Bagrat V of Georgia

Bagrat V, “the Great” (Georgian: ბაგრატ V დიდი, "Bagrat V Didi") (died 1393) was the son of the Georgian king Davit IX with whom he was co-ruler from 1355, and became king after the death of his father in 1360.

A fair and popular ruler, also known as a perfect soldier, he was dubbed as “Bagrat the Great” by his multiethnic subjects. The Trapezuntine chronicler Michael Panaretos, who knew the king personally, calls him a “prominent and victorious general”.

Early in his reign, the country was visited again by the Black Death which took the life of Bagrat’s first wife, Helena in 1366. Later he was an ally of the khan of Golden Horde, Tokhtamysh in his war with Timur (also known as Tamerlane). In late autumn 1386, a huge army of Timur attacked Georgia. Tbilisi was besieged and taken on November 22 1386 after a fierce fight. The city was pillaged and Bagrat V and his family were imprisoned. Taking advantage of this disaster, the royal vassal Duke Alexander of Imereti proclaimed himself an independent ruler and was crowned king of Imereti at the Gelati Monastery in 1387.

In order to secure his release, Bagrat V agreed to become Muslim. Timur agreed to free Bagrat and sent him with the troops of 20,000 Mongols back to Georgia. However, with the secret aid from Bagrat, his son George completely destroyed a Mongol army and released the king. In the spring of 1387, Timur again invaded Georgia but could not force Georgians to submission. News from Persia (that had started revolt during the absence of Timur) and, more importantly from Azerbaijan (approach of Tokhtamish) forced Timur to leave the country. In 1389, on the death of Alexander of Imereti, Bagrat was able to reduce his successor to a vassal duke again.

Bagrat V died in 1393 leaving the throne to his son George.

Family and children

Bagrat V was married to Helena, daughter of the emperor Basil of Trebizond. She died of plague in 1366 leaving the two sons behind, George VII and David. In June 1367, he married Anna Megale Comnena, daughter of the emperor Alexius III of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene. She gave birth in ca 1386 to a son, Constantine I.