The Timur's South Georgian campaign was a invasion led by

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

and

Ibrahim I of Shirvan Ibrahim I () was the 33rd Shirvanshah (ruler of Shirvan, r. 1382–1418). Because of his cunning politics he managed to remain independent and avoid being deposed by the Turko-Mongol ruler Timur. Family and accession to the throne According to a ...

against

George VII of Georgia George VII ( ka, გიორგი VII, tr) (died 1405 or 1407) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was king (''mepe'') of the Kingdom of Georgia from 1393 until his death in 1407 (alternatively, from 1395 to 1405). Early life George born in the 1360s, ...

in retaliation for George's role in the siege of Alinja.

Background

In 1398,

was campaigned in India. The people of

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

took advantage of this and rebelled. King George VII established an alliance with the representatives of the

Jalayirid Sultanate The Jalayirid Sultanate () was a dynasty of Mongol Jalayir origin, which ruled over modern-day Iraq and western Iran after the breakup of the Ilkhanate in the 1330s.Bayne Fisher, William. ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', p. 3: "From then until ...

, who were still fighting against Timur. Taher, one of the Jalaiyirid's noblemen, has been under siege in Alinja prison in Nakhchivan for 10 years. The herders, who fell into extreme hardship, asked King George for help. , the rebel ruler of Shaki, also asked King George for help. King George gathered the Georgian army, the North Caucasians were rescued and together with Sayyid Ali attacked the fortress of Alinja. King George defeated and expelled the

Timurids The Timurid Empire was a late medieval, culturally Persianate, Turco-Mongol empire that dominated Greater Iran in the early 15th century, comprising modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and parts of contem ...

. He strengthened the fortress with new soldiers and weapons and supplied it with food and supplies. Tahir was brought to Georgia. Those who turned back were surrounded by the army sent by

Miranshah Mīrānshāh ()() is a main town in the region that is the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Miranshah lies on the banks of the Tochi River in a wide valley surrounded by the foo ...

Georgians Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and Peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian ethnic group native to present-day Georgia (country), Georgia and surrounding areas historically associated with the Ge ...

also defeated them (Syidi Ali died in this battle). The news about Caucasian rebellion reached Tamerlane in India. In 1399, he returned to

Samarkand Samarkand ( ; Uzbek language, Uzbek and Tajik language, Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central As ...

and started preparing for a seven-year campaign. The main goal of this campaign was the final conquest and Islamization of Georgia, or its destruction.

The Campaign

In the winter of 1399 during the

Timurid invasions of Georgia The Timurid invasions of Georgia ( ka, თემურლენგის ლაშქრობები საქართველოში, tr) were eight invasions between 1386 and 1403 of the Kingdom of Georgia in the Caucasus by the Timurid ...

,Alexander Mikaberidze Historical dictionary of Georgia p.21 second edition

breached the borders of

Kingdom of Georgia The Kingdom of Georgia (), also known as the Georgian Empire, was a Middle Ages, medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in Anno Domini, AD. It reached Georgian Golden Age, its Golden Age of political and economic strength during the reign ...

with 100,000 specially chosen soldiers, under

, and

. They then crossed

Kura Kura may refer to: Places * Kura, Iran (disambiguation) * Kura Island, Azerbaijan * Kura, Nigeria, a Local Government Area of Kano State * Kura (South Caucasus river), a river in Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan * Kura (Russia), a river in Ru ...

on a patoon bridge, and hacked the path with machetes to avoid Georgian sentries. They caught Kakheti, and Hereti by surprise before they could flee, and hide their property. A Georgian general Khimisha delayed the

by tactical evasion, and those who were forewarned escaped to the caves and forests. Timur's forces looted and burned churches and

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...

. They slaughtered civilians in their hiding places. Tens of thousands were pressed into slavery or were massacred, and southern Georgia became occupied by

and his forces.

References

{{Reflist 1390s conflicts Military history of the Kingdom of Georgia Military history of the Timurid Empire