A brother’s mysterious death, a nephew’s doomed rebellion and a struggle for the crown shaped the reign of Giorgi III of Georgia. Irene Cox-Carstairs traces the family rivalries and ruthless politics behind the dynasty that brought Queen Tamar to power.
By Irene Cox-Carstairs
In 1178, Tamar Bagrationi was crowned as the first female monarch of Georgia. It was a landmark moment, celebrated in splendour and lauded in history. However, her claim to the throne was shaky, not just because she was a woman, but because her father had murdered her uncle – the rightful heir to Demetre I’s throne.
The murder of Davit V and the execution of his son Demetre, known as Demna, have gone largely unrecorded in Georgian sources. The Kartlis Tskhovreba – the Georgian Chronicles – offers scant details on the topic, unsurprising given that the books covering this time period were written during the reigns of Tamar and her children. It is only from Armenian sources that we are able to piece together a full, if somewhat biased, picture. From that picture we find a family torn apart by autocracy and ambition, scheming nobles, and the fight for control over Ani, the City of 1,001 Churches.
Part I: Brothers at War (1131–1156)
The Kingdom of Georgia in the 12th century – map by David1010 / Wikimedia Commons
Demetre I of Georgia, son of the revered Davit IV the Builder, had two sons: Davit and Giorgi. According to the Kartlis Tskhovreba, Demetre loved and doted on Giorgi, while he “abused and reviled the eldest son” (Met’reveli and Jones, 228). Demetre’s reasons were at least partly political. Demetre was an autocrat, reluctant to let any power slip from his grasp into the hands of the nobility. Giorgi – his younger son – agreed with his father’s policies, while Davit hungered for greater influence.
Demetre’s reign was unstable from the very beginning. He was cursed with a younger brother, Vakhtang, who many claimed was the intended heir of Davit IV. This spurred several rebellions, including one in Armenia led by Ivane Abuletisdze in 1131.
The rebellion was centred in the city of Ani, which controlled access to Northern Armenia and Eastern Anatolia, making it vital to Georgian economic and military policy. Ani was an important outpost on the frontier between the Christian and Islamic kingdoms, and it changed hands frequently. While Demetre lost and reconquered the city many times, the 1131 rebellion was quashed and many of the participants pardoned. Ivane was quietly disposed of in 1132.
It was around this time that Demetre had a falling out with his elder son, Davit. What exactly they quarrelled about is unknown, but it is presumed that they fought over the fate of Ivane Abuletisdze and Demetre’s political policies towards Ani. Davit, previously the defacto heir, was disowned and stricken from the succession, leaving Giorgi next in line for the throne.
The Kingmakers of Georgia
Ruins of the Cathedral of Ani – photo: Mustapilvi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Enter the powerful Orbeli family. Influential and wealthy, they owned most of Armenia. They were endowed with endless ambition and possibly had dreams of resurrecting the extinct Kingdom of Armenia, installing themselves at its head. Members of the family occupied many high positions within Demetre’s court, but they still wanted more. Like many powerful nobles of the time, the Orbeli resented that Demetre held absolute power within the kingdom. They, along with a coterie of like-minded nobles, plotted with Davit V to overthrow Demetre and place Davit on the throne.
They were successful. In 1154, Demetre I was overthrown and forced into the Davit Gareja monastery in K’akheti, where he was forced to take holy vows.
The reign of Davit V was far from peaceful. Though the Orbeli family had been given lands and power, the title of amirspasalar – or Commander-in-Chief – had been given to Tirkashi Abuletisdze, the son of the executed Ivane Abuletisdze. Denied the plum political positions they desired, the Orbeli decided that if they could overthrow one king, they could overthrow another. They schemed to unseat Davit, enlisting the help of Giorgi to restore Demetre I to the throne.
A Death and a Disputed Promise
Fresco of Demetrius I from the Matskhvarishi church of the Savior, 1140. Wikimedia Commons
Six months after the beginning of his reign, Davit V mysteriously fell ill – he was probably poisoned. Upon his deathbed, Davit, according to Armenian chronicles, coaxed a promise from Giorgi that he would rule as regent until Davit’s young son, Demna, came of age, and Giorgi would then turn the throne over to Demna, allowing him to become Demetre II. Davit died, and Demetre was hastily recalled from his monastery. However, Demetre did not resume the mantle of kingship. Instead, he waited to see Giorgi crowned as co-king, then returned to Davit Gareja. He died a year later in 1156.
