''Amirspasalar'' or ''amirspasalari'' ( ka, ამირსპასალარი, from , ) was the commander-in-chief of the medieval Georgian army and one of the highest officials of the

Kingdom of Georgia The Kingdom of Georgia (), also known as the Georgian Empire, was a Middle Ages, medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in Anno Domini, AD. It reached Georgian Golden Age, its Golden Age of political and economic strength during the reign ...

, commonly rendered as "Lord High Constable" (and sometimes also as ''

generalissimo ''Generalissimo'' ( ), also generalissimus, is a military rank of the highest degree, superior to field marshal and other five-star ranks in the states where they are used. Usage The word (), an Italian term, is the absolute superlative ...

'') in English. It is composed of ''

amir Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...

'', an

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

term meaning 'commander', 'governor', or 'prince'; and '' sipahsalar'', from the Persian for 'army commander'.Robert Bedrosian, "Amirspasalar", in: Joseph Reese Strayer (1983), ''

Dictionary of the Middle Ages The ''Dictionary of the Middle Ages'' is a 13-volume encyclopedia of the Middle Ages published by the American Council of Learned Societies between 1982 and 1989. It was first conceived and started in 1975 with American medieval historian Jos ...

'', p. 235. Scribner, . The ''amirspasalar'' was a wartime supreme commander-in-chief of the royal armies, and the bearer of the state flag. Under Queen Tamar (r. 1184–1213), it was the third great office of the Georgian state, after King and '' atabek''. '' The Institution of the Royal Court'', most probably codified during the second reign of

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

(1314–1346) defines the office as "an honorary

vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...

and the head of army". The title of ''amirspasalar'' is first mentioned in the reign of George III of Georgia (1156–1184), but it was apparently introduced by George's grandfather David IV (r. 1089–1125), who had substantially reformed Georgia's military and civil administration. In the early 12th century the ''amirspasalar'' was chosen from the House of Orbeli, but in 1155,

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

, son of

Demetrius I of Georgia Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumitru, Demitri, D ...

, overthrow his father and attempted to curb the Orbeli influence by transferring the post to their rival, Tirkash Abuletisdze. After Demetrius's restoration, the Orbeli again held the post down to their rebellion against George III in 1176–1177, when it was given to Qubasar, of Kipchak origin. In 1184, Queen Tamar removed Qubasar and appointed a member of the Gamrekeli family. Later, the office passed to the family of Zachariads ( Mkhargrdzeli), succeeded by the Jaqeli. The position was effectively abolished with the dismemberment of the Kingdom of Georgia later in the 15th century.

References

{{italic title Military ranks of Georgia (country) Noble titles of Georgia (country) Military history of the Kingdom of Georgia Georgian words and phrases Georgian military ranks of Persian origin 11th-century establishments in the Kingdom of Georgia 15th-century disestablishments in the Kingdom of Georgia

See also

References