Queen Tamara: history of government. Icon, the temple of Queen Tamara

The enigmatic queen Tamara belongs to the unique women in world history who determined the further spiritual development of their people. After her reign, the best cultural values and architectural monuments remained. Fair, honest and wise, she established the firm political position of her country in Asia Minor, conquering territories that do not belong to present-day Georgia. The period of her reign has always remained in history under the name "The Golden Age". Georgia, at that time, owed its economic, cultural and political prosperity to its queen.

Inheritance

Some facts from the life of Tamara are still not fully disclosed. The years of her life are still disputed by historians, but the queen Tamara was supposedly born in 1166. The parents of the girl resembled a noble family: the mother was the daughter of the Alanian king, and the father belonged to the famous clan of the Bagration and was the ruling king at the time of the birth of the child.

When Tamara was ten years old, Georgia began unrest, aimed at overthrowing the power of her father George III. The rebellion was led by the son of one of the brothers George - Demetre and his father-in-law Orbeli, who at that time was the commander-in-chief of the troops of Georgia. When the insurrection was suppressed by the incumbent tsar, the need for a coronation ceremony became evident.

As the girl in the family grew up without brothers and sisters, George decided to leave the throne after his death to Tamara. It was against the Georgian traditions that the throne was occupied by the woman. From 1178, the daughter became the co-ruler of her father George III. Their first joint decision was the adoption of capital punishment for bandits, thieves, and the creation of a special group to search for them.

Six years after Tamara's entry into the political affairs of her state, the death of George III comes and the privileged society becomes the question of the re-coronation and expediency of the accession of the young person. In favor of the girl, the fact that the Georgian land was earlier chosen by the Apostolic lot of the Mother of God played and the woman - Saint Nina - was sent to spread Christianity on her . Thus, the faithful queen Tamara took the final throne.

The first state reforms

The reign of Queen Tamara began with the liberation of the church from taxes and dues. Talented people were elected to the posts of ministers and military commanders. One of the chroniclers noted that under her rule the farmers had grown to a privileged class, the nobles had become grandees, and the latter had turned into rulers.

Among close people, Tamara introduced Archbishop Anton Chkondidsky, who immediately granted the Samtavisskoy diocese and the city of Kisishevi. The position of supreme commander-in-chief went to one of the brothers of the well-known Armenian clan Mkhargrdzeli - Zachary. The younger brother Ivane headed the palace economy. The princes recognized Christianity, professed by the Armenian church, called the faith of Armenians, and worshiped Orthodoxy. Chroniclers note that Ivane later learned the curvature of the faith of the Armenians and yet accepted Christianity.

Diplomaticism distinguished the girl in resolving the issue of changing the state system of Georgia. Someone Kutlu-Arslan organized a group that demanded the creation of an independent body at the royal court. The elected persons of the contrived organization had to solve all state problems without attendance at the meetings of Tamara herself. The queen remained only an executive function. The arrest of Kutlu-Arslan agitated his followers, and then diplomatic negotiations with the conspirators subdued the last Tamara. The program for the restructuring of state affairs, headed by Kutlu-Arslan, failed.

God-pleasing affairs

The beginning of her career, Tamara noted the convening of the church cathedral. The same act during the years of her reign was marked by her grandfather David the Builder. The shrewd lady did this for the spiritual unification of the people. She gathered everyone who listens to the word of God: bishops, monks, clergymen, and invited from Jerusalem the wise Nikolai Gulaberidze, who, together with Archbishop Anthony, led the cathedral.

The Holy Quran Tamara, before the beginning of the cathedral, delivered a speech in which she urged everyone to live together and interpret the Bible. She in a monologue addressed to the holy fathers with a request to give a helping hand to all those who lost their way on the spiritual path. She asked for instructions from the rulers of the Holy Church, words and teachings, promising instead of a decree, a deed and a lesson.

Merciful to the poor, generous, heavenly patron of the temple-makers, Georgia, warriors, charity - such was the queen Tamara. The icon with the face of the girl still helps the worshipers in protecting the family, at home from adversity, in disbelief, in healing physical and spiritual ailments.

