Style of the Georgian sovereign

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Jesus Christ, [glorify] King David, of the Abkhazians,[h] Iberians,[c] Ranis,[n] Kakhetians,[n] Armenians"[j]. The king is depicted wearing sakkos with an imperial crown having pendilia and holding a cross alongside globus cruciger. A coin shows the king as a true Byzantine emperor.[k] Kept at the British Museum in the United Kingdom since 1857.[p]
A copper coin of Queen Tamar of Georgia minted in Georgian Asomtavruli script reads ႧႰႣႧ with ႵႩჃႩ representing Georgian numeral system, meaning "Tamar, David, AD 1200"; the text written in Arabic script[l] reads ملكة الملكات جلال الدنيا والدين تامار ابنة كيوري ظهير المسيح meaning "Queen of Queens, the glory of the world and of the faith, Tamar, daughter of Kywri, champion[i] of the Messiah". Kept at the Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia
.

The style of the Georgian sovereign (

disintegration of the realm
.

Pre-Christian Georgian monarchs of the

heretics.[15] Even though unprecedentedly "Byzantinized Georgia"[16] entertained its powerful neighbor's concepts and models of Constantinopolitan bureaucracy and aristocracy, it was never slavishly adopted or mimicked; rather, it was creatively and deliberately adapted to the local culture and environment. At the same time, the rulers of Christian Georgia would still be embracing the traditional influences of the Persian Shahnameh[17] and Arabic legends[18] that would remain strong and intact; some of their styles would even become Islamic[m] in type.[19][20][21] As the Crown would be gathering additional lands the style would continue to expand, but remain distinctly enumerated and include all the subjects of the Georgian monarch.[22] Even after the collapse of the unified kingdom, Georgian kings would continue to emblazon themselves with the former imperial style and they would stake the claim to be the absolute rulers of all-Georgia.[23] This imperial legacy of the Bagrations continues to bear fruit even today, with its self-image as the unrivalled pinnacle of the Georgian politics, culture and society.[24]

According to the chronicler of

high medieval Georgia, the royal court would never pardon the insult towards a monarch.[27] King Vakhtang VI, however, maintained that there was no official punishment for lèse-majesté.[28]

Style

Sovereigns of Iberia

Style Sovereign
King of all Kartli and Eguri.[29][b] King
Pharnavaz I
King of the Iberians.[30][c] King Artoces
King of the Iberians.[31] King Pharnavaz II
King of the Iberians.[32] King Artaxias II
Great King of Iberia.[33]
King
Pharasmanes I
King of the Iberians.[34][d] King
Mithridates I
King of Iberia.[e] King
Pharasmanes II
Great King of the Iberians.[35] King
Ghadam
Great King of the Iberians.[36] King
Amazasp II
King of the Iberians.[37] King
Aspacures I
King of Iberia,
Hereti, Movakani and Colchis.[38]
King
Mirian III
King of the Iberians.[39] King
Mithridates V
King of Iberia, King of the Ten Kings.[40] King
Vakhtang I
King of the Iberians.[41] King
Bacurius III
King of the Iberians.[42] King Adarnase IV
King of the Iberians.[43] King David II
King of the Iberians.[44] King Bagrat II
King of the Iberians, the kouropalates of all the East, the eye of Orthodoxy.[45][46] King David III
King of Kings of the Iberians.[47][48] King Gurgen

Sovereigns of the united Georgia

Style Sovereign
King of the
Kakhetians,[n] and the great kouropalates of all the East.[49]
King Bagrat III
King of the Abkhazians and Iberians, the kourapalates of all the East.[50] King George I
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians and Iberians, strong and invincible, the
Orthodox king.[54]
King Bagrat IV
King of the Abkhazians and Iberians, the nobilissimus, the sebastos, the caesar of all the East and the West.[55][56][57] King George II
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis,
Rus,[58] Sword of the Messiah,[f] emperor (basileus) of all the East,[59][60][61] the invincible,[62] servant and defender of God,[63] the Orthodox king.[64]
King David IV
King of Kings, Sword of the Messiah, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians,[65][66] king of all the East.[67] King
Demetre I
King of Kings, sword of the Messiah.[68] King David V
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians,
Shahanshah,[g][m] master of the East and the North, son of Demetre, sword of the Messiah,[69][70] son of King of Kings.[71]
King George III
King of Kings, Queen of Queens, empress (autokrator) of all the East and West, champion[i] of the Messiah,[72][73] of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah, the great queen, the Glory of the World and of the Faith, daughter of the great King of Kings,[74][75] sovereign of Christendom.[76] Queen Tamar
King of Kings, son of Tamar, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah, the Sovereign of all the East and the West, sword of the Messiah,[77][78] lord of the Javakhians, the great king, glory of the world and faith.[79] King George IV
Queen of Kings and Queens, the glory of the world, kingdom and of the faith, daughter of Tamar, champion[i] of the Messiah.[80][81] Queen Rusudan
King of Kings, son of King of Kings Rusudan, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah, the Sovereign of all Georgia and the North,
Qaan, of the ruler of the world, David the king.[84]
King David VI
King of Kings, son of Giorgi, sword of the Messiah.[85] King David VII
King of Kings, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.[86] King David VIII
King, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.[87] King Vakhtang III
King of Kings of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of the East and the West, of the South and the North, of both countries, of two[q] thrones and crowns, the godlike Suzerain and the Sovereign.[88] King George V
King of Kings of all.[89] King
David IX
King of Kings of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, the Suzerain and Sovereign of all the North, the East and the West, descendant of
Gorgasali.[90]
King Bagrat V
King of Kings of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah, of all Georgia, of all the East and the West, of the North, the Sovereign and Suzerain of two[q] kingdoms, the ruler of all,[91][92] the victorious king.[93] King George VII
King of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah of all the East and North, the Sovereign.[94] King Constantine I
King of Kings, of many, Shirvanshah, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians, of all Georgia and the North, of the West and the East, the Suzerain and Sovereign of two[q] golden thrones and all the lands.[95][96] King Alexander I
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of two[q] thrones and kingdoms, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, descendant of Nimrod,[97] slave of God.[98] King George VIII
King of Kings, strong and invincible, majestic and protector of the holy kingdom, of the Jikians, Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shirvanshah, of all the East and the West, of all Georgia, of all the North, the Suzerain and Sovereign of the throne.[99] King
Bagrat VI

