The 1556 Battle of Garisi ended in a stalemate but cost Kartli its king, Luarsab I, while resisting Safavid enforcement of the Treaty of Amasya.
Key Facts
- Year of Battle
- 1556
- Outcome
- Stalemate; Georgians repelled Qizilbash but lost king
- Safavid Commander
- Shāhverdī Khān Ziyādoghlū Qājār, beylerbey of Karabakh
- Georgian King Killed
- Luarsab I of Kartli
- Iranian Expedition Number
- Fourth expedition in Luarsab I's reign
- Preceding Treaty
- Treaty of Amasya, 1555
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Treaty of Amasya (1555) between the Ottoman and Safavid empires divided the Kingdom of Georgia into spheres of influence, assigning Kartli, Kakheti, and eastern Samtskhe to the Safavids. King Luarsab I of Kartli refused to recognize these terms and continued to threaten Safavid-garrisoned Tbilisi, provoking a fourth Iranian military expedition into his kingdom.
Safavid Qizilbash forces under Shāhverdī Khān Ziyādoghlū Qājār crossed into Kartli in 1556. Luarsab I and his son Svimon met the invaders at the village of Garisi. In pitched combat, the Georgian forces succeeded in repelling the Qizilbash assault, but Luarsab I was killed during the fighting, leaving the outcome a stalemate.
Although the Georgians held the field at Garisi and prevented a decisive Safavid victory, the death of Luarsab I deprived Kartli of its most resolute resistance leader. The battle did not resolve the broader conflict over Safavid suzerainty imposed by the Treaty of Amasya, and Georgian kingdoms remained fragmented within competing Ottoman and Safavid spheres of influence.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Luarsab I of Kartli, Svimon (son of Luarsab I).
Side B
1 belligerent
Shāhverdī Khān Ziyādoghlū Qājār.