The period of Arab rule in Georgia, known locally as "Araboba", extended from the first Arab incursions around the mid-7th century until the final defeat of the Emirate of Tbilisi by King David IV in 1122. Unlike other regions affected by Muslim conquests, Georgia's cultural and political structures remained relatively intact. The Georgian populace largely retained their Christian faith, and nobility kept control of their fiefdoms, while Arab rulers focused mainly on extracting tribute, which they often struggled to enforce. However, the region did experience significant devastation due to repeated military campaigns, and the Caliphs maintained influence over Georgia's internal dynamics for much of this era.

The history of Arab rule in Georgia is typically divided into three main periods:

1. Early Arab Conquest (645-736): This period began with the first appearance of Arab armies around 645, under the Umayyad Caliphate, and ended with the establishment of the Emirate of Tbilisi in 736. It was marked by the progressive assertion of political control over Georgian lands.

2. Emirate of Tbilisi (736-853): During this time, the Emirate of Tbilisi exerted control over all Eastern Georgia. This phase ended when the Abbasid Caliphate destroyed Tbilisi in 853 to suppress a rebellion by the local emir, marking the end of widespread Arab domination in the region.

3. Decline of Arab Rule (853-1122): Following the destruction of Tbilisi, the power of the Emirate began to wane, gradually losing ground to emerging independent Georgian states. The Great Seljuq Empire eventually replaced the Arabs as the dominant force in the Middle East in the second half of the 11th century. Despite this, Tbilisi remained under Arab rule until its liberation by King David IV in 1122.

Early Arab conquests (645–736)

In the early 7th century, the Principate of Iberia, covering most of present-day Georgia, adeptly navigated the complex political landscape dominated by the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires. By switching allegiances as necessary, Iberia managed to maintain a degree of independence. This delicate balance shifted in 626 when Byzantine Emperor Heraclius attacked Tbilisi and installed Adarnase I of the pro-Byzantine Chosroid Dynasty, marking a period of significant Byzantine influence.

However, the rise of the Muslim Caliphate and its subsequent conquests across the Middle East soon disrupted this status quo. The first Arab incursions into what is now Georgia occurred between 642 and 645, during their Arab conquest of Persia, with Tbilisi falling to the Arabs in 645. Although the region was integrated into the new province of Armīniya, local rulers initially retained a level of autonomy similar to what they had under Byzantine and Sassanid oversight.

The early years of Arab rule were marked by political instability within the Caliphate, which struggled to maintain control over its vast territories. The primary tool of Arab authority in the region was the imposition of the jizya, a tax levied on non-Muslims that symbolized submission to Islamic rule and provided protection against further invasions or punitive actions. In Iberia, as in neighboring Armenia, revolts against this tribute were frequent, particularly when the Caliphate showed signs of internal weakness. A significant uprising occurred in 681–682, led by Adarnase II. This revolt, part of broader unrest across the Caucasus, was eventually crushed; Adarnase was killed, and the Arabs installed Guaram II from the rival Guaramid Dynasty.

During this period, the Arabs also had to contend with other regional powers, notably the Byzantine Empire and the Khazars—a confederation of Turkic semi-nomadic tribes. While the Khazars had initially allied with Byzantium against Persia, they later played a dual role by also assisting the Arabs in suppressing the Georgian revolt in 682. The strategic importance of Georgian lands, caught between these powerful neighbors, led to repeated and destructive incursions, particularly by the Khazars from the north.

The Byzantine Empire, aiming to reassert its influence over Iberia, focused on strengthening its control over the Black Sea coastal regions such as Abkhazia and Lazica, areas not yet reached by the Arabs. In 685, Emperor Justinian II negotiated a truce with the Caliph, agreeing on a joint possession of Iberia and Armenia. However, this arrangement was short-lived, as the Arab victory at the Battle of Sebastopolis in 692 significantly altered the regional dynamics, leading to a new wave of Arab conquests. By around 697, the Arabs had subdued the Kingdom of Lazica and extended their reach to the Black Sea, establishing a new status quo that favored the Caliphate and solidified its presence in the region.

