Caucasian Iberia

Caucasian Iberia, also known as the Kingdom of Iberia, was an ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli. Existing from approximately 299 BCE to 580 CE, it was centered on present-day eastern Georgia. The kingdom was bordered by Colchis, Caucasian Albania, and Armenia, and its population, the Iberians, formed the nucleus of the Kartvelians. Ruled by several royal dynasties, Iberia was either an independent state or a dependent of larger empires, including the Sassanid and Roman empires. Christianity became the state religion in the 4th century. In 580 CE, the monarchy was abolished, and Iberia became a Persian province.