Gurgen I ( ka, გურგენ I) (died 891) was a

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 ...

prince of the Bagratid dynasty of

Tao-Klarjeti Tao-Klarjeti may refer to: * Tao-Klarjeti, part of Georgian historical region of Upper Kartli * Kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti, AD 888 to 1008 {{set index article Kingdom of Iberia Historical regions of Georgia (country) ...

. He was a presiding prince of

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

with the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

title of

curopalates ''Kouropalatēs'', Latinized as ''curopalates'' or ''curopalata'' ( el, κουροπαλάτης, from lat, cura palatii " he one incharge of the palace"). and Anglicized as curopalate, was a Byzantine court title, one of the highest from the ti ...

from 881 until his death in a dynastic feud in 891.

Toumanoff, Cyril Cyril Leo Toumanoff (russian: Кирилл Львович Туманов; 13 October 1913 – 4 February 1997) was a Russian-born Georgian historian and genealogist who mostly specialized in the history and genealogies of medieval Georgia, Armenia, ...

(1967). ''Studies in Christian Caucasian History'', pp. 490-3. Georgetown University Press. The oldest son of Prince Adarnase I, Gurgen was baptized by the prominent monk

Grigol Khandzteli Gregory of Khandzta ( Georgian: გრიგოლ ხანძთელი, ''Grigol Khandzteli''; 759 – 5 October 861) was a Georgian ecclesiastic figure and a founder and leader of numerous monastic communities in Tao-Klarjeti, a historic ...

. He inherited from his father the duchy of Upper Tao, including the residence of Kalmakhi. In the dynastic war which erupted among the Bagratids, Gurgen initially sided with Nasra, who had murdered his cousin

David I David I may refer to: * David I, Caucasian Albanian Catholicos c. 399 * David I of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenia (728–741) * David I Kuropalates of Georgia (died 881) * David I Anhoghin, king of Lori (ruled 989–1048) * David I of Scotland ...

, the curopalates of Iberia in 881. True to the policy of division and because of the minority of David’s son and legitimate heir Adarnase, the Byzantine court confirmed as curopalate, not Adarnase, but Gurgen. Eventually, Gurgen switched his side and joined Adarnase against Nasra who was defeated and put to death in 888. As a result of the division of Nasra’s inheritance, Gurgen might have added Shavsheti and

Artaani Ardahan Province ( tr, , ku, Parêzgeha Erdêxanê, ) is a province in the north-east of Turkey, bordering Georgia and Armenia. The provincial capital is the city of Ardahan. Demographics With 94,932 inhabitants in 2021, Ardahan was the third ...

to his possessions, for we hear from the 18th-century Georgian chronicler

Vakhushti Vakhushti ( ka, ვახუშტი, tr) (1696–1757) was a Georgian royal prince ('' batonishvili''), geographer, historian and cartographer. His principal historical and geographic works, '' Description of the Kingdom of Georgia'' and the '' ...

of Gurgen having moved his residence there. In the meantime Adarnase, not being a curopalate and having the example of his Armenian cousins before him, assumed the title of king. The relations between Adarnase and Gurgen grew tense and degenerated into an open warfare. Gurgen was fatally wounded and captured at Mglinavi near Artaani by Adarnase and his ally

Bagrat Mampali Bagrat I ( ka, ბაგრატ I) (died April 20, 900) was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid dynasty of Tao-Klarjeti and the ruler of Klarjeti from 889 until his death. There is some confusion in dating Bagrat's death. According to the 11th- ...

in 891. According to his will, Gurgen was buried at the monastery of

Opiza Opiza ( ka, ოპიზა) was a medieval Georgian monastery and cathedral church located in historical Klarjeti region, now in Artvin Province, Turkey. It is one of the oldest Georgian churches in the Tao-Klarjeti region. Opiza was reconstruct ...

restored by him.Thomson, Robert W. (1996), ''Rewriting Caucasian History'', p. 264.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, Gurgen was probably married to a daughter of

Smbat VIII Bagratuni Smbat VIII Bagratuni or Smbat the Confessor ( hy, Սմբատ Խոստովանող, Smbat Khostovanogh) was an Armenian noble of the Bagratid (Bagratuni) family and one of the most important princes (''nakharar'') of Armenia in the mid-9th century a ...

(826–855), the '' sparapet'' of Armenia. He left two sons behind – Adarnase and

Ashot Kukhi Ashot I also known as Ashot Kukhi () (died 918) was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid dynasty of Tao-Klarjeti and hereditary ruler of Tao with the title of ''eristavt-eristavi'', "duke of dukes". He was nicknamed ''kukhi'', meaning "the Immature". ...

– thus being a founder of the Bagratid "first house of Tao" which would become extinct with his grandson Gurgen II.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gurgen 01 Of Tao 891 deaths Grand dukes of Tao Kings of Bagratid Iberia 9th-century monarchs in Asia Year of birth unknown Kouropalatai Bagrationi dynasty of Tao