Queen Tamar is something of a puzzle to historians. They have trouble believing that someone could be so pious and kindhearted, but also responsible for so many gruesome battles. To which I say: Can’t it be both? Her piousness actually seemed to help make her such a powerful, successful Queen, in battle and otherwise. And I like to think the most brilliant people are also the most paradoxical. But I’ll let you decide for yourself.
1. She Might Have Been Descended From King David
Born around 1160, Tamar had some serious (supposed) pedigree. The Georgian dynasty claimed to be descendants of possibly the most famous King of Israel, King David—you For Christians, that was the next best thing after being descended from Jesus Christ himself.
Still, Christian though she was, Tamar would go on to do many things the Bible forbid.
Gerard van Honthorst, Wikimedia Commons
2. She Saw Her Cousin Brutally Disposed Of
In and around the Byzantine Empire, it was common practice to mutilate your political opponents. And Tamar’s family were traditionalists when it came to this. When Tamar was young, her father, the King George III Georgia, disfigured and blinded her cousin who had a claim to the throne, thus eliminating him as a genuine rival and clearing her own path to ruling.
It’s disturbing, but Tamar herself would go on to also deal out some major bloodshed in her lifetime.
Khrusi (ხრუსი), Wikimedia Commons
3. Everyone Called Her A King
In 1178, when she was about 18 years old, Tamar's father named her as his co-rule, making her Georgia’s first queen. Still, that wasn't quite good enough for her. She wanted there to be absolutely no confusion about her intentions—which were to rule exactly like a king. As a result, she started calling herself a “King of the Kings”. It was the first of many power moves. 
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
4. Men Grossly Underestimated Her
In spite of Tamar calling herself a king, she was still, at the end of the day, an 18-year-old woman when she became queen. And when that happened, people, particularly powerful men, were not overly pleased. Nonetheless, these men thought they could manipulate her because of her age and gender. Oh, how wrong they were. 
Gamer1234567, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons
5. Everyone Wanted A Piece Of Her Power Pie
Powerful people attract power-hungry people. So when Tamar became queen, a bunch of people started trying to take power away from her. One, named Qutlu, tried to set up a council that would be able to make the rules instead of the queen. This did not go well for them. 
Heritage Images, Getty Images
6. She Had Power Moves
Sometimes when a man made Queen Tamar angry, she exiled him to another country. So maybe the politician Qutlu was grateful that she simply had him detained and then threw him in prison as the leader of her opposition. But Tamar wasn’t unnecessarily cruel, and soon showed Qutlu friends some mercy. 
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
7. She Knew The Art Of Persuasion
Queen Tamar didn’t throw everyone in prison—only Qutlu. She told the rest of his clan that they should simply abandon their leader, give up, and go home. So they did. You see, it’s not so much that she had to show them who was boss, it’s more like that was just who she was—the boss. But they would soon test her again. 
TbilisiStMus, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
8. She Had Enemies
After Qutlu’s friends got home, they had an unwise change of heart. They turned around, marched up to Queen Tamar again, and demanded that she release Qutlu from where he was languishing in prison. But she wasn't in the least afraid. 
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
9. She Had Powerful Aunties
Queen Tamar had at her disposal some aunties, and she knew the kind of power that aunties can wield with just their words. When Qutlu’s band of rebels demanded Qutlu’s release, Tamar sent two noblewomen to negotiate. I don’t know what these women said but, judging by the way the men responded, it must have been pretty scary. 
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
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10. She Protected Her Country
In short order, the two women Tamar had sent to do her dirty work for her had the rebels on their knees swearing loyalty and obedience to the queen they were planning to attack just seconds before. Of course, they thought they would later still be able to get their way. But at this point, I bet you can guess how that went. 
Валериан Сидамон-Эристави., Wikimedia Commons
11. Her Enemies Failed To Get What They Wanted
When Qutli got out of prison, he and his allies again tries to implement their brilliant idea of a power share with Tamar. Except their plans never really got off the ground. The entire time, Queen Tamar strung them along and let them think she was open to negotiation, but shut them down at every turn. Qutlu especially did not fare well.
tomasz przechlewski from Sopot, Poland, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons
12. Her Traitors Fell Into Obscurity
There’s a lot written about this period of Georgian history, but no one really knows what happened to Qutlu after his release from prison. In fact, if he knew what the historians did say, he’d probably wish he had become totally unknown.
