George XI of Kartli (Gurgin Khan)

[afghan]

George XI (Georgian: გიორგი XI, Giorgi XI; Persian: گرگین*خان , Gurgin Khan or Gorgin Khan) (1651 – April 21, 1709), ruled Kartli, eastern Georgia, from 1676 to 1688 and again from 1703 to 1709. He is best known for his struggle, as a Safavid commander, against the rebel Afghan tribes that cost his life.




Life

He was the son of Vakhtang V, also known as Shahnawaz I, whom he succeeded as a ruler of Kartli in 1676. He had to accept Islam and take the name of Shahnawaz II before being able to be confirmed as a Wāli (viceroy) by Shah Solayman I. However, Georgians continued to consider him as their king under his Christian name George (Giorgi).
It was when nearly half-century-long peaceful relations between Kartli and its Persian suzerains significantly deteriorated. Giorgi attempted to centralise loose royal authority in Kartli and to weaken the Persian influence. He patronised Catholic missioners and had correspondence with Innocent XI. After the liberation of Vienna of the siege of the Ottomans hoped Giorgi XI first on weakening of Ottomans. In the letter to Innocent XI from April 29 1687 he vowed to be a Catholic King and declared the readiness and willingness of him and his troops to obey any order of the Roman Pope. According to Catholic missionaries Giorgi remained until his death a faithful Catholic.
In 1688, Giorgi headed an abortive coup against the Persian governor of the neighboring Georgian region of Kakheti, and attempted, though vainly, to gain an Ottoman support against the Saffavid overlordship. In response, Shah Solayman deposed George and gave his crown to the rival Kakhetian prince Erekle I, who embraced, on this occasion, Islam and took the name Nazar-Ali Khan. Abbas-Quli Khan, the former beglarbeg (governor general) of Ganja, was placed in charge of the government in Kakheti and commissioned to reinforce Erekle’s positions in Kartli. Giorgi fled to Racha in western Georgia, whence he made several attempts to reclaim his possession. In 1696, he managed to stage a temporary comeback and helped his brother Archil to temporarily regain the crown of Imereti in western Georgia, but was eventually forced to withdraw from Kartli again. In 1694, following the death of Solayman, there was a change in the government in Georgia: Abbas-Quli Khan was accused by his rivals of supporting Giorgi XI. On the orders of the new shah Soltan Hosayn, he was promptly arrested by Erekle and sent to Isfahan under guard, while of his possessions were confiscated. Qalb-Ali Khan was appointed Abbas-Quli Khan’s successor as Persian governor of Kakheti. However, the strife in Georgia as well as the Saffavid empire in general forced Husayn to make peace with Giorgi who was summoned to Isfahan in 1696. The shah entrusted him with restoring order along the eastern frontiers of the empire and appointed him beglarbeg of Kerman in 1699. It was the beginning of an illustrious but, ultimately, tragic career in the service of the Saffavids.
Giorgi, aided by his brother Levan, by 1700 had reestablished the shah's sovereignty in Kerman. As a reward, George was restored to the throne of Kartli in 1703, but was not allowed to return to his country. Instead, he was soon assigned to suppress the Afghan rebellion in May 1704. He was granted the title of Gurgin Khan by the Shah and was appointed the viceroy of Kandahar province and sipah salar (commander-in-chief) of the Persian armies. While he was in the field, he entrusted the administration of his country of Kartli to a nephew, the future King Vakhtang VI. Gurgin managed to crush the revolts of Afghan tribes and ruled Kandahar with uncompromising severity. He subdued many of the local leaders and sent Mirwais Khan Hotak, a powerful chieftain of the Ghilzai Afghans (Pashtuns), in chains to Isfahan. However, Mirwais Khan managed to gain the favour of the Shah and even to arouse his suspicion against the beglarbeg. Determined to bring about the overthrow of Gurgin, Mirwais Khan staged a carefully planned coup. On April 21, 1709, when the majority of the Georgian troops under Gurgin’s nephew, Alexander, were away from Kandahar on a raid against the rebels, Mirwais invited Gurgin on a banquet at his country estate at Kokaron in Kandahar City and assassinated him. The assassinator was supposedly an Afghan warrior, Younis Kakar, one of a tribal chiefs of Mirwais Khan Hotak. Gurgin's small escort was also massacred and Mirwais seized the power in Kandahar.[1][2] He sent to Isfahan the cross and psalms, found at the murdered Georgian general, as the proof of the latter’s covert defection.
A punitive expedition into the Afghan lands led by Giorgi’s nephew, Kay Khusrau, ended in October 1711 disastrously with his death and the destruction of nearly his entire Persian-Georgian force of 30,000.[3]
Family and children

