History of Georgia

The known history of the Georgia extends on more than 4000 years and the Géorgien is one of the living languages oldest.

Origin of the Tribes géorgiennes within the ibéro-hittite unit

As of high the Antiquity, there are five or six thousand years, the related groups of the group Hittite occupied, in Asia Antérieure, of vast territories; having essaimé towards the Occident, they also moved into the coastal area of the North Africa or southernmost Europe.

In Europe, the people of this origin preceded the later immigrants such as the Indo-Europeans; those were deeply influenced by the indigenous population and its already developed culture.

It was thus in the Iberian peninsula, where the descendants of the antique population ibérienne were maintained until our days under the name of Basques; it was also thus in the Péninsule apennine, where the natives who were the Etrusques founded the most ancient civilization of the Italy, which exerted thereafter a major influence on the Roman culture; it was also the case in the Balkan Peninsula, where the Greeks succeeded the primitive inhabitants, the Pélasges.

Among the high places created by these people, it should be recognized that most important are those of former Asia. The Agriculture developed to with it at one very moved back time, as well as the craft industry and arts; the notion of the State appeared there very early. In the lower part of the basin of the Tiger and Euphrate, the Sumériens built cities and founded a powerful State as of thousand-year-old IVe before J.C.; they initially invented the oldest writing of the world, hieroglyphic, Cunéiforme then.

Former Asia played a very great part in the Histoire of the Culture. The eminent scientist Touraev, who is one of the largest specialists in the history of the ancient Orient, estimates that this one, according to these proper terms, is the “first chapter of the History of Humanité" and qu'" there is not any doubt that civilizations of the Eastern zone of the Mediterranean world exerts an immense influence on all the neighbouring areas, and this throughout their history until our time inclusively”. The rich and flourishing regions of former Asia were from time to time unmemorable a soft food for the foreign conquerors, mainly for the nomads stockbreeders of cattle. In consequence of the constant incursions and enemy conquests, the indigenous territory of the population narrows gradually. Towards the beginning of the second millenium before J.C., among the people Indigenous S of former Asia, two those detach particularly: Proto-Hittites and the Subaréens, which were related with the Géorgiens, but were not the ancestors. The old Empire of Hittites, known of the Assyrie NS under the name of Hatti, and of the Egyptians under the name of Hetta which dominated most of thousand-year-old IIe before J.C., was overcome by Assyrie at the 15th century before Jesus-Christ; the majority of its possessions passed then under the domination of the Hourrites, inhabitants of the southernmost part of the country of Subaréens, which occupied the active territory of the septentrional Mésopotamie to the chain of the the Caucasus. The civilization hittite which had as a hearth the area of the Halys, in the center of the Anatolia, resulted from fusion between the Indo-European invaders and the former Asian populations. It is known that the penetration of the Indo-Europeans in Asia Mineure and Mésopotamie was carried out in several waves, during half of by the the Bosphorus, the the Caucasus and the Iranian Plate. Some Indo-European principalities were formed in the area of Halys. Indigenous Asian populations, called proto-hittites remaining there; their principal center was the town of Hattoussa, founded towards -1650 by Hattousil {{Ier}}. The structures of the State and the culture of Hittites and Subaréens were at a relatively high level, as of thousand-year-old IIIe before J.C. But these people are better known as from the second millenium before Jesus-Christ when they started to dispute hegemony in Orient. They were first of all Hittites which took the top in this competition, and the Empire hittite reached a great power at the 18th century before J.C. But at the end of this same century, Subaréens carried out a revolution in the art of warfare by introducing the use of light tanks with two wheels. Their armament was, at the time, most sophisticated, more especially as they used not only one basic armament bronzes some, but also iron weapons. At the time, the Fer was extracted and worked only in the mountainous regions of the south-eastern Coast of the Black Sea.

