The mysterious queen Tamara is one of the unique women in world history who determined the further spiritual development of her people. After her reign, the best cultural values and architectural monuments remained. Fair, honest and wise, she established the firm political position of her country in Asia Minor, having conquered territories that are not relevant to present-day Georgia. The period of her reign forever remained in history under the name "Golden Age". Georgia, at that time, owed its economic, cultural and political prosperity to its queen.
Inheritance
Some facts from the life of Tamara today are not fully disclosed. Years of her life are still disputed by historians, but Queen Tamara was supposedly born in 1166. The girl’s parents came from a noble family: the mother was the daughter of the Alanian king, and the father belonged to the famous Bagration family and was the ruling king at the time of the birth of the child.
When Tamara was ten years old, unrest began in Georgia aimed at overthrowing the power of her father George III. The uprising was led by the son of one of the brothers George - Demeter and his father-in-law Orbeli, who at that time was the commander in chief of the Georgian forces. When the rebellion was crushed by the incumbent king, the need for a coronation ceremony became apparent.
Since the girl in the family grew up without brothers and sisters, George decided to leave the throne after his death to Tamara. It was against Georgian traditions, so that a woman would occupy the throne. Since 1178, the daughter became co-ruler of her father George III. Their first joint decision was the adoption of capital punishment for bandits, thieves, and the creation of a special group to search for them.
6 years after Tamara entered the political affairs of her state, George III dies and the privileged society is the question of re-coronating and the expediency of the reign of the young lady. In favor of the girl, the fact that the Georgian land was previously chosen by the apostolic lot of the Virgin and that a Christian woman was sent to spread Christianity on her, was Saint Nina. Thus, the noble Queen Tamara finally took the throne.
The first state reforms
The reign of Queen Tamara began with the liberation of the church from taxes and dues. Talented people were elected as ministers and military leaders. One of the chroniclers noted that under her rule, farmers grew to a privileged estate, the nobles became nobles, and the latter turned into rulers.
Tamara introduced Archbishop Anton of Chkondid among the close associates, who was immediately granted the Samtavis diocese and the city of Kisiskhevi. The post of supreme commander in chief went to one of the brothers of the well-known Armenian clan Mkhargrdzeli - Zakharia. Ivane's younger brother headed the palace economy. The princes recognized Christianity, professed by the Armenian church, called the faith of the Armenians, and worshiped Orthodoxy. Chroniclers note that Ivane later recognized the curvature of the faith of the Armenians and nevertheless converted to Christianity.
The girl was distinguished by diplomacy in resolving the issue of changing the political system of Georgia. Someone Kutlu-Arslan organized a group that demanded the creation of an independent body at the royal court. Elected persons of a far-fetched organization had to resolve all state issues without being present at meetings of Tamara herself. The queen was left with only an executive function. The arrest of Kutlu-Arslan excited his followers, and then diplomatic negotiations with the conspirators subjugated the latter to Tamara. The restructuring of state affairs, led by Kutlu-Arslan, has failed.
Charitable deeds
Tamara celebrated the beginning of her career by convening a church cathedral. The same act during the years of his reign was marked by her grandfather David the Builder. The astute mistress did this for the spiritual unification of the people. She gathered all who listen to the word of God: bishops, monks, clergy, and invited from Jerusalem the wise Nikolai Gulaberisdze, who, along with Archbishop Anthony, led the cathedral.
Holy Queen Tamara delivered a speech before the start of the council, in which she called on everyone to live together and according to the interpretation of the Bible. In a monologue, she appealed to the holy fathers with a request to give a helping hand to all those who went astray. I asked for instructions, words, and teachings from the rulers of the Holy Church, promising in return decrees, deeds, and teachings.
Merciful to the poor, generous, heavenly patroness of the temple-creators, Georgia, warriors, philanthropist - such was Queen Tamara. The icon with the face of the girl still helps those who pray in protecting the family, at home from adversity, in disbelief, in healing physical and mental ailments.
