Marabda, Battle of 1625

a battle between troops of Iran and the kingdoms of Kartli and Kakhetia (Eastern Georgia) on July 1 near the village of Marabda (lower Kartli, 20 km from Tbilisi).

The purpose of the invasion of Georgia by the Iranian Army under the leadership of Isai-Khan was to suppress the uprising begun on Mar. 25,1625, by Georgii Saakadze against the Iranian yoke and to wipe out and resettle the inhabitants of Eastern Georgia. Although the Georgian army, commanded by King Taimuraz I and G. Saakadze, was numerically inferior to the Iranians, the battle started successfully for the Georgians. But in the second half of the day the Iranians received reinforcements, and this decided the outcome of the battle in their favor. Total losses in the battle were about 25,000, 10,000 of whom were Georgians. The significance of the battle of Marabda lay in the fact that the weakened Iranian troops were unable to suppress the uprising and bring the country under control.