Demetrius I ( ka, დემეტრე) ( 1093 – 1156), from the
Bagrationi dynasty
The Bagrationi dynasty (; ) is a royal dynasty which reigned in Georgia from the Middle Ages until the early 19th century, being among the oldest extant Christian ruling dynasties in the world. In modern usage, the name of the dynasty is som ...
, was King of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
from 1125 to 1156. He is also known as a
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...
. He was King of United Georgian kingdom two times, first in 1125 to 1154 and second in 1155 before his death in 1156.
Life
Demetrius was the eldest son of King David the Builder by his first wife Rusudan. He was brought up in Kutaisi. As a commander, he took part in his father's battles against
Seljuks
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
by the Turk ...
Shirvan
Shirvan (from fa, شروان, translit=Shirvān; az, Şirvan; Tat: ''Şirvan''), also spelled as Sharvān, Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical Iranian region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both pre-Islam ...
(1123). In 1117, he was sent by David at the head of a Georgian army into Shirvan, where Demetrius reduced the fortress of Kaladzor (later Alberd, now Ağdaş) and put to flight the men of
Sökmen II Nāṣir al-Dīn Sökmen II (died 1185) was the '' Shāh-i Arman'', the ruler of the Turkmen principality centred on Ahlat, from 1128 until his death. He married Shāhbānū, daughter of ′Izz al-Dīn Saltuq II, ruler of the Saltukids of Erzurum. ...
, "commander of all the forces of Persia" — as a Georgian chronicler suggests. This Sökmen was probably a
Shah-Armen
The Shah-Armens (lit. 'Kings of Armenia', tr, Ermenşahlar), also known as Ahlatshahs (lit. 'Rulers of Ahlat', tr, Ahlatşahlar), was a Turkoman Sunni Muslim Anatolian beylik founded after the Battle of Manzikert (1071) and centred in Ahlat ...
prince, and subsequently, ruler in his own right,
Sökmen II Nāṣir al-Dīn Sökmen II (died 1185) was the '' Shāh-i Arman'', the ruler of the Turkmen principality centred on Ahlat, from 1128 until his death. He married Shāhbānū, daughter of ′Izz al-Dīn Saltuq II, ruler of the Saltukids of Erzurum. ...
Afridun I
Afridun the Martyr was the eighteenth Shah of Shirvan. He was appointed governor of Derbent several times during his father's reign.
Name
"Afridun" is the arabicized form of the New Persian name Fereydun, an Iranian mythical hero.
Early life ...
must have applied for help. Demetrius succeeded on his father's death on January 24, 1125.
As soon as, he ascended to the throne, the neighbouring Muslim rulers began attacking Georgia from all sides. The Seljuqid sultans fought to restore the rule of the Shirvanshahs. Shirvan's large Muslim population rose against Georgia. This probably happened in 1129 or 1130, when Demetrius restored the Shirvanshahs to power in
Shirvan
Shirvan (from fa, شروان, translit=Shirvān; az, Şirvan; Tat: ''Şirvan''), also spelled as Sharvān, Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical Iranian region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both pre-Islam ...
, installing on the throne Manuchihr II, the husband of his daughter Rusudan. The
Shirvanshahs
''Shirvanshah'' ( fa, شروانشاه), also spelled as ''Shīrwān Shāh'' or ''Sharwān Shāh'', was the title of the rulers of Shirvan from the mid-9th century to the early 16th century. The title remained in a single family, the Yazidids, ...
had to provide the Georgian king with troops whenever the latter demanded it. In 1130, Georgia was attacked by the Sultan of Ahlat,
Shah-Armen
The Shah-Armens (lit. 'Kings of Armenia', tr, Ermenşahlar), also known as Ahlatshahs (lit. 'Rulers of Ahlat', tr, Ahlatşahlar), was a Turkoman Sunni Muslim Anatolian beylik founded after the Battle of Manzikert (1071) and centred in Ahlat ...
