauldrons of boiling water; molten lead was poured down their throats; they were tossed into pools of hot lime....â€

Georgia, 1795, Battle of Krtsanisi, Tiblisi, Persian V, Muslim Traitors, T in flames, murdered people and clergy
Georgia, Battle of Krtsanisi, Tiblisi, 1795, Muslim Traitors inside the gates ; Battle of Krtsanisi was fought between the Qajar Iran (Persia) and the Georgian armies of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti and Kingdom of Imereti at the place of Krtsanisi[10] near Tbilisi, Georgia, from September 8 to September 11, 1795, part of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar's war in response to King Heraclius II of Georgia’s alliance with the Russian Empire.[11] battle resulted in the decisive defeat of the Georgians, capture, and complete destruction of their capital Tbilisi,[8] as well as the temporary absorption of eastern parts of Georgia into the Iranian Empire.[3][4][12][13] the Qajars were victorious and Agha Mohammad Khan kept his promise to Heraclius (Erekle) that if he would not drop the alliance with Russia and voluntarily reaccept Iranian suzerainty they would invade his kingdom, also showed that Russia's own ambitions and agenda were set as the most important reason for Russia not to intervene at Krtsanisi, even though the latter had officially declared in the Treaty of Georgievsk of 1783 that it would protect Erekle's kingdom against any new Iranian ambitions to re-subjugate Georgia. in order to restore Russian prestige, Catherine would launch a punitive campaign against Iran the next year, but it was shortly recalled after her death. following years remained turbulent and were known as a time of muddle and confusion. Reestablishment of Iranian rule over Georgia did not last long, for the shah was assassinated in 1797 in Shusha, and the Georgian king had died the year after. Georgia laying in ruins and the central rule in Iran being concerned with the next heir to the throne, it opened the way for Georgia's annexation by Russia several years later by Tsar Paul. Iran could not permit or allow the cession of Transcaucasia and Dagestan, which were integral parts of Iran for centuries, the consequences of the Krtsanisi battle directly led to the bitter Russo-Persian War (1804-1813) and Russo-Persian War (1826-1828), in which Fath Ali Shah, Agha Mohammad Khan's successor, attempted to reverse Russian military advances and restore Iranian authority north of the Aras and Kura rivers.[14] After these wars, Iran ceded Transcaucasia and Dagestan to imperial Russia per the Treaty of Gulistan (1813) and the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828).[14] Georgia, composed of the kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti, had been in the early modern era under Iranian suzerainty since the 1510s.[15] 1744, Nader Shah had granted the kingship of Kartli and Kakheti to Teimuraz II and his son Erekle II (Heraclius II) respectively, as a reward for their loyalty.[16] Nader Shah died in 1747, they capitalized on the chaos that had erupted in mainland Iran, and declared de facto independence. After Teimuraz II died in 1762, Erekle II assumed control over Kartli, and united the two kingdoms in a personal union as the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, becoming the first Georgian ruler to preside over a politically unified eastern Georgia in three centuries.[17] about the same time, Karim Khan Zand had ascended the Iranian throne; Erekle II quickly tendered his de jure submission to the new Iranian ruler, however, de facto, he remained autonomous.[18][19] 1783, Heraclius placed his kingdom under the protection of the Russian Empire in the Treaty of Georgievsk. In the last few decades of the 18th century, Georgia had become a more important element in Russo-Iranian relations than some provinces in northern mainland Persia, such as Mazandaran or even Gilan.[20] Peter I, Catherine, the then ruling monarch of Russia, viewed Georgia as a pivot for her Caucasian policy, as Russia's new aspirations were to use it as a base of operations against both Iran and the Ottoman Empire,[21] both immediate bordering geo-political rivals of Russia. top of that, having another port on the Georgian coast of the Black Sea would be ideal.[20] A limited Russian contingent of two infantry battalions with four artillery pieces arrived in Tbilisi in 1784,[18] but was withdrawn, despite the frantic protests of the Georgians, in 1787 as a new war against Ottoman Turkey had started on a different front.[18] the next several years, Russia would be too occupied with Turkey (due to the 1768-74 war), Poland, and the European consequences of the French Revolution to give Georgia much attention. the consolidation of the Qajar dynasty under Agha Mohammad Khan, who had become the new owners to the Iranian throne and therefore the new heirs to the geo-politically rivalling empire that had been bordering Russia for centuries, did not divert Catherine from preoccupations in the west.