The Tahmasp I's Kakhetian and Kartlian campaigns was a series of campaigns of the Safavid Iran under the leadership of Shah Tahmasp I against the Georgian Kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti.

Georgia was one of the regions that sparked the interest of Shah Tahmasp. One of the reasons for this was to diminish the power of the Ustajlu tribe, who held the territories of present-day southern Georgia and Armenia, although another motive was plunder. Attacks on predominantly Christian Georgian territories were often motivated by jihad.; . During Shah Tahmasp's initial march, Tbilisi was plundered, its churches, Georgian nobles' wealth, children, and wives were seized as booty. Additionally, eventually, the rulers of cities like Tbilisi and Golbada were compelled to accept Shiism. King Luarsab I managed to escape and hide during Tahmasp's marches. The objective of the second march was to establish stable Qizilbash rule in Georgian territories. Again, through raids and plundering observed during the march, King Levan of Kakheti was subdued, and he pledged allegiance to the Shah. Another march took place a year before the Treaty of Amasya. In each of these marches, along with a considerable amount of booty seized, Qizilbash forces also obtained numerous captives upon their return. Sources report that in one march, 30,000 captives were seized. Among these captives was Luarsab's mother, Nestan Darejan, who committed suicide after being taken captive. Some of these captives later managed to integrate into the Safavid bureaucracy.

In 1555, according to the Treaty of Amasya, Eastern Georgia remained under the rule of the Qizilbash. In subsequent campaigns, Shah Tahmasp did not personally participate; instead, the representation of Qizilbash rule in the region was entrusted to Shahverdi Sultan Ziyadoghlu Qajar. He generally ruled over the territories north of the Aras River. To maintain his authority in the region, Tahmasp sought to convert influential figures in Kartli and Kakheti to Shiism. For example, Daud Khan, brother of Simon I, serves as an example. Prince Jesse, the son of Levan of Kakheti, also came to Qazvin in the 1560s and embraced Shiism. In return, Shah Tahmasp bestowed gifts and positions upon him. He was given a palace in Qazvin and appointed as the ruler of Sheki and its surrounding areas. The conversion of these Georgian princes to Shiism did not hinder Kartli rulers like Luarsab I and his son Simon from continuing their resistance against the Qizilbash, who were attempting to regain Tbilisi. The outcome of the Battle of Garisi, where these Georgian rulers fought against the Qizilbash, resulted in a Georgian pyrrhic victory.

Background Military campaigns to Georgia, primarily centered around Azerbaijan and Eastern Anatolia-based states, had become commonplace since the 15th century and even earlier. Shah Ismail's maternal grandfather, Uzun Hasan of the Aq Qoyunlu, conducted major campaigns into Georgia on three occasions—1458, 1461, and 1476. Shah Ismail himself, even after the defeat at the Battle of Chaldiran, sent armies into Georgian territories. Several reasons contributed to these frequent campaigns, with the primary one being the geographical location of the region. The rivalry between the Ottoman and Safavid empires motivated them to create a buffer zone, and Georgia served as such a region. During Tahmasp 's reign, one of the reasons for the campaigns was the necessity for plunder within the Qizilbash army. However, the main reason for his initial campaign was entirely different; it aimed to elevate the cohesion and combat morale within the Qizilbash army by successfully conducting a military campaign. The lack of political and military unity in the fragmented Georgian kingdoms made them easy targets for the larger and more organized armies of the Ottomans and Safavids.

The Christian population of Georgia served as legitimate targets for surrounding Turkic-Muslim states. These states often utilized jihad as a means to secure their political legitimacy, allowing them to impose taxes and levies on non-Muslim populations. However, the religious and political confrontation between the two empires in border territories did not diminish in importance; military operations in the region were often necessary to showcase imperial power and strengthen their claims of legitimacy. Furthermore, during this period, the Safavid state was highly militarized, and warfare was considered a natural and noble way of life for the Qizilbash warriors who fulfilled these duties. It was in warfare that they could demonstrate their courage, sacrifices, and honor. War also provided opportunities for enrichment and acquiring vast territories. Tahmasp appointed his commanders who participated in these campaigns to key state positions, and they, in turn, distributed the spoils of war among their supporters. All these factors served as strong motivations for expansion into the Caucasus, and the Safavid high command believed that these benefits outweighed the direct confrontation risk with the Ottomans in the region.

First march

Shah Tahmasp's first campaign into Georgian territory occurred in 1541 when he was 27 years old. By this time, he had consolidated all his power and placed his trusted individuals from the Qizilbash elite in positions of authority throughout the provinces. At the beginning of this campaign, internal civil war had ceased, stability had been established on the eastern borders through victories over the Uzbeks in 1539, and it had been six years since the conclusion of Süleyman's campaign from 1533 to 1535. Kartli and Kakheti kingdoms bore the brunt of Safavid incursions during Tahmasp's reign (and later during the reign of his grandson, Abbas I). On the other hand, the Principality of Samtskhe, taking advantage of its geographical distance to avoid the risks of direct military confrontation and maintain its independence, engaged in political dialogue with the Safavids. The Kingdom of Kartli, ruled by the Bagrationi dynasty, had a powerful ruler named King Luarsab I, who held sway over several autonomous states like Sabaratiano, Saamilaxvaro, and Satsitsiano. He was a staunch adversary of Shah Tahmasp during this period and vigorously resisted the Safavids' attempts to establish dominance in Kartli and neighboring regions.

