Vakhtang I Gorgasali
Saint King Vakhtang I Gorgasali (
440 –
502) was the
Georgian king (
mepe) of
Kartli (
Iberia) in
452–
502 who led a lengthy anti-Persian liberation war and founded
Tbilisi,
Georgia's modern capital city.
He was a son of Mihrdat V, King of
Kartli and Queen Sagduht of
Ran.
Vakhtang was called Gorgasali (Georgian transliteration for Persian
Gorgaslan,
Gurgaslan,or
Gorgasar: "Wolf headed") by the Persians because of the shape of the helmet he wore.
Married to a Persian princess, he guarded the northern passes through
Kartli, subdued the
Alans (
Ossetes) and participated in
Persian campaigns against
Byzantium between
455 and
458 and in
India, probably in Shah
Peroz's wars against the
Hephthalites in
474-
476. Vakhtang resented Persian encroachments on his independence and reinforced his position by supporting autocephalous status for the
Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church and by establishing his dominance over Byzantium-held western Georgian countries of
Egrisi (
Lazica) and
Abkhazia, fortified Kartlian fortresses, made an alliance with
Armenians and began preparations for a major anti-Persian uprising.
In 482, he ordered to kill
Varsken,
Iran's most faithful vassal and pitiaxsh (vitaxa â€" viceroy) of one of the Kartlian provinces, who had martyred his wife
Shushanik in
475. Vakhtang married Princess Helena of Byzantium and sought Emperor
Justinian's help, but in vain. The Georgian-Armenian rebellion of
482 was defeated and the country was ravaged by
Persian punitive expeditions in
483 and
484. After a short exile in
Lazica, he made peace with Persia and returned to
Kartli in
485. However, Vakhtang refused to join a new Persian campaign against
Byzantium and Shah
Kavad attacked Kartli in
502. The Georgians fought bravely and defended their borders in a four-day battle, despite being three-fold outnumbered. On the last day of the bloody battle, Vakhtang was fatally wounded. According to the legend, one of the King's slaves betrayed him and shot him through an armpit defect of his armour.
Vakhtang's bodyguards took him in his fortified residence of Ujarma, where he died in a few days and was buried in
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
King Vakhtang Gorgasali has become a national hero of the
Georgian people. Numerous legends and folk songs have been created in honor to him. For many centuries, Georgia's flag has been known as "Gorgasliani" after his name.
The Order of Vakhtang Gorgasali is one of the highest decorations awarded by
Georgia.
The legend concerning the creation of
Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, has been told for centuries and is still alive:
"King Vakhtang Gorgasali was hunting in the forest. His
falcon chased a
pheasant. The bird fell into a hot water spring and the king and his servants saw the steam come out of the water. Surprised by the abundance of hot water, Vakhtang gave orders to build a city on this site and named it Tphilisi (Tbilisi; In Georgian "the site of warm springs")."
*
List of Georgians*
List of Georgian Kings*
History of Georgia* http://www.iranica.com/articles/v10f5/v10f504b.html
* http://www.parliament.ge/GENERAL/HISTORY/his2.html
