George I of Georgia

George I () (998 or 1002 – 16 August 1027), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the 2nd king (''mepe'') of Georgia from 1014 until his death in 1027.

George I ascended the throne when he was still too young to equal his father Bagrat III, must first suffer a first defeat against the nobles who imposed on him the return to the independence of Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti. But soon he managed to regain his strength and extended his power in the region, with numerous vassals in Caucasus and sphere of influence in Armenia. However, the Byzantine Empire, with which his father had already experienced the first tensions, proved strong enough to fight in a conflict started by George under the reign of Basil II, a conflict which devastated the entire south of the country to annex the former “Kingdom of the Iberians”, the Tao. Fortunately for his heritage, George, thanks to astute diplomacy (alliance with the Fatimids, etc.) preserved the independence of his country which hardly became vassalized and paid no tribute under his reign. Provided by Wikipedia