Demetrius II the Self-Sacrificer or the Devoted ( ka, დემეტრე II თავდადებული) (1259–12 March 1289) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1270–1289.

Life

Son of King David VII and his wife

Gvantsa Gvantsa ( ka, გვანცა, or, archaically, Guantsa, გუანცა; also transliterated as Gwantza, Gontza, Gontsa, or Gonc'a) (died c. 1263) was a Queen Consort of Georgia as the third wife of King David VII “Ulu” ( r.: 1245-1270) ...

, Demetrius was only 2 years old when his mother was killed by the

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...

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 Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

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

Imereti Imereti (Georgian: იმერეთი) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 municip ...

an branch of the Bagrationi dynasty. King Demetrius was considered quite a controversial person. Devoted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

, he was criticized for his polygamy. In 1288, on the order of

Arghun Khan Arghun Khan (Mongolian Cyrillic: ''Аргун хан''; Traditional Mongolian: ; c. 1258 – 10 March 1291) was the fourth ruler of the Mongol empire's Ilkhanate, from 1284 to 1291. He was the son of Abaqa Khan, and like his father, was a dev ...

, he subdued the rebel province of

Derbend Derbent (russian: Дербе́нт; lez, Кьвевар, Цал; az, Дәрбәнд, italic=no, Dərbənd; av, Дербенд; fa, دربند), formerly romanized as Derbend, is a city in Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea. It i ...

at the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...

. The same year, Arghun revealed a plot organized by his powerful minister

Buqa Buqa (or Bugha) (died January 16, 1289) was a Mongol lord and chancellor who was instrumental in sweeping Arghun to power as the fourth Il-Khan of Iran in 1284 and became his chief minister (vizier) and advisor, succeeding Shams ad-Din Juvayni who ...

, 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 Mtskheta ( ka, მცხეთა, tr ) is a city in Mtskheta-Mtianeti province of Georgia. It is one of the oldest cities in Georgia as well as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World. Itis located approximately north of T ...

, Georgia, and canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church. He was succeeded by his cousin

Vakhtang II Vakhtang II (died 1292), of the dynasty of Bagrationi, was king of Georgia from 1289 to 1292. He reigned during the Mongol dominance of Georgia. A son of the western Georgian ruler, king David VI Narin, by his first wife Tamar, daughter of Pr ...

Marriages and children

At one point, Demetrius had three wives. In 1277, he married a daughter of Manuel I of Trebizond by whom he had five children * David VIII * Vakhtang III * Prince Lasha * Prince Manuel * Princess Rusudan Demetrius also had three children by his second wife, Mongol princess Solghar: * Prince Baidu * Prince Iadgar * Princess Jigda, married Emperor Alexios II of Trebizond George Finlay, ''The History of Greece and the Empire of Trebizond, (1204-1461)'' (Edinburgh: William Blackwood, 1851), p. 436 In ca. 1280, he married his third wife, Natela, daughter of

Beka I Jaqeli Beka I Jaqeli ( ka, ბექა I ჯაყელი) (c. 1240 – 1306) was a Georgian ruling prince (''mtavari'') of Samtskhe (1285–1306). His principality included Samtskhe, Adjara, Shavsheti, Klarjeti, Lazia (Chaneti), Tao, Kola, Artaani an ...

, Atabeg of

Samtskhe Meskheti ( ka, მესხეთი) or Samtskhe ( ka, სამცხე) (Moschia in ancient sources), is a mountainous area in southwestern Georgia. History Ancient tribes known as the Mushki (or Moschi) and Mosiniks (or Mossynoeci) were the ...

and Lord High Steward of Georgia. They were the parents of: *

George V the Brilliant George V the Brilliant ( ka, გიორგი V ბრწყინვალე, ''Giorgi V Brtskinvale''; also translated as the ''Illustrious'', or ''Magnificent''; 1286/1289–1346) was King of Georgia from 1299 to 1302 and again from 1314 un ...

References

* George Finlay, The History of Greece and the Empire of Trebizond, (1204-1461) (Edinburgh: William Blackwood, 1851), p. 436 rong reference - the page number does not contain information about Jigda Khanun

External links

დემეტრე II თავდადებული
(in

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

) {{DEFAULTSORT:Demetrius 02 of Georgia Kings of Georgia People executed by Mongolia by decapitation Medieval child rulers 13th-century people from Georgia (country) 1259 births 1289 deaths Executed people from Georgia (country) People executed by the Mongol Empire 13th-century executions Eastern Orthodox monarchs Eastern Orthodox Christians from Georgia (country) Bagrationi dynasty of the Kingdom of Georgia