Giorgi was married twice. He married first Tamar, daughter of Prince Davit Davitashvili, 1676. She died on December 4, 1683, and was survived by a son Bagrat and a daughter Maryam. Giorgi remarried, in 1687, Khoreshan (died on February 24, 1695), daughter of Prince Giorgi Mikeladze. She bore him a daughter, Princess Rwadam who was married, from 1703 to 1714, to the king George VII of Imereti.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_XI_of_Kartli

[Catya Sher]

It's welcome to see historical posts like this.
I was studying about Georgia thinking to visit there a few years ago.
The people are so colorful.
I hadn't thought of it til just now, but Georgians actually remind me of Pashtuns in many aspects: honor, chivalry [read Rustaveli, their national poet, who set forth the Georgian code of honor in his epic.]

Georgians likewise always had a rough time with their powerful Persian neighbors.
PS: it's annoying that to almost all Americans Georgia is only a state. They had barely heard of the beautiful country until the 2008 war with Russia.
Yeah a lot of similarities maybe, to Afghans

[afghan]

It's welcome to see historical posts like this.
I was studying about Georgia thinking to visit there a few years ago.
The people are so colorful.
I hadn't thought of it til just now, but Georgians actually remind me of Pashtuns in many aspects: honor, chivalry [read Rustaveli, their national poet, who set forth the Georgian code of honor in his epic.]

Georgians likewise always had a rough time with their powerful Persian neighbors.
PS: it's annoying that to almost all Americans Georgia is only a state. They had barely heard of the beautiful country until the 2008 war with Russia.
Yeah a lot of similarities maybe, to Afghans

georgia was mostly threatened by ottomans and safavids as well which made the georgian king to signe the treaty with Russia in the eighteenth century. its a great place to visit, people are very hospitable, and generous but their recent partnership with the USA has made them suffer very harshly.
its true we have many similarities.

[Catya Sher]

afghan,

You mean the early 19th century, yes. The problem was too that the Georgian royal family and nobility felt weak and sort of abdicated to a powerful, threatening Russia of the time.

Later Georgians had cause to regret this submission.

At that point, Georgian rulers became way reduced in status. When received at the court in St Petersburg, the title called out for them was a low one. I can check which one, I studied this earlier. Not important to anyone else here, but I think I was "Serene Highness" which is not as great as it sounds.
They were clearly vassals, in short, to the Russian Tsar.
It was theoretically the links of the Orthodox religion which made them feel more comfortable with Russians. Georgia was an ancient Christian kingdom, the second nation in the world to become Christian. They are tremendously proud of that heritage, but it's very sad that this resulted in having the country annexed by a very aggressive Russia.

Yes, it's really interesting how many similarities there are! They are a very proud people, too.

Have you been there??

I opened that thread when I saw the name Kartli. I thought Georgia? Here on PF? Grateful to see.
You must know it from traveling there. When and how was that? I'm very interested to hear where you went and more details, if you want.

Yes, no doubt about the huge tension in the region due to The Rose Revolution...Russia has been a constant complainer about that and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, which has now been reversed. Let's see what happens in Georgia. I hope they can hold on to their sovereignty this time around.

Poor Georgia, always a pawn of bigger powers. But they are principled, like Afghans.

[Toramana]

Georgians are related to other ethnicities in Caucauses.

[Catya Sher]

Kandahary,

that is fascinating if there's a linguistic connection to Pashto in some region there.
There are SO many, it's difficult to keep up with!

Let me think more about the actual list of similarities.

Right off the bat, though, I think of a few.

Both Pashtuns and Georgians are dashing, rather romantic figures, full of fire and zest for life.

Actually if Georgians weren't so passionately attached to the Georgian Orthodox Church - it's part of their anchor of national identity, that latter has been much bruised over the millenia, as one can see even here in the small slice of history which initiated this thread -- I would say that Pashtun men would actually do well to marry Georgian women, say there were some difficulty to find a bride.

Both are immensely proud of their history, cling to traditions - Pashtuns do much more than Georgians to this end, however.

Georgian women, to their credit, are not Americanized - yet. At least as of some years ago, they are very feminine, wearing [non-Islamic] high heels, dresses. The usual style is modest and in good taste but highlighting a very feminine look which long vanished among European women; worst of all are tacky American T-shirted, tennis-shoed, slouchily garbed women. The antithesis of the Georgian girls.
Russian women used to be more feminine but the American look caught on more and more in the 2000s, from what I hear.

That's all off the track, but it's just a thought. For example, if you are a Pashtun man living in Russia or former Eastern Europe, and there are no Pashtun women in your community, one of the better options would be to meet a well brought up Georgian woman.

