| Luarsab I | |
|---|---|
| King of Kartli | |
| Reign | 1527–1556 or 1534–1558 |
| Predecessor | George IX |
| Successor | Simon I |
| Born | c. 1502–1509 |
| Died | c. 1556–1558 (aged 46–56) Battle of Garisi |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Tamar of Imereti |
| Issue | |
| House | Bagrationi dynasty |
| Father | David X of Kartli |
| Mother | TamarJaqeli |
| Religion | Georgian Orthodox Church |
| Khelrtva |  |
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Luarsab I (Georgian:ლუარსაბ I) (c. 1502–1509 –c. 1556–1558), of theBagrationi dynasty, was aking (mepe) of theGeorgianKingdom of Kartli from 1527 to 1556 or from 1534 to 1558. Persistent in his resistance against Safavid Persian aggression, he was killed in theBattle of Garisi.[1]
The eldest son ofDavid X, he succeeded on the abdication of his uncle,George IX, in 1527 (more accepted date) or 1534.
When young, he distinguished himself as a commander in his father’s army, particularly at the Battle of Teleti (1522), won by aPersian invasion army in spite of heavy losses. He established close contacts withBagrat III of Imereti,king ofImereti (western Georgia) and married in 1526 his daughter. A year later, he was crowned king of Kartli and launched a series of measures to strengthen the kingdom’s defence capacity amid the ongoing war between theSafavid Empire andOttoman Empire (1514–1555). In alliance with Bagrat of Imereti, Luarsab fought both empires trying to preserve his independence and reestablish close cooperation between various Georgian polities. In 1535, Bagrat conquered a pro-Ottoman southern Georgian principality ofSamtskhe, granting its provinceJavakheti to Kartli. The Kartlian-Imeretian alliance was soon joined by another Georgian monarch,Levan I of Kakheti. However, the 1541 invasion by the Persian shahTahmasp I forced Levan out of a Georgian coalition, it left most of Kartli in ruins, and the capitalTbilisi garrisoned by a Persian force. The year 1545 brought another misfortune: a combined army of the Imeretian and Kartlian kings were crushed by the Ottomans at theBattle of Sokhoista and expelled from Samtskhe. From 1547 to 1554, Kartli suffered three more invasions by Tahmasp of Persia, who overran the country, but failed to force the king into submission. The Treaty ofAmasya, 1555, between the Safavids and Ottomans left Georgia divided between these empires, with the east under Persian domination and the west under Turkish control. Luarsab, however, did not recognise the treaty, and continued desperate guerilla war against the Persian occupation forces virtually holding them under siege. In order to subdue the stubborn Georgian monarch, Shah Tahmasp sentShahverdi Sultan,beglarbeg ofGanja andKarabakh, with a large army. Luarsab and his son,Simon, met the invaders at theBattle of Garisi. A heavy fight resulted in a Georgian victory, but Luarsab was mortally wounded.
Luarsab was buried at theSvetitskhoveli Cathedral atMtskheta.
Luarsab I married on March 25, 1526Tamar of Imereti, daughter of king Bagrat III of Imereti. They had eight children:
| Preceded by | King of Kartli 1527–1556 (or 1534–1558) | Succeeded by |