Whom did he not serve, to whose side he did not go. The only thing he never betrayed was the dream of becoming the sole ruler of Georgia.
At all times, respect was aroused by perseverance, which manifested itself both in loyalty to ideals and in an unbending will to win. The latter quality was inherent in this person. He knew how to take a blow and rise even after deafening falls. Modern Georgia praises him as a knight, but real history paints a completely different image.
early years
The founder of the princely dynasty Saakadze was almost a saint - in the 9th century. he converted to Christianity and died for the faith. George was born in 1570. His father was the ruler of Tbilisi named Siyavush. Our hero had many beautiful sisters. The parent planned to transfer his wealth and power to his son, therefore he gave him a good education and introduced him to the retinue of the Georgian king Simon I. As soon as the guy turned 20, he was found a wife from an equally noble family.
When the war with the Turks began in 1599, George took part in the battles shoulder to shoulder with the monarch. After the battle of Nakhiduri, he shared the sad fate of the ruler, being with him in captivity. This did not cool the fighter's ardor. In 1604, he led the Georgian troops, which, in alliance with the Persians, stormed Yerevan. After the fall of the Armenian capital, Saakadze won the respect of the army, the king and the nobility.
Magnate
Returning to his homeland, the warrior took up the economy. He made a significant contribution to the strengthening and development of the city of Tbilisi. In 1605, Siyavush Saakadze died, and soon the king was gone. The young Luarsaba II was seated on the throne. George seized the moment and began to expand his possessions, appropriating the lands of his neighbors, feudal lords. To prevent their complaints from being accepted at court, the cunning man often invited the young monarch to visit.
The crowned boy was growing up. He drew attention to one of George's sisters and announced that he was going to marry her. Saaadze was not against the fact that these two were lovers, juicy details from the personal life of the king allowed him to be controlled like a puppet. The marriage could turn against him other applicants for the place of the royal father-in-law. For a long time he dissuaded the ardent lover, but he could not do anything - the wedding took place.
Fugitive
The aristocracy was really angry. In a Caucasian family, all decisions are made by a man, therefore they had nothing against the young queen, but they decided to send her upstart brother to the next world. In 1612, one of the conspirators blabbed to Giorgi Saakadze himself that an attempt was being made on him. The prince did not wait for the murderers; together with his household, he fled to Iran.
Appearing to the local ruler, the famous warrior Abbas, the Georgian offered him his services in the campaign against Luarsab. For a start, the head of state decided to find out how true the legends about the power of George are, offered him a series of tests. Passing through them with honor, Saakadze proved that he has the right to be among the ruler's entourage, without changing his faith. The Shah was just planning the conquest of Georgia and needed the advice of a local resident.
On hikes
In 1614, Iranian troops moved west. Emotional Luarsaba was tricked into captivity and killed. His head will be the only gift to George from Shah Abbas. The eastern tyrant was grateful to his new subject for wise advice, but he did not plan to give him Georgia. So it was George who insisted that the invaders should not oppress his co-religionists, was able to find Iran's allies among the nobility, and eliminated any prerequisites for starting a partisan war.
The ruler of Iran needed a talented commander to protect himself from the Turks who invaded the country. Saakadze did a good job - in 1618 the enemy was defeated. The Shah made the spouse and children of our hero courtiers, bestowed upon him high titles, hoping that a brilliant career and closeness to the throne would make him forget his Motherland and abandon his ambitious plans to rule there.
Insurrection
Despite all the efforts of Saakadze, the Caucasus was restless. To put an end to the local tycoons forever, Abbas was forced to give command of the punitive detachment to the Georgian prince. Our hero knew with whom he would have to fight, therefore, having arrived in the region, he ordered his guards to bring all suspicious persons to him for interrogation. Once the soldiers brought their comrade to the tent of the commander. He had letters from the Shah, where there was an order to kill Saakadze.
The former leader of the occupiers contacted his recent opponents. They understood that such an experienced fighter would not be superfluous. The local population loved George. Folk art turned this defector into a wise leader, who got into the confidence of the adversary in order to find out his secrets and find an effective means of victory. In 1626 an uprising broke out in Georgia. Abbas, learning about the betrayal, ordered the execution of Saakadze's son.
The fall
The rebel with fury smashed the Iranians. No less brutally he dealt with dissidents in the camp of his fellow believers. After several bloody battles, the stern prince began to lose support among the nobility. Again, a conspiracy was being prepared against him. Saakadze left his ungrateful fellow tribesmen and fled to Turkey.
The biography of a warrior, who managed to serve many masters, interested the Sultan. He graciously accepted Saakadze and soon instructed him to suppress the rebellion. The success of the operation was a verdict for the commander. Envious people from the ruler's retinue in 1629 finished with Georgy Saakadze, paying for it with their heads. The ruler of Turkey executed the murderers.