The church council was marked by the choice of the groom. So, the courtiers turned to the fathers for advice, where to look for the spouse Tamara. Mentors recommended to go to the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality, that in Russia.

Marriage

Not only sincere, but also physical beauty was given to Queen Tamara. The girl's photo, of course, is not, but the memories of contemporaries point to her correctly folded body, a shy look, pink cheeks and dark eyes.

When the question of the need for the emergence of an heir and commander became apparent, the applicant was immediately chosen to be her husband. I could not resist the beauty of the young girl Russian prince Yuri Andreevich. He was from the noble family of Bogolyubsky, honored Orthodoxy and externally was a very attractive young man. After coming to Tbilisi to see the future wife, he decided to immediately play a wedding. However, the prudent Tamara was against such a hurry. The courtiers and bishops dissuaded the queen from the evil thoughts and the marriage took place. Under the leadership of Yuri, although there were victorious battles of Georgia, but after experiencing two years of mental suffering, the girl decided to divorce. The former husband of Queen Tamara was sent to Constantinople with some of the wealth acquired. He then once again appeared in the life of the girl when Yuri came to Georgia with the Greek army in order to return the lost throne, but, like the previous time, was defeated, and then disappeared without a trace.

Brought up in the concepts of the Gospel, the queen experienced a difficult divorce. And the idea of a new marriage, which was demanded by her status, was generally unacceptable.

Happy marriage

Natural beauty and charm possessed the queen Tamara (historical photo-notes - to that acknowledgment), therefore many princes wished to occupy the vacant place of the husband next to the extraordinary woman. And only Ossetian Tsar Soslan-David was lucky to become the second husband of Tamara. The courtiers nominated his candidacy for husbands not by accident, he was brought up by Rudusan, who was the Queen's own aunt. Historians also hypothesized that the dynastic marriage was a strategic move by the Georgian nobility. At that time, the state needed allies, and the Ossetian kingdom was marked by a powerful military potential. That is why the privileged sections of society immediately took a decision and recognized Soslan-David as co-regent of Georgia.

Their alliance not only brought people together, but also made the state powerful and prosperous. They were in control of the country. For which God sent them a child. When the people learned that Queen Tamara and David Soslan were waiting for the first-born, everyone began to pray for the birth of the boy. So it happened, they had a son who looked like his grandfather. And the name was given to him the same - George. A year later a Rusudan girl appeared in the royal family.

The fight against Islam: The battle of Shamkhor

The political course of the lady was directed to fight against Muslim countries, which was supported by the predecessors of the throne: George III and David the Renewer. Twice Islamic states of the Middle East tried to conquer Georgian lands, and both times the soldiers of these countries suffered defeat.

The first offensive campaign was organized by the Baghdad caliph, in whose hands the religious and royal power of all Muslims was concentrated. He subsidized a coalition organization directed against a growing Christian state. The troops were headed by the Atabag Abubekr, and their concentration was so quiet that only when the Muslims took their positions in Southern Azerbaijan did Queen Tamara learn about the offensive.

The forces of Georgia were inferior in strength to the enemy. But faith in God and the power of prayer saved this people. When the Georgian troops moved forward towards the army of Abubekr, the queen and the inhabitants did not stop the prayer service. The order of the ruler consisted in committing continuous litanies, confessing sins and demanding the rich to give alms to beggars. The Lord also prayed and in the Shamkhor battle of 1195 the Georgians won.

As a trophy, David brought his banner to the wife of the Caliphate, which the lady transferred to the monastery for the icon of the Khakulian Mother of God.

The Battle of Basiani

With the victory in Shamkhor the authority of the country on the world arena grew. One Sultan Ruknadin from Asia Minor could not recognize the power of Georgia. And he had plans to take revenge on the Georgian people for the defeat of the Turkish troops, which they won under David the Builder.