Sovereigns of Kartli

Style Sovereign
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians, Shirvanshah and Shahanshah.[100][101] King Simon I
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli.[102] King George X
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli.[103] King Rostom
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli.[104] King Vakhtang V
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli.[105][106] King
Luarsab II
King of Kings and Sovereign of Kartli, by will of God, by mercy of Shah Abbas.[107] King
Bagrat VII
King of Kings of Kartli,[108] by will of God, by order of Shah Abbas.[109] King Simon II
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of Kartli.[110] King
George XI
King and Sovereign of Kartli, Lord of all Georgia.[111] King Vakhtang VI

Sovereigns of Kakheti

Style Sovereign
King and Sovereign of Kakheti.[112] King Levan
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of Kakheti.[113] King Alexander II
King and Sovereign of Kakheti.[114] King Teimuraz I
King of Imereti and Kakheti.[o] King Archil
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of Kakheti.[115] King Heraclius I
King of Kings, Sovereign of Kakheti, son of Great King and High Sovereign of Iran.[116] King David II
King of Kings, Sovereign of Kakheti,
Shamshadin and Qazax.[117][118]
King Constantine II
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of Kartli, Kakheti, Lord of
Borchali.[119]
King Teimuraz II

Sovereigns of Imereti

Style Sovereign
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of all the East and the West, the South and the North, of both two[q] thrones and kingdoms.[120][121] King Alexander II
King of Kings and the Sovereign of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of the East and the West.[122] King Bagrat III
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians and Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of all the East and the West, the South and the North, of both two[q] kingdoms and countries, the High King, Godly anointed and invincible, the most excellent King of all, of the most brilliant purple crown, son of Great, all-powerful and invincible King of Kings.[123] King George II
King of Kings, the Sovereign of both two[q] thrones.[124] King Levan
King of Kings, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Kakhetians, Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah, of all the East and the West, the South and the North, the Sovereign of both two[q] thrones and countries, Godly given and anointed, great and invincible, the most excellent King of all, of the brilliant sceptre and a purple crown.[125] King Rostom
King of Kings, the Sovereign, of the Abkhazians, Iberians, Ranis, Kakhetians, Armenians, Shahanshah and Shirvanshah of all the other kings and countries, strong and invincible,[126][127] supreme by God and unyielding by God.[128] King George III
King of Kings, the Sovereign.[129] King Alexander III
King of Imereti and Kakheti.[o] King Archil
King of Kings, the King.[130] King Alexander V
King of Kings, Suzerain and Sovereign of all Imereti.[131][132] King Solomon I
King of Kings of all Imereti.[133] King David II
King of all Imeretians.[134] King Solomon II

Sovereigns of Kartli—Kakheti

Style Sovereign
King of Kartli, Kakheti and all Georgia, successor sovereign and lord of
Qax, Shaki, Shirvan, sovereign and ruler of Ganja and Erivan.[135][136][137]
King Heraclius II
King of all Georgia, King of all Kartli, Kakheti and all the other lands, the Lord.[138][139] King
George XII

See also

Notes

  1. pharnah was the prerogative of certain families. King Pharnajom unwisely abandoned Georgian polytheism thus losing the kingship.[140][141]
  • Iberia and Colchis respectively.[142]
  • ^
    "Iberians" refers specifically to Kartvelians/Georgians.[143] The term Iberia/Iberian would undergo a transformation, its "all-Georgian" reach would be extended by the Bagrationi monarchs and their contemporaries.[144]
  • ^
  • ^
  • Jesus Christ).[146] David IV was the first Georgian king to assume the title "Sword of the Messiah".[147]
  • Persian dynasties.[149] George III was the first Georgian king to assume these titles.[150] They were afforded mostly last place in the style, following the "King of the Armenians" title.[151] They later on would get corrupted, and original meaning be forgotten.[152]
  • ^
    The Kingdom of Abkhazia was afforded first place in the style as a memory of sequence of acquisition of authority by King Bagrat III, from being King of Abkhazia first and later on king of all-Georgia. The Georgian royal court was inspired by the Byzantine model of rule of law and the continued rendering of Abkhazia to the first place in the style of the Bagrationi kings was largely due to legal considerations. Also, as Abkhazia was under heavy Byzantine influence, the Georgian monarchs wanted to raise the status of the western region to such a high level to reflect the importance of this area to the Georgian realm. The court would have set up the majority of the royal residences mostly in the western regions of the kingdom, in Abkhazia and Imereti.[153][154]
  • mepe, they were not an actual heads of the army and battlefield leaders, by virtue of their gender.[155] It is noteworthy that Tamar was never depicted on frescos with a sword.[156] Despite the fact that The Georgian Chronicles explicitly state that when Tamar was recrowned after his father's death, "all by one consent joined in raising to Tamar her father's sword, bestowed on her at the same time as her father's throne", still none of the depictions of the queen show her carrying the sword. The chronicle would explain this by stressing Tamar's hatred of violence.[157]