Unfortunately, wine is a big deal in Georgia. The best wines in the Soviet Union always came from there. So beware about a potential clash of values on some points like this. Assuming the man is a practicing Muslim.

---Matchmaking advice from Catya....!!!

I will write more about this Georgian-Pashtun similarity question later.

[Lemar]

Catya, how similar are they to Pashtuns? I heard there is an area nearby that speak similar to Pashto.

Ossetic language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[afghan]

afghan,

You mean the early 19th century, yes. The problem was too that the Georgian royal family and nobility felt weak and sort of abdicated to a powerful, threatening Russia of the time.

Later Georgians had cause to regret this submission.

At that point, Georgian rulers became way reduced in status. When received at the court in St Petersburg, the title called out for them was a low one. I can check which one, I studied this earlier. Not important to anyone else here, but I think I was "Serene Highness" which is not as great as it sounds.
They were clearly vassals, in short, to the Russian Tsar.
It was theoretically the links of the Orthodox religion which made them feel more comfortable with Russians. Georgia was an ancient Christian kingdom, the second nation in the world to become Christian. They are tremendously proud of that heritage, but it's very sad that this resulted in having the country annexed by a very aggressive Russia.

Yes, it's really interesting how many similarities there are! They are a very proud people, too.

Have you been there??

I opened that thread when I saw the name Kartli. I thought Georgia? Here on PF? Grateful to see.
You must know it from traveling there. When and how was that? I'm very interested to hear where you went and more details, if you want.

Yes, no doubt about the huge tension in the region due to The Rose Revolution...Russia has been a constant complainer about that and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, which has now been reversed. Let's see what happens in Georgia. I hope they can hold on to their sovereignty this time around.

Poor Georgia, always a pawn of bigger powers. But they are principled, like Afghans.

Georgievskii tractat was signed in 1783. i have visited georgia last August political situation is not good, but the people are still very warm. One of my friend from georgia studied pashto and pashtun culture. he also finds our traditions much similar.
ordinary people believe the US influence in georgia is harming the country. there is no freedom of media,fully controled by the government.

[afghan]

Kandahary,

that is fascinating if there's a linguistic connection to Pashto in some region there.
There are SO many, it's difficult to keep up with!

Let me think more about the actual list of similarities.

Right off the bat, though, I think of a few.

Both Pashtuns and Georgians are dashing, rather romantic figures, full of fire and zest for life.

Actually if Georgians weren't so passionately attached to the Georgian Orthodox Church - it's part of their anchor of national identity, that latter has been much bruised over the millenia, as one can see even here in the small slice of history which initiated this thread -- I would say that Pashtun men would actually do well to marry Georgian women, say there were some difficulty to find a bride.

Both are immensely proud of their history, cling to traditions - Pashtuns do much more than Georgians to this end, however.

Georgian women, to their credit, are not Americanized - yet. At least as of some years ago, they are very feminine, wearing [non-Islamic] high heels, dresses. The usual style is modest and in good taste but highlighting a very feminine look which long vanished among European women; worst of all are tacky American T-shirted, tennis-shoed, slouchily garbed women. The antithesis of the Georgian girls.
Russian women used to be more feminine but the American look caught on more and more in the 2000s, from what I hear.

That's all off the track, but it's just a thought. For example, if you are a Pashtun man living in Russia or former Eastern Europe, and there are no Pashtun women in your community, one of the better options would be to meet a well brought up Georgian woman.

Unfortunately, wine is a big deal in Georgia. The best wines in the Soviet Union always came from there. So beware about a potential clash of values on some points like this. Assuming the man is a practicing Muslim.

---Matchmaking advice from Catya....!!!

I will write more about this Georgian-Pashtun similarity question later.

regardless of them being christian some of their traditions much harsher than pashtuns. most of the marriges are arranged, the woman marries for once in her life time. if the husband dies woman will wear black for the rest of her life, and will not marry again. the woman caught cheating is immediatley killed no questions asked, police cannt interfare. the woman cannt look up or answer back to her parents-inlwa, unmarried girls are not allow to wear skirts. girls married later tha age 20 are considered old. rap is considered the worst crime, worse than killing. every single male relative of the rapist is castrated regardless of their age. the girl has to be virgin when marrying.

[Toramana]

Pashtuns have some peculier values e.g., steadfastness is one of the supreme values good Pashtuns are expected to have, which means a person must stand for his honour, dignity, self-respect and every other thing he/she identifies with or is associated to even if that thing is bad (that is why in Pashtun society even a bad person can acquire a hero status if he is firm ) . In Pashto it is called "namus" although "namus" has much broader meanings. Similarly strength both in the sense of physical as well as mental endurance is high-valued in Pashtun society, where people that show weakness to defend their honor are looked at with contempt. Pashtuns like competition i.e., you have to match others in social status, prestige, and other things material or immaterial. In Pashto, it is expressed in terms like "siali" or "sial". Pashtuns are fond of equality at all levels except perhaps in immediate family where they submit to elders e.g., father, brothers. Hospitality is another value to which Pashtuns give high importance. A person who doesn't entertain and respect guests loses face.