With his brother out of the way, Giorgi set about unifying and expanding Georgia. He warred, feasted, and had two daughters. Despite their previous treachery, the Orbeli were appointed to many more high positions within the court, including the coveted posts of amirspasalar and head of the royal stables. The following 20 years were far from peaceful, but for a time, the spectre of Davit V lay dormant.
The Heir Who Never Ruled (1177–1178)
A rare copper coin issued during the reign of Giorgi III of Georgia, dated to 1174. One side depicts the king seated and holding a falcon, while the other bears an Arabic inscription identifying him as King of Kings and Sword of the Messiah. Photo: Classical Numismatic Group / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
In 1177, Demna Batonishvili came of age. He was, according to the chronicles, “Beautiful in appearance and learned in everything, as befitted his high birth, grew up in this well-organized kingdom with its gentle life.” However, he wanted more. Specifically, he wanted to be king.
But, perhaps Demna had simply been told that he wanted more. Demna had been fostered in the home of Ivane Orbeli, a man who had successfully overthrown two kings to fulfil his political ambitions. Ivane, who raised Demna like a son and married him to his daughter, had been holding the young prince in reserve, just in case he needed a legitimate king to overthrow Giorgi III.
Ivane had several reasons to be unhappy with his political position in the 1170s. He had been given the posts of mouravi, or governor, of the cities of Ani and Dvin by Giorgi when he recaptured the city in 1156. However, he had not been appointed lord of those cities, which meant that as governor, he received only a set salary and could not garner unlimited wealth from the trade that flowed through the cities. Instead, that wealth flowed into royal coffers.
Giorgi’s decision not to allow the Orbeli overlordship of Ani and Dvin was both strategic and economic. The Orbeli were already in possession of vast lands, armies, and an extensive spy network. They held key positions at court and exercised enormous political influence. Allowing them control of the profit from Dvin and Ani would make them a serious threat to Giorgi’s reign.
Dissatisfied, the Orbeli began to plot once again. The pretext for their rebellion was Giorgi’s promise to only rule as regent until Demna came of age. In 1177 Demna was of age, and Giorgi didn’t seem to be abdicating. Restoring the rightful king to the throne was a perfect excuse to get rid of Giorgi and seize further control in Armenia and Georgia.
However, Giorgi didn’t recall agreeing to only be a regent, and it must be said that it is highly unlikely that any such promise ever existed. Davit and Giorgi were enemies, and it is doubtful that Davit would have placed his young son in the care of his greatest rival. In addition, other sources claim that Giorgi’s promise was made to the Orbeli, and not to Davit at all. It is impossible to say for certain. Armenian chronicles tend to favour Davit V due to his pro-Armenian policies, and the Georgian chronicles are silent on the matter.
Even if Giorgi had been willing to step aside, Demna was technically ineligible to be king. He was married to the Georgian daughter of a Georgian noble family, and for Georgian monarchs it was the rule to marry a foreign royal in order to keep any noble house from growing too powerful. However, this convention didn’t seem to matter to Ivane or Demna.
In 1174, the city of Ani was once again under siege, this time from Atabeg Eldiguz of Azerbaijan and Sultan Arslan of Maragheh. Ivane Orbeli decided to throw in his lot with the invaders. He planned to surrender the city in an attempt to free it of Georgian control and install himself as ruler, beholden only to the Atabeg. However, he was found out, and the city remained in Georgian hands.
Giorgi then stripped Ivane of his governorship of Ani, but Ivane remained as amirspasalar. Relations between Ivane and Giorgi were frigid, and the country grew restive. Giorgi had added vast territories to the country in 20 years but had refused to cede control of many of the new lands. This upset many noble houses who expected to be given lands and estates in the new territories.
