Duchy of Samtskhe By the early 13th century, members of the
House of Jaqeli were one among many powerful
marcher lords, and certainly not the most significant. The title
atabeg, by which the Jaqelis would later be known, was as yet reserved for the
Mkhargrdzelis, the Armenian family that controlled
Ani. The rise of the Jaqeli line was intimately bound up with the
Mongol invasion of Georgia. In this initial phase of conquest, most of the Georgian and Armenian nobles, who held military posts along the frontier regions submitted without any serious opposition or confined their resistance to their castles while others preferred to flee to safer areas. Queen
Rusudan had to evacuate
Tbilisi for
Kutaisi, leaving
eastern Georgia in the hands of
atabeg Avag Mkhargrdzeli and Egarslan Bakurtsikheli, who made peace with the Mongols and agreed to pay them tribute. The only Georgian great noble to have resisted was
Ivane I Jaqeli, prince of
Samtskhe. His extensive possessions were fearfully devastated, and Ivane had to finally, with the consent of Queen Rusudan, submit to the invaders in 1238. (1240-1320), during the rule of the House of Jaqeli. Taking advantage of Georgia's weakness, Turkmen incursions started to south-western Georgia. The population of
Tao,
Klarjeti and
Kola called on
Qvarqvare, lord of Samtskhe, to assist them against the Turkmens. Qvarqvare subsequently sent his grandson Sargis to seize
Oltisi. Although an Arabic chronicler
Baybars al-Mansuri states that the Georgians took advantage of the
Mongol invasion of Anatolia (1243) to seize the castles of
Babrawan, Washlawan, and
Bayburt. By the mid-13th century, the Jaqelis realm thus incorporated most of the mountainous areas of north eastern Anatolia south of the
Black Sea coast up to the edge of the plain of
Erzurum. The Jaqelis' lands became a stronghold of opposition to Mongol rule.
Sargis I Jaqeli and
David VII of Georgia "Ulu" rebelled against their Mongol overlords, a huge army of Mongols led by
Arghun Noyan attacked the southern Georgian province of Samtskhe, defeated the king and his spasalar (general) Sargis Jaqeli, but could not capture the rebels’ main strongholds and left the country in June 1261. Nevertheless, the forces were unequal and David Ulu had to take refuge at his cousin,
David VI Narin’s court at
Kutaisi. In 1262, he had to make peace with the Mongols and returned to
Tbilisi, effectively splitting the country into two parts with both rulers titled as kings of Georgia.
Establishment of the Princedom (Sabas),
Beka,
Sargis, and
Kvarkvare).
Sapara monastery, 14th c By the
Ilkhan request, David Ulu's army was dispatched to defend the fortifications of
Siba against the
Golden Horde in 1263. In 1265, the Georgian forces serving as a vanguard of the Ilkhanid army, defeated
Berke, Khan of the Golden Horde, and expelled his troops from
Shirvan. Sargis Jaqeli distinguished himself in battle against the Horde, even saving Hulagu's life, for which Hulagu offered him rich rewards, including the city of
Erzurum. David Ulu subsequently persuaded Hulegu to revoke that award on the basis that it would make Sargis too powerful. As a result of a dispute with the royal court, the province of Samtskhe seceded and submitted directly to the Ilkhan rule in 1266. Thus, Georgia further disintegrated to form three separate political entities. Samtskhe managed to remain a culturally developed part of Georgia as well as maintaining territorial integrity, sometimes even expanding along its borders. Despite being independent, Samtskhe still maintained some kind of relations with Georgia and Beka himself was given a title of
Mandaturukhutsesi (
Mandator) by Georgian king. At the time of Beka's rule, the Turks became more active the Southwest borders, from the
Sultanate of Rum. After a series of invasions, he managed to
fend off the attacks. Beka was a supporter of maintaining Georgian political influence over the
Empire of Trebizond. For this cause, he married off his daughter
Jiajak to the
Trapezuntine Emperor
Alexios II, who granted him
Lazia. Another daughter of Beka, - Natela, became the consort of
Demetrius II of Georgia and bore him a son and
the successor to the throne. After the execution of Demetrius, future king
George V was raised by his grandfather at his court. (r.1334–1361) In 1334
George V of Georgia reasserted royal authority over the virtually independent principality of Samtskhe, ruled by his cousin
Qvarqvare I Jaqeli. George granted the Jaqelis their title of
atabeg, not only appropriate for their role in raising him but also a title of great prestige.
