Battle of Bolnisi explained

Conflict:Battle of Bolnisi
Partof:Jalal al-Din's invasions of Georgia
Date:1228
Place:Bolnisi, Kingdom of Georgia
Coordinates:41.45°N 76°W
Result:Khwarazmian victory
Map Relief:yes
Map Mark:Battle icon (crossed swords).svg
Map Marksize:16
Map Label:Battle of Bolnisi
Combatant2:Khwarazmian Empire
Commander1:Avag Zakarian
Commander2:Jalal al-Din Mangburni

The Battle of Bolnisi was fought in 1228 AD near Bolnisi, then part of the Kingdom of Georgia. The invading Khwarazmid Empire was led by Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, its last Sultan, who was driven from his realm by the Mongol Empire and was trying to recapture lost territories.

Background

Jalal ad-Din's first encounter with the Kingdom of Georgia occurred in 1225, when his army inflicted a crushing defeat on the Georgians at Garni, bringing about the end of Georgia's medieval heyday. Next year, Jalal ad-Din marched on to Tbilisi, forcing Queen Rusudan of Georgia and her court into flight. The Georgian forces, left in defense of the capital, put up a fierce resistance, but Jalal's forces eventually broke into the city with the assistance of local Muslims on 9 March 1226. The victorious Khwarazmian soldiers sacked Tbilisi and massacred its Christian population.[1]

When Jalal failed to capture Ahlat, The Georgians briefly recaptured Tbilisi, but on Jalal's return in 1227, the small garrison chose to put the city to the torch themselves. Although the queen Rusudan remained in Kutaisi.

Battle

Avag didn't give up and assembled an army composed of Georgians, Kipchaks, Alans and Vainakhs assembled 40,000 men. In 1228 he attacked the Khwarazmians at Bolnisi where Jalal ad-Din's forces were waiting.[2] Jalal ad-Din's army included Kipchak banners, consisting of 20,000 men in the Georgian ranks and appealed to them, 'lending a certain Qoshqar to them with a loaf of bread and salt to remind them of their 'former obligations' to his house.[3] The Kipchaks withdrew support from the Georgians. The battle ended with a Khwarezmid victory and is marked as a disastrous event in Georgian history due to betrayal.

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Machitadze, Archpriest Zakaria (2006), "The Hundred Thousands Martyrs of Tbilisi (†1227)", in The Lives of the Georgian Saints . pravoslavie.ru. Retrieved on 2011-11-13.
  2. Book: Rayfield, Donald. Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. Reaktion Books. 2012. 978-1780230306. London. 124. Donald Rayfield.
  3. Book: Nomads in the Sedentary World (Curzon in Association With Iias). Anatoly M. Khazanov, Andre Wink. 2001. Routledge. 9780700713691 . 51.