Battle of Murjakheti

{{Short description|Battle in Georgia}}

{{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Battle of Murjakheti | place = Murjakheti, near [[Akhalkalaki]], [[Samtskhe-Saatabago]] | partof = | date = 12 August 1535 | result = [[Kingdom of Imereti|Imeretian]] victory | territory = Annexion of [[Samtskhe-Saatabago]] | combatant1 = [[File:Kingdom of Imereti coat of arms.svg|20px]] [[Kingdom of Imereti]]<br>{{flagicon image|Geo odishi.PNG}} [[Principality of Mingrelia]]<br>[[File:Banner of Guria.svg|20px|link=|alt=]] [[Principality of Guria]] | combatant2 = {{flagicon|Principality of Samtskhe}} [[Samtskhe-Saatabago]] | commander1 = [[File:Kingdom of Imereti coat of arms.svg|20px]] [[Bagrat III of Imereti|Bagrat III]]<br>[[File:Banner of Guria.svg|20px|link=|alt=]] [[Rostom Gurieli]] | commander2 = {{Flagicon|Principality of Samtskhe}} [[Qvarqvare III Jaqeli|Qvarqvare III]]{{POW}} }}

The '''Battle of Murjakheti''' was fought between the armies of the [[Kingdom of Imereti]] and the [[Samtskhe-Saatabago]] at the place of Murjakheti near [[Akhalkalaki]], on 12 August 1535.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lortkiphanidze |first=Mariam |title=History of Georgia in four volumes, volume III (2012) - p.161 |date=2012 |publisher=Magti koms |isbn=9789941194078 |url=https://dspace.nplg.gov.ge/handle/1234/71580}}</ref>

== Background == During [[Qvarqvare III Jaqeli|Qvarqvare III's]] reign [[Safavid Iran|Persian]] influence on [[Samtskhe-Saatabago|Samtskhe]] was growing day by day. Because of that [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] greatly damaged the country and especially it's southwestern region. [[Meskhetians|Meskhetian]] lords had recognized that under Qvarqvare's rule Samtskhe would finally turn to the Enemy's hands. They made an alliance with the Georgian kings, [[Bagrat III of Imereti]] and [[Luarsab I of Kartli]] to end up [[House of Jaqeli|Jaqelian rule]] and protect Samtskhe from dominant Muslim empires ([[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] and [[Safavid Iran|Safavids]]).<ref>{{Cite book |title=Georgian Soviet encyclopedia |year=1986 |volume=10 |location=Tbilisi |pages=638}}</ref>

== Battle == In 1535 King [[Bagrat III of Imereti|Bagrat III]] with help of prince [[Rostom Gurieli]] and [[Principality of Mingrelia|Mingrelian]] allies invaded [[Samtskhe-Saatabago|Samtskhe]]. He defeated and captured [[Qvarqvare III Jaqeli|Qvarqvare III]], the [[atabeg]] was captured by Gurieli's cup-bearer Isak Artumeladze, and eventually delivered to Bagrat. Georgians had annexed Samtskhe-Saatabago. Qvarqvare died in prison, while Rostom of Guria was awarded [[Adjara]] and [[Lazistan|Lazeti]].{{Sfn|Rayfield|2012|p=167}}

== Aftermath == [[File:Kingdom of Imereti 1535-1545.svg|right|thumb|225x225px|Map of [[Kingdom of Imereti]] after the Battle of Murjakheti.]] A few years later, [[Qvarqvare III Jaqeli|Qvarqvare's]] survived youngest son [[Kaikhosro II Jaqeli|Kaikhosro II]] requested [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] to expel [[Kingdom of Imereti|Imeretian]] and [[Kingdom of Kartli|Kartlian]] forces from [[Samtskhe-Saatabago|Samtskhe]]. The Ottomans retaliated with a major invasion: [[Bagrat III of Imereti|Bagrat]] and [[Rostom Gurieli|Rostom]] were victorious at the [[Battle of Karagak]] in 1543, but decisively defeated, in 1545, at the [[Battle of Sokhoista]], where Rostom's son Kaikhosro was killed.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bagrationi|first=Vakhushti|script-title=ru:История Царства Грузинского|trans-title=History of the Kingdom of Georgia|year=1976|publisher=Metsniereba|location=Tbilisi|pages=133–135|url=https://dspace.nplg.gov.ge/bitstream/1234/3067/1/Istoria_Carstva_Gruzinskogo.pdf|authorlink=Prince Vakhushti of Kartli|editor=Nakashidze, N.T.|language=ru}}</ref>{{Sfn|Rayfield|2012|pp=168-170}} And Samtskhe became vassal of the Ottoman Empire.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Georgian Soviet encyclopedia |year=1986 |volume=10 |location=Tbilisi |pages=658}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Sources== * {{Cite book|author-link=Donald Rayfield |title=Edge of Empires, a History of Georgia |last=Rayfield |first=Donald |publisher=Reaktion Books |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-78023-070-2 |location=London}}

[[Category:Battles involving Georgia (country)]] [[Category:Conflicts in 1535]]