Seljuq Empire
After a brief campaign conducted by Melik-Shah I of Seljuq Empire in southern Georgia, the emperor handed the duchies of Samshvilde and Arran to a certain "Sarang of Gandza", referred to as Savthang in Arabic sources. Leaving 48,000 cavalrymen to Sarang, he ordered another campaign to bring Georgia fully under the dominion of Seljuq Empire. The ruler of Arran, aided by the Muslim rulers of Dmanisi, Dvin and Ganja marched his army into Georgia.