Prodigies: Tamar the Great of Georgia

Episode Summary

The podcast episode discusses Tamar the Great, who ruled Georgia as queen from 1184 to 1213. Tamar was born in 1160 as the daughter of King George III. She became co-ruler with her father in 1178 at age 18 since he had no male heirs. After her father's death in 1184, Tamar became the sole monarch. However, many nobles doubted her ability to rule as a young woman. To appease them, Tamar allowed the nobles to choose her royal appointees and husband. Tamar soon expanded her power by filling the royal court with loyalists. She divorced her husband Yuri after he attempted a failed coup. Tamar then married David Soslan, who became her military commander. Under Tamar's rule, Georgia expanded its territory greatly. However, her expansionist tactics created enemies like the Seljuk Sultan. After capturing a Georgian city, the Sultan threatened to conquer Georgia and make Tamar his concubine. But Tamar did not back down and her army recaptured the city. Tamar's reign also oversaw a golden age of Georgian culture and art. New wealth poured into the kingdom and impressive cathedrals were built. Tamar encouraged poetry and the arts. When she died in 1213 after a long reign, her son George IV succeeded her. Today, Tamar remains a revered figure in Georgia over 700 years later. Her rule solidified her legacy as one of the greatest medieval monarchs of Georgia.

Episode Show Notes

Tamar the Great of Georgia (1160-1213) was tasked with leading a kingdom at just 18 years old. By the end of her rule, she had solidified her position as one of the greatest medieval monarchs of Georgia.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01: Reboot your credit card with Apple Card. It gives you unlimited daily cash back that can earn 4.15% annual percentage yield when you open a savings account. A high yield, low effort way to grow your money with no fees. Apply for Apple Card now in the Wallet app on iPhone to start earning and growing your daily cash with savings today. Apple Card subject to credit approval. Savings is available to Apple Card owners subject to eligibility. Savings accounts by Goldman Sachs Bank USA. Member FDIC, terms apply. SPEAKER_00: Hey, can I let you in on a little secret? Ugh, I'm obsessed with the Drop app. Drop makes it so easy to score free gift cards just for doing my everyday shopping at places like Ulta, Sam's Club, and Lyft. So if you're like me and love a good shopping spree, download Drop today and join the secret club of savvy shoppers. And use my code, getdrop999 to get $5. SPEAKER_05: My name is Diana Hock and I'm an operations manager at Morgan & Morgan. At Morgan & Morgan, we've made it really easy. Anything that we need from you, you're able to do from the comfort of your home. You can just dial pound law and you talk to someone like me. SPEAKER_03: If you or any one of your family has been injured, call Morgan & Morgan, America's largest injury law firm. We've collected over $15 billion for our clients. It's easy. Visit forthepeople.com for an office near you. SPEAKER_04: Hey listeners, it's Jenny. The Supreme Court's decision to repeal Roe v. Wade has devastated us and others in the podcast industry. Now more than ever, it's important that we stand together to support a person's right to choose. That's why we started the Listen to Women Coalition, a group of audio creators dedicated to uplifting and creating pro-choice content. We've launched a merch campaign with 100% of the proceeds going to the next generation. We've launched a merch campaign with 100% of the proceeds going to the National Network of Abortion Funds. You can find a link to our Listen to Women T-shirts in the show notes. So buy a T-shirt to wear to the next protest, to the next voter registration drive, and in November, to the polls. SPEAKER_08: We'll see you there. We'll see you there. We'll see you there. We'll see you there. By the end of her rule, she solidified her position as one of the greatest medieval monarchs of Georgia. Let's talk about Tamar the Great of Georgia. Tamar was born in 1160 to the King of Georgia, George III. Tamar's father had no male heirs, and in 1177, rebellious nobles tried to replace him with his nephew. George quelled the uprising, and to solidify his family's royal status, he crowned Tamar a co-monarch in 1178, when she was just 18. After six years of co-ruling, George died, leaving Tamar the sole ruler. Her reign was met with immediate resistance. Many nobles doubted that such a young woman could handle the crown. Tamar appeased these nobles by making a series of concessions. She would let the nobles choose her new royal appointees, and whom she would marry. The nobles chose Yuri Bogoyubsky, a duke in exile, to be Tamar's new husband. Tamar didn't care for Yuri, and she began expanding her power, strategically filling her royal court with loyal supporters. Eventually, Tamar divorced Yuri. But Yuri wanted the Georgian throne, so he attempted a coup with some support from Georgian nobility. Tamar sent a loyalist army to defeat the rebels. Eventually, Yuri surrendered. Tamar exiled him to Constantinople, and stripped the rebel nobles of their titles. After her divorce, Tamar married David Soslin, an Ossetian prince. David became Tamar's military commander, leading the Georgian army into battle. Tamar had her sights set on territorial expansion. Over the course of her rule, Georgia greatly increased its territory, encapsulating parts of modern Armenia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. Tamar's expansionist tactics were not without its detractors. In 1201, the powerful Seljuk Sultan of Rum captured a city under the Georgian crown. War was on the horizon. He sent an ultimatum. Georgia was to surrender, or he'd conquer them and make Tamar a concubine. Tamar didn't back down, and eventually, her Georgian army recaptured the city. Tamar's reign also brought about a golden age in Georgian culture. Georgian control over commercial centers meant that new wealth poured into the kingdom, and there was an outburst in distinct Georgian culture, like impressive cathedrals with domed tops. Tamar was responsible for this. She encouraged art and poetry. Tamar died in 1213, and was succeeded by her son, George IV. Today, over seven centuries later, Tamar is still revered, and Tamar remains one of the most popular Georgian names for baby girls. All month, we're highlighting prodigies. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast. You can order Rising Troublemaker everywhere books are sold. Special thanks to creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan and me to guest hosts. Talk to you tomorrow. SPEAKER_07: Talk to yourself. What'll be on the menu for your Miami layover? SPEAKER_06: See how to elevate your travel experiences at americanexpress.com slash with Amex. Don't live life without it. Terms apply. SPEAKER_09: With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling for everyone. For example, Raquel's whoa when she first entered the kingdom by dragon back is different to Ari's whoa when he found out there was more than one crime scene, which is also different to Ava's whoa. The moment when the stable boy became a stable man. From whoa to whoa to whoa. Amazon books, that reading feeling awaits. This year, Hyundai features SPEAKER_02: their all electric Hyundai IONIQ lineup as a proud sponsor of the iHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas with two high tech models. The IONIQ 5 can take you an EPA estimated 303 miles on a single charge and has available two way charging for electronic equipment inside and outside the car. The IONIQ 6 boasts a mind blowing range of up to 360 miles and can deliver up to an 80% charge in just 18 minutes with its 800 volt DC ultra fast charger. Check out Hyundai at the iHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas as their all star IONIQ lineup hits the stage like you've never seen before. Hyundai, it's your journey.