Alexander III of Imereti
Encyclopedia
Alexander III (1609–1660), of the Bagrationi Dynasty
, was a king of Imereti
from 1639 to 1660.
Alexander succeeded upon the death of his father, George III of Imereti
, in 1639. Most of his reign was spent in the struggle against the powerful prince of Mingrelia, Levan II Dadiani, who refused to acknowledge the king of Imereti as his overlord, and aspired to displace him from his throne. In one of the battles, Dadiani captured and blinded Alexander’s energetic brother Rostom, bringing the king to the edge of despair. Alexander’s father-in-law, Teimuraz I of Kakheti
, who had fled the Saffavid
Persian invasion of his country to Imereti, attempted to mediate the conflict, but nothing came of this.
Both Mingelian and Imeretian rulers sought Russian
support in their cause. Envoys from Moscow
visited Mingrelia in 1639/40, though without achieving any positive results. In response to an appeal from Alexander, another embassy arrived in the Imeretian capital of Kutaisi
in 1651, and, on October 9, Alexander took an oath of fealty to Tsar
Alexis Mikhailovich. As the Russian were still too far from Transcaucasia, this move had virtually no effect on the course of events, though. It was not until Levan’s death in 1657 that Alexander was able to avenge his earlier setbacks. He immediately marched into Mingrelia, subdued its nobles and installed his own nominee, Vameq, as prince-Dadiani
. In 1659, he also interfered in the Principality of Guria
, and replaced the refractory prince Kaikhosro I with his protégé Demetre Gurieli. Thus, for a short time, the authority of the crown of Imereti was reestablished throughout western Georgia.
Bagrationi Dynasty
The Bagrationi dynasty was the ruling family of Georgia. Their ascendency lasted from the early Middle Ages until the early 19th century. In modern usage, this royal line is frequently referred to as the Georgian Bagratids, a Hellenized form of their dynastic name.The origin of the Bagrationi...
, was a king of Imereti
Kingdom of Imereti
The Kingdom of Imereti was established in 1455 by a member of the house of Bagration when the Kingdom of Georgia was dissolved into rival kingdoms. Before that time, Imereti was considered a separate kingdom within the Kingdom of Georgia, to which a cadet branch of the Bagration royal family held...
from 1639 to 1660.
Alexander succeeded upon the death of his father, George III of Imereti
George III of Imereti
George III , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Imereti from 1605 to 1639. George succeeded on the death of his brother, Rostom of Imereti, but his authority was seriously challenged by the energetic prince of Mingrelia, Levan II Dadiani, whose increasing influence over the western Georgian...
, in 1639. Most of his reign was spent in the struggle against the powerful prince of Mingrelia, Levan II Dadiani, who refused to acknowledge the king of Imereti as his overlord, and aspired to displace him from his throne. In one of the battles, Dadiani captured and blinded Alexander’s energetic brother Rostom, bringing the king to the edge of despair. Alexander’s father-in-law, Teimuraz I of Kakheti
Teimuraz I of Kakheti
Teimuraz I , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a Georgian monarch who ruled, with intermissions, as King of Kakheti from 1605 to 1648 and also of Kartli from 1625 to 1633...
, who had fled the Saffavid
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
Persian invasion of his country to Imereti, attempted to mediate the conflict, but nothing came of this.
Both Mingelian and Imeretian rulers sought Russian
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia was the name of the centralized Russian state from Ivan IV's assumption of the title of Tsar in 1547 till Peter the Great's foundation of the Russian Empire in 1721.From 1550 to 1700, Russia grew 35,000 km2 a year...
support in their cause. Envoys from Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
visited Mingrelia in 1639/40, though without achieving any positive results. In response to an appeal from Alexander, another embassy arrived in the Imeretian capital of Kutaisi
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
in 1651, and, on October 9, Alexander took an oath of fealty to Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexis Mikhailovich. As the Russian were still too far from Transcaucasia, this move had virtually no effect on the course of events, though. It was not until Levan’s death in 1657 that Alexander was able to avenge his earlier setbacks. He immediately marched into Mingrelia, subdued its nobles and installed his own nominee, Vameq, as prince-Dadiani
Dadiani
Dadiani was a Georgian family of nobles, dukes and princes, and a ruling dynasty of the western Georgian province of Samegrelo.- The House of Dadiani :...
. In 1659, he also interfered in the Principality of Guria
Principality of Guria
The Principality of Guria was a historical state in Georgia. Centered on modern-day Guria, a southwestern region in Georgia, it was located between the Black Sea and Lesser Caucasus, and was ruled by a succession of twenty-two princes of the House of Gurieli from the 1460s to 1829. The...
, and replaced the refractory prince Kaikhosro I with his protégé Demetre Gurieli. Thus, for a short time, the authority of the crown of Imereti was reestablished throughout western Georgia.