View source for Battle of Chikhori

{{Short description|1463 battle}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Chikhori
| partof            = [[Georgian civil war of 1463–1491]]
| place             = near the fortress Chikhori, [[Argveti]]
| date              = August, 1463
| result            = [[Kingdom of Imereti|Imeretian]] victory
| map_type          = Georgia (country)
| map_relief        = yes
| map_caption       = Location of Chikhori in modern Georgia with present-day administrative borders.
| map_mark          = Battle icon (crossed swords).svg
| map_marksize      = 16
| map_label         = Battle of Chikhori
| combatant1        = [[Kingdom of Imereti]]
| combatant2        = [[Kingdom of Georgia]]
| commander1        = [[Bagrat VI of Georgia|Bagrat II of Imereti]]
| commander2        = [[George VIII of Georgia|George VIII]]
| strength1         = 
| strength2         = 
}}
{{Campaignbox Georgian civil war of 1463–1491}}
The '''Battle of Chikhori''' was fought between the armies of King [[George VIII of Georgia]] and the rebellious nobles led by a royal kinsman [[Bagrat VI of Georgia|Bagrat]] in 1463. It took place near the fortress Chikhori in the district of [[Argveti]] in western [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], and ended in the king's decisive defeat.
==History==
[[Unification of the Georgian realm|Unity within the Georgian states]] disappears after the failure of George VIII's diplomatic mission. [[Qvarqvare II Jaqeli]] formally remains the king's subject and partner, but begins to encourage Duke [[Bagrat VI of Georgia|Bagrat]] of [[Duchy of Samokalako|Samokalako]] to revolt against [[George VIII of Georgia|George VIII]].{{Sfn|Brosset|1858|pp=207–208}} The latter is himself heir to the [[Bagrationi dynasty]] of [[Kingdom of Western Georgia|Western Georgia]], the eldest branch of the royal family whose last sovereign, [[Constantine II of Imereti]], was overthrown by [[George VII of Georgia|George VII]] in 1401, and began to claim the throne of his ancestors.{{Sfn|Salia|1980|p=265}} The latter being the uncle of George VIII, the nobility of [[Imereti]] did not suspect Bagrat of separatism,{{Sfn|Brosset|1858|pp=249–250}} but the latter was soon encouraged by the powerful of western [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].

In addition to [[Samtskhe-Saatabago]], Bagrat allied himself with [[Liparit I Dadiani]], [[Mamia Gurieli]] and the princes of [[Principality of Abkhazia|Abkhazia]]{{Sfn|Asatiani|2008|p=121}} and [[Principality of Svaneti|Svaneti]],{{Sfn|Brosset|1849|p=646}} to whom he promised to free them from all central imposition.{{Sfn|Rayfield|2012|p=160}} Together, the rebels captured numerous fortresses across [[Imereti]] in 1462,{{Sfn|Brosset|1858|pp=249–250}} after which [[George VIII of Georgia|George VIII]] abolished the [[Duchy of Samokalako]] and decided to intervene.{{Sfn|Salia|1980|p=265}} In 1463, the king crossed the [[Likhi Range|Likhi range]] and requested military aid from [[Samtskhe-Saatabago|Samtskhe]], of whose loyalty he was convinced.{{Sfn|Brosset|1858|p=208}} [[Qvarqvare II Jaqeli|Qvarqvare II]] landed in Imereti with his troops but camped far from the conflict zone, waiting to see the winner.{{Sfn|Brosset|1858|p=208}} This reaction is widely seen as direct aid to the separatists.{{Sfn|Brosset|1858|p=250}}

[[George VIII of Georgia|George VIII]] and [[Bagrat VI of Georgia|Bagrat]] clashed at Chikhori, during which the rebels inflicted a decisive defeat on the forces of the central government.{{Sfn|Rayfield|2012|p=160}} King George retreated towards [[Kartli]]{{Sfn|Brosset|1858|p=250}} and severely punished the nobility whom he did not consider faithful enough.{{Sfn|Asatiani|Janelidze|2009|p=121}} Bagrat captured [[Kutaisi]],{{Sfn|Brosset|1849|p=646}} the largest city in western [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], and is crowned [[Kingdom of Imereti|king of Imereti]] as Bagrat II{{Sfn|Brosset|1858|p=250}} in front of the great nobility of [[Principality of Mingrelia|Mingrelia]], [[Principality of Guria|Guria]], [[Principality of Abkhazia|Abkhazia]], [[Samtskhe-Saatabago|Samtskhe]] and [[Principality of Svaneti|Svaneti]], but its power remains weak, including within its capital.{{Sfn|Salia|1980|p=266}} The Battle of Chikhori signals the beginning of the [[Collapse of the Georgian realm|fall of the Kingdom of Georgia]]: the [[Lists of Georgian monarchs|Georgian kings]] will never again control the whole of Georgia.

Bagrat created a [[Saeristavo|principality]] for each of his allies:<ref name="Suny">[[Ronald Grigor Suny|Suny, Ronald Grigor]] (1994), ''The Making of the Georgian Nation: 2nd edition''. [[Indiana University Press]], {{ISBN|0-253-20915-3}}</ref><ref>[[Toumanoff, Cyril]] (1949–51). The Fifteenth-Century Bagratids and the Institution of Collegial Sovereignty in Georgia. ''Traditio'' 7: 192.</ref>

*[[Principality of Svaneti]] for the [[House of Gelovani]];
*[[Principality of Abkhazia]] for the [[House of Sharvashidze|Sharvashidze]];
*[[Principality of Mingrelia]] for the [[House of Dadiani|Dadiani]];
*[[Principality of Guria]] for the [[House of Vardanisdze|Vardanidze]]-[[House of Gurieli|Gurieli]].

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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== Bibliography ==

* {{Cite book |last1=Asatiani |first1=Nodar |title=History of Georgia |last2=Janelidze |first2=Otar |publisher=Publishing House Petite |year=2009 |isbn=978-9941-9063-6-7 |location=Tbilisi}}
* {{Cite book |last=Brosset |first=Marie-Félicité |url={{GBurl|hc1CAAAAcAAJ}} |title=Histoire de la Géorgie depuis l'Antiquité jusqu'au XIXe siècle. Volume I |publisher=Imperial Academy of Sciences |year=1849 |location=Saint-Petersburg |language=fr |trans-title=History of Georgia from Ancient Times to the 19th Century, Volume 1}}
* {{cite book |last=Brosset |first=Marie-Félicité |title=Histoire moderne de la Géorgie |date=1858 |publisher=Imprimerie de l'Académie impériale des sciences |location=Saint-Pétersbourg}}<!-- auto-translated from French by Module:CS1 translator -->
* {{Cite book |title=Edge of Empires, a History of Georgia |last=Rayfield |first=Donald |publisher=Reaktion Books |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-78023-070-2 |location=London}}
* {{Cite book |last=Salia |first=Kalistrat |title=Histoire de la nation géorgienne |publisher=Nino Salia |year=1980 |location=Paris |language=fr |trans-title=History of the Georgian nation}}
* {{Cite book |title=Საქართველოს ისტორია II |last=Asatiani |first=Nodar |publisher=Tbilisi University Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-9941-13-004-5 |location=Tbilisi |language=ka |trans-title=History of Georgia, Volume 2}}

[[Category:Battles involving the Kingdom of Georgia|Chikhori]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1463|Chikhori]]
[[Category:1463 in Asia]]
[[Category:1463 in Europe]]
[[Category:15th century in the Kingdom of Georgia]]
[[Category:1460s in the Middle East]]