As We already know Kartli (Caucasian Iberia, or Eastern Iberia) was confirmed as a separate faction in Attila TW. We do not know whether it will be playable or not, but that
does not matter at all. In this tread I will try to post as necessary information about the Kingdom of Kartli (Iberia) and hope the viewers will get more acquaintance about that
faction which is part of ATTILA TW.
HISTORY AND THE ORIGIN OF KINGDOM OF KARTLI
Kartli is the central part of Georgia. The term "Georgia" derives from the Greek name Γεωργιος (Georgios) which was derived from the Greek word γεωργος (georgos) meaning "farmer, earthworker". Before the term Georgia, the term Kartli was used to describe the entire Eastern part of Georgia. The term "KARTLI" was the local rendering of the Georgian Kingdom and the Graeco-Romans called IBERIA, this we know from the classical sources.
Caucasian Iberians a Greco-Roman designation for the population of Caucasian Iberia, presumably a Kartvelian (Georgian) speaking people in east and southeast of the Transcaucasus region in prehistoric and early historic times.
Ancient Iberians are identified as modern eastern Georgians who have originated from the early Georgian state of Caucasian Iberia.[2][3] In southwest, Iberians extended into Anatolia, inhabiting interior lands beside Colchians, who lived along the littoral area.
The area was inhabited in earliest times by several relative tribes of Tibareni, Mushki, Saspers, Gugars, Diaokhi, etc., collectively called Iberians (the Eastern Iberians) by ancient Greek (Herodotus, Strabo, etc.) and Roman authors. Iberians called their country Kartli after a mythic chief, Kartlos. One of the Iberian tribes of Mtskheta (the future capital of the Iberian kingdom) dominated the early Kingdom. The Mtskheta tribe was later ruled by a prince locally known as mamasakhlisi (“the father of the household” in Georgian).
The medieval Georgian source Moktsevai Kartlisai (“Conversion of Kartli”) also speaks about Azo and his people, who came from Arian-Kartli – the initial home of the proto-Iberians, which had been under Achaemenid rule until the fall of the Persian Empire – to settle on the site where Mtskheta was to be founded. Another Georgian chronicle Kartlis Tskhovreba (“History of Kartli”) claims Azo to be an officer of Alexander’s, who massacred a local ruling family and conquered the area, until being defeated at the end of the 4th century BC by Prince Pharnavaz, who was at that time a local chief.
The story of Alexander’s invasion of Kartli, although entirely fictional, nevertheless reflects the establishment of Georgian monarchy in the Hellenistic period and the desire of later Georgian literati to connect this event to the celebrated conqueror.
Pharnavaz I and his descendants
Pharnavaz, victorious in a power struggle, became the first king of Iberia (ca. 302-ca. 237 BC). Driving back an invasion, he subjugated the neighboring areas, including a significant part of the western Georgian state of Colchis (locally known as Egrisi), and seems to have secured recognition of the newly founded state by the Seleucids of Syria. Then Pharnavaz focused on social projects, including the citadel of the capitol, the Armaztsikhe, and the idol of the god Armazi. He also reformed the Georgian written language, and created a new system of administration, subdividing the country into several counties called saeristavos. His successors managed to gain control over the mountainous passes of the Caucasus with the Daryal (also known as the Iberian Gates) being the most important of them.
Roman Georgia
Rome's conquests reached the Caucasus area at the end of the 2nd century BC, when the Roman Republic started to expand in Anatolia and the Black Sea.
In the area of what is now western Georgia there was the Kingdom of Colchis that in those years has fallen under control of the Kingdom of Pontus (an enemy of Rome), while further east there was the "Kingdom of Iberia". As a result of the brilliant Roman campaigns of Pompey and Lucullus in 65 BC, the Kingdom of Pontus was completely destroyed by the Romans and all its territory, including Colchis, was incorporated into the Roman Empire as its province. Iberia, on the other hand was invaded and became a vassal state of the empire.
From this point on Colchis became the Roman province of Lazicum, with Emperor Nero later incorporating it into the Province of Pontus in 63 AD, and successively in Cappadocia by Domitian in 81 AD. At the same time, Iberia continued to be a vassal state because it enjoyed significant independence and with the lowlands frequently raided by fierce mountain tribes, paying a nominal homage to Rome in exchange of protection was viewed as a worthwhile investment.
This close association with Armenia and Pontus brought upon the country an invasion (65 BC) by the Roman general Pompey, who was then at war with Mithradates VI of Pontus, and Armenia; but Rome did not establish her power permanently over Iberia. Nineteen years later, the Romans again marched (36 BC) on Iberia forcing King Pharnavaz II to join their campaign against Albania.
While another Georgian kingdom of Colchis was administered as a Roman province, Iberia freely accepted the Roman Imperial protection. A stone inscription discovered at Mtskheta speaks of the first-century ruler Mihdrat I (AD 75-120) as "the friend of the Caesars" and the king "of the Roman-loving Iberians." Emperor Vespasian fortified the ancient Mtskheta site of Arzami for the Iberian kings in 75 AD.
The next two centuries saw a continuation of Roman influence over the area, but by the reign of King Pharsman II (120 – 150) Iberia had regained some of its former power. Relations between the Roman Emperor Hadrian and Pharsman II were strained, though Hadrian is said to have sought to appease Pharsman. However, it was only under Hadrian's successor Antoninus Pius that relations improved to the extent that Pharsman is said to have even visited Rome, where Dio Cassius reports that a statue was erected in his honor and that rights to sacrifice were given. The period brought a major change to the political status of Iberia with Rome recognizing them as an ally, rather than their former status as a subject state, a political situation which remained the same, even during the Empire's hostilities with the Parthians.
(Iberia/Kartli as the major power in the EAST after the Roman Empire and Parthia)
Decisive for the future history of Iberia was the foundation of the Sasanian (or Sassanid) Empire in 226. By replacing the weak Parthian realm with a strong, centralized state, it changed the political orientation of Iberia away from Rome. Iberia became a tributary of the Sasanian state during the reign of Shapur I (241-272). Relations between the two countries seem to have been friendly at first, as Iberia cooperated in Persian campaigns against Rome, and the Iberian king Amazasp III (230-265) was listed as a high dignitary of the Sasanian realm, not a vassal who had been subdued by force of arms[citation needed]. But the aggressive tendencies of the Sasanians were evident in their propagation of Zoroastrianism, which was probably established in Iberia between the 260s and 290s.
However, in the Peace of Nisibis (298) while the Roman empire obtained control of Caucasian Iberia again as a vassal state and acknowledged the reign over all the Caucasian area, it recognized Mirian III, as king of Iberia.
CONVERSION OF KARTLI
Mirian III (Georgian: მირიან III) was a king of Iberia (or Kartli, modern Georgia), contemporaneous to the Roman emperor Constantine I (r. 306–337).
According to the early medieval Georgian annals and hagiography, Mirian was the first Christian king of Iberia, converted through the ministry of Nino, a Cappadocian female missionary. He is credited with establishment of Christianity as his kingdom's state religion and is regarded by the Georgian Orthodox Church as saint.
Traditional chronology after Prince Vakhushti assigns to Mirian's reign — taken to have lasted for 77 years — the dates 268–345, which Professor Cyril Toumanoff corrects to 284–361. He is also known to the contemporary Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus and the medieval Armenian chronicles.
The king's name, Mirian, is a Georgian adaptation of the Iranian "Mihran". The medieval Georgian records give other versions of his name, both in its original Iranian as well as closely related Georgian forms (Mirean, Mirvan). Writing in Latin, the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (XXI.6.8) renders the name of his contemporary Iberian king as Meribanes. The Armenian chronicles, possibly compiled in the 8th century and traditionally ascribed to Moses of Chorene, gives Mihran and speaks about his conversion to Christianity. The regnal numbers as in Mirian III are modern and were not used by the medieval Georgian authors. Since two kings preceded first Christian ruler of Iberia with that name, Mirian has been assigned the ordinal “III” in Georgian historiography.
According to the medieval Georgian chronicle Life of the Kings, Mirian was a Persian prince married to an Iberian princess Abeshura, daughter of the last Georgian Arsacid king Aspagur. Upon the death of Aspagur, Mirian was installed on the throne of Iberia by his father whom the medieval Georgian chronicles refer to as "K'asre" (Khosrau), Great King of Iran. This being during the rule of the Sassanid dynasty over Iran, the medieval author of the chronicles assumed (or invented) Mirian's descent from the Sassanids. However, the name Khosrau was not used by the Sassanids till some time later; hence, either the Georgian annals are mistaken in the name of Mirian’s father, or "Khosrau" was taken as a general term meaning "king". Toumanoff inferred that Mirian might have been a scion of the Mihranid family, one of the "seven Parthian clans". Professor Giorgi Melikishvili argues that Toumanoff's assumption is dubious and considers Mirian a representative of the local Iberian élite clan to whom the medieval tradition ascribed an exotic foreign royal ancestry to infuse him with more prestige. Another medieval Georgian account, Conversion of Kartli, is at odds with the tradition of Life of the Kings and identifies Mirian as the son of Lev, who is unattested elsewhere.
The Life of the Kings recount Mirian's reign in much details. While its information about Mirian’s participation — as an Iranian client king — in the Sasanid war against the Roman Empire, and territorial ambitions in Armenia can be true, the claims of Mirian’s being a pretender to the throne of Iran, his being in control of Colchis and Albania, and expansion of his activity as far as Syria is obviously fictional. In the 298 Peace of Nisibis with Iran, Rome was acknowledged their suzerainty over Armenia and Iberia, but Mirian III retained the crown. He quickly adapted to this change in political situation, and established close ties with Rome.This association was cemented by Mirian's conversion to Christianity[6] — according to tradition — through the ministry of Nino, a Cappadocian nun. Nevertheless, as Ammianus Marcellinus recounts, Constantine's successor, Constantius, had to sent in 360 embassies with costly presents to Arsaces of Armenia and Meribanes of Iberia to secure their allegiance during the confrontation with Iran.
Mirian's conversion to Christianity might have occurred in 334, followed by the declaration of Christianity as Iberia's state religion in 337. He was, thus, among the first monarchs of the ancient world to have adopted this new religion. A legend has it that when Mirian, staunchly pagan, was hunting in the woods near his capital Mtskheta, the darkness fell upon the land and the king was totally blinded. The light did not resume until Mirian prayed to "Nino's God" for aid. Upon his arrival he requested the audience with Nino and converted to Christianity soon after. According to tradition, Mirian's second wife, Nana, preceded her husband in conversion.
His conversion fostered the growth of the central royal government, which confiscated the pagan temple properties and gave them to the nobles and the church; the medieval Georgian sources give evidence of how actively the monarchy and the nobility propagated Christianity and of the resistance they encountered from the mountain folk.[9] The Roman historian Rufinus as well as the Georgian annals report that, after their conversion, the Iberians requested clergy from the emperor Constantine, who responded vigorously and sent priests and holy relics to Iberia. The Georgian tradition than relates a story of the construction of a cathedral in Mtskheta at Mirian's behest and the king's pilgrimage to Jerusalem shortly before his death.[8] According to tradition, Mirian and his wife Nana were interred at the Samtavro convent in Mtskheta, where their tombs are still shown.
The Georgian sources speak of Mirian’s two marriages. His first wife was Abeshura, daughter of the last Arsacid Iberian king who also traced his ancestry to the ancient Pharnabazid dynasty of Iberia. She died without issue when Mirian was 15 years old, in 292 according to Toumanoff. With her death, "the kingship and queenship of the Pharnabazid kings came to an end in Iberia", — the chronicler continues. Mirian subsequently remarried his second queen, Nana "from Pontus, daughter of Oligotos", who bore him two sons — Rev and Varaz-Bakur — and a daughter who married Peroz, the first Mihranid dynast of Gogarene.
KARTLI IN 395
However, after the emperor Julian was slain during his failed campaign in Persia in 363, Rome ceded control of Iberia to Persia, and King Varaz-Bakur I (Aspakour) (368-380s) became a Persian vassal, an outcome confirmed by the Peace of Acilisene in 387. However, a later ruler of Kartli, Pharsman IV (c. 395-400), preserved his country's autonomy and ceased to pay tribute to Persia. Accourding to the Vita of Petrus Iberi (6th c.), Parsman (Parsmanes in Latin) who lived in Roman Empire and was magistrus militum at the imperial court of Arcadius (395-408) was blamed in love relationship with Empress Aelia Eudokia. Parsman was forced to run from the Constantinople in 395 and found the shelter among the Huns. In the same year he had captured the royal throne of Kartli with the aid of Huns and expelled the Persian controlled members of Pharnavasid dynasty from capital Mtskheta. According to the Vita of Petrus Iberi he let the Huns to invade the Roman Empire and caused the great damage to all its subjects.
According to classical and other Syriac sources this invasion took place in 395 and lasted up to the end of 398.
"According to the Live of Georgian Kings following information is preserved about the Parsman:
Varaz-Bakar’s son and Peroz’s grandson, Parsman by name, became King, because he wasthe elder among his brothers. Bishop Elias died and Simon took his place. Parsman believed in God
and was a brave man. He carried on negotiations with the King of the Greeks and asked him for his aid. The Caesar complied with his request. Then he broke off with the Persians, refused to pay
them tribute, increased the number of crosses, renewed churches all over Kartli and built a church in Bolnisi. But his reign was short".
(map of Kartli shown in purple as the only independent power in 400 year in Caucasus as the other powers are controlled by EASTERN Romans and SASSANID Persians. Map from Euroatlas)
After of death of King Parsman, his brother, Mihrdat came into power, and he fought the Greeks (ERE) and Sassanids simultaneously:
"His brother Mirdat’ became King. He was Trdat’’s grandson, son of Varaz-Bakar, Bakarid on his father’s side and Revid – on his mother’s, descendant of both of Mirian’s sons. Mirdat’’ was a brave
man and a fearless soldier, but an unbeliever and impious, carefree and arrogant. Relying on his military valor, he did not serve God, did not build churches and added nothing to those already built.
Due to his lack of concern, he became an enemy of the Greeks and the Persians. He demanded the lands of Kartli – K’larjeti from the Greeks – and refused to pay tribute to the Persians. Then the King
of the Persians sent against Mirdat’ his commander Usharab42 by name, with an army. Mirdat’, again, due to his nonchalance, ignored the numerical superiority of the Persians, met them with a small
army at Gardabani and joined battle. The Persians put the Georgians to flight and captured Mirdat’. The Persians conquered Kartli and desecrated the churches. And the King’s relatives remained in
the ravine of K’akheti, and Bishop Simon with them. And they took Mirdat’ to Baghdad, where he died."