Sökmen II Nāṣir al-Dīn Sökmen II (died 1185) was the '' Shāh-i Arman'', the ruler of the Turkmen principality centred on Ahlat, from 1128 until his death. He married Shāhbānū, daughter of ′Izz al-Dīn Saltuq II, ruler of the Saltukids of Erzurum. ...
( 1128–1183). This war was started by the passage of Ani into the hands of the Georgians; Demetrius I had to compromise and give up
Ani
Ani ( hy, Անի; grc-gre, Ἄνιον, ''Ánion''; la, Abnicum; tr, Ani) is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia.
Between 961 and 1045, it was the capital of the ...
to the
Shaddadid
The Shaddadids were a Kurdish Sunni Muslim dynasty. who ruled in various parts of Armenia and Arran from 951 to 1199 AD. They were established in Dvin. Through their long tenure in Armenia, they often intermarried with the Bagratuni royal fami ...
emir
Fadl ibn Mahmud
Fadl V ibn Mahmud was a Shaddadid emir of Ani from 1155 to 1161.
Fadl V succeeded his brother Fakr al-Din Shaddad ibn Mahmud, who was deposed in a revolt. His own rule was brought to end by an invasion by King George III of Georgia, who took An ...
on terms of
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
age and inviolability of the Christian churches. In 1139, Demetrius raided the city of
Ganja
Ganja (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for marijuana. Its usage in English dates to before 1689.
Etymology
''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu ( hi, गांजा, links=no, ur, , links=no, IPA: aːɲd ...
in Arran. He brought the iron gate of the defeated city to Georgia and donated it to
Gelati Monastery
Gelati ( ka, გელათის მონასტერი) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia, it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as ...
at Kutaisi. Despite this brilliant victory, Demetrius could hold Ganja only for a few years. In reply to this, the sultan of the
Eldiguzids
The Ildegizids, EldiguzidsC.E. Bosworth, "Ildenizids or Eldiguzids", Encyclopaedia of Islam, Edited by P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs et al., Encyclopædia of Islam, 2nd Edition., 12 vols. with index ...
attacked Ganja several times, and in 1143 the town again fell to the sultan. According to
Mkhitar Gosh
Mkhitar Gosh ( hy, Մխիթար Գոշ; 1130–1213) or Mkhitar the Thinbearded was an Armenian scholar, writer, public figure, thinker, and priest. He was one of the representatives of the Armenian Renaissance.
Biography
He was born in the city ...
, Demetrius ultimately gained possession of Ganja, but, when he gave his daughter in marriage to the sultan, he presented the latter with the town as dowry, and the sultan appointed his own emir to rule it. Thus, Ganja once again fell into the hands of the
Eldiguzids
The Ildegizids, EldiguzidsC.E. Bosworth, "Ildenizids or Eldiguzids", Encyclopaedia of Islam, Edited by P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs et al., Encyclopædia of Islam, 2nd Edition., 12 vols. with index ...
.
In 1130, Demetrius revealed a plot of nobles, probably involving the king's half-brother Vakhtang. The King arrested the conspirators and executed one of their leaders, Ioanne
Abuletisdze
Abuletisdze ( ka, აბულეთისძე) was a Georgian noble family – eristavs – with its most prominent members in the 12th and 13th century. The family held appanages in the valleys of Aragvi and Tedzami in the eastern province of ...
Shaddadid
The Shaddadids were a Kurdish Sunni Muslim dynasty. who ruled in various parts of Armenia and Arran from 951 to 1199 AD. They were established in Dvin. Through their long tenure in Armenia, they often intermarried with the Bagratuni royal fami ...
emir of Ani asked for Saltuk's daughter's hand, however Saltuk refused him. This caused a deep hatred in Shaddad towards Saltuk. In 1154 he planned a plot and formed a secret alliance with the Demetrius I. While a Georgian army waited in ambush, he offered tribute to
Saltukids
The Saltukids or Saltuqids (Modern Turkish: ''Saltuklu Beyliği'' ) were a dynasty ruling one of the Anatolian beyliks founded after the Battle of Manzikert (1071) and centered on Erzurum. The Saltukids ruled between 1071 and 1202. The beylik was ...
