Battle of Garni

Date	1225
Location	Garni, Armenian region, Kingdom of Georgia
Result	Khwarazmian army victory

Belligerents

Kingdom of Georgia;

Khwarezmid Empire

Commanders and leaders

Ivane Mkhargrdzeli

Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu

Strength

70,000 men strong Georgian–Armenian force deployed
17,000 engaged

140,000–200,000

Casualties and losses

probably the entire vanguard

unknown

The Battle of Garni was fought in 1225 near Garni, Armenia, then part of the Kingdom of Georgia from 1125–1225. The invading Khwarezmid Empire wasw led by Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, its last sultan, who was driven from his realm by the Mongol Empire and was trying to recapture lost territories. The battle ended with a Khwarezmid victory and is marked as a disastrous event in Georgian history due to betrayal. As a result, the royal court of Georgian Queen Rusudan (1223–1245) moved to Kutaisi and the country was exposed to subsequent looting during the Mongol invasion.

Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu sent an abasement letter to Queen Rusudan demanding subordination of Georgia under his rule. At the same time, he assembled a huge military force, asking for troops from his allies and nobles across the empire. The purpose was to completely crush the Kingdom of Georgia and take all its dominions successfully ceding its existence. The Georgian court and leadership had notes and reports about a possible intervention but did not consider it necessary to take measures since that threat was not taken seriously. Instead, the nobility replied by sending a letter that reminded Jalal ad-Din of his crushing defeat against the Mongols, while having no idea how strong his empire already was by then. In 1225, a large Khwarezmid army crossed the Georgian border and soon both parties met on the battlefield.

Under the command of Queen Rusudan, messengers were sent out to all regions of the Kingdom of Georgia in order to gather troops. During that period the kingdom had the potential to raise around 100,000 men in total including mercenaries. However the Georgians had reserved some forces for security reasons, thus leaving around 60–70,000 men for battle. The strength of the invading army far exceeded that of Rusudans forces. According to the unknown Georgian chronicler named "jamtaaghtsereli", the army of Jalal ad-din was 140,000 men strong. Armenian sources say that the Muslim coalition deployed up to 200,000 men.

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