kingdom · Caucasus
Kingdom of the Iberians
Origins
Early in the 9th century the Bagratid prince Ashot I moved from Kartli to the south-western borderland of Klarjeti, where he rebuilt Artanuji and the family won Byzantine titles. In 888 his descendant Adarnase IV took the title king of the Iberians, restoring the royal title in Georgia after three centuries.
Rule and society
Several Bagratid branches shared rule over Tao, Klarjeti and Shavsheti, with titles granted by the Byzantine Empire. Monks led by Grigol of Khandzta founded monasteries, and great churches rose at Oshki, Ishkhani and Khakhuli, centres of Georgian learning. David III Kouropalates of Tao made the region powerful and helped Byzantium against the rebel Bardas Skleros.
Decline and legacy
When David III died in 1000, Basil II annexed his lands of Tao to Byzantium. The remaining Bagratid holdings passed to Bagrat III, who in 1008 united them with Abkhazia and Kartli in the Kingdom of Georgia.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (1)
- Kingdom of the Iberians was a vassal of Byzantine Empire888 CE – 1000 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of the Iberians. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-iberians
- MLA
- “Kingdom of the Iberians.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-iberians. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of the Iberians.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-iberians.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of the Iberians’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-the-iberians (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