The Plot to Overthrow Giorgi
Medieval fresco at Betania Monastery in Georgia depicting King Giorgi III, Queen Tamar and her son, Giorgi IV Lasha. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Tensions simmered until 1177 when Ivane, Demna, and several other powerful nobles assembled forces around Kojori fortress, just 20 kilometres from Tbilisi. They planned to kidnap and kill Giorgi III, who was praying in a church near Kojori, then install Demna as king. However, their plans were overheard, and Giorgi was warned. He returned to Tbilisi in haste, secured the city, then returned with a force of 500 Kipchak mercenaries provided by Qubasari, the army’s commander.
Despite their army of 30,000 men, the conspirators were wrong-footed by the failure of their scheme. Gradually, nobles began to abandon Demna and the Orbeli and defect back to Giorgi’s side, where royal pardons awaited them. Giorgi captured the fortresses of Tashiri and Loris-k’ari and then pursued the conspirators south into Somkheti, until he pinned them down in the fortress of Lori.
In desperation, Demna sent riders to Eldiguz and Shah-Armen to ask for help, but those rulers were unwilling to anger Giorgi by sending aid. The siege lasted for months, but eventually, having been abandoned by his troops and advisors, Demna emerged from his castle with a noose around his neck to surrender. He had, perhaps, hoped that his uncle would grant him clemency, but he had no such luck. Giorgi ordered his nephew to be blinded and castrated, then imprisoned. Demna was never to emerge from his incarceration.
The Price of Rebellion
Ivane Orbeli was also shown no mercy. He had his eyes gouged out and was stripped of all his lands. His title of amirspasalar was given to Qubasari. Any Orbeli Giorgi could find was executed, and the Orbeli family name was declared cursed. The few remaining Orbeli retreated into exile, where they would remain until their resurgence a few decades later.
After the dust had cleared, Giorgi returned home and had his eighteen-year-old daughter, Tamar, crowned as co-king, beginning the reign of Georgia’s most illustrious and accomplished monarch.
Despite the multiple invasions and rebellions Tamar faced, Demna was never heard from again, and no banners were ever raised in his name. Giorgi had eliminated his brother’s line and firmly put the ghosts of his brother and nephew to rest. All tales of backroom deals with the Orbeli, and all promises of a supposed regency, were erased from Georgian history.
In killing his brother and executing his nephew, Giorgi had ensured that his daughter, and later her children, would sit upon his throne, ushering in a golden age of peace and prosperity, while Davit and Demna would be almost lost to time.
A brother’s mysterious death, a nephew’s doomed rebellion and a struggle for the crown shaped the reign of Giorgi III of Georgia. Irene Cox-Carstairs traces the family rivalries and ruthless politics behind the dynasty that brought Queen Tamar to power.
By Irene Cox-Carstairs
In 1178, Tamar Bagrationi was crowned as the first female monarch of Georgia. It was a landmark moment, celebrated in splendour and lauded in history. However, her claim to the throne was shaky, not just because she was a woman, but because her father had murdered her uncle – the rightful heir to Demetre I’s throne.
The murder of Davit V and the execution of his son Demetre, known as Demna, have gone largely unrecorded in Georgian sources. The Kartlis Tskhovreba – the Georgian Chronicles – offers scant details on the topic, unsurprising given that the books covering this time period were written during the reigns of Tamar and her children. It is only from Armenian sources that we are able to piece together a full, if somewhat biased, picture. From that picture we find a family torn apart by autocracy and ambition, scheming nobles, and the fight for control over Ani, the City of 1,001 Churches.
Part I: Brothers at War (1131–1156)
Demetre I of Georgia, son of the revered Davit IV the Builder, had two sons: Davit and Giorgi. According to the Kartlis Tskhovreba, Demetre loved and doted on Giorgi, while he “abused and reviled the eldest son” (Met’reveli and Jones, 228). Demetre’s reasons were at least partly political. Demetre was an autocrat, reluctant to let any power slip from his grasp into the hands of the nobility. Giorgi – his younger son – agreed with his father’s policies, while Davit hungered for greater influence.
Demetre’s reign was unstable from the very beginning. He was cursed with a younger brother, Vakhtang, who many claimed was the intended heir of Davit IV. This spurred several rebellions, including one in Armenia led by Ivane Abuletisdze in 1131.
