Sumbat I ( ka, სუმბატ I) (died 958) was a Georgian prince of the

Bagrationi dynasty The Bagrationi dynasty (; ) is a royal family, royal dynasty which reigned in Georgia (country), Georgia from the Middle Ages until the early 19th century, being among the oldest extant Christianity, Christian ruling dynasties in the world. In ...

Tao-Klarjeti Tao-Klarjeti may refer to: * Tao-Klarjeti, part of Georgian historical region of Upper Kartli * Kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti, AD 888 to 1008 {{set index article Kingdom of Iberia Historical regions of Georgia (country) ...

, hereditary ruler of Lower Tao and the titular king (''

mepe ''Mepe'' (Old Georgian: ႫႴ; ka, მეფე ; ) is a royal title used to designate the Georgian monarch, whether it is referring to a king or a queen regnant. The title was originally a male ruling title. Etymology The word is derived from ...

'') of

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...

from 937 until his death.

Biography

Sumbat was probably the fourth and last son of the first '' King of the Iberians'', Adarnase IV. Information about his life has not survived and, for various reasons, it was Sumbat who succeeded his elder brother David II as ''King of the Iberians'' when the latter died childless, although his other two brothers were still alive at the time. However, the position of ''King of the Iberians'' was little more than a de jure title. Since the reign of Adarnase IV, the powerful neighbouring

Kingdom of Abkhazia The Kingdom of Abkhazia ( ka, აფხაზთა სამეფო, tr; ) was a medieval feudal state in the Caucasus which was established in the 780s. Through dynastic succession, it was united in 1008 with the Kingdom of the Iberians, f ...

had extended its influence into Inner

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and even reduced the local kings to the status of vassals. This made King Sumbat a vassal of

George II of Abkhazia George II (, Giorgi II), of the Leonid dynasty was a Divan of the Abkhazian Kings, king of Kingdom of Abkhazia, Abkhazia from 923 to 957 AD. His lengthy reign is regarded as a zenith of cultural flowering and political power of his realm. Despite ...

, who had to submit to the orders of the Abkhazian viceroy of Iberia,

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

. It was under his reign that Iberia went to war against

Kakheti Kakheti (; ) is a region of Georgia. Telavi is its administrative center. The region comprises eight administrative districts: Telavi, Gurjaani, Qvareli, Sagarejo, Dedoplistsqaro, Signagi, Lagodekhi and Akhmeta. Kakhetians speak the ...

on several occasions during campaigns that failed to produce any decisive results; however, there is no evidence of Sumbat's involvement in these battles. In fact, Sumbat's reign is considered insignificant despite its 21-year duration. In her Chroniques géorgiennes,

Marie-Félicité Brosset Marie-Félicité Brosset (24 January 1802 – 3 September 1880) was a French historian and scholar who worked mostly in the Russian Empire. He specialized in Georgian and Armenian studies. Brosset's interest in the Caucasus developed while ...

only says of the monarch that "he also only passed into history", like his predecessor and successor. It is likely that Sumbat of Iberia received the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

dignity of

Kouropalates ''Kouropalatēs'', Latinized as ''curopalates'' or ''curopalata'' (, from " he one incharge of the palace"). and anglicized as curopalate, was a Byzantine court title, one of the highest from the time of Emperor Justinian I to the Komnenian p ...

and the duchy of Lower

Tao The Tao or Dao is the natural way of the universe, primarily as conceived in East Asian philosophy and religion. This seeing of life cannot be grasped as a concept. Rather, it is seen through actual living experience of one's everyday being. T ...

in 954, following the death of his brother

Ashot II of Tao Ashot II ( ka, აშოტ II, tr) (died 25 January 954) was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid dynasty of Tao-Klarjeti with the Byzantine title of curopalates. Ashot was the second son of Adarnase IV, king of Iberia/Kartli and younger brother ...

Toumanoff, Cyril Cyril Leo Toumanoff ( ka, კირილ თუმანოვი; ; 10 October 1913 – 4 February 1997) was a Georgian-American historian, and academic genealogist who mostly specialized in the history and genealogies of medieval Georgia, Armen ...

(1967). ''Studies in Christian Caucasian History'', pp. 490-3.

Georgetown University Press Georgetown University Press is a university press affiliated with Georgetown University that publishes about forty new books a year. The press's major subject areas include bioethics, international affairs, languages and linguistics, political s ...

. However, he was unable to hold this position for very long, dying in 958, leaving his throne to his eldest son Bagrat II. Sumbat is commemorated in the church inscriptions from

Ishkhani Ishkani or Ishkhan, (, ka, იშხანი , ) is a ruined Christian monastery in the territory of Turkey in the village of İşhan, Artvin province. The name Ishkhani derives from the word “Իշխան” (Ishkhan) which means “prince” ...

and Doliskana in what is now

Artvin Province Artvin Province (; Armenian language, Armenian: Արտվինի նահանգ ''Artvini nahang''; ka, , ''Artvinis p'rovintsia''; Laz language, Laz: ართვინიშ დობადონა ''Artvinish dobadona;'') is a Provinces of Turke ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

.Antony Eastmond (1998), ''Royal Imagery in Medieval Georgia'', pp. 224-226.

Penn State Press The Penn State University Press, also known as The Pennsylvania State University Press, is a non-profit publisher of scholarly books and journals. Established in 1956, it is the independent publishing branch of the Pennsylvania State University ...

, .

References

Bibliography

* 958 deaths Kings of Bagratid Iberia Bagrationi dynasty of Iberia 10th-century monarchs in Asia 10th-century monarchs of Georgia (country) Year of birth unknown Kouropalatai {{georgia-royal-stub