Rusudan
Georgia- Biography of Rusudan
- The Invasion of Jelal ad-Din
- Mongol Invasion and Rusudan's Treaty
- Marriage and Legacy
Biography of Rusudan
Rusudan, the daughter of Queen Tamar and David-Soslan, was born in Georgia. She ascended to the throne on January 18, 1223, following the death of her brother George IV. However, her reign marked the end of Georgia's golden age as she was too weak to maintain the independence and integrity of the country in the face of the Mongolian threat.
The Invasion of Jelal ad-Din
During Rusudan's third year of reign, in the autumn of 1223, the forces of Jelal ad-Din Mankburni, a refugee from Khwarazm fleeing from the Mongols, invaded Georgia. The Georgian troops, led by Ioane Mkhargrdzeli, suffered a heavy defeat at the Battle of Garnisi. This opened the way for Jelal ad-Din's forces to advance towards Tbilisi, Kars, and Ganja. Tbilisi was besieged, and the royal court was relocated to Kutaisi. On March 9, 1226, Jelal ad-Din captured Tbilisi and razed the city completely. In 1227, he once again took control of Tbilisi, although he was forced to leave the city after Rusudan formed an alliance with the Sultanate of Rum. Eastern Georgia remained under Jelal ad-Din's control until 1230.
Mongol Invasion and Rusudan's Treaty
In 1236, the Mongols invaded the Transcaucasus for the third and final time. Weakened by the wars with Jelal ad-Din, Georgia was unable to resist them. By 1240, the entire country was occupied by the Mongols, and Rusudan resided in Kutaisi. In 1242, she signed a peace treaty with the Mongols, recognizing Georgia as a vassal state and agreeing to pay tribute.
Marriage and Legacy
In 1224, Rusudan married Muhammad Mu'izz ud-Din Turkan Shah, a Seljuk prince who converted to Christianity and took the name Dmitry. Their daughter, Tamara, was married to Seljuk Sultan Kaykhusraw II and later to Pervane, the vizier and de facto ruler of the Sultanate. After Rusudan's death, the unified Georgian state ceased to exist. Her son, David VI Narin, was sent to the court of the Khan and only returned to Georgia after Rusudan's passing. The Franciscan monk, Plano Carpini, saw him there in late 1246. The Mongols supported both David VI Narin and another claimant to the throne, the illegitimate son of George IV, known as David VII Ulu. As a result, the country was divided into Western and Eastern Georgia after a period of interregnum, which lasted until 1247.
