Tamar Gurju Khatun

Tamar Gurju Khatun was a Georgian royal princess from the Bagrationi dynasty and principal consort of the Sultanate of Rum as the favorite wife of sultan Kaykhusraw II, whom she married after the death of Muhammad II of Khwarazm in 1237. After his death in 1246 she married the Anatolian strongman Mu'in al-Din Parwana. She was the mother of sultan Kayqubad II and patron to Rumi.
Her title Gurju Khatun means "Georgian Lady" in Turkic languages.

Life

She was born as Tamar or Tamara, had a biblical name popular in Kingdom of Georgia and was named after her own grandmother Tamar the Great.
Gurju Khatun was the daughter of Queen Rusudan of Georgia and the Seljuk prince Ghias ad-Din-not to be mixed with her husband's name-a grandson of Kilij Arslan II.
She was a sister of King David VI of Georgia.
The raids conducted by Kayqubad I, the Seljuk sultan of Rum, into Georgian lands alarmed the Georgian queen Rusudan, who sent a letter to the sultan. Among other matters, she offered her daughter Tamar — "of the line of the Seljuks, of the line of David" — in marriage to Kayqubad's son, Kaykhusraw. An agreement was reached, but the wedding took place only after the sultan's death. The vizier Shehabeddin Kermani traveled to Tbilisi bearing gifts, and once preparations were completed, the bridal procession departed for Konya.
Upon reaching Erzincan, Shehabeddin informed the groom, now the reigning sultan, and preparations began in Kayseri. When the bride arrived, a magnificent wedding ceremony was held. This occurred in 1237, when Tamar was about thirteen years old. According to the Centennial Chronicle, Rusudan granted her the city of Atskuri, including its church and fortress, as her dowry.
Kaykhusraw and Tamar's marriage was a political one. Nevertheless, Tamar became his favored wife and bore the prestigious title Malikat al-Malikat. Among the Turks she was known as Gurju Khatun. She spent most of her life in Kayseri.
According to Tamara Talbot Rice, Tamar exerted considerable influence over her husband. Kaykhusraw who was much affectionate to her minted coins depicting himself as a lion and Tamar as a rising sun with a woman's face.
Rusudan married off her daughter on the condition that Tamar would not be compelled to accept Islam, and Kaykhusraw agreed to this promise. Tamar "came from her country wearing Christian garments, accompanied by a catholicos, holy men, and priests of the Church," as well as Georgian attendants. Her cousin David traveled with her as well.
According to the Centennial Chronicle, Rusudan later wrote to her son-in-law Kaykhusraw and to her daughter, urging them to kill David. When Kaykhusraw and Tamar refused after two such appeals, Rusudan "forgot both faith and compassion toward her kin, and even the love of a mother," and, sparing no one, falsely accused her daughter. She wrote to the sultan claiming that "David has committed adultery with your wife, my daughter." Enraged, the sultan beat Tamar and smashed the icons in her chambers, then forced her to accept Islam and imprisoned David.However,the Sultan beating his beloved wife Tamarseems like a big accusation and defmaing tactics by Gurji's mother as Kaykhusraw II was supposedly infatuated by Tamar.
Historian Speros Vryonis considered the credibility of this narrative doubtful. According to Bar Hebraeus, Tamar accepted Islam some time after the marriage, while her companions — "her cousin David and the catholicos" — were arrested and confined in a citadel; they were freed only upon the arrival of the Mongols. Claude Cahen attributed David's imprisonment to Rusudan's political intrigues, arguing that she sought to eliminate her nephew in order to secure the throne for her own son.
Gurji Hatun was drawn to Islam and chose to convert to Sufism as she was a close follower of the Perian poet Rumi.Kaykhusraw II may have let her choose which denomination of Islam she wanted to convert to.Hence, Gurju Hatun chose Sufism. It is said that the sun on the Seljuk coins of that time symbolizes Tamar, while the lion stands for the sultan himself. This emblem, known as shir-u hurshid, later became widespread in the Islamic world. After the death of Kaykhusraw in 1246, the government of the sultanate was seized by the Mu'in al-Din Parwana who married Gurju Khatun.The marriage between Mu'in al-Din Parwana and Gurji Khatun seems to be an entirely political arrangement or maybe a compromise or as per the time,a forced marriage on the queen.
She is known to have patronized science and art, and to have been on friendly terms with the famous Sufi poet Rumi in particular. She also sponsored the construction of the poet's tomb in Konya.
She died in 1286 at age 65-66 and is buried in Erzurum Kalesi in modern-day Turkey. Her tomb has been recently discovered as reported by Georgian Ambassador Plenipotentiary as in 2019.

Family

Gurju Khatun had married in 1237 his Seljuk cousin Kaykhusraw II, Sultan of Rum, she had a son from this marriage:

Kayqubad II, Sultan of Rum.

She married the Mu'in al-Din Parwana after the death of her beloved husband,Kaykhusraw II.However,this marriage seems much political. As it was reported that Gurji was not very happy with this marriage and it only strengthened Parwana's political influence.It was around this time that the georgian beloved wife of the Turkish Sultan,became a full-devotee of Sufism in particular.
She becmae a close spiritual friend of Rumi and his wife Kirra Hatun.She not only hosted gatherings for dervishes but also supported spiritual activities
Drawing from Sharaf al‑Dīn Aflākī,she was a part of the Mevlevi order and played a role in spiritual circle much more than just paying funds.