Seljuk victory in the Battle of Basiani

[Ricardolindo]

What if the Seljuks had defeated the Georgians in the Battle of Basiani? Read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Basiani.
It was definitely plausible. While it ended in a Georgian victory, the Battle of Basiani was very close, inflicting heavy casualties on both sides, and Georgian sources admit that the Georgians were almost defeated at one point.
I imagine one effect of this would be the Georgian Golden Age ending even earlier than in our timeline.
@heraclius
@NotDavidSoslan

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

Since the balance of the power in the Caucasus had shifted 80 years earlier with the battle of Didgori, and Georgia had an extensive network of tributaries, this would likely be a temporary setback for the Georgians, but it could have resulted in Tbilisi being sacked and Tamar committing suicide like Cleopatra VII did – in the latter case, Georgia would be much weakened and could have ended as an empire by 1220.

 

[Ricardolindo]

Since the balance of the power in the Caucasus had shifted 80 years earlier with the battle of Didgori, and Georgia had an extensive network of tributaries, this would likely be a temporary setback for the Georgians, but it could have resulted in Tbilisi being sacked and Tamar committing suicide like Cleopatra VII did – in the latter case, Georgia would be much weakened and could have ended as an empire by 1220.

The Battle of Basiani was fought in Basiani, modern Pasinler, near Erzurum, which is far from Tbilisi, so I am not sure whether the Seljuks would go that far. If they did, I suspect that Tamar would have fled to Kutaisi as her daughter Rusudan did with the Khwarezmian and Mongol invasions.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

The Battle of Basiani was fought in Basiani, modern Pasinler, near Erzurum, which is far from Tbilisi, so I am not sure whether the Seljuks would go that far. If they did, I suspect that Tamar would have fled to Kutaisi as her daughter Rusudan did with the Khwarezmian and Mongol invasions.

I originally wanted to write the Caucasus mountains would shield Georgia from invasions from the southwest, and thought the Orthodox Georgians would see it as a miracle, not damaging the country's growth at all, but expected you to counterargue.
And I said she would commit suicide due to the letter threatening to make her a concubine. The parallel with Cleopatra was due to her fearing humiliation in a Roman triumph, but there's a chance Tamar escapes as well.

 

[Ricardolindo]

I originally wanted to write the Caucasus mountains would shield Georgia from invasions from the southwest, and thought the Orthodox Georgians would see it as a miracle, not damaging the country's growth at all, but expected you to counterargue.
And I said she would commit suicide due to the letter threatening to make her a concubine. The parallel with Cleopatra was due to her fearing humiliation in a Roman triumph, but there's a chance Tamar escapes as well.

The Greater Caucasus Mountains are in the north of Georgia so they don't shield it from invasions from the south.
Historically, Eastern and Southern Georgia were very vulnerable to invasions.
Meanwhile, being heavily forested and surrounded by mountains, Western Georgia was always safer from invasions.
Because of that, many Georgians fled to Western Georgia when Eastern and Southern Georgia were invaded.

 

[NotDavidSoslan]

The Greater Caucasus Mountains are in the north of Georgia so they don't shield it from invasions from the south.
Historically, Eastern and Southern Georgia were very vulnerable to invasions.
Meanwhile, being heavily forested and surrounded by mountains, Western Georgia was always safer from invasions.
Because of that, many Georgians fled to Western Georgians when Eastern and Southern Georgia were invaded.

Thanks for explaining!

 

[Ricardolindo]

Thanks for explaining!

Could you, please, fix "Western Georgians" for "Western Georgia" in the quote like I did in my reply?