Abstract:
According to the Georgian historiography, co-regnancy (“tanamosakdreoba”) differs
from co-rule (“tanamephoba”), or diarchy.
In 1085, during the reign of Giorgi II , David is named as king and sebastos. King of
the kings Giorgi II was in charge of the kingdom, but, together with him, his young son
(David was 12 years old) also had certain privileges for the control of state affairs. It is also
noteworthy that hierarchy between father and son was strictly defined – Giorgi is caesaros
while David had a title of sebastos which was lower. The first mention of David occurs in
the royal charter of Giorgi II donated to Mghvime monastery. But, here prince David was a
baby and he was named as kuropalates. The assumption that David was crowned as junior
king (co-regnancy) of Giorgi II in 1083 – when Giorgi left for the negotiation at the royal
court of Malik-Shah seems to be reasonable. That was not the precedent for the royal court
of Georgia, because some decades ago, Giorgi II had been crowned as junior king by Bagrat
IV before the latter left for Byzantium.
According to David the Restorer’s historian, in 1089 Giorgi II crowned his son “with
the crown of kingship”. Thus we assume that David, who had been junior king to his father,
in 1089 was crowned as co-ruler. We also think that the inauguration was held in
accordance with the same rules as it was customary for the coronation of the kings of
Georgia, but with the single exception only. As far as the king-father was alive, his
participation was necessary during the ceremonial. That is why David was crowned not by
catalicos, but personally by Giorgi II.
