K‘art‘velian political authority remained feeble throughout the ninth century, and as it had in previous times the local church postured to fill the void. But the Arab con- quest brought changes to the K‘art‘velian Church. As a result of the occupation, what may have been thousands of religious and secular elites evacuated the region. Some travelled east into the mountainous far eastern regions of Kaxet‘i, while many others sought refuge in the Georgian south-west, in regions such as Tao (the Armenian Tayk‘), Klarjet‘i and Shavshet‘i, where the Arabs had been unable to extend their dominion. Over the next two centuries a K‘art‘li-in-exile was created, which I call neo K‘art‘li.
