What are some sources about the Georgian military pre-1800 AD?

[Arcaeca]

So I've been doing a bit of a research project for a mod (not for a Total War game, but still) trying to find detailed and specific information about the composition of the Georgian military both 1) in the Middle Ages and 2) in the age of independent principalities and kingdoms, between the Timurid invasion and Russian annexation, approx. the 14th-19th centuries AD.

The best sources I've found so far at my university's library are Edge of Empires by Donald Rayfield (2012) and The Making of the Georgian Nation by Ronald Grigor Suny (1994), which are... better than nothing, I guess - the former makes passing mention of the მონა სპა mona sp'a under David IV, მცველთა ჯარი mtsvelta jari under Vakhtang VI, and the მორიგე ჯარი morige jari under Erekle II, but not in nearly as much detail as I'd like - no specifics about their equipment or engagements in battle, for instance. Outside of books I've been able to find mention of the როქის სპა rokis sp'a mercenaries under David IV, the ფიცის კაცესბი pitsis k'atsebi under Solomon I of Imereti, and the ტადრელები t'adzrelebi under no ruler in particular - but same problem; I can't find any detail about how they were armed, what battles they fought in, what made them unique among the rest of the Georgian army, etc.

Someone suggested that I read სამხედრო საქმე საქართველოში უძველესი ხანიდან მე-18 საუკუნის ბოლომდე ("Warfare in Georgia from Ancient Times to the End of the 18th Century", or something like that) by Giorgi Anchabadze (ISBN: 9789941182686) - my library doesn't have it, their interlibrary loan can't find a library that has it to borrow from, Amazon and Barnes and Noble don't have it, the only Georgian book retailer I've found that mentions it (Lanterna.ge) says it's out of stock; I've even emailed the author to no response.

Anyway, I was told to consult the Total War forums because y'all apparently have actual historians lurking in your midst, and I just wanted to ask if anyone has some ideas, some suggested books I can actually get in the US (or PDFs!) or some historical sources that detail the composition of the pre-1800 Georgian military. I don't speak Georgian, but I'm trying to learn it, so it doesn't necessarily need to be in English. The only Georgian historical document I have a copy of is an English translation (via Armenian IIRC) of the ქართლის ცხროვება kartlis tskhroveba "Georgian Chronicles", but it's too big-picture as well: doesn't give a very in-depth view of the Georgian military.

[sumskilz]

You might try contacting Tadzreuli. He's a Georgian guy who has been a researcher for several mods, but I've never seen him active in this sub-forum, so he might not see your post otherwise.

[Tadzreuli]

Hi,

Between Temurid invasion in Georgia and to Russian annexation it is very vide periode of history. Here is a lot of several steps and levels of develope warfare traditions. There are modern monographs about this, but it would be better if you tell me more specific periods.And also the Middle Ages are also a very long period, it lasts from VI-VII century to the XV century.
In general, I did not quite understand what period this mod was about. Does it cover a very long period of human history from the Vikings to the 19th century?

But I would divide the military structure of the Georgian army into several periods:


1. Late-High feudalism 1300-1550
2. Late feudalism 1600-1750
3. Backward feudalism and aspirations of modernization, reforms of Heraclius II

Here is very usefull sources about georgian military history , here is wide information about georgian warfire of 10-18 centuries.
https://independent.academia.edu/MamukaTsurtsumia


So tell me narrower periods of history and I will try to make an appropriate list of units, with descriptions and images.