in 978, ioane marushis-dze, aided by david, forced theodosius of abkhazia to abdicate the throne in favour of his nephew bagrat. the latter left his mother, gurandukht, to govern kartli and proceeded to kutaisi to be crowned king of the abkhazians. disorder was still rampant in the kingdom, but bagrat’s descent from both bagratid and abkhazian dynasties made him an acceptable choice for the nobles of the realm who were growing weary of internecine quarrels.