[18] 1791, when Agha Mohammad Khan was in Tabriz, Erekle asked General Gudovich, commander of the Russian Caucasian Line, for renewed military aid, but the government in St.Petersburg did not judge it expedient to send troops again to Georgia.[18] 1792, Gudovich told Erekle that he would receive only diplomatic support in the advent of any Iranian onslaught.[5] Despite being left to his own devices, Heraclius still cherished a dream of establishing, with Russian protection, a strong and united monarchy, into which the western Georgian Kingdom of Imereti and the lost provinces under Ottoman rule would all eventually be drawn.[8] consequences of these events came a few years later, when a new dynasty, the Qajars, emerged victorious in the protracted power struggle in Persia. head, Agha Mohammad Khan, as his first objective,[22] resolved to bring the Caucasus again fully under the Persian orbit. For Agha Mohammah Khan, the resubjugation and reintegration of Georgia into the Iranian Empire was part of the same process that had brought Shiraz, Isfahan, and Tabriz under his rule.[18] He viewed, like the Safavids and Nader Shah before him, the territories no different than the territories in mainland Iran. was a province of Iran the same way Khorasan was.[18] As the Cambridge History of Iran states, its permanent secession was inconceivable and had to be resisted in the same way as one would resist an attempt at the separation of Fars or Gilan.[18] was therefore natural for Agha Mohammad Khan to perform whatever necessary means in the Caucasus in order to subdue and reincorporate the recently lost regions following Nader Shah's death and the demise of the Zands, including putting down what in Iranian eyes was seen as treason on the part of the wali of Georgia.[18] an interval of peace amid their own quarrels and with northern, western, and central Persia secure, the Persians demanded Heraclius II to renounce the treaty with Russia and to reaccept Persian suzerainty,[22] in return for peace and the security of his kingdom. Ottomans, Iran's neighboring rival, recognized Iran's rights over Kartli and Kakheti for the first time in four centuries.[5] Heraclius appealed then to his theoretical protector, Empress Catherine II of Russia, pleading for at least 3,000 Russian troops,[5] but he was not listened to, leaving Georgia to fend off the Persian threat alone.[8] Nevertheless, Heraclius II still rejected the Khan's ultimatum.[23] invasion[edit] capture of Tbilisi by Agha Muhammad Khan. A Qajar-era Persian miniature from the British Library. August 1795, Agha Mohammad Khan crossed the Aras river with a 70,000-strong army.[5] This force was divided in three: the left wing was sent in the direction of Erivan, the right one parallel to the Caspian Sea into the Mughan across the lower Aras towards Dagestan and Shirvan, while the Shah headed the centre force himself, advancing towards the fortress of Shusha in the Karabakh Khanate, which he besieged between 8 July and 9 August 1795.[7] His right and left wing forced the Khans of Ganja and Erivan into alliance respectively.[24] Having abandoned the siege of Shusha due to stiff resistance,[25] which was further aided by Georgian crown prince Aleksandre,[5] the Khan of Karabakh, Ibrahim Khan, eventually surrendered to Mohammad Khan after discussions, including the paying of regular tribute and to surrender hostages, though the Qajar forces were still denied entrance to Shusha.[25] Since the main objective was Georgia, Mohammad Khan was willing to have Karabakh secured by this agreement for now, for he and his army subsequently moved further.[25] While at Ganja, having secured Shirvan, he was joined by Javad Khan Qajar and the rest of his right wing contingent.[24] At Ganja, Mohammad Khan sent Erekle his last ultimatum, who received it in September 1795: Highness knows that for the past 100 generations you have been subject to Iran; now we deign to say with amazement that you have attached yourself to the Russians, who have no other business than to trade with Iran... Last year you forced me to destroy a number of Georgians, although we had no desire at all for our subjects to perish by our own hand...It is now our great will that you, an intelligent man, abandon such things... and break relations with the Russians. If you do not carry out this order, then we shall shortly carry out a campaign against Georgia, we will shed both Georgian and Russian blood and out of it will create rivers as big as the Kura....[5] According to the author of the Fārsnāma-ye Nāṣeri, Ḥasan-e Fasāʼi, a contemporary Qajar era historian, Agha Mohammad Khan had declared in the letter: Ismail I Safavi ruled over the province of Georgia. When in the days of the deceased king we were engaged in conquering the provinces of Persia, we did not proceeed to this region. As most of the provinces of Persia have come into our possession now, you must, according to ancient law, consider Georgia (Gurjistan) part of the empire, and appear before our majesty. You have to conform your obedience; then you may remain in the possession of your governorship (wali) of Georgia. If you do not do this, you will be treated as the others".