Momtsemlidze, Wikimedia Commons
13. People Insulted Her Rivals
Tamar is remembered with such reverence that someone once said she was “endowed with the intelligence and courage of a man”—a big compliment for the medieval period. Qutlu? Not so much. One chronicler referred to him as a "boy” and “a mule”. In Tamar's court, and the court of public opinon, Qutlu was finished. But Queen Tamar was about to meet her (almost) match. 
Unknown source, Wikimedia Commons
14. She Didn't Marry For Love
One annoying thing about being a queen? You usually don’t get to pick your own husband. You marry whoever is going to be good for the kingdom, and that’s decided by people who apparently know better than you do. Thus, Tamar’s aunt picked her husband for her.
Even so, Tamar may have even been excited about her aunt’s choice, based on what we know about him. 
Niko Pirosmani, Wikimedia Commons
15. Her First Husband Was Hot
In some ways, Tamar’s aunt’s choice of husband wasn't terrible on paper. The man, Yuri, was a prince, politically important, a good soldier, and, like Tamar herself, was physically attractive. Very physically attractive, if you believe the source that said he was “perfect of body”. Unfortunately, looks aren’t everything. 
Лицевой летописный свод, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons
16. He Was A Disappointment
Tamar’s new husband Yuri may have been good-looking, but he was also something of a total slob. He was inebriated nearly all the time. More than that, as their marriage wore on, he also developed a taste for power—and started liking it just a little too much. 
Mihály Zichy, Wikimedia Commons
17. He Carried Deep Trauma
To be fair to Yuri, when he was 14 years old, political rivals killed his father while he was lounging, unsuspecting, in bed. This kind of thing wasn't uncommon around and outside the Byzantine empire in the 12th century, but it does explain why Yuri had at least one reason to drink. But there was one more problem. 
Radzilla Chronicle, Wikimedia Commons
18. She Had An Unhappy Marriage
Given that this was a political marriage, Yuri didn't exactly choose Tamar either, and may have had his own reasons to be unhappy about his bride. In fact, there were rumors that he was gay. None of this made for a blessed union, and Yuri reportedly grew more and more miserable as time went on.
But you think Tamar just suffered through this? Nope. She took drastic action instead.
www.hrono.ru, Wikimedia Commons
19. She Filed For Divorce
Divorce was thought kindly upon in the 12th-century, medieval, uber Christian kingdom of Georgia. But Tamar didn’t let that stop her. So, after two years of an increasingly doomed marriage, she went to the very Orthodox Georgian Church leaders and asked for a divorce. Their response was incredible. 
Jvari_12august2009.jpg: George Nikoladzederivative work: Geagea, Wikimedia Commons
20. Her Divorce Was Painless
Somehow, in 1187, Tamar successfully persuaded the religious leaders to grant her the divorce. She herself was a pious Christian but obviously extremely charming because the Georgian religious leaders and all the nobles agreed to move the divorce forward.
They didn’t need to think twice. Which maybe in retrospect they should have, because their decision came back to haunt them.
User:Kober, Wikimedia Commons
21. She Sent Her First Husband Far Away
Who wants to run into their ex at the grocery store? Queen Tamar definitely did not. So she made sure that was impossible. Soon after her divorce, she arranged to have her ex-husband Yuri sent far away—800 miles away, to be exact, to Constantinople; a completely different country where they spoke a different language. He didn't react gracefully to this.
Angel Lahoz from Fuenlabrada, Spain, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
22. Her Ex Tried To Get His Revenge
Tamar enjoyed three blissful, Yuri-free years. Only, that all came to an end when Yuri trekked back to Georgia from Constantinople and staged a coup against her. Or tried to stage a coup. He failed, and was so little of a threat that Tamar didn’t even bother imprisoning him. Which she might have regretted because of what happened next. 
Help 123, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
23. He Staged A Coup Against Her
Even though Tamar pardoned him after the first coup, which is much more than he deserved, Yuri tried to stage another coup against her and failed again. You’d think he’d learn, but apparently good looks don't equal a smart brain. But one good thing did come of these coups. 
unkonown, Wikimedia Commons
24. She Had A Crush On One Of Her Commanders
Even though Tamar was powerful, she wasn’t demolishing rebels single handedly. One person in particular was excessively devoted to her: the handsome David Soslan, who was a prince, one of her aunt's students, and extremely good at fighting.