Antiquity and Early middle ages

284 av. J. - C.: creation of the kingdom of Ibérie by Pharnavaz Ier (or Pharnabaze Ier, 302-237).
65 av. J. - C.: spring, intervention of Pumped in the Caucasus the king of Ibères Artocès Ier or Artog recognizes customer of Rome.
towards 130: the king d' Ibérie Pharasman II, becomes a customer of the emperors Hadrian and Antonin the Piles which receive it with Rome.
337 : Christianity becomes religion of state following conversion of the king d' Ibérie Mirian III and of his holy wife by Nino.
460 : foundation of the town of Tbilissi by the king Wakhtang Ier (or Vakhtang Ier Gorgasali, 446-502).
502 : Georgia is divided into two entities Eastern Georgia with the kingdom of Ibérie and Western Georgia the ex- Colchide of the Greeks or kingdom of Lazique
580: Iranian domination and abolition of the royalty. Divide country in vassal principalities of the Perse.
627 : during the summer, sits of Tbilissi by a Byzantine detachment supported by Khazars. Prince-Primacy of Ibérie Etienne I {{er}} which although Christian had taken the party of Persians is killed. The emperor Héraclius Ier names in his place Adarnasé I {{er}} prince de Kakhétie, other going down from the dynasty of Chosroïdes.
642 : beginning of the Arab conquest.
645 : catch of Tbilissi and forced conversion of the inhabitants by the Moslems.
786 : died of prince Artchil Ier the Martyr (?).
813 : the Bagratide Aschot I {{er}} Large the becomes prince d' Ibérie
888: Adarnasé Ier Bagratide curopalate of Ibérie, lower duke of CAT, prince de Djavakhétie takes the title of king

Medieval Georgia

1008 : creation of the kingdom unified of Georgia by the king Bagrat III of the dynasty of the Bragratides.
1021 - 1023: war against Byzance demolished of the king Georges Ier of Georgia which submits to the emperor Basile II
1035 - 1038: the reconquest of Tbilissi fails because of animosity between king Bagrat IV of Georgia and its vassal prince Liparit Orbiliani.
1065 : first incursion of the Seldjoukides
1080: invasion of the Seldjoukides
1089 - 1125: reign of David II of Georgia " Reconstructeur".
1105 : annexation of the kingdom of Kakhétie in Georgia by the king David II of Georgia.
1121 : August 14th victory of Didgori in the west of Tbilissi over Seldjoukides.
1122 : in February reconquest of capital Tbilissi of Ibérie and seat of a Moslem emirate since 645.
1123: temporary conquest of Ani old capital of the Arménie.
1123 : suzerainty of Georgia on the Chirvan
1162: catch of Ani and Dvin.
1167 : catch of Derbent
1184 - 1213: reign of the queen Tamar Ire of Georgia " Grande"
1204 : creation of Greek Empire of Trébizonde under the protection of Georgia.
1205 : apogee of the power of Georgia with the annexation or the reduction in protectorate of all the the Caucasus of the Persian Azerbaïdjan, the Arménie and southern bank of the Black Sea.
1210 : countryside in Iran
1221: February first clash with the Mongols who are victorious in Khunani in the south of Tbilissi.
1223 - 1245: reign of the queen Rousoudan Ire of Georgia
1225 - 1230: domination of Jalal AD-DIN king of the Khwarezm on Georgia.
1230 - 1240: invasion of the Mongolian the royal family takes refuge in Western Georgia.
1243 : the queen Rousoudan Ire of Georgia recognizes vassal Mongols.
1258 : creation of a kingdom separated in Iméréthie by the king David IV Narin
1269: separation of the principality of Samtskhé.
1318 - 1346: reign of the king Georges V of Georgia " Illustre" , rebuilding of the kingdom.
1327 - 1330: the king Georges V of Georgia cease to pay tribute with the Mongols and recovers Iméréthie which becomes a duchy and vassalizes the Samtskhé again.
1360 - 1395: reign of Bagrat V of Georgia " Grand"
1386 - 1403: incursions of Tamerlan.
1407 : died of the king Georges VII of Georgia in a war against the Turkmènes.
1411 : died of the king Constantin Ier of Georgia in a war against the Turkmènes.
1412 - 1442: reign of the king Alexandre Ier of Georgia " Grand" , last period of unit.
1459 - 1460: talks between the king Georges VIII of Georgia and the courses European for a war against Turkish.
1490 : final division of the country enters the three kingdoms of the Karthlie the Kakhétie and the Iméréthie

