Her Dad Fought Hard To Make Her A Queen, And In 1178 She Ascended The Throne, Even Though Her Country Wasn’t Welcoming Of A Female Ruler
While learning about a queen who reigned in the country of Georgia thousands of years ago may not sound like something you’re chomping at the bit to do, the story of the country’s first queen, Queen Tamar, is quite interesting and worth learning about.
Queen Tamar is considered one of Georgia’s most iconic monarchs and left behind quite a legacy.
Tamar was the daughter of George III, the King of Georgia, a country found at the intersection of Europe and Asia.
She was born in 1160, and her father fought hard to make her his co-ruler. In 1178, she became a co-monarch, and her father wanted her to be seen as a legitimate heir despite her gender.
Tamar co-ruled alongside his father until he died in 1184, and she became the sole ruler of Georgia. Unfortunately, her country wasn’t very welcoming to her new title, as the nation had never had a female ruler before, and they doubted her ability to lead as a young woman.
At one point, her nobility tried to demand that they be granted the power to enact laws and select government ministers. So, Tamar showed her power by fighting against those demands and getting them to back down.
Tamar also found herself in more controversy when her nobles began demanding that she marry someone of their choosing.
They were focused on having her marry someone who would be a worthy successor to her throne and act as a leader in the nation’s army.
Tamar was pressured into marrying known warrior Yuri, the son of Prince Andrei Bogoliubsky of Vladimir-Suzdal.
However, Yuri did not take their marriage very seriously, and the couple did not get along. It’s been said that Yuri cheated on Tamar and had a violent temper, bullying her for not being able to bear a son and heir to the throne.
LN – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Eventually, Tamar found the strength to get out of her toxic marriage and divorced Yuri around three years later.
She sent Yuri to Constantinople and later chose her second husband, Prince David Soslan, a military man and a much better husband. The couple had two children together.
After finding herself in a happier family situation, Tamar gained more power as queen. She set out on conquests, and her kingdom extended.
Alongside David, Tamar led the Georgians to take parts of Armenia, Shirvan, and Azerbaijan. Under Tamar’s rule, Georgia hit its peak of power.
During her conquests, Yuri, Tamar’s ex-husband, attempted to dethrone her twice. He failed each time.
Queen Tamar is considered to be one of Georgia’s most powerful medieval leaders, as her actions and conquests led them to the height of power.
Tamar passed away due to illness in 1213, and her son, George IV, succeeded the throne. The Georgian Orthodox Church declared her a saint after her passing.
Even though there is no certainty that she ever fought in battles, Tamar is often portrayed as a warrior queen for her strength, determination, and passion for her country.
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