Georgians

During the early medieval period, the regions south of the Caucasus Mountains were divided among numerous petty kingdoms that eluded foreign dominance largely through geographical isolation. Although the Byzantine Empire occasionally attempted to extend its influence into these polities, no significant lasting gains were made. However, the constant threat of foreign invasion catalyzed a gradual shift towards unity. In the early 11th century, Bagrat III finally succeeded in gathering these formerly squabbling states into the Kingdom of Georgia.

Despite prior tensions, the young Georgian kingdom and the Byzantine Empire made common cause when the Seljuk Turks poured into the regions south of the Caucasus, threatening both realms. Although the Byzantines suffered a catastrophic defeat at Manzikert in 1071 and abandoned many of their eastern possessions, the Georgian kingdom endured – albeit while suffering severe damage from the constant pillaging of its infrastructure. One particularly notable Georgian player in these conflicts was Gregorios Pakourianos, an officer who entered Byzantine service and became a high-ranking commander, eventually being placed in charge of most of the Empire’s Balkan provinces.

Georgia experienced a resurgence during the early 12th century under David IV the Builder, who – as his cognomen suggests – reformed Georgia’s infrastructure and restored much of its political stability while increasing its military might. This trend was continued by Georgia’s first ruling queen, Tamar (1160-1213), who elevated the kingdom’s power to new heights. Tamar’s power and aptitude was such that by the latter years of her reign she had transformed her realm from a minor kingdom threatened by its neighbors to a kingmaker on the verge of participating in future Crusades.

Medieval Georgia flourished largely due to the ingenuity and resilience of its people. Adaptation to the mountainous landscape permitted the Georgian people to build a thriving and defensible economy that sat on one of the many crossroads between empires. Formidable fortifications – from mountain castles to the towers of Svaneti – protected the realm against hostile incursions, while Georgian armies used the terrain to their advantage in parrying enemy attacks and striking back shrewdly. The Georgian armies were led by the Monaspa, an elite cavalry force that directly served the ruling king or queen. Heavily armored, meticulously organized, and well trained, they were known to annihilate an enemy front line with a devastating shock charge.

Georgia’s golden age ended abruptly in the 13th century when successive waves of Mongols cascaded into the regions surrounding the Caucasus Mountains. Unable to hold off the invaders, the Georgians were unwillingly reduced to vassals of the Mongol khanates. Although the realm briefly recovered from this servitude under George V the Brilliant (1286-1346), further misfortune ensued as the Bubonic Plague swept through most of Europe and Asia, claiming millions of lives. Some decades later, the armies of Tamerlane flooded through Georgia on several occasions, carrying out despicable campaigns of destruction and slaughter. Limping into the 15th century, the Kingdom of Georgia finally collapsed in the face of Turkoman invasions.