Editing Tahmasp I (section)

=== Georgian campaigns ===
{{Further|Tahmasp I's campaigns in Kartili and Kakheti}}

Tahmasp was interested in the [[Caucasus]], especially Georgia, for two reasons: to reduce the influence of the Ostajlu tribe (who kept their lands in southern Georgia and Armenia after the 1526 civil war) and a desire for booty, similar to that of his father. Since the Georgians were mainly Christian, he used the pretext of {{Transliteration|ar|[[Jihad]]}} (Islamic armed struggle against nonbelievers) to justify the invasion.<ref>{{harvnb|Savory|2007|pages=65}}; {{harvnb|Panahi|2015|pages=52}}.</ref> Between 1540 and 1553, Tahmasp led four [[I Tahmasp's marches in Kartli and Kakheti|campaigns]] against the Georgian kingdoms.{{Sfn|Savory|2007|p=64}} The Safavid army looted [[Tbilisi]], including its churches and the wives and children of the nobility, in the first campaign.{{Sfn|Hitchins|2000}} Tahmasp also forced the governor of Tbilisi, Golbad, to convert to Islam. The [[Kingdom of Kartli|King of Kartli]], [[Luarsab I of Kartli|Luarsab I]] ({{reign|1527/1534|1556/1558}}), managed to escape and went to hiding during Tahmasp's raiding.{{Sfn|Maeda|2021|p=129}} During his second invasion, ostensibly to ensure the stability of Georgian territory, he looted the farms and subjugated [[Levan of Kakheti]] ({{reign|1518/1520|1574}}).{{Sfn|Panahi|2015|p=46}} One year before the Peace of Amasya in 1554, Tahmasp led his last military campaign into the Caucasus. Throughout his campaigns, he took many prisoners, and this time he brought 30,000 [[Georgians]] to Iran. Luarsab's mother, Nestan Darejan was captured during these campaigns, but committed suicide upon incarceration.{{Sfn|Maeda|2021|p=130}} The descendants of these prisoners formed a "third force" in the Safavid administration and bureaucracy with the Turkomans and Persians and became a main rival to the other two during the later years of the Safavid Empire.{{Sfn|Hitchins|2000}} Although this "third force" came to power two generations later during the reign of Tahmasp's grandson, [[Abbas the Great]] ({{Reign|1588|1629}}), it began infiltrating Tahmasp's army during the second quarter of his reign as {{Transliteration|Fa|[[Ghilman|gholams]]}} (slave warriors) and {{Transliteration|Fa|[[Qurchi (royal bodyguard)|qorchis]]}} (royal bodyguards of the shah) and became more influential at the apex of the Safavid empire.{{Sfn|Roemer|2008|p=246}}

In 1555, following the Peace of Amasya, eastern Georgia remained in Iranian hands and western Georgia was ruled by the Turks.{{Sfn|Mikaberidze|2015|p=xxxi}} Never again did Tahmasp appear on the Caucasus frontier after the treaty. Instead, the Governor of Georgia, [[Shahverdi Sultan]], represented Safavid power north of the [[Aras (river)|Aras River]].{{Sfn|Maeda|2021|p=130}} Tahmasp sought to establish his dominance by imposing several Iranian political and social institutions and placing converts to Islam on the thrones of Kartli and [[Kingdom of Kakheti|Kakheti]]; one was [[David XI of Kartli|Davud Khan]], brother of [[Simon I of Kartli]] ({{Reign|1556|1569|1578|1599}}).{{Sfn|Hitchins|2000}} Son of Levan of Kakheti, [[Prince Jesse of Kakheti|Prince Jesse]] also appeared in Qazvin during the 1560s and converted to Islam. In return, Tahmasp granted him favours and gifts. The prince was given the old royal palace for his residence in Qazvin, and became the governor of [[Shaki, Azerbaijan|Shaki]] and adjacent territories.{{Sfn|Maeda|2021|p=130}} The conversion of these Georgian princes did not dissuade the Georgian forces who tried to reconquer Tbilisi under Simon I and his father, Luarsab I of Kartli, in the [[Battle of Garisi]]; the battle ended in a [[stalemate]], with Luarsab and the Safavid commander Shahverdi Sultan both slain in battle.{{Sfn|Roemer|2008|p=245}}