Saint Shalva of Akhaltsikhe was a brilliant military commander
in the army of Queen Tamar and the prince of Akhaltsikhe. After
his victory at Shamkori in the Ganja region, Shalva carried with
him the flag of the caliph, as a sign of the invincibility of
the Christian Faith, and conferred it, along with the wealth he
had won, as an offering to the Khakhuli Icon of the Theotokos.
For his selfless service, Queen Tamar honored him with the rank
of commander-in-chief of the Georgian army. During the reign of
Queen Tamar’s daughter Rusudan (1222–1245), the armies of Sultan
Jalal al-Din stormed into Georgia. Rusudan rallied the Georgian
forces and appointed a new commander-in-chief by the name of
John Atabeg. Six thousand Georgians confronted a Muslim army of
two hundred thousand near the village of Garnisi. Command of the
advance guard was entrusted to the brave and valorous brothers
Shalva and John of Akhaltsikhe, while John Atabeg remained with
the main body of the army for the decisive battle. The advance
guard