It’s this last bit that would make David so important for Tamar. 
Grigory Kotayev, Boris Sanakoyev, Umar Gassiyev / Котаев Григорий Сесеевич, Санакоев Борис Иосифович, Гассиев Умар Харитонович., CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons
25. Reader, She Married Him
Whether or not Tamar was following her emotions or a strategy to have the strongest man on her side, she made sure to marry David as soon as possible, tying the knot in 1189. Prince David would soon prove his loyalty to her in possibly the most dramatic way possible.
Gamer1234567, CC BY-SA 4.0 ,Wikimedia Commons
26. Her Husband Fought Off Her Ex
Is there any better fantasy than defeating your ex in battle? What about the fantasy where you don’t even break a nail because your current husband does it for you? That’s right, Tamar's new husband David helped defeat Tamar’s ex-husband Yuri and his band of goons who tried to depose her. Twice.
And the new power couple was just getting started. 
Os-Bagatar, CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons
27. Her Armies Conquered Cities
During this period of Tamar's life, she went through an enormous phase of conquering. So much, that it’s almost too brutal to relate every single victory that her armies had in their huge expansion. One soldier even remarked that they were conquering places whose existence they hadn’t even heard of.
The original uploader was Michalis Famelis at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons
28. She Gave The Best Battle Speeches
Tamar was a hands-on ruler, and she often rode with her men, particularly relishing in the moments she could deliver rousing speeches to her subjects before they rode into battle for her. Given all her conquests, these were clearly very motivational speeches.
Peter Ashton from Aylesbury, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
29. She Was Generous To Those In Need
Believe it or not, Tamar gave away a lot of her money to those in need. When she heard that a group of monks’ living quarters had burned down, she sent them money to dramatically improve their living situation: enough to install an irrigation system, build a mill, and plant a big garden.
But even when she was being generous, she didn't let people forget how fearsome she could be. 
Levan Gokadze, uploader Giorgi Balakhadze, CC BY-SA 2.0 ,Wikimedia Commons
30. She Was Fiercely Protective Of Her Friends
One time, Tamar again left money for some monks in Constantinople, only to find out that the Byzantine Emperor at the time, Alexios III Angelos, promptly confiscated the money for himself. Her response? She set her sights on Angelos’s territory in Trebizond (in modern-day Turkey) and sent in the army. 
Unknown Byzantine scribes, Wikimedia Commons
31. The Best Revenge Is Success
Tamar did not forget about her monk friends while she was off fighting the person who had stolen from them. Not only did she send them money again, she sent them even more money than she had originally. And she might have had a premonition of success about the new territory she was invading. Because this time, she went big.
tomasz przechlewski from Sopot, Poland, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons
32. One Empire Wasn’t Enough For Her
Even the Byzantine Emperor himself couldn’t stand in the way of Tamar; she defeated him and took over part of his territory. In a brilliant move, she then gave its rule to one of her younger cousins, who could then act as her staunch ally and extend the strength of her network. 
Unknown Byzantine scribes, Wikimedia Commons
33. She Loved Old Stuff
Queen Tamar’s warring and plundering made her and her country incredibly wealthy, and she didn't skimp on her own pleasures. She loved antiques, especially religious ones, and when supposed pieces of Jesus’s cross came up for auction, she bid an extravagant amount of money for it. But she had some stiff competition.
Margot Kask, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsIcon depicts probably Queen Tamar
34. She Outbid the Byzantine Emperor
What can I say? Medieval Christians love a relic. The Byzantine Emperor himself bid on this old True Cross fragment—but not enough. Tamar outbid him. Unfortunately, she still didn’t win and someone else got to take home the old cross. But don't worry. Tamar had no shortage of ideas about how to spend her money. 
Georgie. Eglise de Bethanie, Wikimedia Commons
35. She Implemented A Form Of Universal Basic Income
Tamar did not need studies to show that universal basic income actually improves the wellbeing of the whole nation. She spread her wealth around, giving 10% of all the country’s wealth to the lower classes, after first forgiving their debts. And these people weren’t just getting pennies either—they were getting much more.
