Battle of Garni
| Battle of Garni | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Jalal al-Din's invasions of Georgia | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kingdom of Georgia | Khwarezmian Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Ivane Mkhargrdzeli Shalva Akhaltiskheli Ivane Akhaltsikheli † | Jalal al-Din Mangburni | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
70,000 deployed 17,000–20,000 engaged | 10,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 20,000 killed | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Garni (Georgian: გარნისის ბრძოლა, Armenian: Գառնիի ճակատամարտ) was fought in 1225 near Garni, in modern day Armenia, then part of the Kingdom of Georgia. The invading Khwarazmian Empire was led by Jalal al-Din Mangburni, its last Sultan, who had been driven from his realm by the Mongol Empire and was trying to recapture lost territories. The battle ended with a Khwarezmid victory and is marked as a disastrous event in Georgian history due to betrayal. As a result, the royal court of Georgian Queen Rusudan (1223–1245) moved to Kutaisi and the country was exposed to subsequent looting during the Mongol invasions of Georgia.