109–90 BC: Religious Rebellion, Persian Influence, and the Tragic Fall of the First Pharnavazid Dynasty

Every dynasty has a moment of overreach. For the Pharnavazids, it came with King Parnajom. He was a king who tried to force his nation into a mold it did not fit. His reign is a fascinating and tragic study of cultural identity, religious conflict, and the deadly consequences of ignoring the will of the people.

Parnajom did not fall because he was weak; he fell because he tried to change the very soul of Georgia. This is the story of the King who bet everything on a new god—and lost.

The Persian Influence

Parnajom ascended the throne after the stable reign of his father, Mirian I. But unlike his father, who respected local customs despite his Persian blood, Parnajom embraced his Persian heritage too tightly. He looked at the Georgian pantheon established by Pharnavaz—Armazi, Ainina, Danina—and found it lacking.

He turned his eyes East, to the Zoroastrian fires of Persia. He imported a new religion and a new deity: Zaden (associated with the Zoroastrian Yazata, or angel). This was not just a personal belief; it was a state policy intended to align Georgia culturally and politically closer to the Persian Empire.

The Idol of Zaden and the Fortress of Defiance

Parnajom was a builder. To house his new god, he undertook a massive construction project. He built the fortress of Zaden-Tsikhe on a high mountain overlooking Mtskheta and the Aragvi valley (modern-day Zedazeni). There, he erected a colossal idol of Zaden.

This was a provocative act. By placing a foreign god on a peak that rivaled the hill of Armazi (the national god), Parnajom was challenging the established order. The Georgian chroniclers write that he “loved the religion of the Persians.” He filled his court with Persian magi and astronomers, alienating the native Georgian nobility and the common people.

The National Backlash

The reaction was visceral. The Georgians saw this not as innovation, but as betrayal. The preservation of the “language of Parnavaz” and the “gods of Parnavaz” was central to their identity. The nobility (Eristavis) famously declared: “We will not forsake the gods of our fathers for strange idols.”

Parnajom had miscalculated. He thought his power as King was absolute, but the Georgian monarchy relied on the consent of the powerful feudal lords. By threatening their culture, he united them against him.

The Great Betrayal and Civil War

The discontent ripened into treason. The Georgian nobles knew they couldn’t defeat Parnajom alone—he had Persian backing. So, they looked to their neighbor: Armenia.

They sent a secret message to King Artaxias I of Armenia (some sources say Arshak): “Our king has betrayed our gods and our blood. Give us your son, Arshak, to be our king, and we will overthrow Parnajom.” The Armenian king agreed instantly. This was a chance to place his own dynasty (the Artaxiads) on the Georgian throne.

A massive war ensued. Parnajom called upon his Persian allies for help, hiring mercenaries to defend his throne. The Armenian army, bolstered by the rebellious Georgian nobles, marched into Kartli. The country was torn apart in a brutal civil war that pitted traditionalists against the King’s Persianized faction.

The Fall of the King

The decisive battle took place near the very fortress Parnajom had built. Despite his preparations and Persian support, the tide was against him. Parnajom fought bravely but was defeated and killed in combat. With his death, the direct male line of the first Pharnavazid dynasty was temporarily extinguished (though his son, Mirvan, survived in exile to reclaim the throne later).

The victor, the Armenian prince Arshak I, ascended the throne, beginning the Artaxiad dynasty’s rule in Iberia.

Tourism Guide: The Mountain of Zaden

Parnajom’s legacy is etched into the landscape near Mtskheta:

  1. Zedazeni Monastery: Drive up the winding forest road from Mtskheta to the top of Zedazeni mountain. Here, where Parnajom erected his pagan idol of Zaden, now stands one of the oldest Christian monasteries in Georgia (founded by St. John of Zedazeni in the 6th century). The triumph of Christianity over Parnajom’s paganism is physically visible here.
  2. ruins of Zaden-Tsikhe: Around the monastery, you can still trace the massive defensive walls of the fortress Parnajom built. The view from here is spectacular—you can see Mtskheta, Jvari, and Tbilisi in the distance. It’s a perfect spot to understand why he chose this location for his god.
  3. Mtskheta: Visit the museum to see artifacts from this period, showing the heavy influence of Persian culture (silver bowls, fire altars) that Parnajom tried to impose.

Parnajom’s reign serves as a powerful reminder of the tension between East and West that has defined Georgia’s history. He tried to turn Georgia East, and the country violently corrected its course.