ქართული და ბიზანტიური ტიტულატურის ურთიერთმიმართება ბაგრატიონთა საგვარეულოში IX-X საუკუნეებში
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Date
2016
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Abstract
The representatives of the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti
had Georgian as well as Byzantine titles. Conferring titles upon Georgian kings
was the prerogative of Byzantine emperors.
At the end of the 9th century, the royal dynasty of Tao-Klarjeti created
their own titles of nobility that started to exist in parallel to those of Byzantine.
These titles were as follows: King of Georgians, Eristavt-eristavi (duke of
dukes), and Eristavi. The existed title ”Mampali” (Georgian: mamfali, i.e. a dynastic
title usually held by high-ranking Bagratid princes who did not possess any
Byzantine dignities) was abolished. As for the title ”King” (Georgian: mefe), we
agree with the opinion that it was a general honorary title. In the end of the 10th
century, another honorary title ”King of Kings” was introduced but it had only a
symbolic meaning. As it has already been mentioned, three main titles of nobility
in those days were as follows: King of Georgians, Eristavt-eristavi and Eristavi.
Byzantine emperors could not confer Georgian titles upon Georgian kings
– only the royal dynasty of Bagrations was entitled to make decisions regarding
this issue. However, it is unknown whose prerogative this was and precisely
how these titles were conferred. In our opinion, the decision on the bestowal of
the title of King of Georgians upon the future ruler was made collectively. It
cannot also be ruled out that the heir intended to get the title was named in the
will of the former King of Georgians. And afterwards the King of Georgians
distributed the titles of Eristavi and Eristavt-eristavi in the country. It is
unknown how they chose the future King of Georgians. However, by bestowing
this title upon him, they recognized his supremacy. It is presumable that before
making the decision on bestowing this title upon candidates they took their
personal features and the existed political situation into account. It is interesting
to know whether Byzantium recognized Georgian titles of nobility. Presumably the powers that were in Byzantium did not recognize
Georgian titles since the empire pursued its own goals and showed its attitude to
Georgian Kings by bestowing their own titles upon them.
It would also be interesting to learn whether any kind of official
similarities or connections existed between the Georgian and Byzantine titles.
In the third generation of Ashot Bagrationi’s descendants (precisely under
his rule, the nobility introduced their own titles in the region), the only holder of
both, Georgian and Byzantine titles is Adarnase IV of Iberia, the only son of
David I, the prince of Iberia with the Byzantine title of Kouropalates. Hence,
this is the case when both, Georgian and Byzantium, recognize supremacy of
the same person.
The situation changes when Adarnase’s sons come to the throne. His eldest
son becomes the King of Georgians, however, the Byzantines give him the
title of Magistros, and his brother Ashot became Kouropalates despite him not
having the title of the King of Georgians. As regards their successors, Bagrat
and Sumbat, the former held title of the King of Georgians, whereas the latter
had only Georgian title of Eristavt-eristavi, however, the Byzantine emperor
granted him the titles of Anthypatos and Patrikios, as well as Kourapalates.
The deterioration of the political relations between the two countries has
its effect on the distribution of titles. In the first and second half of the X century,
when the Byzantine nobility and some representatives of the Bagrations
confronted each other, the holders of the title of Kouropalates did not hold the
title of the King of Georgians in our country and vice versa.
The situation remained unchanged in the successive generation in this
regard – Bagrat II was the King of Georgians, but he did not hold Byzantine
titles; likewise, his brother Adarnase, the son of Sumbat, and his cousin Adarnase,
the son of Bagrat, held the titles of Kouropalates, however, neither of them
held the title of the King of Georgians. It is also worth taking into account that
Sumbat, father of Bagrat II, was not the King of Georgians; he held the title of
Kourapalates, however. The situation is totally different with regard to Adarnase,
son of Bagrat – his father was the King of Georgians, but he did not hold the
title of Kourapalates. David III is the only ruler who is both the King of Georgians
and Kourapalates, and these titles are inherited by Bagrat III later. From our
viewpoint, Georgian and Byzantine titles existed separately, in parallel to one
another and did not have any kind of connections or official similarities; moreover,
in the light of the political situation, Georgian titles of nobility opposed to
those of Byzantine.
Description
https://geohistory.humanities.tsu.ge/ge/procedings/83-shromebi/168-shromebi-shota-meskhia-100.html
Keywords
ბიზანტია, კურაპალატი, ბაგრატ III
Citation
ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტის საქართველოს ისტორიის ინსტიტუტის შრომები, სპეციალური გამოშვება შოთა მესხია - 100, თბილისი, 2016, გვ. 208-226 / Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Institute of Georgian History Proceedings, Special Issue Shota Meskhia - 100, Tbilisi, 2016, pp. 208-226