Liparit IV, Duke of Kldekari, had appeared…

Liparit IV, Duke of Kldekari, had appeared on the political scene of Georgia in the late 1020s when he, as a holder of the fortress of Kldekari and later as a commander-in-chief of the royal armies, had proven himself as the defender of the boy king Bagrat IV and his regent, Dowager Queen Mariam.

His successful resistance to the invading imperial troops in 1028 and a victorious campaign against the Shaddadid dynasty of Arran in 1034 have made Liparit the most powerful noble in Georgia.

In 1038, Liparit had been on the verge of capturing the Georgian city of Tbilisi, which has been under Muslim sway for centuries, but the Georgian nobles, fearing his growing power, had thwarted the plan and persuaded the king to make peace with the emir of Tbilisi.

As a result, Liparit has turned into a sworn enemy of Bagrat and begins actively cooperating with foreign powers for vengeance.

In 1039, he had pledged his support to Bagrat’s half-brother Demetrius who enters Georgia with an imperial army to seize the crown.