DAVID IV AGHMASHENEBELI AND KINGDOM OF KAKHETIHERETI

Abstract

One of the key issues of David IV Aghmashenebeli’s (“Restorer”, or sometimes translated as “Builder”) reign is his relationship with the ruling elite of Kakheti-Hereti Kingdom. The Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti was located to the east of the Kingdom of Georgia and represented second largest Georgian state, which claimed to be the leader in the Georgian World. David the Restorer’s goal was to prevent future risks from the Kakheti-Hereti Kingdom and to turn this kingdom into a constituent part of the Kingdom of Georgia.
The above-mentioned issue is significant, since David's policy in relation to the Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti raises many questions. The fact that the presence of two Georgian kingdoms in the Georgian World would sooner or later put the necessity of their unification on the agenda is indisputable. Such was the reality in the 11th century, including at the beginning of David's reign. It is well known that David was able to capture Kakheti-Hereti; But, what was the legitimacy for this action? How did the Georgian political elite perceive David's actions, as unification or conquest? What were the reasons behind successful and stable unification or conquest of Kakheti-Hereti, which as we know ensured the strong union of Kakheti-Hereti within the borders of united Georgia during the rule of David and afterwards? – These and other issues will be discussed in our article.
The study of David's policy in relation to the Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti should be implemented on the basis of a complex analysis, hence contemporary narrative sources, numismatic and epigraphic materials will be considered. The obtained conclusions are based on David the Restorer’s work, observing the views of his contemporaries and grounded on our survey of political processes.
The legitimacy of David’s action against Kakheti-Hereti Kingdom was deeply rooted in the policy of his ancestor, Bagrat III, who conquered Kakheti-Hereti Kingdom for a short period of time. As we assume, David had another reason for the conquest, his mother most probably was a daughter of king of Kakheti-Hereti Kingdom. Despite the fact that many contemporaries considered David’s actions as a conquest, the seizure of Kakheti-Hereti Kingdom was beneficial for the local population as they found strong protector against aggressive Muslim neighbors.