Gvantsa ( ka, გვანცა, or,

archaically In language, an archaism (from the grc, ἀρχαϊκός, ''archaïkós'', 'old-fashioned, antiquated', ultimately , ''archaîos'', 'from the beginning, ancient') is a word, a sense of a word, or a style of speech or writing that belongs to a hi ...

, Guantsa, გუანცა; also transliterated as Gwantza, Gontza, Gontsa, or Gonc'a) (died c. 1263) was a Queen Consort 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 ...

as the third wife of King David VII “Ulu” ( r.: 1245-1270). She was the daughter of Kakhaber IV Kakhaberidze,

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

Racha Racha (also Račha, , ''Račʼa'') is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia's current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and ...

and Takveri, who married Gvantsa off to Prince

Avag Mkhargrdzeli Avag Mkhargrdzeli (died 1250 AD) was a Georgian noble of Armenian descent, he was ''atabeg'' and ''amirspasalar'' of Georgia during the 13th century. The eastern areas Bjni, Gegharkunik, Vayots-dzor, Artsakh, Siunik, Nakhichevan, Dvin and ...

, Lord High Tutor and Lord High Constable of Georgia with whom she begot a daughter Khvashak. After Avag’s death in 1250, Gvantsa remarried the Georgian king David VII in 1252 and gave birth to a son, the future king

Demetrius II of Georgia 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 G ...

, in 1259. In the meantime, Khvashak was reared by the king’s trustee Sumbat Orbeli or Sadun of Mankaberdi (here the medieval sources diverge) and later given in marriage to

Shams al-Din Juvayni Shams al-Din Juvayni ( fa, شمس‌الدین جوینی; also spelled Joveyni) was a Persian statesman and member of the Juvayni family. He was an influential figure in early Ilkhanate politics, serving as ''sahib-i divan'' (vizier and minist ...

, an influential minister at the Mongol

Il-Khan The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm ...

’s court. Unlike David VII's first wife, the late Jigda-Khatun, Gvantsa was on extremely bad terms with the influential royal favorite Jikur, the Master of Ceremonies (''mestumre'') of Georgia. Jikur's rivals exploited this enmity and accused him of treason before the king who had him executed by drowning in the

Mtkvari River The Kura is an east-flowing river south of the Greater Caucasus Mountains which drains the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus east into the Caspian Sea. It also drains the north side of the Lesser Caucasus while its main tributary, the Ar ...

. When David staged a failed revolt from the Il-Khan hegemony in 1260, Gvantsa was captured by the Mongol punitive forces and killed on the orders of the Il-Khan

Hulagu Hulagu Khan, also known as Hülegü or Hulegu ( mn, Хүлэгү/ , lit=Surplus, translit=Hu’legu’/Qülegü; chg, ; Arabic: fa, هولاکو خان, ''Holâku Khân;'' ; 8 February 1265), was a Mongol ruler who conquered much of West ...

through the intrigues of rival Georgian nobles. Brosset, Marie-Félicité. ''Histoire de la Géorgie depuis l’antiquite jusqu’ au XIX siècle, v. 1-7'', pp. 554-555. St.-Рb., 1848-58.

References

1260s deaths 13th-century executions 13th-century people from Georgia (country) Executed royalty Executed women from Georgia (country) Queens consort from Georgia (country) People executed by the Mongol Empire Year of birth unknown 13th-century women from Georgia (country) {{georgia-royal-stub