[26] advisors divided, Erekle ignored the ultimatum, but, sent couriers to St.Petersburg. Gudovich, who sat in Georgievsk at the time, instructed Erekle to avoid "expense and fuss",[5] while Erekle, together with Solomon II and some Imeretians headed southwards of Tbilisi to fend off the Iranians.[5] Mohammad Khan at the same time marched directly on Tbilisi, with half of the army he crossed the Aras river with, though other estimations mention 40,000[7] instead of 35,000,[5][6] and attacked the heavily fortified Georgian positions of Erekle and Solomon on the southwestern limits of the city. Abandoned by several of his nobles, Heraclius II managed to mobilize around 5,000 troops, including some 2,000 auxiliaries from neighbouring Imereti under its King Solomon II, a member of the Georgian Bagrationi Dynasty and thus distantly related to Heraclius II. The Georgians offered a desperate resistance and succeeded in rolling back a series of Persian attacks on September 9 and 10. After that, it is said that some traitors informed the Persians that the Georgians had no more strength to fight and the Qajars army cancelled their plan of going back to Persia, which they previously had. Early on September 11, Agha Mohammad Khan personally led an all-out offensive against the Georgians. Amid an artillery duel and a fierce cavalry charge, the Persians managed to cross the Kura River and outflanked the decimated Georgian army. Heraclius II attempted to mount a counterattack, but he had to retreat to the last available positions in the outskirts of Tbilisi. By nightfall, the Georgian forces had been exhausted and almost completely destroyed. The last surviving Georgian artillery briefly held the advancing Persians to allow Heraclius II and his retinue of some 150 men to escape through the city to the mountains. The fighting continued in the streets of Tbilisi and at the fortress of Narikala. In a few hours, Agha Mohammad Khan was in full control of the Georgian capital which was completely sacked and its population massacred. Among those killed in the city was the archbishop of Tbilisi, Doistheus.[27] The Persian army marched back laden with spoil and carrying off some 15,000 captives.[8][9] The Georgians had lost 4,000 men in the battle, the Iranians 13,000; a third of their total force.[5] eye-witness, having entered the city several days after the bulk of the Iranian troops had withdrawn, described what he saw: therefore pursued my way, paved as it were, with carcases, and entered Tiflis by the gate of Tapitag: but what was my consternation on finding here the bodies of women and children slaughtered by the sword of the enemy; to say nothing about the men, of whom I saw more than a thousand, as I should suppose, lying dead in one little tower! (...) The city was almost entirely consumed, and still continued to smoke in different places; and the stench from the putrefying, together with the heat which prevailed, was intolerable, and certainly infectious.[7] Entrance of the Russian troops in Tiflis, 26 November 1799, by Franz Roubaud, 1886 his return, after the conquest of Tbilisi and being in effective control of eastern Georgia,[4][12][28] Agha Mohammad was formally crowned Shah in 1796 in the Mughan plain, just like his predecessor Nader Shah was about sixty years earlier.[4] As The Cambridge History of Iran notes; "Russia's client, Georgia, had been punished, and Russia's prestige, damaged." Heraclius II returned to Tbilisi to rebuild the city, but the destruction of his capital was a death blow to his hopes and projects. Upon learning of the fall of Tbilisi General Gudovich put the blame on the Georgians themselves.[29] To restore Russian prestige, Catherine II declared war on Persia, upon the proposal of Gudovich,[29] and sent an army under Valerian Zubov to the Qajar possessions on April of that year, but the new Tsar Paul I, who succeeded Catherine in November, shortly recalled it. Mohammad Shah was later assassinated while preparing a second expedition against Georgia in 1797 in Shusha[29] and the seasoned king Heraclius died early in 1798. Reassessment of Iranian hegemony over Georgia did not last long; in 1799 the Russians marched into Tbilisi.[30] The next two years were a time of muddle and confusion, and the weakened and devastated Georgian kingdom, with its capital half in ruins, was easily absorbed by Russia in 1801.