Bagrat IV of Georgia
Bagrat IV (* 1018, † 1072 ) was from 1027 to 1072 King of Georgia; he is a son Giorgis I.
Life
The nine- year-old Bagrat was initially under regency of his mother Mariam Artsruni, an Armenian princess, who initiated a policy of reconciliation with Byzantium. 1029 first visited the Georgian Catholicos - Patriarch Melchizedek I. Konstantin Opel and then the Georgian regent. A wedding between Bagrat and the Emperor 's niece Elena was arranged.
1032 the bride was brought to Kutaisi, but her early death ended the brief rapprochement between Georgia and Byzantium. She suffered another deep split, as Bagrat half brother Demetre Giorgischwili who laid claim to the Georgian throne, the fortress Anakopia gave the Byzantines and fled to Constantinople Opel. Bagrat now ignored more Byzantine marriage projects by taking to wife the Ossetenprinzessin Borena.
After 1034 Bagrat took with his barons on an expansionist policy. First, the Emirate of ganja was defeated in 1035 and succeeded to the Georgians, Jafar, caught to take the Emir of Tbilisi. Four years later, Tbilisi was besieged and after a further three years, the city was ready to surrender. Relevant success it had Liparit Orbeliani, one of the most powerful feudal lords of Bagrat. Fearing that this might be too powerful, the King and Jafar made peace. This Bagrat IV is made Liparit to his mortal enemy. Over twenty years took the feud between the two and weakened the kingdom from Seldschukeninvasion.
To make matters worse set the Byzantines nor territorial claims on both Georgian and Armenian territories on. In 1045 they noticed the Armenian capital of Ani in the hands of one of the largest medieval cities with over 100,000 inhabitants. The reign of the Byzantines in Ani ended after three years of occupation by the Seljuks. In 1048, Bagrat succeeded Tbilisi to conquer.
In order to forge an alliance with the Byzantines against the Seljuks, dwelt the king 1054/57 in Constantinople Opel. This use of Liparit Orbeliani and crowned Bagrat minor son, Giorgi ( II ), with the consent of the Queen Mother to the ruler of Georgia. Bagrat was able again to occupy Ani, but in 1064 the city fell again to the Seljuks. 1071 the Byzantine Emperor Romanus IV was defeated at the Battle of Manzikert of them. Now the way was open to Georgia.