The rebellion was centred in the city of Ani, which controlled access to Northern Armenia and Eastern Anatolia, making it vital to Georgian economic and military policy. Ani was an important outpost on the frontier between the Christian and Islamic kingdoms, and it changed hands frequently. While Demetre lost and reconquered the city many times, the 1131 rebellion was quashed and many of the participants pardoned. Ivane was quietly disposed of in 1132.
It was around this time that Demetre had a falling out with his elder son, Davit. What exactly they quarrelled about is unknown, but it is presumed that they fought over the fate of Ivane Abuletisdze and Demetre’s political policies towards Ani. Davit, previously the de facto heir, was disowned and stricken from the succession, leaving Giorgi next in line for the throne.
The Kingmakers of Georgia
Enter the powerful Orbeli family. Influential and wealthy, they owned most of Armenia. They were endowed with endless ambition and possibly had dreams of resurrecting the extinct Kingdom of Armenia, installing themselves at its head. Members of the family occupied many high positions within Demetre’s court, but they still wanted more. Like many powerful nobles of the time, the Orbeli resented that Demetre held absolute power within the kingdom. They, along with a coterie of like-minded nobles, plotted with Davit V to overthrow Demetre and place Davit on the throne.
They were successful. In 1154, Demetre I was overthrown and forced into the Davit Gareja monastery in K’akheti, where he was forced to take holy vows.
The reign of Davit V was far from peaceful. Though the Orbeli family had been given lands and power, the title of amirspasalar – or Commander-in-Chief – had been given to Tirkashi Abuletisdze, the son of the executed Ivane Abuletisdze. Denied the plum political positions they desired, the Orbeli decided that if they could overthrow one king, they could overthrow another. They schemed to unseat Davit, enlisting the help of Giorgi to restore Demetre I to the throne.
A Death and a Disputed Promise
Six months after the beginning of his reign, Davit V mysteriously fell ill – he was probably poisoned. Upon his deathbed, Davit, according to Armenian chronicles, coaxed a promise from Giorgi that he would rule as regent until Davit’s young son, Demna, came of age, and Giorgi would then turn the throne over to Demna, allowing him to become Demetre II. Davit died, and Demetre was hastily recalled from his monastery. However, Demetre did not resume the mantle of kingship. Instead, he waited to see Giorgi crowned as co-king, then returned to Davit Gareja. He died a year later in 1156.
With his brother out of the way, Giorgi set about unifying and expanding Georgia. He warred, feasted, and had two daughters. Despite their previous treachery, the Orbeli were appointed to many more high positions within the court, including the coveted posts of amirspasalar and head of the royal stables. The following 20 years were far from peaceful, but for a time, the spectre of Davit V lay dormant.
The Heir Who Never Ruled (1177–1178)
In 1177, Demna Batonishvili came of age. He was, according to the chronicles, “Beautiful in appearance and learned in everything, as befitted his high birth, grew up in this well-organized kingdom with its gentle life.” However, he wanted more. Specifically, he wanted to be king.
But, perhaps Demna had simply been told that he wanted more. Demna had been fostered in the home of Ivane Orbeli, a man who had successfully overthrown two kings to fulfil his political ambitions. Ivane, who raised Demna like a son and married him to his daughter, had been holding the young prince in reserve, just in case he needed a legitimate king to overthrow Giorgi III.
Ivane had several reasons to be unhappy with his political position in the 1170s. He had been given the posts of mouravi, or governor, of the cities of Ani and Dvin by Giorgi when he recaptured the city in 1156. However, he had not been appointed lord of those cities, which meant that as governor, he received only a set salary and could not garner unlimited wealth from the trade that flowed through the cities. Instead, that wealth flowed into royal coffers.
Giorgi’s decision not to allow the Orbeli overlordship of Ani and Dvin was both strategic and economic. The Orbeli were already in possession of vast lands, armies, and an extensive spy network. They held key positions at court and exercised enormous political influence. Allowing them control of the profit from Dvin and Ani would make them a serious threat to Giorgi’s reign.
Dissatisfied, the Orbeli began to plot once again. The pretext for their rebellion was Giorgi’s promise to only rule as regent until Demna came of age. In 1177 Demna was of age, and Giorgi didn’t seem to be abdicating. Restoring the rightful king to the throne was a perfect excuse to get rid of Giorgi and seize further control in Armenia and Georgia.
