The Torture of Queen Ketevan in Georgian and Foreign Sources

Abstract

On September 13, 1624, Georgian Queen Ketevan was brutally tortured in Shiraz by order of Shah Abbas I. Her strength and steadfastness astonished the world. Despite the Shah’s promise that she could live in worldly comfort if she renounced her faith, she refused all inducements and firmly defended Christianity. She remained in fervent prayer until the end, thus morally triumphing over Shah Abbas and his executioners. The torture of Queen Ketevan has been documented by numerous contemporary and near-contemporary sources, including Georgian chroniclers Monk Egnatashvili, Farsadan Gorgijanidze, Vakhushti Bagrationi, and King
Teimuraz I; Armenian historian Arakela Davrizhets in Iran; European Catholic missionaries Ambrozios Dush Anjush, Arcangelo Lamberti, Don Christopher de Castel, and Sebastiano di Ezus; French traveller Jean Chardin; and German poet and dramatist Andreas Gryphius. Both Georgian and foreign sources wrote with profound sadness and admiration about Queen Ketevan, who became a symbol of devotion and loyalty to faith – an inspiration for thousands of Georgians exiled in Iran and for believers worldwide. This paper examines the significance of each source in detail and evaluates the provenance and reliability of their accounts.