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The Kipchak families that became Georgia's standing army undid the kingdom
A medieval Georgian king resettled Kipchak families as a standing army - but what cost did that commitment carry?
The Kipchak families that became Georgia's standing army undid the kingdom
In this episode, we follow the moment Georgia stopped being a tribute-paying client and rebuilt itself by resettling Kipchak families as soldiers with land and obligation. We trace how that decision reshaped politics, military practice, and social structure - and ask how a strength became a structural weakness.
Person: David IV
Date: 1121 (Battle of Didgori); 1099 (refusal to pay Seljuk tribute); 1118-1120…
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