The Kartli Chronicle (“History of Georgia”) is an anonymous monument of Georgian annals, which is part of the well-known set of medieval Georgian chronicles “Kartlis Tskhovreba” ( Georgian ქართლის ცხოვრება, literally: “Life of Georgians”).
The “Kartli Chronicle” follows the set attributed to Leonty Mroveli with a small hagiographic narrative, “Martyrdom of King Archil,” which compositionally represents the epilogue of “The Biography of Vakhtang Gorgasal.” The “Kartli Chronicle” begins with the story of the heirs of the “king of Kartli” Archil ( VIII century ) who died in the struggle against the Arabs and are brought to 1072. The author of the chronicle was a contemporary of the king of Georgia Bagrat IV (1027-1072), and apparently died during the reign of his successor, George II (1072-1089).
Arabs conquering Transcaucasia in the middle of the 7th century finally completed the fall in Kartli of the ancient Georgian dynasty of Farnavazids . In the description of the feudal strife, aggravated in this connection, the author of the Chronicle of Kartli pursues the idea of kinship and continuity of the modern Bagratids , of which he is an apologist, with the ancient Georgian dynasty.
The annals describe the formation at the end of the VIII century. The Abkhazian kingdom , whose ruler, Leon II , with the help of the Khazars, proclaimed independence from Byzantium .
The second most important event after the formation of the Abkhazian kingdom, the author of the chronicle considers the elevation in southwestern Georgia of the Tao-Klarjet principality , headed by the descendant of the sovereign prince (mtavar) Stefanoz I, who was hiding from the persecution of the Arabs by Adrianas . The beginning of the heyday of Tao-Klargeti, the author connects with the name of the son of Adarnas Ashot.