[8][23] As Iran could not permit or allow the cession of Transcaucasia and Dagestan[14] the consequences of the Krtsanisi battle would also directly lead up to two wars between the nations. The Russo-Persian War (1804-1813) and Russo-Persian War (1826-1828) would eventually forced the cession of the aforementioned regions to Imperial Russia per the Gulistan and Turkmenchay of 1813 and 1828 respectively. Persian Qajar Shah, 1789-1797, Aga Mohammad Khan Qajar ; Hieromartyr Dositheus of Tbilisi, Commemorated on September 12 ; thousand Persian soldiers marched toward Georgia in the year 1795. The Georgian king Erekle II (1762-1798) and his two thousand soldiers declared war on the invaders as they were approaching Tbilisi. Georgians won the first skirmish, but many perished in the fighting. The enemy was shaken and was preparing to flee the battleground, when several traitors reported to Aqa Muhammed Khan that King Erekle had lost nearly his entire army. betrayal decided the fate of the battle: the one hundred fifty soldiers who remained in the Georgian army barely succeeded in saving the life of King Erekle, who had willed to perish on the battlefield with his soldiers. of Tbilisi was engulfed in flames. The plunderers murdered the people, set fire to the libraries, destroyed the print shop, and vandalized the churches and the king’s palace. They slaughtered the clergy in an especially cruel manner. history has not preserved the names of all those martyrs who perished in this tragedy, but we do know that a certain Metropolitan Dositheus of Tbilisi was killed because he would not abandon his flock. While the invaders simply killed most of the clergymen, from Saint Dositheus they demanded a renunciation of the Christian Faith. They commanded him to defile the True and Life-giving Cross of our Lord. But the holy hieromartyr Dositheus endured the greatest torments without yielding to the enemy, and he joyfully accepted death for Christ’s sake. The invaders slaughtered Christ’s devoted servant with their swords. Dositheus was martyred on September 12 in the year 1795.

Georgia, 1797, Black Plague in Georgia
Georgia, 1366, Black Plague in Georgia; St. Euthymius the Elder of the St. John the Baptist Monastery, Commemorated on August 8;

Georgia, 1798-1800, King, George XII of Georgia, invited Russian protection, bad health, political instability
Georgian King, 1798-1800, George XII of Georgia; XII, sometimes known as George XIII (November 10, 1746 - December 28, 1800), of the House of Bagrationi, was the second and last King of the Kingdom of Kartli and Kakheti (eastern Georgia) from 1798 until his death in 1800. brief reign in the closing years of the 18th century was marked by significant political instability, which implied the near certainty of a civil strife and a Persian invasion. by poor health and overwhelmed by problems in his realm, George renewed a request of protection from Tsar Paul I of Russia. his death, Imperial Russia took advantage of the moment and moved to annex the Georgian kingdoms, while sending the remnants of the Georgian royal family into forced exile in Russia. St Euthymius the Elder of the St John the Baptist Monastery, Commemorated on August 8; St Jacob the Elder, and disciple of St Anthony of Chqondidi, Commemorated on October 13; St Hilarion the Georgian, the New, Commemorated on February 14; Hieromartyr Gabriel the Lesser, Commemorated on March 17 ; Gabriel the Lesser was a major figure in the eighteenth-century Georgian Church. Few details of his life are known, but it is evident that the education he received was quite good for the period. toward the monastic life but still living in the world, Gabriel tried in every way to close himself off from the vanity of the world. He kept a small sewing shop in Tbilisi and distributed most of his profits to the poor. day Saint Gabriel abandoned his business and set off for the Davit-Gareji Wilderness, where he was tonsured a monk. Gabriel occupied much of his time with writing, and his works left a significant mark on the spiritual literature of Georgia. He compiled several collections of patristic writings, and he also wrote original works of a theological nature. His original writings include An Explanation of the Hierarchical Liturgy, which describes in detail the meaning of every part of the service, Spiritual Stories of the Pious, The Life and Labors of Venerable Schemamonk Onisphore, A Short Story of Porphyry, and writings on the Nomocanon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. the brothers at his monastery, Saint Gabriel was distinguished by a remarkable capacity for love and a fervent desire to help others: he helped all, cared for all, and encouraged all. the Great Fast in 1802, a certain archdeacon came from Tbilisi to Davit-Gareji Monastery, desiring to draw closer to the ascetic way of life. After some time, however, he became anxious to see his family and decided to return home. Saint Gabriel accompanied him on his way, but the two men were suddenly assailed by Dagestanis, and the holy father was killed. The brothers carried his relics back to the monastery and buried them there with great honor.