Divisions and foreign dominations

1510 : Western Georgia (Iméréthie) victim of Turkish invasions
1555: irano-Turkish peace divides of Georgia in zones of influences
1578: Othoman protectorate then Persian on Karthlie.
1590 : recognition by Iran of the Turkish domination in Georgia
1605: Helene girl of the king Georges X of Georgia is promised in marriage to the tsar Fédor II Goudounov.
1614 : first intervention of the Shah of Persia Abbas Ier Large the in Georgia.
1618 : call to the assistance with the Russia
1622: martyr of the king Louarsab I {{er}}
1624: martyr of the queen Sainte Kéthévane captivates in Iran.
1659 : advent of the branch of the Bagratide S of Moukrani in Karthlie. They reign like viceroy Iranian while sometimes agreeing to convert nominally with the Islam.
1659 - 1675: reign of Vakhtang V of Georgia " Shah Nawaz II"
1675 - 1709: reign of Georges XI of Georgia " Shah Nawaz III" it is also commander-in-chief of the army Iranian women and dies in the service of the Shah in 1709.
1703 - 1723: regency then reign of Vakhtang VI of Georgia " Hussain Quouli Khan" who must exile himself in Russia with the royal family.
1723 - 1735: Othoman domination in Eastern Georgia.
1735 - 1737: Iranian domination in Eastern Georgia.
1744 : fusion of the kingdoms of Karthlie and Kakhétie
1750: annexation by Turkish of the principality of Samtskhé or Akhaltzikhé
1783: Treated July 24th of Guéorguiecsk Georgia is placed under the suzerainty of the Russian Empire.
1795 : defeat of Krtsanissi, catch and plundering of Tbilissi by the Iranian troops of Aga Mohammad Shah
1801: February 16th annexation by Russia of the kingdom of Georgia (Karthlie & Kakhétie).

Russian Empire and modern Georgia

1804 : annexation of the principality of Gourie to the Russian Empire
1810: annexation of the kingdom of Iméréthie by the Russian Empire
1828: Russian seizes the Samtskhé (or pachalik of Akhaltzikhé)
1858: October 22nd annexation of the principality of Svanéthie and execution of prince Constantin by Russian.
1864 : annexation of the principality of Abkhazie by the Russians
1866: annexation of the principality of Mingrélie to the Russian Empire
1879: December 16th birth with Gori of Joseph Stalin
1918: May 26th independence and proclamation of the republic
1920: May 7th recognition of independence by Russia.
1921 : February Tbilissi occupied by Grigory Ordjonikidze and the Red Army , end of independence and incorporation of Georgia in the Soviet federative socialist Republic of Transcaucasia.
1936 : Creation of the Soviet socialist Republic of Georgia.
1990 : the autonomous Republic of Ossétie of the South declares its sovereignty.
1991 : April 9th the second independence of Georgia.
1991 : October 10th in January 1992 nationalist government of the president Zviad Gamsakhourdia
1991: December 26th dissolution of the Soviet Union.
1992 : unilateral independence July of the autonomous Republic of Abkhazie supported by the Russians
1992: October 11th Edouard Chevardnadze, president of the Republic
1999; April 27th Georgia becomes the 41e member of the the Council of Europe.
2003 : Revolution of the pinks
2004: January 4th election of Mikheil Saakachvili as President of the Republic
2007: October 8th and 9th, following a proposal of the chief of the Orthodoxe Church géorgienne, the return to a monarchy is supported by the opposition.

See too

Chronology of Georgia of the Caucasus

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