George IV Lasha (Georgian: ლაშა გიორგი; Lasha Giorgi) (1191–1223) of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Georgia from 1213 to 1223.

Life

A son of Queen Regnant Tamar and her consort David Soslan, George was declared as a coregent by his mother in 1207. He had princely domain in Javakheti, centered at Alastani, for which he was known by the title of javakht' up'ali, i.e., "the Lord of the Javakhians" as suggested by a type of silver coins stuck in his name.

George IV continued Tamar’s policy of strengthening of the Georgia feudal state. He put down the revolts in neighbouring Muslim vassal states in the 1210s and began preparations for a large-scale campaign against Jerusalem to support the Crusaders in 1220. However, the Mongol approach to the Georgian borders made the Crusade plan unrealistic. The first Mongol expedition defeated two Georgian armies in 1221–1222 and left through Inner Caucasus. Georgians suffered heavy losses in this war and the King himself was severely wounded. As a result Lasha George became an invalid and died prematurely at the age of 31. He was succeeded by his sister Rusudan.