Emirate of Tbilisi (736-853)

In the 730s, the Umayyad Caliphate intensified its control over Georgia due to threats from the Khazars and ongoing contacts between local Christian rulers and Byzantium. Under Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik and Governor Marwan ibn Muhammad, aggressive campaigns were launched against the Georgians and the Khazars, significantly impacting Georgia. The Arabs established an emirate in Tbilisi, which continued to face resistance from local nobility and fluctuating control due to political instability within the Caliphate.

By the mid-8th century, the Abbasid Caliphate replaced the Umayyads, bringing more structured governance and harsher measures to secure tribute and enforce Islamic rule, particularly under the leadership of the wali Khuzayma ibn Khazim. However, the Abbasids faced revolts, notably from the Georgian princes, which they suppressed bloodily.

During this period, the Bagrationi family, likely of Armenian origin, rose to prominence in western Georgia, establishing a power base in Tao-Klarjeti. Despite Arab rule, they managed to gain significant autonomy, benefiting from the ongoing Arab-Byzantine conflicts and internal dissensions among the Arabs. By the early 9th century, the emirate of Tbilisi declared independence from the Abbasid Caliphate, leading to further conflicts involving the Bagrationi, who played a pivotal role in these power struggles.

By 813, Ashot I of the Bagrationi dynasty had restored the Principate of Iberia with recognition from both the caliphate and the Byzantines. The region saw a complex interplay of power, with the caliphate occasionally supporting the Bagrationi to maintain a balance of power. This era ended with significant Arab defeats and decreased influence in the region, paving the way for the Bagrationi to emerge as the dominant force in Georgia, setting the stage for the eventual unification of the country under their leadership.

Decline of Arab rule

By the mid-9th century, Arab influence in Georgia was waning, marked by the weakening of the Emirate of Tbilisi and the rise of strong Christian feudal states in the region, notably the Bagratids of Armenia and Georgia. The restoration of the monarchy in Armenia in 886, under the Bagratid Ashot I, paralleled the crowning of his cousin Adarnase IV as the king of Iberia, signaling a resurgence of Christian power and autonomy.

During this period, both the Byzantine Empire and the Caliphate sought the allegiance or neutrality of these burgeoning Christian states to counterbalance each other's influence. The Byzantine Empire, under Basil I the Macedonian (r. 867–886), experienced a cultural and political renaissance that made it an attractive ally to the Christian Caucasians, drawing them away from the Caliphate.

In 914, Yusuf Ibn Abi'l-Saj, the emir of Azerbaijan and a vassal of the Caliphate, led the last significant Arab campaign to reassert dominance over the Caucasus. This invasion, known as the Sajid invasion of Georgia, failed and further devastated the Georgian lands but reinforced the alliance between the Bagratids and the Byzantine Empire. This alliance enabled a period of economic and artistic flourishing in Georgia, free from Arab interference.

The influence of the Arabs continued to diminish throughout the 11th century. Tbilisi remained under the nominal rule of an emir, but the city's governance was increasingly in the hands of a council of elders known as the "birebi." Their influence helped maintain the emirate as a buffer against taxation from the Georgian kings. Despite attempts by King Bagrat IV to seize Tbilisi in 1046, 1049, and 1062, he was unable to maintain control. By the 1060s, the Arabs were supplanted by the Great Seljuk Empire as the primary Muslim threat to Georgia.

The decisive shift came in 1121 when David IV of Georgia, known as "the Builder," defeated the Seljuks at the Battle of Didgori, allowing him to capture Tbilisi the following year. This victory ended nearly five centuries of Arab presence in Georgia, integrating Tbilisi as the royal capital, although its population remained predominantly Muslim for some time. This marked the beginning of a new era of Georgian consolidation and expansion under native rule.