Principality of Iberia (Eastern Roman Client)

This article is about the specific polity Principality of Iberia (Eastern Roman Client) and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics

Was the Georgian kingdom of Kartli which during Classical Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages was a significant monarchy in the Caucasus, either as an independent state or as a dependent state of larger empires, notably the Sassanid and Roman empires.

Establishment

January 581: The Principality of Iberia was established shortly after the suppression of the Cosroid dynasty of the Kingdom of Iberia by Sasanian Persia, around 580.

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. Roman-Persian Wars

Were a series of Wars between Rome (first the Roman Republic then the Roman Empire and finally the Eastern Roman Empire) and Persia (the Parthian Empire, and then its successor, the Sasanian Empire). The wars were ended by the early Muslim conquests, which led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire and huge territorial losses for the Byzantine Empire.

1.1.Byzantine-Sasanian War of 572-591

Was a war fought between the Sasanian Empire of Persia and the Eastern Roman Empire. It was triggered by pro-Byzantine revolts in areas of the Caucasus under Persian hegemony.

1.2.Byzantine-Sasanian War of 602-628

Was the final and most devastating of the series of wars fought between the Roman Empire and the Sasanian Empire. The war was fought in Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia, the Caucasus, Anatolia, Armenia, the Aegean Sea and before the walls of Constantinople itself. After an initial phase of Sasanian conquest, the Byzantines were able to regain most of their territories. The war ended after a civil war broke out in Persia. After the war both Empires were so weakened that the Middle East and North Africa were soon conquered by the emerging Islamic Caliphate.

1.2.1.Byzantine Counterattack (Byzantine-Sasanian War of 602-628)

Were a series of military operations by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius that resulted in the reconquest of most of the territories lost to the Sasanian Empire.

November 628: Joint Byzantine and Göktürk operations were then focused on besieging Tiflis. Khosrow sent 1,000 cavalry under Shahraplakan to reinforce the city, but it nevertheless fell, probably in late 628.

2. Göktürk-Persian wars

Was a series of conflicts between the Göktürks and the Sassanid Empire.

2.1.Third Perso-Turkic War

Was the third and final conflict between the Sasanian Empire and the Western Turkic Khaganate.

April 627: Siege of Tbilisi.

January 628: Tong Yabghu hastened to resume the siege of Tiflis and successfully stormed the city in winter.

January 630: In 629, the Turks raided Caucasian Iberia, a territory of the Sasanian Empire. The Turks anticipated a strong retaliation from the Sassanids, so they looted cities and retreated to the steppes.

3. Early Muslim conquests

Were the military campaigns by the first three Islamic Caliphates (the Caliphate of Muhammad, the Rashidun Caliphate and the Umayyad Caliphate) that led to the Islamic conquest of most of the Middle East as well as the Iberian Peninsula.

3.1.Arab-Khazar Wars

Were a series of conflicts fought between the armies of the Khazar Khaganate and the Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid caliphates and their respective vassals.

3.1.1.First Arab-Khazar War

Was a war between the Khazar Kahaganate and the Rashidun Caliphate.

January 653: The Khazars abandoned Balanjar and moved their capital further north, in an attempt to evade the reach of the Arab armies.

February 653: The Khazars abandoned Balanjar and moved their capital further north, in an attempt to evade the reach of the Arab armies.

4. Marwan ibn Muhammad´s invasion of Georgia

The Principality of Iberia became a tributary of Umayyad Caliphate.

January 738: The Principate of Iberia became tributary of Umayyad Caliphate.

5. Further events (Unrelated to Any War)

January 737: Established by the Arabs during their invasions of Georgian lands, the Emirate of Tbilisi was an important outpost of Muslim rule in the Caucasus. It was founded by Arab commander Marwan ibn Muhammad in 736 in the region of present-day Georgia.