Rusudan of Georgia, Empress of Trebizond (in Georgian: რუსუდანი) was the consort of Manuel I of Trebizond, and the mother of the Empress Theodora. Very little is known for sure about it. Family Rusudan is commonly regarded as a member of the Bagrationi dynasty. However, Michel Kuršanskis argues that Rusudan could have been nothing more than a commoner and the mistress of Emperor Manuel. Kuršanskis points out that it was not the Georgian custom to name their children after their parents. "That alone should be sufficient to indicate that Rusudan could not be the Queen's daughter by the same name." Rusudan is simply described as "of Iberia," and nothing is said about his ancestry. Empress
Rusudan is mentioned briefly in the chronicle of Miguel Panaretos. "Mrs. Teodora Comnena, the first daughter of Lord Manuel the Great Comnenus with Russadan of Iberia." Based on Georgian sources, Kuršanskis suggests that Rusudan died in 1247.
Manuel had at least two daughters whose mother is not mentioned, and who could be children with Rusudan. One of the daughters married Demetrius II of Georgia, the other married one of his Didebul. Although it was mentioned in modern genealogies as a name, "Didebul" was actually a title. According to "The Bagrationi (Bagration) Dynasty" by Christopher Buyers, the Didebul were "non-hereditary nobles of high rank."
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