[Catya Sher]

I thought to clarify the process of Georgia's submission to the Russian Tsar.

The Georgian king and the Khans of neighboring Caucasian principalities requested the protection of their lands in the 1780s due to invasions by Persia and the Ottomans.

In 1798, George III of Georgia pledged his allegiance to the Russian Crown.

However, Russia outright annexed Georgia -- the main parts of Kartli - Kakheti -- at the dawn of the 19th century. Tsar Paul I [killed, and who a few regard as a martyr] signed the agreement, which was confirmed by his successor Alexander I on the latter's namesday, Sept 12, 1801.

To me this was a poor choice, motivated by short-term fear of the Muslims.
The bigger picture was that the Russian Empire ruled oppressively and insensitively.

This evolved into Soviet rule even more terrifying.

For Stalin, born a century after the submission to Russia, was a Georgian.
He was tougher on Georgia than almost any other SSR [Soviet Socialist Republic].
This was to compensate for the fact the insecure, short-statured ruler was not a Great Russian by birth. He hoped the Russians over whom he ruled would overlook that by his display of ferocity toward his land of birth.

Stalin's hometown, Gori, is a place of - gasp - pilgrimage; the dictator's "icon" distributed by extremists for "veneration" these days by his fans.

Some people wish to exalt and even worship EVIL.

Anyway, Georgia chafed under a cruel rule by both Russian and Soviet rulers.
I suspect that had they held out and maybe aligned with either the Iranian Shahs or the Ottomans, they would have stood on better ground.
The Muslims would not have treated them as badly as did, ironically, their Russian co-religionists.

The patroness of Georgia, St Nina is one to know about for anyone meeting a Georgian.

It would please them greatly if you mention her especially around her special days. These are Jan 15 on Western Calendar -- her day is Jan 14th on the Eastern Old Calendar which turns out to be Jan 27th/
then the commemoration of her entry into Georgia from Turkish Cappodicea where she lived is June 1.

[chedo]

Pashtuns have some peculier values e.g., steadfastness is one of the supreme values good Pashtuns are expected to have, which means a person must stand for his honour, dignity, self-respect and every other thing he/she identifies with or is associated to even if that thing is bad (that is why in Pashtun society even a bad person can acquire a hero status if he is firm ) . In Pashto it is called "namus" although "namus" has much broader meanings. Similarly strength both in the sense of physical as well as mental endurance is high-valued in Pashtun society, where people that show weakness to defend their honor are looked at with contempt. Pashtuns like competition i.e., you have to match others in social status, prestige, and other things material or immaterial. In Pashto, it is expressed in terms like "siali" or "sial". Pashtuns are fond of equality at all levels except perhaps in immediate family where they submit to elders e.g., father, brothers. Hospitality is another value to which Pashtuns give high importance. A person who doesn't entertain and respect guests loses face.

I was very surprised when I found this thread. I am Georgian myself. The word "namus" is used in Georgian with the same meaning as in Pashto. A person with no conscience or honor is called "unamuso" (უნამუსო in Georgian).

[Nick]

Grozen is one of the most beautiful country with most welcoming people I love to visit one more time I spend about 8 days and it feels like 2 days. Its one of my wishes to visit this great peaceful loving people and to see their country again.

[retro]

Ossetic language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Ossetian language is Indo-Iranic and the Ossetians likely accultrated it from the Alans (a Sarmatian tribe related to the Scythians). However whilst Ossetic and Georgian men native Caucasians, many of the the women of the region are of Iranic decent.

Pashto's do seemingly have some Caucasian ancestry. However as one might expect; Caucasian peoples are a good deal closer to Middle Eastern and to a lesser degree Europeans than Central Asians.

[retro]

I was very surprised when I found this thread. I am Georgian myself. The word "namus" is used in Georgian with the same meaning as in Pashto. A person with no conscience or honor is called "unamuso" (უნამუსო in Georgian).

Whilst Indo-Iranic and Near Eastern silk road types mixed to some degree in Central Asia. As you might expect, Caucasian and Anatolian Indo-European peoples have far more ancient ties.

Caucasian peoples have very ancient ties via the Black Sea to Balkan and northern Anatolian peoples. Which is why Minoans and Etruscans (Anatolians) like most modern Georgian peoples had Haplogroup G.