However, Giorgi didn’t recall agreeing to only be a regent, and it must be said that it is highly unlikely that any such promise ever existed. Davit and Giorgi were enemies, and it is doubtful that Davit would have placed his young son in the care of his greatest rival. In addition, other sources claim that Giorgi’s promise was made to the Orbeli, and not to Davit at all. It is impossible to say for certain. Armenian chronicles tend to favour Davit V due to his pro-Armenian policies, and the Georgian chronicles are silent on the matter.
Even if Giorgi had been willing to step aside, Demna was technically ineligible to be king. He was married to the Georgian daughter of a Georgian noble family, and for Georgian monarchs it was the rule to marry a foreign royal in order to keep any noble house from growing too powerful. However, this convention didn’t seem to matter to Ivane or Demna.
In 1174, the city of Ani was once again under siege, this time from Atabeg Eldiguz of Azerbaijan and Sultan Arslan of Maragheh. Ivane Orbeli decided to throw in his lot with the invaders. He planned to surrender the city in an attempt to free it of Georgian control and install himself as ruler, beholden only to the Atabeg. However, he was found out, and the city remained in Georgian hands.
Giorgi then stripped Ivane of his governorship of Ani, but Ivane remained as amirspasalar. Relations between Ivane and Giorgi were frigid, and the country grew restive. Giorgi had added vast territories to the country in 20 years but had refused to cede control of many of the new lands. This upset many noble houses who expected to be given lands and estates in the new territories.
The Plot to Overthrow Giorgi
Tensions simmered until 1177 when Ivane, Demna, and several other powerful nobles assembled forces around Kojori fortress, just 20 kilometres from Tbilisi. They planned to kidnap and kill Giorgi III, who was praying in a church near Kojori, then install Demna as king. However, their plans were overheard, and Giorgi was warned. He returned to Tbilisi in haste, secured the city, then returned with a force of 500 Kipchak mercenaries provided by Qubasari, the army’s commander.
Despite their army of 30,000 men, the conspirators were wrong-footed by the failure of their scheme. Gradually, nobles began to abandon Demna and the Orbeli and defect back to Giorgi’s side, where royal pardons awaited them. Giorgi captured the fortresses of Tashiri and Loris-k’ari and then pursued the conspirators south into Somkheti, until he pinned them down in the fortress of Lori.
In desperation, Demna sent riders to Eldiguz and Shah-Armen to ask for help, but those rulers were unwilling to anger Giorgi by sending aid. The siege lasted for months, but eventually, having been abandoned by his troops and advisors, Demna emerged from his castle with a noose around his neck to surrender. He had, perhaps, hoped that his uncle would grant him clemency, but he had no such luck. Giorgi ordered his nephew to be blinded and castrated, then imprisoned. Demna was never to emerge from his incarceration.
The Price of Rebellion
Ivane Orbeli was also shown no mercy. He had his eyes gouged out and was stripped of all his lands. His title of amirspasalar was given to Qubasari. Any Orbeli Giorgi could find was executed, and the Orbeli family name was declared cursed. The few remaining Orbeli retreated into exile, where they would remain until their resurgence a few decades later.
After the dust had cleared, Giorgi returned home and had his eighteen-year-old daughter, Tamar, crowned as co-king, beginning the reign of Georgia’s most illustrious and accomplished monarch.
Despite the multiple invasions and rebellions Tamar faced, Demna was never heard from again, and no banners were ever raised in his name. Giorgi had eliminated his brother’s line and firmly put the ghosts of his brother and nephew to rest. All tales of backroom deals with the Orbeli, and all promises of a supposed regency, were erased from Georgian history.
In killing his brother and executing his nephew, Giorgi had ensured that his daughter, and later her children, would sit upon his throne, ushering in a golden age of peace and prosperity, while Davit and Demna would be almost lost to time.
Irene Cox-Carstairs is the founder and head writer for thathistorynerd.com. You can follow her on X/Twitter @CarstairsIrene
See also her article: “The Worst Kind of Monk”: The Sarabaites
Subscribe to Medievalverse
Related Posts