Battle of Chikhori

The Battle of Chikhori was fought in 1463 between the forces of King George VIII of Georgia and those of the rebel prince Bagrat, claimant to the throne of western Georgia. The battle ended in a decisive victory for Bagrat and his allies among the western Georgian nobility, leading to George VIII’s retreat to eastern Georgia and the effective loss of royal authority in Imereti. Following his victory, Bagrat captured Kutaisi and was crowned king of Imereti, formally establishing a separate western Georgian monarchy. The battle marked a turning point in Georgian history and is generally regarded as the beginning of the irreversible fragmentation and decline of the unified Kingdom of Georgia.