Turkmen invasions of Georgia

After the devastating invasions by Timur and subsequent enfeeblement of the Kingdom of Georgia, it soon faced a new threat.

Timur's death in 1405 marks the beginning of the end of his Empire, unified only by fear and blood of the subjected peoples.

Turkmens, particularly the Kara Koyunlu clan, are among the first to rebel against Shah Rukh, who rules most of Persia and Mawerannahr (Transoxiana).

Qara Yusuf, ruler of the Kara Koyunlu, defeats Shah Rukh, captures Baghdad, and repulses Timurids from western Persia.

After they establish themselves as the new leading power in the Near East, they take advantage of the temporary weakness of Georgia and launch attacks against the kingdom, in which, apparently, George VII of Georgia is killed.

Constantine I of Georgia, fearing further encroachment, allies himself with the Shirvanshah Ibrahim I to counter Turkoman advance and engages them in the Battle of Chalagan, in which he is defeated and taken captive.

In captivity, Constantine behaves very proudly, which infuriates Qara Yusuf to such extent, that he orders the execution of Constantine, his half-brother David, and 300 Georgian nobles.

Alexander I of Georgia, who seeks to strengthen and restore his declining Kingdom, faces constant invasions by the tribal Turkomans.

They sack Akhaltsikhe, a city of vital regional importance, in 1416, in response to allegations of the oppression of Muslims.

Alexander reconquers Lorri from the Turkmens in 1431, which is of great importance in securing of the Georgian borders.

Around 1434/5, Alexander encouragex the Armenian prince Beshken II Orbelian to attack the Kara Koyunlu clansmen in Siunia and, for his victory, grantx him Lorri under terms of vassalage.

In 1440, Alexander refuses to pay tribute to Jahan Shah of the Kara Kouynlu.

In March, Jahan Shah surges into Georgia with 20,000 troops, destroys the city of Samshvilde and sacks the capital city, Tbilisi.

He massacres thousands of Christians, puts heavy indemnity on Georgia, and returns to Tabriz.

He also mountes a second military expedition against Georgia in 1444.

His forces meet those of Alexander’s successor, King Vakhtang IV, at Akhaltsikhe, but the fighting is inconclusive and Jahan Shah returns to Tabriz once more.

As a result of foreign and internal struggles, a unified Kingdom of Georgia ceases to exist after 1466 and is subdivided into several political units.

The Kara Koyunlu tribal confederation is destroyed by Aq Qoyunlu, their kin tribesmen who form another confederation, which is similar in many ways to its predecessor.

Aq Qoyunlu Turkmens naturally take advantage of the Georgian fragmentation.

Georgia is at least twice attacked by Uzun Hasan, the prince of the Aq Qoyunlu in in 1466, 1472 and possibly 1476-7.

Bagrat VI of Georgia, temporary ruler of most of Georgia at this time, has to make peace with the invaders, abandoning Tbilisi to the enemy.

It is only after Uzun Hasan’s death (1478) that the Georgians are able to recover their capital.

In the winter of 1488, the Ak Koyunlu Turkomans, led by Halil Bey, attack Tbilisi and take the city after a lengthy siege in February 1489.

Alexander II of Imereti, another pretender to the throne, takes advantage of the Aq Qoyunlu Turkoman invasion of Kartli to seize control of Imereti.

Occupation of the capital does not last long and Constantine II of Georgia was able to repel them, but it is still costly to Georgians.

Ismail I, founder of the Safavid dynasty, forms an alliance with the Georgians in 1502 and decisively defeats Aq Qoyunlu in the same year, destroying their state and marking the end of the Turkmen invasions.

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