Bugha al-Kabir's Campaign

Bugha al-Kabir's campaign of 853–854 was an Arab campaign to subjugate the Emirate of Tbilisi and restore the Caliph's power in the South Caucasus. Caliph Mutawakkil (847–861) organized a campaign against the Emir of Tbilisi, Ishaq ibn Isma'il (known as Sahak in Georgian sources). According to the Armenian historian Tovma Artsruni, Bugha's army consisted of 200,000 soldiers. After the campaign in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Bugha invaded Georgia in the summer of 853. He was joined by the chief of Tao-Klarjeti, Bagrat I Kouropalates (Curapalates), and the Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti. The Kingdom of Abkhazia sided with Sahak. Bugha al-Kabir camped in Isani and sent commander Zirak against Sahak. Zirak crossed the river Mtkvari on August 5 and invaded Tbilisi. The Arabs set the city on fire.

Sahak was captured and beheaded on Bugha's orders. Then Zirak and Bagrat I defeated the king of the Abkhazia. After that, Bugha's army invaded the mountains from the Kakheti plain. The mountaineers put up strong resistance to the enemy. Bugha fled Georgia and camped in Barda. But in 854, he invaded Georgia again and ravaged Gardabani; Bugha's campaign caused great damage to the country. According to the Arab historian Al-Ṭabarī, in 853 alone, 50 thousand people were killed in Tbilisi, and the city was almost completely burned down. But the goal of Bugha's campaigns – the strengthening of Arab rule – was not achieved.

Source: მატიანე ქართლისა, წგნ.: ქართლის ცხოვრება, ს. ყაუხჩიშვილის გამოც., ტ. 1, თბ., 1955.

Literature: გუჩუა ვ., გადავხედოთ წარსულს, თბ., 1967; ჯავახიშვილი ივ., ქართველი ერის ისტორია, წგნ. 2, თბ., 1983 (თხზ. თორმეტ ტომად, ტ. 2).

 

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