The Safavid sources of the period do not distinguish between the Georgian kingdoms; in these sources, the general designation for the region is the term "Georgia." However, by noting rulers or well-known cities (such as Qori or Tbilisi), one can determine which specific kingdom is being referred to. According to these sources, the primary motive for initiating these campaigns was nothing other than the "holy war" (jihad) against the infidels. Hasan-bey Rumlu, in his chronicle, writes: "In defense of the faith and the victory of Shah Islam and the strengthening of the Prophet's religion, fearless armies marched to Georgia." On the other hand, Armenian chronicler Zakaria Kanakertsi mentions that the Georgians were the cause of the initial invasion, as they "attacked and plundered any Iranian who came to Tbilisi." In 1541, Qizilbash forces advanced from Karabakh to Tbilisi, the capital of Kartli under the rule of King Luarsab. Just two years prior to the Safavid invasion, Michel Membray, the Venetian envoy who passed through Georgia, wrote: According to Membray's information, the Kingdom of Kakheti had paid tribute to the Safavid Empire at least until 1538. Hasan bey Rumlu, who participated in Shah Tahmasp's first campaign to Georgia, provides more detailed information compared to other available sources. According to his writings, the Qizilbash army reached the city of Tbilisi at night and immediately launched an attack on the city. One of Luarsab's commanders, Kalbad-i Gurji, was in Tbilisi with his fighters and intended to resist. Eventually, he was defeated, and the city was captured by the Qizilbash. The captured city was plundered, and the people were taken as captives. Another Georgian commander, Habs Bartis, fled to the fortress of Habs Bartis but was eventually defeated. Those who converted to Islam, including Kalbad, survived, while those who did not immediately were executed. The Qizilbash army began marching along the banks of the Kura River to capture Luarsab and his people. The army quickly returned to Tabriz with victories and numerous captives. A notable feature of these campaigns was the siege of fortresses in Georgian principalities. In fact, the success of each round of military attacks depended on the capture of the chain of fortresses controlling the territory. The stone fortress was a symbol of the military aristocracy of Georgia—it was the center of their political and administrative apparatus and the basis of their military power in the region. In other words, to dominate the region, it was necessary to first control the central fortress of that region. During these campaigns, the fortress was the strongest, most threatening, and dominant structure that Safavid forces encountered in Georgian villages. Capturing the fortress was essential to break the power of Georgian armed forces in any specific area and played a significant role in these campaigns.

Safavids' successful campaign in 1541 was indeed significant. Despite facing numerous challenges in battles against the superior Ottoman army, the rise in morale of the Qizilbash army contributed to this outcome. Correspondingly, this victory brought great personal benefits to Shah Tahmasp himself, as it reflected the increasing power and influence of his armed forces. During this period, Shah Tahmasp needed military success to enhance his personal influence and strengthen central authority. Ultimately, the success achieved in this campaign led to an increase in loyalty of the Qizilbash commanders to their Shahs and convinced them of his strong leadership. Undoubtedly, this military victory also resulted in political gains for Shah Tahmasp. Therefore, despite the campaign not achieving total victory, Shah Tahmasp had to be content with its outcomes.

Second march

In the winter of 1547, six years later, Shah Tahmasp launched a new campaign against the Kingdom of Kartli. Apparently, the decision was influenced by the rebellion of Shah Tahmasp's younger brother, Alqas Mirza, and his participation in the third Ottoman campaign. News of Alqas Mirza's rebellion reached Shah Tahmasp while he was in Qazvin in 1546. The Shah's envoy, Ali Agha Qapichibashi, was sent to persuade him, but his efforts were unsuccessful. Subsequently, Shah Tahmasp decided to march to Shirvan with his army. Upon hearing of the Shah's approach, Alqas Mirza felt threatened and sent his mother and son, Ahmed Mirza, to the Shah's court seeking forgiveness. The Shah accepted the offer and dispatched his senior officials, Shahqulu Khalifeh Mohuradari, Sevindik Bey Qorchubashi, and Badr Khan Ustajlu, to arrange for Alqas Mirza to swear an oath on the Quran that he would not rebel again. In return for his agreement, Alqas Mirza pledged to pay a thousand tumans in tribute annually, send a thousand soldiers in times of war, and remain loyal until death. Despite not being entirely satisfied with these developments, Shah Tahmasp continued his march northward and arrived in Tabriz from Sahand.