Lidia Ilona, CC BY 2.0 ,Wikimedia Commons
36. Under Her Rule, Everyone Got Rich
There’s a reason that Queen Tamar’s reign is called Georgia’s “Golden Age.” With all the tributes she received from the places she had conquered, Georgians were partying in style. One person remarked, “the peasants were like nobles, the nobles like princes, and the princes like kings.” But her generosity didn’t stop there.
www.travelgeorgia.ru, CC BY-SA 3.0 ,Wikimedia Commons
37. She Abolished The Worst Forms Of Punishment
Even Tamar, who had no problem leading battles, pillaging, and plundering, knew that some forms of punishment are just inhumane. So she abolished the worst torture punishments. In turn, this contributed even more to her huge popularity. Merciful and smart. 
Post of Georgia, Wikimedia Commons
38. She Became A Saint While Still Alive
Most saints are canonized after they’ve died, but Queen Tamar was so revered that she was actually named a saint while she was still alive. Even so, sainthood didn't make her immortal, and when her end came, it was shocking for her people.
tomasz przechlewski from Sopot, Poland, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons
39. She Worked Hard Right To The End
Queen Tamar did not call in sick for work. One morning in 1213, she woke up and probably felt healthy—but by then she was 53 years old. While holding a business meeting in the middle of her summer residence, Queen Tamar suddenly fell ill. There would be no victorious comeback this time. 
tomasz przechlewski from Sopot, Poland, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons
40. Her Secret Burial Spot Is Legendary
Fifty three years old is nothing today, but back in the 12th century it was more like 75, and Queen Tamar eventually succumbed to her illness. Her final a resting place? A monastery—fitting, since she was friends with so many monks—but today, we still have no idea where exactly she is buried. Some think her burial place was kept secret on purpose. 
Dmitry Torbins, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons
41. She May Or May Not Be There
Scholars have looked, pilgrims have looked, and probably some heartbroken medieval men have looked. But no one has ever found Queen Tamar’s actual burial place. It’s probably in a secret cubby somewhere in the Gelati Monastery. Which, as it happens, you can visit today: The monastery is still intact, 800 years later, and entrance is free. 
ilan molcho from israel, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons
42. The Kingdom Fell Apart Without Her
Queen Tamar’s Golden Age was just that—hers, and no one else’s. Both her son and her daughter reigned after her and tried to live up to their mother’s reputation, but in the two decades after Tamar’s reign, Mongols invaded her territory multiple times and Georgian dominance of the area completely collapsed. Because there was no one like Tamar.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
43. She Scared Many Men
Queen Tamar's endless conquering during her heyday put some very powerful men on edge. When one neighboring Sultan, Suleiman II, saw Tamar and David’s successes, he got so worried that he sent Tamar a letter. When one of the generals under her command read it, he went ballistic. 
Picture by A. Patrick (based on the sketches of G. Kochoyan)., Wikimedia Commons
44. Her General Shot The Messenger
A messenger delivered the Sultan’s letter to Tamar and her toops, and when the general who received the letter read it, he was so incensed that he slapped the messenger in the face and knocked him unconscious. What was in that letter, you ask? More than enough to warrant that reaction.
George Chali, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons
45. A Ruler Called Her Feeble-Minded
The sultan started the letter by declaring that “every woman is feeble of mind," then added a bit in the middle demanding that Tamar and her armies should surrender immediately. But he saved his worst for last.
The sultan ended the missive by saying that, after they surrendered to him, Tamar could become his wife (if she converted to Islam) or his concubine (if she didn’t). The sultan’s messenger, when he regained consciousness, went back and told the Sultan that Tamar would not be surrendering. Then she got her real revenge.
Alex Bezrukov, CC BY-SA 2.5 , Wikimedia Commons
46. She Destroyed A Sultan
Why reply to a mean email when you can just obliterate the person? Queen Tamar’s army, rallied by another of her amazing speeches and led by her extremely capable husband David, destroyed Suleiman II's army and took over his territory. They weren't even finished: During the battle they even captured the Sultan’s brother. 
Grigory Gagarin, Wikimedia Commons
47. She Sold An Enemy For Pennies
Queen Tamar and her army continued their campaign to take over the region with the sultan's brother in tow. Then at some point, they got rid of the brother for precisely one horseshoe. I hope Tamar sent the Sultan a letter to gloat.
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