After the capture and death of Mihrdat (father of Peter the Iberian) in AD 421, his relative Archiles (421-435) came into power and he continue the fight against the Sassanid Persians. Life of Georgian kings relate:
"And the Persians invaded Kartli and desecrated the churches, but the Georgians hid their crosses. And in all the churches of Kartli, the Persian fire worshipers lighted fire. The relatives of the
kings of Kartli remained in the valleys of K’akheti.3 Three years later the King of Persia was obliged to attend to other things, for his enemies had risen in the East.4 Then the aznauris of Kartli5 brought
the son of Trdat’, a nephew of the captured King Mirdat’, who was called Archil6 and set him up as king in Mtskheta. Archil had taken a wife from Greece called Maria, from the family of King Iovian. He declared the Persians his enemies. He retrieved the crosses and adorned the churches; he destroyed and drove away the fire worshipers beyond the limits of Kartli, then summoned some forces from Greece and, led by the cross, began to fight the Persians. In those times, the Persian King’s7 eristavi ruled Kartli; this was before the reign of Archil. Rani and Movak’an8 were also under his power. He (the eristavi) gathered an army in Rani, Movak’an and Adarbadagan,9 and set out against Archil. Archil, putting his hopes and his trust in God, met him at the borders of Kartli and Rani;10 he arranged his troops on the banks of the Berduji River and with the power of the Holy Cross defeated and captured the enemy, captured Rani, and returned victorious to his country. He sent heralds all over Kartli to announce to all: “We overpowered the enemy not by our power, not by our vigor and wisdom, not by the numbers of our army, but by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, who gave us his Holy Cross as a weapon. Let every Georgian glorify the consubstantial Trinity, and God Primordial, the creator of all existing things. Give Him your thanks, and let your hearts remain firm in your belief in the Holy Trinity.” And the Kartlians gave thanks to the Lord and repaired the churches. Archil built the church of Saint Stephan11 in Mtskheta above the Gates of Aragvi where he also erected impregnable battle towers. Archil begat a son, who was named Mirdat’.12 Mirdat’ grew up and came of age. He was a believer, and a godly youth, like his father. He was valiant and fearless. He extended the war with the Persians, invaded and ravaged Rani and Movak’an, for the Persian King had no time to deal with him, because he was fighting the Inds, Sinds and Abashs, and could not put up a large army to oppose Mirdat’. The Kartlians could cope with the troops of Rani, Movak’an and Adarbadagan. Mirdat’ leading his father’s army, ravaged Rani and Movak’an several times. The eristavi of Rani at that time was Barzabod. Unable to offer resistance to the Kartlians, he reinforced the fortresses and towns. Wherever the Persian troops remained and fought with the Kartlians, who had ravaged them in Rani, they were always defeated.
Barzabod, the eristavi of Rani,13 had a daughter, a very beautiful girl by the name of Sagdukht’. The rumors of her beauty kindled the flame of passion in Archil’s son, Mirdat’. He said to his father:
“I ask your majesty to marry me with Barzabod’s daughter, Sagdukht’,14 and to make peace between us, for though we have overpowered him with the help of Christ, we cannot seize the fortresses and
towns of Rani. If the Persian King finds time, he will take vengeance; he will ravage our churches and do many other terrible things in our country. Let the enmity stop between us, and the King of
Persia will meet our demands. In this way we will secure the borders of our country; the faith of Christ will grow stronger in Kartli, and no Georgian will doubt and abuse the Persians when their
arbitrariness ends. Mirdat’ said all this because of his love for this woman. And Archil fulfilled his wish. He sent an envoy to Barzabod with the request to marry his daughter to his son. Barzabod rejoiced, and felt great happiness, for his country15 was ruined and he personally was in straitened circumstances; he asked for an oath and the promise of peace. They took the oath. Barzabod married off his
daughter and gave her a great dowry. They brought her to Mtskheta and celebrated their wedding there; and for many days they enjoyed themselves and celebrated. The King presented his son with
Samshvilde16 and all its lands, and Mirdat’ and Sagdukht’ settled there. Queen Sagdukht’ showed a desire to learn the Christian faith. Her spouse gathered scholars,
versed in the faith, and they began to translate the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for her. And they showed her that the true God is Christ, who sacrificed himself to save us. When Sagdukht’ became
aware of the true faith, she gave up worshiping fire, converted and was baptized. She also built Zion of Samshvilde. At this time in Archil’s reign, three bishops passed away: Iona, Grigol and Basil. After Basil died, Archil appointed a bishop, who was called Mobidan.18 He was a Persian by birth and outwardly observed Orthodoxy. But he was a faithless man, a violator of mores. King Archil and his son did not
discern the faithlessness of Mobidan at once, but continued to take him for a believer. And Mobidan did not preach his faith openly, being afraid of the King and the people, but wrote secret outrageous
books, which after his demise were burned like all his (other) writings by the true bishop Michael, who was later discharged due to his impertinence toward King Vakht’ang. King Archil ended his days in dedication to the Holy Trinity; he erected churches and increased the number of priests, deacons and church attendants all over Kartli, and then he died. King Archil ended his days in dedication to the Holy Trinity; he erected churches and increased the number of priests, deacons and church attendants all over Kartli, and then he died." (These are from the latest published book - Kartlis Tskhovreba: A History of Georgia. Chief Ed. Acad. Roin Metreveli and Prof.Stephan Jones. Artanuji publishers. Tbilisi, 2014.)
the reign of Archiles (421-435) shows that Kartli was still in fierce struggle against the Sassanids and maintained its independence long after the Parsmans arrival to power with the help of Huns Georgians
struggled against Persian and Roman simultaneously, which is very important. Later according the LGK (Live of Georgian Kings), during the youth of King Vakhtang I Gorgasali the queen Sagdukht was forced to impose the Persian control over Kingdom of Kartli, but in late year of Vakhtang I Gorgasali (449-502) in 482 the fierce struggle started against the Persian. Vakhtang was aided by the Armenian under Vahan Mamikonian and the bunch of Huns in North Caucasus, and he finally defeated the Sassianid after the death of Peroz I in the battle against Hephtalites (484). Vakhtang died in 502, in the new war against the Sassanids.
(Map of Kingdom of Kartli in 500 from euroatlas.com.Kartli is still single independent realm in Caucasus. Others are conquered or under the dependance of Eastern Roman Empire and Sassanid Persia. Shown in brown at the South-East of the map).
GEOPOLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF KARTLI IN 4th to 5th CENTURIES
1. Dariali Pass (Caspiae Portae).
From the Dariali Pass the rulers of Kartli were able to let the hordes of Northern Caucasus and Eurasian steps to go and invade the Sassanid and Eastern Roman Empire, which they did many times.
See the links of wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gates_of_Alexander
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darial_Gorge
2. Mountainous country.
The Kartli was mountainous kingdom as almost 70% of its territory was the mountains and hills and it was very well defended naturally from the enemies.
3. Strategic location.
Kartli was on the edge of Europe and Asia, hence it was very important to control its lands in order to capture the important roads leading to the East to West and vise-versa. Kartli (Iberia) as a part of modern Georgia at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, is a combination of uniqueness and diversity. Hence it was always in check.
4. Christianity mixed with Eastern culture.
This particular moment make the Kingdom of Kartli as mach favored for the Romans as for the Persians, they both aimed to control it for that suppose as well. The Northern tribes had an eye for the land of Kartli which was sedentary live and had quite a lot of production from the crop rotation.
5. Farming and Agriculture
Even the name Georgia is produced from the Greek word "georgioi" that means the earthworker. From the Greek name Γεωργιος (Georgios) which was derived from the Greek word γεωργος (georgos) meaning "farmer, earthworker". hence the Kartli kingdom was settled with the landlovin people and the land-makers as well as farmers.
CAVALRY OF KARTLI/IBERIA
Except for that the Kartli was very famous with its cavalry. They played the major role in Kingdom of Kartli and they also used Sarmatian and Hunnish cavalry as mercenaries during the many years of their struggle against Rome and Persia.
During the Parsman II Braves (c. 120-150) visit in Rome in 141, during the rule of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (137-161), the emperor himself ordered to erect the equestrian statue of King Parsman II the Brave in the center of Rome. This was the only statue of the barbarian king erected in city of Rome in 2nd century AD and the Parsanm was on the horseback which point the leading role of Cavalry in he army of Georgians (Iberians) during the AD 2nd century. Live of King Vakhtang I Gorgasali also adds dozens of fact about the might of Georgian cavalry during the 5th century.
(extract from prof. David Braund. Georgia in Antiquity. A History of Colchis and Transcaucasian Iberia, 550 b.c.-a.d. 562. Pp. xviii+360, 8 Maps, 21 plates. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994. Cased, £40.), pp. 232-3.
See also useful links:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...asian-Iberia-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Iberia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vakhtang_I_of_Iberia
PS. I will post more later, especially about the military stuff of Kartli faction.