Georgian-Seljuk wars

Georgian–Seljuk wars
Date 1099–1203 Location Georgian region of Tao-Klarjeti and the rest of Georgia. Result Decisive Georgian victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Georgia	Great Seljuq Empire
Strength
50,000–90,000	250,000–450,000 (400,000–700,000)

The Kingdom of Georgia had been a tributary to the Great Seljuq Empire since the 1080s. However, in the 1090s, the energetic Georgian king David IV of Georgia was able to exploit internal unrest in the Seljuq state and the success of the Western European First Crusade against Muslim control of the Holy Land, and established a strong monarchy.

David IV reorganized the military of Georgia and created very well armed and trained army in this medieval period.

Soon after David IV's reforms Georgia became united. David IV reorganised the Georgian army and began a war against the Great Seljuq Empire in 1099-1121, until the Seljuks invaded Georgia with a vast army.

In 1121 the Great Seljuq Empire, under command of Ilghazi, invaded Georgia with an army of 100,000-250,000 (modern estimate) or 400,000-800,000 (various Muslim, Christian chronicles).

David gathered 40,000 Georgian warriors, 15,000 South Caucasian Kipchaks, 300 Alans and 100 French Crusaders to fight against Ilghazi's vast army.

The Battle of Didgori (Georgian: დიდგორის ბრძოლა) was fought between the armies of the Kingdom of Georgia and the crumbling Great Seljuq Empire at Didgori, 40 km west of Tbilisi, (the modern-day capital of Georgia), on August 12, 1121. The battle resulted in King David's decisive victory over a Seljuk invasion army under Ilghazi and the subsequent reconquest of a Muslim-held Tbilisi, which became the royal capital. The victory at Didgori inaugurated the medieval Georgian Golden Age and is celebrated in the Georgian chronicles as a "miraculous victory" (ძლევაჲ საკვირველი, dzlevay sakvirveli). Modern Georgians continue to remember the event as an annual September festival known as Didgoroba ("[the day] of Didgori").

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