The Only Woman Crowned as KING – The Legend of King Tamar

She wasn't called Queen. She was called KING. King Tamar the Great. And under her rule, Georgia became the most powerful kingdom in the Caucasus, creating a golden age that lasted three decades.
In this video:
✅ How 18-year-old Tamar was crowned as KING (not queen) in 1184
✅ She divorced her abusive husband—then defeated him in battle twice
✅ Military genius: crushed the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Basian (1202)
✅ Expanded Georgia from small kingdom to Caucasus empire
✅ Created economic prosperity, cultural renaissance, and religious tolerance
✅ Promoted on merit, not birth—revolutionary for medieval times
✅ Why she's a saint honored as both warrior AND king
✅ How Western history erased her while Georgia never forgot
Tamar of Georgia (1160-1213) ruled for 29 years and transformed her kingdom completely. She wasn't a figurehead. She commanded armies, reformed laws, built infrastructure, protected minorities, and created Georgia's golden age. Contemporary Muslim historians called her "wise and just." Christian kingdoms saw her as their protector. Even the Mongols who later conquered Georgia left her monuments standing out of respect.
The title wasn't symbolic. In Georgian, she was "mepe" (king), not "dedopali" (queen consort). Because she held absolute power. She was THE monarch.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Called "King" Not "Queen"
00:45 - Coronation and Early Challenges
02:00 - Divorced, Then Defeated Her Ex-Husband
03:15 - Battle of Basian: Crushing the Seljuk Turks
04:30 - Economic and Cultural Golden Age
06:00 - Religious Tolerance in Age of Crusades
07:00 - Legacy: Saint, King, National Symbol
08:00 - Why History Matters
📚 SOURCES:

Eastmond, Antony. "Royal Imagery in Medieval Georgia" (1998)
Rayfield, Donald. "Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia" (2012)
Rapp, Stephen H. "Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography" (2003)
Georgian Chronicles and contemporary Persian/Armenian sources

🔥 WHY THIS MATTERS:
Tamar proves that female rulers don't need to be "softer" or "more diplomatic" to succeed. She was as aggressive in warfare and ruthless with incompetence as any male king. But she was also more progressive, tolerant, and focused on long-term prosperity than most medieval rulers.
Western history barely mentions her because she ruled outside Europe. But she created a golden age while the West was still in the Dark Ages. She deserves recognition as one of medieval history's greatest monarchs—regardless of gender.
This is FORGOTTEN QUEENS—telling the stories history erased.
👑 NEXT: More forgotten queens who changed history.
💬 Had you heard of King Tamar before this? Should she be as famous as European medieval rulers? 👇
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