Tamar of Georgia: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:48, 13 May 2004

Revision as of 21:49, 13 May 2004

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The Georgian victories alarmed the [[Muslim]] rulers of Georgia's neighbours, particularly [[Rukn ad-Din]], [[Sultan]] of the Seljuk state in Asia Minor. The Sultan prepared for war in order to break the might of Christian Georgia and fought a major battle near [[Basiani]] in [[1203]]. Despite the huge size of the Seljuk army - said to number more than 400,000 troops - the Georgian army under Tamar and David won a famous victory.

Under Tamar's rule, Georgia became the strongest power in the [[Near East]] and expanded its territorial influence considerably around the shores of the [[Black Sea]]. In [[1204]], Tamar helped found the Byzantine [[Empire of[ Trabizond]] on the southern shore of the [[Black Sea]] (now the Turkish province of [[Trabzon]]). This so-called "empire" was populated mainly by [[Lazi]] (Chani) Georgian tribes, ruled by refugees from [[Constantinople]]. In [[1206]], Tamar's army occupied the city of [[Kars]].

Like other medieval monarchs, Tamar played an active role in promoting her country's religion and culture, sponsoring the construction of numerous [[Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church|Georgian Orthodox]] churches. The poet [[Shota Rustaveli]] commemorated Tamar in his epic poem ''The Knight in the Panther's Skin'', in which her coronation gave Rustaveli the historical background for his sublime description of the coronation of Tinatin.