, ruler of
Erzerum
Erzurum (; ) is a city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010.
The city uses the double-headed eagle as ...
and asked the latter to accept him as a vassal. In 1153–1154, Emir
Saltuk II
Saltuk II (İzzettin Saltuk) was a bey of Saltukids in the 12th century.
Background
After Alp Arslan of Seljukids defeated Byzantine army in the battle of Manzikert in 1071, a series of Turkmen beyliks (kingdoms) were formed in Anatolia befo ...
marched on Ani, but Shaddad informed his suzerain, the King of Georgia, of this. Demetrius marched to Ani, defeated and captured the emir. At the request of neighbouring Muslim rulers and released him for a ransom of 100,000 dinars, paid by Saltuk's sons in law and Saltuk swore not to fight against the Georgians he returned home.Prof. Yaşar Yüce-Prof. Ali Sevim: ''Türkiye tarihi Cilt I'', AKDTYKTTK Yayınları, İstanbul, 1991, p. 149–150.
In 1154, David V, Demetrius's elder son forced his father to abdicate and become a
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
in the Davit Gareja monastery, where he received the monastic name Damian (Damianus). However, David died six months later and King Demetrius was restored to the throne. David was survived by his son Demna who was regarded by the aristocratic opposition as a lawful pretender.
Demetre did not remain as ruler however. He crowned his younger son, Giorgi, as co-ruler, and retired to Davit Gareja for good, where he wrote hymns until his death.
Although Demetrius was not as successful as his father David the Builder,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
remained a strong feudal power with a well-organized military and political system and a developed cultural and economical life.
He died in 1156 and was buried at
Gelati Monastery
Gelati ( ka, გელათის მონასტერი) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia, it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as ...
Orthodox Church
Orthodox Church may refer to:
* Eastern Orthodox Church
* Oriental Orthodox Churches
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand
* State church of the Roman Empire
* True Orthodox church
See also
* Orthodox (di ...
May 23
Events Pre-1600
* 1430 – Joan of Arc is captured at the Siege of Compiègne by troops from the Burgundian faction.
*1498 – Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy.
* 1533 – The marriage of King Henry VI ...
on the
Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar
The Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar describes and dictates the rhythm of the life of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Passages of Holy Scripture, saints and events for commemoration are associated with each date, as are many times special rule ...
.
Marriage and children
The name of Demetrius's wife is unknown, but he had several children:
* David V, 7th king of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
Ahmad Sanjar
Senjer ( fa, ; full name: ''Muizz ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Adud ad-Dawlah Abul-Harith Ahmad Sanjar ibn Malik-Shah'') (''b''. 1085 – ''d''. 8 May 1157) was the Seljuq ruler of Khorasan from 1097 until in 1118,Giorgi III, 8th king of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, who succeeded him
* Bagrationi, who married prince of Kiev
*An unnamed daughter who married Emir Abu al-Muzaffar of Derbent
*Kata, later known as Eudoxia, who married
Alexios Komnenos (co-emperor)
Alexios Komnenos, latinised as Alexius Comnenus ( el, ; October 1106 – summer 1142), and sometimes called Alexios the Younger, was the eldest son of the Byzantine emperor John II Komnenos and his wife Eirene of Hungary. He was crowned co- ...
Kata of Georgia, Daughter of King David IV the Builder, as Wife of Sebastokrator Isaakios Komnenos by Rafal T. Prinke, Foundations Journal volume 3/6, 2011, pg. 496
Poems
King Demetrius I was an author of several poems, mainly on religious themes. '' Shen Khar Venakhi'' ( ka, შენ ხარ ვენახი, en, Thou Art a Vineyard), a hymn to the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, is the most famous of them.
See also
*
Family of David IV of Georgia
The family of David IV the Builder ( ka, დავით IV აღმაშენებელი), King of Georgia ( r. 1089–1125), was part of the Bagrationi dynasty. The dynasty had made their appearance in the Georgian lands in the 8th century ...