To whom he only did not serve, to whose only side he did not switch. The only thing he never cheated on was the dream of becoming the sole ruler of Georgia.
At all times, respect aroused resilience, which manifested itself both in fidelity to ideals and in an unbending will to win. Last quality was inherent in this person. He knew how to keep punch and rise even after deafening falls. Modern Georgia glorifies him as a knight, but the real story draws a completely different image.
early years
The founder of the princely dynasty Saakadze was almost a saint - in the IX century. he converted to Christianity and died for faith. George was born in 1570. His father was the ruler of Tbilisi named Siyavush. Our hero had many beautiful sisters. The parent planned to transfer his wealth and power to his son, therefore he gave him a good education and introduced the Georgian king Simon I into the retinue. As soon as the guy was 20 years old, he was found a wife from an equally noble family.
Tbilisi today is the capital of Georgia
When the war with the Turks began in 1599, George took part in the battles shoulder to shoulder with the monarch. After the battle of Nahiduri, he shared the sad fate of the ruler, being with him in captivity. This did not cool the fervor of ardor. In 1604, he led the Georgian forces, which in alliance with the Persians stormed Yerevan. After the fall of the Armenian capital, Saakadze won the respect of the army, the king and the nobility.
Magnate
Returning to his homeland, the warrior took up farming. He made a significant contribution to the strengthening and development of the city of Tbilisi. In 1605, Siyavush Saakadze died, and soon the king was gone. The minor Luarsab II was seated on the throne. George took advantage of the moment and began to expand his possessions, appropriating the lands of his feudal neighbors. So that their complaints would not be accepted at court, the sly often invited the young monarch to visit.
The crowned boy grew up. He drew attention to one of the sisters of George and announced that he was going to marry her. Saaadze was not opposed to these two being lovers, the piquant details from the tsar’s personal life made it possible to manage him like a puppet. The marriage could set against him other pretenders to the place of royal father-in-law. For a long time he discouraged an ardent lover, but could not do anything - the wedding took place.
Fugitive
The aristocracy, indeed, was angry. In a Caucasian family, a man makes all decisions, because they had nothing against the young queen, but they decided to send her upstart brother to the other world. In 1612, one of the conspirators blabbed to George Saakadze himself that an attempt was being made on him. The prince did not wait for the killers; together with his household he fled to Iran.
Costumes of the peoples of the Caucasus. Artist Grigory Gagarin
Appearing to the local ruler of the famous warrior Abbas, the Georgian offered him his services in the campaign against Luarsab. For a start, the head of state decided to find out how true the legends of George’s power were, offered him a series of tests. Having passed through them with honor, Saakadze proved that he has the right to be among the close ones of the ruler, without changing his faith. The Shah was just planning the conquest of Georgia and needed the advice of a local resident.
Hiking
In 1614, Iranian troops moved west. Emotional Luarsaba managed to capture by deceit and killed. His head will be the only gift to George from Shah Abbas. The eastern tyrant was grateful to his new subject for his wise advice, but did not plan to give him Georgia. So it was George who insisted that the invaders do not oppress his co-religionists, could find Iran’s allies among the nobility, eliminate any prerequisites for the start of a guerrilla war.
Persian Shah Abbas. Vintage engraving
The talented commander was needed by the lord of Iran to protect against the Turks invading the country. Saakadze did a good job - in 1618 the enemy was defeated. The Shah made the spouse and children of our hero courtiers, bestowed his high ranks, hoping that a brilliant career and proximity to the throne would make him forget his homeland and abandon the ambitious plans to rule there.
Insurrection
Despite all the efforts of Saakadze, the Caucasus was restless. To permanently end the local tycoons, Abbas was forced to give command of the punitive detachment to the Georgian prince. Our hero knew with whom he would have to fight, therefore, having arrived in the region, he ordered his guards to bring all suspicious persons to him for questioning. Once the soldiers delivered the commander of their comrade into the tent. He found letters from the Shah, where there was an order to kill Saakadze.
The former leader of the invaders contacted his recent opponents. Those understood that such an experienced fighter would not be superfluous. The local population loved George. Folk art turned this defector into a wise leader who rubbed his trust in the adversary to find out his secrets and find an effective means for victory. In 1626, an uprising broke out in Georgia. Upon learning of the betrayal, Abbas ordered the execution of Saakadze’s son.
George Saakadze saves Georgia from enemies. Artist Niko Pirosmani