Church Cathedral was marked by the choice of the groom. So, the courtiers turned to the fathers for advice on where to look for Tamara's spouse. Mentors recommended to go to the Vladimir-Suzdal principality in Russia.
Marriage
Queen Tamara was endowed with not only spiritual but also physical beauty. There is no photo of the girl, of course, but the memories of her contemporaries indicate her correctly folded body, a shy look, pink cheeks and dark eyes.
When the question arose of the need for the appearance of an heir and a commander, an applicant for husbands was immediately selected. Russian prince Yuri Andreyevich could not resist the beauty of a young girl. He was from a noble family of the Bogolyubsky, revered Orthodoxy and outwardly was a very attractive young man. After arriving in Tbilisi for the bride's bride, he decided to immediately play a wedding. However, the prudent Tamara was against such a rush. The courtiers and bishops dissuaded the queen from bad thoughts and the wedding took place. Under the leadership of Yuri, although there were victorious battles of Georgia, but after surviving two years of mental suffering, the girl decided to divorce. The ex-husband of Queen Tamara was sent to Constantinople with part of her wealth. He then again appeared in the girl’s life when Yuri came to Georgia with the Greek army with the goal of returning the lost throne, but, like the previous time, he was defeated, and then disappeared without a trace.
Brought up on the concepts of the Gospel, the queen experienced a divorce hard. And the thought of a new marriage, which her status demanded, was generally unacceptable.
Happy marriage
Queen Tamara possessed natural beauty and charm (historical photo sketches are proof of this), so many princes wanted to take her husband's vacant place next to an extraordinary woman. And only the Ossetian king Soslan-David was lucky to become the second wife of Tamara. It was no coincidence that the courtiers nominated him as husbands; he was brought up with Rudusan, who was the queen’s native aunt. Historians have also suggested that dynastic marriage was a strategic move of the Georgian nobility. At that time, the state needed allies, and the Ossetian kingdom was distinguished by a powerful military potential. That is why the privileged sections of society immediately decided and recognized Soslan-David as co-ruler of Georgia.
Their union not only brought nations closer together, but also made the state powerful and prosperous. They ruled the country in agreement. For which God sent them a child. When the people found out that Queen Tamara and David Soslan were waiting for their first child, everyone began to pray for the birth of the boy. And so it happened, their son was born, looking like his grandfather. And they gave him the same name - George. A year later, the girl Rusudan was born in the royal family.
Fighting Islam: The Battle of Shamkhor
The mistress's political course was aimed at combating Muslim countries, which was supported by the predecessors of the throne: George III and David the Renewal. Twice the Islamic states of the Middle East tried to conquer Georgian lands, and both times the warriors of these countries were defeated.
The first offensive campaign was organized by the Baghdad caliph, in whose hands was concentrated both the religious and royal power of all Muslims. He subsidized a coalition organization against a growing Christian state. Atabag Abubekr led the troops, and their concentration was so quiet that only when the Muslims took up their positions in South Azerbaijan, Queen Tamara learned about the offensive.
Georgian forces were inferior in strength to the enemy. But faith in God and the power of prayer saved this nation. When the Georgian troops advanced towards the army of Abubekr, the queen and the inhabitants did not stop the prayer service. The order of the ruler consisted of continuous litigation, confession of sins and requirements for the rich to give alms to the poor. The Lord heeded the plea and in the battle of Shamkhor in 1195 the Georgians won.
As a trophy, David brought to his wife the banner of the Caliphate, which the mistress handed over to the monastery for the icon of Our Lady of Hahul.
Battle of Basiani
With the victory in Shamkhor, the country's authority on the world stage has grown. Sultan Ruknadin from Asia Minor could not recognize the power of Georgia. Moreover, he had plans to take revenge on the Georgian people for the defeat of the Turkish troops that they gained during the reign of David the Builder.
Ruknadin sent the Queen an insulting letter in which he demanded that Tamara change the Christian faith to Islam. The angry mistress instantly gathered an army and, hoping for God's help, escorted him to the Vardzia monastery complex, where she kneeled before the icon of the Mother of God and began to pray for her army.
