The golden age of Georgia: the reign of the legendary Queen Tamara
The golden age of Georgia: the reign of the legendary Queen Tamara

Video: The golden age of Georgia: the reign of the legendary Queen Tamara

Video: The golden age of Georgia: the reign of the legendary Queen Tamara
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Tamara is the queen of Georgia
Tamara is the queen of Georgia

The end of the 12th century in world history was marked by civil strife between the Russian princes and crusades against Jerusalem. And only for Georgia the time of grace, called the Golden Age, is coming. It was during this period that Queen Tamara … This legendary ruler managed not only to stay on the throne, but also to expand the state borders.

Queen Tamara. Fresco from the Vardzia monastery
Queen Tamara. Fresco from the Vardzia monastery

Queen Tamara (or Tamar) ascended the throne at the insistence of Father George III in 1178, when she was barely 14 years old. The Council of State was afraid to oppose the will of the ruler, declaring that "the fiend of the lion is the same, be it a male or a female." A few years later, George III died, and here the aristocratic elite decided to recoup the young girl. Tamara had to make big concessions to the courtiers in order to stay on the throne.

Image of Queen Tamara - the ruler of Georgia in the late 12th - early 13th centuries
Image of Queen Tamara - the ruler of Georgia in the late 12th - early 13th centuries

Until the age of 20, Queen Tamara ruled Georgia alone. She showed herself as a wise ruler: she did not punish anyone in vain, but, if necessary, deprived of the guilty lands, privileges, titles. And yet, the court council decided that the queen needed to get married, since a strong man's hand should control the troops. The choice fell on Yuri Russian, the son of Andrei Bogolyubsky. The queen was not very happy with the choice of the ruling elite and said: “We do not know about the behavior of this alien, nor about his deeds, nor about his military prowess, nor about his rights. Let me wait until I see the merits or demerits of it. But she had to get married.

Georgian Queen Tamara
Georgian Queen Tamara

The woman turned out to be right: her husband was known as a drunkard and an unfaithful wicked. After two years of marriage, Tamara ordered to pour gold into Yuri and escorted him out of the country. The husband did not agree with this turn of events, gathered an army and went against Tamara. The queen, standing at the head of her army, completely defeated Yuri. No one had any more doubts about Tamara's leadership talent.

Queen Tamara. Fresco from the Vardzia monastery. Approximately XIII-XIV centuries
Queen Tamara. Fresco from the Vardzia monastery. Approximately XIII-XIV centuries

While in power, the queen promoted the development of Christianity, patronized philosophers, poets and artists in every possible way, and reduced taxes for the common people.

History knows the fact when Sultan Nukardin sent a letter to Tamara, in which he demanded that she convert to Islam in order to then marry her. Otherwise, he threatened to make her his concubine. When she refused, the Sultan went with an army to Georgia, but was ingloriously defeated.

Shota Rustaveli presents his poem "Vepkhis Tkaosani" to Queen Tamara (by M. Zichi)
Shota Rustaveli presents his poem "Vepkhis Tkaosani" to Queen Tamara (by M. Zichi)

In addition to historical facts, the name of Queen Tamara is shrouded in numerous legends. So, a very popular version about the tragic love of Tamara and the poet Shota Rustaveli, who wrote "The Knight in the Panther's Skin", making the prototype of the main character the wise queen. Tamara even made the poet Minister of Finance, but no more …

The face of Saint Tamara
The face of Saint Tamara

The next time, when the queen was going to get married, she chose a spouse for herself already without outside help. The Georgian prince David Soslani became Tamara's husband. Together they lived a long life. After Tamara's death, Georgia began to rapidly lose its positions in the international arena and lose its former authority. The era of the Golden Age for this country is over. After Tamara, a rich heritage in the form of Orthodox monasteries remained. The Trinity Church is called the bastion of faith at the foot of Kazbek.

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