Ruknadin sent an insulting letter to the queen demanding that Tamara change the Christian faith in Islam. An angry lady immediately gathered the army and, trusting in the help of God, accompanied him to the monastery complex of Vardzia, where she knelt her knee before the icon of the Mother of God and began to pray for her army.

Experienced in military battles rumsky Sultan, could not believe that the Georgian queen Tamara will begin the offensive. After all, the number of military Muslims even this time exceeded the Georgian army. The victory again went to the commander and Tamara's husband - Soslan-David. Enough of one battle to defeat the Turkish army.

The victory at Basiani helped to implement the strategic plans of the royal court to create a new state, neighboring in the West with Georgia. Thus, the Trebizond kingdom was created with the Christian faith. In the 13th century, the subjects of Georgia were practically all the states of the North Caucasus.

Culture during the reign of the queen

The country's stable economic condition has become the backbone for the development of culture. The name of Queen Tamara is associated with the Golden Age of Georgia. She was the patroness of literature and writing. The cultural and educational centers were monasteries: Iversky, Petritsonsky, on the Black Mountain and others. They conducted translation and literary and philosophical work. In Georgia, at that time, there were the Ikalta and Gelati academies, after which, people owned Arabic, Persian language, knowledge of ancient philosophy.

The poem "The Knight in the Panther's Skin", referring to the legacy of world literature, was written during the reign of Tamara and is dedicated to her. Shota Rustaveli conveyed the life of the Georgian people in his creation. The legend begins that the king lived, who did not have a son-heir, and, feeling the approach of the end of his days, he elevates the throne to the throne. That is, a situation, one-on-one repeating events of the time when the throne was transferred to Tamara.

The queen founded the Vardzi cave monastery, which has survived to this day, as well as the Nativity-Boghorodnicny monastery.

Successful military offensives, tribute from the conquered countries helped to replenish the budget of Georgia, which was aimed at the erection of monuments of architecture and the development of Christianity.

Vardzia

Churches, residential cells, chapels, baths, refectory rooms - all these rooms are carved in the rock and constitute a monastic complex in the south of Georgia called Vardzia, or the Temple of Queen Tamara. The construction of the cave complex was begun under the reign of George III. The monastery was assigned a defensive purpose from the Iranians and Turks.

The premises of the fortress have a depth of 50 meters and height in the eight-story house. To date, secret passages, remains of irrigation system and water supply have been preserved.

In the center of the cave there is a church under the tsarina in the name of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Its walls are decorated with picturesque murals, among which there are images of Tamara and her father. The frescoes of the Ascension of the Lord, Jesus Christ and the Mother of God are of historical and artistic value.

The earthquake, the capture of the complex by the Persians, the Turks, the Soviet era left a mark on the existence of the monastery. Now it is more a museum, although in it some monks conduct their ascetic life.

Queen Tamara: the story of the last years of life

Chronicles date the death of Soslan-David in 1206 year. Then the queen thought about the transfer of the throne to her son and made George his co-ruler. She lived under the laws of God, she felt the approaching death. Queen Tamara died of an unknown disease. Last years she spent in Vardzia. The date of death remains an unsolved mystery, but presumably it is 1212-1213.

Where the lady is buried is unknown. In the chronicle the Gelatsky monastery is indicated as the place where the body of the queen rests in the family crypt. According to other legends, Tamara, feeling the discontent of the Muslims, who can desecrate the tomb, asked for a secret burial. There is a suggestion that the body rests in the Crusade Monastery (Palestine). It turns out that the Lord heard her desire, hiding the holy relics.

In the Orthodox Church, Queen Tamara is classified as a saint. Memorial Day for the new style falls on May 14.

There is a belief that when suffering, grief in the world grows, it resurrects and comes to the aid of people for their consolation.

Faith in God, wisdom, modesty - those features on which Tamara created the economic and political system of Georgia. Her course of development was based on philanthropy, equality and non-violence. None of the death penalty was carried out during her reign. The tenth part of state revenues Tamara gave to the poor. Her help was given to Orthodox countries, temples and monasteries.

She said the last words to God, in which she entrusted Georgia, the people, her children and herself to Christ.