Timurid invasions Between 1386 and 1403 Timur launched a
series of campaigns against Georgia. The official history of Timur's reign,
Zafarnama, represents this campaign as a
jihad. Samtskhe was in the frontline of these attacks. Timur set out from
Kars and assailed
Akhaltsikhe. From there, he
marched against Tbilisi which the Georgian king
Bagrat V had fortified. The city fell on November 21, 1386, and King Bagrat V was captured and converted to
Islam at sword point. Bagrat was given some 12,000 troops to reestablish himself in Georgia whose government was run by Bagrat's son and co-ruler
George VII during his father's absence at Timur's court. The old king, however, entered in secret negotiations with George who ambushed Bagrat's Islamic escort, and freed his father. 's army attacks the survivors of the town of
Nerges, in Samtskhe-Saatabago, in the spring of 1396.
Garrett Zafarnama () In the spring of 1387, Timur returned in Georgia to take revenge, however, Khan
Tokhtamysh’s reappearance in Iran forced Timur to temporarily withdraw. As soon as the
Golden Horde was defeated, Timur returned to attack Georgia again. In 1394, he dispatched four generals to the province of Samtskhe, with orders to apply the Islamic law of
ghaza (i.e. the systematic raiding of non-Muslim lands). Timur launched a further attack on possessions of
Ivane II Jaqeli in 1399. The attack on Samtskhe was followed by an expedition into
Tao that reached as far as Panaskert, where a great battle between Timur and the Georgians took place. In late 1401, Timur invaded Georgia once again. George VII had to sue for peace, and sent his brother with the contributions. Timur was preparing for a major confrontation with the
Ottoman dynasty and apparently wished to freeze the currently prevailing situation in Georgia. Thus, he made peace with George on condition that the king of Georgia supplied him with troops and granted the Muslims special privileges. Timur nonetheless undertook some preventive measures and attacked the Georgian garrison of
Tortumi, demolishing the citadel and looting the surrounding area. Unlike his father
Kaikhosro I held peace with the other Georgian kingdoms (
Kartli,
Kakheti and
Imereti). Kaikhosro with King
Alexander I of Kakheti and
Constantine of Kartli agreed to assist first
Safavid shah
Ismail to destroy
Aq Koyunlu rule in
Persia. 's conquest of
Poti (Faş) Castle and repair of the castle in 1578-1579 during the
Ottoman–Safavid War (1578–1590).
Şahanşahname (TSKM B.200, 1592) When
Qvarqvare II's son
Kaikhosro I died two years after he ascended the throne, and was succeeded by his equally pious brother
Mzetchabuk, like his
father and
grandfather, Mzetchabuk demanded the separation of the Meskhetian church from the
Georgian Orthodox church. Atabeg Mzetchabuk Strived to strengthen Samtskhe. He nominally obeyed
Ottoman sultan Selim I and with his help
Adjara came fully under Meskhetian rule. In 1515 old Mzetchabuk abdicated and became a monk, received a monastic name Jacob. After Mzetchabuk
Atabeg's title would be given to his nephew
Qvarqvare, the son of
Kaikhosro I, but Mzetchabuk's younger brother
Manuchar rebelled against him. During his brief reign Manuchar sent many gifts to the
Ottoman sultan Selim I and claimed himself as an admirer of Ottomans. In 1518 the new revolt started. Prince
Qvarqvare with the help of
Safavid troops attacked Samtskhe. Manuchar was overthrown and Qvarqvare became the new ruler of Meskheti. After this Manuchar asked his suzerain
Sultan Selim for help of which Sultan Selim then gave him a huge army. Manuchar had tried to restore himself as Atabeg, but was defeated by Qvarqvare's forces at the battle near
Erzurum. During
Qvarqvare III's reign
Persian influence on Samtskhe was growing day by day. Because of that Ottomans greatly damaged the country and especially its southwestern region. Meskhetian lords had recognized that under Qvarqvare's rule Samtskhe would finally turn to the Enemy's hands. They made an alliance with the
Georgian kings,
Bagrat III of Imereti and
Luarsab I of Kartli (1510–1565) to end up
Jaqelian rule and protect Samtskhe from dominant Muslim empires (
Ottomans and
Safavids). In 1535 King Bagrat III with help of prince
Rostom Gurieli and
Odishian allies invaded
Samtskhe. He defeated and captured
Qvarqvare III at the
Battle of Murjakheti near
Akhalkalaki. Georgians had annexed Principality of Samtskhe. Qvarqvare died in prison, while Rostom was awarded his share of Samtskhe:
Adjara and
Lazeti, long sought after by the
Gurieli dynasty. A few years later, Qvarqvare's survived youngest son
Kaikhosro II requested Ottomans to expel
Imeretian and
Kartlian forces from Samtskhe. The Ottomans retaliated with a major invasion: Bagrat and Rostom were
victorious at Karagak in 1543, but decisively defeated, in 1545, at
Sokhoista. Samtskhe became vassal of the
Ottoman Empire. Qvarqvare III's descendants ruled Samtskhe-Saatabago (until 1628) and then
Childir Eyalet until 1820s. ==Princes/Atabegs of Samtskhe==