Experienced in military battles, the Roman sultan could not believe that the Georgian Queen Tamara would launch an offensive. Indeed, the number of military Muslims, and this time exceeded the Georgian army. Victory again went to the commander and husband of Tamara - Soslan-David. One battle was enough to defeat the Turkish army.
The victory at Basiani helped to implement the strategic plans of the royal court to create a new state, neighboring in the West with Georgia. Thus, the Kingdom of Trebizond was created with the Christian faith. In the 13th century, almost all the states of the North Caucasus were subjects of Georgia.
Culture during the reign of the Queen
The stable economic condition of the country has become the backbone for the development of culture. The name of Queen Tamara is associated with the Golden Age of Georgia. She was the patroness of literature and writing. The cultural and educational centers were monasteries: Iversky, Petritsonsky, on the Black Mountain and others. They carried out translation and literary-philosophical work. In Georgia at that time there were Ikaltoy and Gelat academies, after which people knew Arabic, Persian, knowledge of ancient philosophy.
The poem “The Knight in the Tiger Skin”, related to the heritage of world literature, was written during the reign of Tamara and dedicated to it. Shota Rustaveli conveyed the life of the Georgian people in his creation. The legend begins that there lived a king who did not have a heir, and, sensing the approach of the end of his days, he raises his daughter to the throne. That is, the situation is one in one repeating the events of the time when the throne was transferred to Tamara.
The queen founded the Vardzia Cave Monastery, preserved to this day, as well as the Nativity of the Virgin Monastery.
Successful military offensives, a tribute from the conquered countries helped replenish the budget of Georgia, which was aimed at the erection of architectural monuments and the development of Christianity.
Vardzia
Churches, residential cells, chapels, bathhouses, refectory rooms - all these rooms are carved into the rock and form a monastery complex in southern Georgia called Vardzia, or the Temple of Queen Tamara. The construction of the cave complex was begun under the reign of George III. The monastery was prescribed a defensive target from the Iranians and Turks.
The premises of the fortress have a depth of 50 meters and a height of an eight-story building. Today, secret passages, the remains of the irrigation system and water supply are preserved.
In the center of the cave there is a church under the Queen in the name of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its walls are decorated with picturesque paintings, among which are images of Tamara and her father. The frescoes of the Ascension of the Lord, Jesus Christ and the Mother of God carry historical and artistic value.
The earthquake, the capture of the complex by Persians, Turks, the Soviet era left an imprint on the existence of the monastery. Now it is more of a museum, although some monks lead their ascetic life in it.
Queen Tamara: the story of the last years of life
Annals date the death of Soslan-David in 1206. Then the queen thought about passing the throne to her son and made George his co-ruler. Living according to the laws of God, she felt an approaching demise. Queen Tamara died of an unknown disease. Last years she spent in Vardzia. The date of death remains an unsolved mystery, but presumably it is 1212-1213.
Where the mistress is buried is unknown. In the annals, Gelati Monastery is indicated as a place where the queen's body rests in the family crypt. According to other legends, Tamara, feeling the dissatisfaction of Muslims who could desecrate the tomb, asked for a secret burial. There is an assumption that the body rests in the Cross Monastery (Palestine). It turns out that the Lord heard her desire, hiding the holy relics.
In the Orthodox Church, Queen Tamara is a saint. New Style Memorial Day falls on May 14th.
There is a belief that when suffering, grief in the world grows, it is resurrected and comes to the aid of people for their comfort.
Belief in God, wisdom, modesty - these are the features on which Tamara created the economic and political system of Georgia. Her development course was based on philanthropy, equality and the absence of violence. Not a single death penalty was carried out during the years of her reign. Tamara gave the tenth of state revenues to the poor. Orthodox countries, churches and monasteries received her help.
She said the last words to God, in which she entrusted Georgia, the people, her children and herself to Christ.