Adarnase IV of Iberia
Adarnase IV (Georgian: ადარნასე IV, romanized: adarnase IV) (died 923) was a member of the Georgian Bagratid dynasty of Tao-Klarjeti and prince of Iberia, responsible for the restoration of the Iberian kingship, which had been in abeyance since it had been abolished by Sasanian Empire in the 6th century, in 888.[1][2]
The numbering of successive rulers in the early Bagratid period is very confused in that it moves between the different branches of the family. Hence, Adarnase, known as "IV" for being the fourth Adarnase as the prince of Iberia, is also known as "II" as a sovereign of Tao-Klarjeti and "I" as the king (mepe) of Iberia.
Name[edit]
The name Adarnase derives from Middle Persian Ādurnarsēh, with the second component of the word (Nase) being the Georgian attestation of the Middle Persian name Narseh, which ultimately derives from Avestan nairyō.saŋya-.[3] The Middle Persian name Narseh also exists in Georgian as Nerse.[3] The name Ādurnarsēh appears in the Armenian language as Atrnerseh.[4]
Switching alliances[edit]
Adarnase rewarded Ashot of Armenia's assistance with steadfast loyalty which continued into the reign of Ashot's successor Smbat I whom Adarnase aided to win the crown in dynastic struggles in 890 and later joined him against Ahmed ibn-'Isâ of Diyarbakır, the Caliph's former governor of Armīniya. In turn, Smbat recognized Adarnase's royal status and personally crowned him in 899. The two men collaborated in defeating, in 904, the Abkhazian king Constantine III, their common relative, who competed with Adarnase for hegemony in Inner Iberia (Duchy of Kartli) and with Smbat in Gogarene (Tashir-Dzoraget). Adarnase captured Constantine and turned him over to Smbat. But the latter, inclined to balance Adarnase's growing power and extend Armenian influence to west Georgia, freed his captive. This move turned Adarnase against Smbat and the ensuing break and enmity weakened both monarchs: Adarnase was dispossessed by Constantine. Viceroy of Kartli in 904, while Smbat was defeated and tortured to death by Yusuf, a Sajid ruler of Azerbaijan in 914.[1] As a result of these events, Adarnase was relegated to his portion of the Bagratid hereditary lands in Tao.[2] He rebuilt the church of Bana in Tao and made it a bishop's seat.[26]
Adarnase's wife is not known. He was survived by five children: