The Battle of Botora () was fought between the armies 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 ...

and the

Seljuk Empire The Seljuk Empire, or the Great Seljuk Empire, was a High Middle Ages, high medieval, culturally Turco-Persian tradition, Turco-Persian, Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, established and ruled by the Qiniq (tribe), Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. ...

on February 14, 1120.

Background

In 1116

David IV David IV, also known as David IV the Builder ( ka, დავით IV აღმაშენებელი, tr; 1073 – 24 January 1125), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the 5th List of monarchs of Georgia, king (''mepe'') of the Kingdom of Ge ...

suddenly attacked and destroyed the Turks at the Battle of Tao. In 1118 David IV destroyed the Turks encamped on the banks of the Aras at the Battle of Rakhsi.

Battle

King

used to go to

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

and the Turks wintered near the banks of the

Mtkvari The Kura, also known in Georgian as Mtkvari ( ), is an east-flowing transboundary river south of the Greater Caucasus Mountains which drains the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus east into the Caspian Sea. It also drains the north side of ...

. The Turks had been watching David IV and were following his tracks. David IV went to Geguti and from there to Khupati and thus gave the Turks the confidence to return. Learning that he was away, they camped at Botora. The Turks were many and they set up camps to spend the winter. On February 14, David IV suddenly attacked the Turks and completely destroyed them. Only a few of them managed to get on their horses and flee. In the battle the

Georgians Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and Peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian ethnic group native to present-day Georgia (country), Georgia and surrounding areas historically associated with the Ge ...

captured many Turks and took much booty.

Aftermath

In 1120

destroyed the Turks camps in Arsharunik and Sevgelamej, and in he did the same in Khunan and Barda. In all these episodes, the enemy camp was destroyed, meaning that the Georgia army managed to secretly approach it and perform a surprise attack.

References

Sources

* * * {{cite book , last1=Kaukhchishvili , first1=Simon , title=La vie du Karthli – Texte complet et commentaires le concernant , date=1955 , publisher=Publication d'État , isbn=99928-43-44-6 , location=Tbilisi , language=ka 1120s in Asia Conflicts in 1120 Battles of the Georgian–Seljuk wars