In
the late 60s of the XI century, after the invasions of Sultan Alp Arslan, King
Bagrat IV initiated active operations. During the summer and autumn of 1069 he
arrested the Emir of Ganja, regained control over Tbilisi and reclaimed the
castles occupied by the Seljuqs. Furthermore, he expelled them from all over
the country. According to sources, during the reign of Bagrat IV, Seljuqs were
not noticeable on the territory of Georgia in large numbers. During the period
between 60s and 70s the policy led by Bagrat IV was independent from the
Byzantine Empire. Georgian King could clearly see the weaknesses of the
Byzantines and wanted to avoid the deterioration of relations with the Seljuqs
because of them. The Georgian chronicler, describing the battles of Georgian
troops together with the Byzantines against the Seljuqs in the 40s, mentions
nothing about the Battle of Manzikert (1071). Followed from this we can assume
that the Georgians, especially the Royal Court, did not participate in this
battle. Apparently, Bagrat IV evaluated the weakness of the Byzantine Empire
and did not join the war against the Seljuqs. We presume that with such a
diplomatic action, Bagrat managed to save the country from another invastion of
Alp Arslan. After the Battle of Manzikert Seljuqs conquered all of Armenia,
Shriven and most of Anatolia, although Georgia was able to maintain its
independence.
Primary Language | Russian |
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Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | June 30, 2019 |
Submission Date | April 17, 2019 |
Published in Issue | Year 2019 Issue: 42 |