Demetrius I
დემეტრე I
King of Kings of Georgia
Demetrius I by Michael Maglakeli, from Matskhvarishi, 1140
6th and 8th King of Georgia
1st Reign1125–1154
PredecessorDavid IV
SuccessorDavid V
2nd Reign1155-1156
PredecessorDavid V
SuccessorGeorge III
Bornc. 1093
Died1156 (aged 62–63)
Mtskheta
Burial
Gelati Monastery
IssueDavid V
George III
Rusudan
DynastyBagrationi
FatherDavid IV of Georgia
MotherRusudan of Armenia
ReligionGeorgian Orthodox Church

Demetrius I (Georgian: დემეტრე I, romanized: demet're I) (c. 1093 – 1156), from the Bagrationi dynasty, was King (mepe) of Georgia from 1125 to 1156. He is also known as a poet. He was King of Georgian kingdom two times, first in 1125 to 1154 and second in 1155 before his death in 1156. King Demetrius I struggled tirelessly to protect the inheritance he had received from his father he guarded Georgia’s borders and fought to enlarge its frontiers. Many regions, including Hereti, Somkhiti, Tashiri, Javakheti, Artaani and Tao were repopulated during King Demetrius ’s reign.

Demetrius was the eldest son of King David the Builder by his first wife Rusudan. He was brought up in Kutaisi. As a commander, he took part in his father's battles against Seljuks, particularly at Didgori (1121) and Shirvan (1123).

Early life

King Davit proclaimed his son co-ruler of Georgia and crowned him with his own hands. He declared that his son Demetrius, through his wisdom, chastity, bravery, and handsome appearance, would rule Georgia better than he himself had. Demetrius acquired great glory while his father was still alive.

Campaign of Shirvan

In 1117 Davit sent him to Shirvan to fight, and the young commander astonished the people with his deftness in battle. Demetrius seized Kaladzori Castle (later Alberd, now Ağdaş[1]) and returned home with many captives and much wealth. Demetrius succeeded on his father's death on January 24, 1125.

Reign

Coronation of Demetrius I, a fresco from Matskhvarishi, 1140

David the Builder, left a powerful country to his successor, Demetrius I. The vassals of Georgia at that time included the neighboring countries: Shirvan, Northern Armenia, Alania, and other tribes of the North Caucasus recognized themselves as the vassals of Georgia.

In 1121 David IV captured Khunan and Dmanisi in 1123, but in 1125 Demetrius was forced to attack Dmanisi again. Armenian historian Vardan tells us that Demetrius recaptured Khunan, but lost it again after a while. Finally, he recaptured Khunan in 1128, and Dmanisi a little later.

As soon as, he ascended to the throne, the neighbouring Muslim rulers began attacking Georgia from all sides. The Seljuqid sultans fought to restore the rule of the Shirvanshahs. Shirvan's large Muslim population rose against Georgia. This probably happened in 1129 or 1130, when Demetrius restored the Shirvanshahs to power in Shirvan, installing on the throne Manuchihr II, the husband of his daughter Rusudan. The Shirvanshahs had to provide the Georgian king with troops whenever the latter demanded it.

In 1130, Georgia was attacked by the Sultan of Ahlat, Shah-Armen Sökmen II (c. 1128–1183). This war was started by the passage of Ani into the hands of the Georgians; Demetrius I had to compromise and give up Ani to the Shaddadid emir Fadl ibn Mahmud on terms of vassalage and inviolability of the Christian churches.

In 1139, Demetrius raided the city of Ganja in Arran. He brought the iron gate of the defeated city to Georgia and donated it to Gelati Monastery at Kutaisi. Despite this brilliant victory, Demetrius could hold Ganja only for a few years.[2][3] In reply to this, the sultan of the Eldiguzids attacked Ganja several times, and in 1143 the town again fell to the sultan. According to Mkhitar Gosh, Demetrius ultimately gained possession of Ganja, but, when he gave his daughter in marriage to the sultan, he presented the latter with the town as dowry, and the sultan appointed his own emir to rule it. Thus, Ganja once again fell into the hands of the Eldiguzids.

According to the Armenian historian Vardan, Vakhtang, the half-brother of Demetrius, along with the great feudal lord Ivane Abuletisdze, tried to overthrow Demetrius from the throne, but the conspiracy was revealed and the king severely punished him he blinded him.

Fadl's successor, Fakr al-Din Shaddad, a Shaddadid emir of Ani asked for Saltuk's daughter's hand, however Saltuk refused him. This caused a deep hatred in Shaddad towards Saltuk. In 1154 he planned a plot and formed a secret alliance with Demetrius. While a Georgian army waited in ambush, he offered tribute to Saltukids, ruler of Erzerum and asked the latter to accept him as a vassal. In 1153–1154, Emir Saltuk II marched on Ani, but Shaddad informed his suzerain, the King of Georgia, of this. Demetrius marched to Ani, defeated and captured the emir. At the request of neighbouring Muslim rulers and released him for a ransom of 100,000 dinars, paid by Saltuk's sons in law and Saltuk swore not to fight against the Georgians he returned home.[4]

In 1154, David V, Demetrius's elder son forced his father to abdicate and become a monk in the David Gareja monastery, where he received the monastic name Damian (Damianus).

While laboring at David Gareji Monastery, Demetrius composed many great hymns for the Church. His hymn to the Theotokos, “Thou Art the Vineyard,” is outstanding among these works. In order to protect the interests of the Georgian kingdom. However, David died six months later and King Demetrius was restored to the throne. Demetrius did not remain as ruler however. He crowned his younger son, Giorgi, as co-ruler, and retired to David Gareja for good, where he wrote hymns until his death.

Although Demetrius was not as successful as his father David the Builder, Georgia remained a strong feudal power with a well-organized military and political system and a developed cultural and economical life.

He died in 1156 and was buried at Gelati Monastery.

He is regarded as a saint in the Orthodox Church and his feast day is celebrated on May 23 on the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar.[5]

Marriage and children

The name of Demetrius's wife is unknown, but he had several children:

Poems

King Demetrius I was an author of several poems, mainly on religious themes. Shen Khar Venakhi (Georgian: შენ ხარ ვენახი, English: Thou Art a Vineyard), a hymn to the Virgin Mary, is the most famous of them.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hewsen, Robert H. (1992). The Geography of Ananias of Širak: Ašxarhac'oyc', the Long and the Short Recensions. Wiesbaden: Reichert. p. 249. ISBN 3-88226-485-3.
  2. ↑ Rayfield, Donald (2013). Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. Reaktion Books. p. 100. ISBN 978-1780230702.
  3. ↑ Mikaberidze, Alexander (2015). Historical Dictionary of Georgia (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 259. ISBN 978-1442241466.
  4. ↑ Prof. Yaşar Yüce-Prof. Ali Sevim: Türkiye tarihi Cilt I, AKDTYKTTK Yayınları, İstanbul, 1991, p. 149–150.
  5. ↑ (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Δαμιανὸς ἐκ Γεωργίας. 23 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  6. 1 2 Rayfield, D. (2013). Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. Reaktion Books. pp. 98, 100. ISBN 978-1-78023-070-2.
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