Constantine I of Kakheti
Encyclopedia
Constantine I or Constantine Khan (კონსტანტინე ხანი) (1567 – October 22, 1605), of the Bagrationi Dynasty
, was a king of Kakheti
in eastern Georgia
from March to October 1605.
A son of King Alexander II of Kakheti
by his wife Tinatin née Amilakhvari
, Constantine was taken, in his childhood to Persia where he was converted to Islam
and lived for many years. In 1604, Shah
Abbas I of Persia
appointed him a commander in Shirvan
to fight the Ottoman
forces there, and ordered him to secure the Kakhetian participation in the campaign. As Alexander II was reluctant to engage in this conflict, Constantine accompanied by a sizeable Persian entourage arrived in Kakheti, being honorably met by his father and elder brother George
at a camp near the border town of Bazari. On March 12, 1605, during the negotiations, Constantine murdered Alexander and George, and declared himself King of Kakheti. However, his subjects refused to recognize a patricide and revolted. The rebellion was led by Ketevan
, widow of Constantine’s brother David I
, who requested aid from his relative King George X of Kartli
. Constantine succeeded in bribing some of the rebel nobles, and, on the shah’s order, led a combined Kakhetian-Qizilbash army against Shirvan. During the protracted siege of Shemakha, the Kakhetian auxiliaries revolted and made Constantine flee. The rebels sent emissaries to Shah Abbas and pledged loyalty provided that Abbas confirmed their candidate, Ketevan’s son Teimuraz
, as a Christian king of Kakheti. Meanwhile, the Kartlian forces under Prince Papuna Amilakhvari intervened and inflicted a decisive defeat on Constantine’s army on December 22, 1605. Constantine was killed in battle, and Abbas was forced to acknowledge Teimuraz as a king.
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 Kakheti
Kingdom of Kakheti
The Kingdom of Kakheti was a late medieval/early modern monarchy in eastern Georgia, centered at the province of Kakheti, with its capital first at Gremi and then at Telavi...
in eastern Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
from March to October 1605.
A son of King Alexander II of Kakheti
Alexander II of Kakheti
Alexander II , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from 1574 to 1605. In spite of a precarious international situation, he managed to retain relative economic stability in his kingdom and tried to establish contacts with the Tsardom of Russia...
by his wife Tinatin née Amilakhvari
Amilakhvari
The Amilkhvari was a noble house of Georgia which rose to prominence in the fifteenth century and held a large fiefdom in central Georgia until the Imperial Russian annexation of the country in 1801. They were hereditary marshals of Georgia from c. 1433, from which the family takes its name...
, Constantine was taken, in his childhood to Persia where he was converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and lived for many years. In 1604, Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
Abbas I of Persia
Abbas I of Persia
Shāh ‘Abbās the Great was Shah of Iran, and generally considered the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad....
appointed him a commander in Shirvan
Shirvan
Shirvan , also spelled as Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both Islamic and modern times...
to fight the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
forces there, and ordered him to secure the Kakhetian participation in the campaign. As Alexander II was reluctant to engage in this conflict, Constantine accompanied by a sizeable Persian entourage arrived in Kakheti, being honorably met by his father and elder brother George
George, Crown Prince of Kakheti
George , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a crown prince of Kakheti, a kingdom in eastern Georgia.He was a son of Alexander II, king of Kakheti , who was temporarily dispossessed of the crown by his oldest son David I in 1601. George revolted against David, who managed to pacify his defiant brother...
at a camp near the border town of Bazari. On March 12, 1605, during the negotiations, Constantine murdered Alexander and George, and declared himself King of Kakheti. However, his subjects refused to recognize a patricide and revolted. The rebellion was led by Ketevan
Ketevan the Martyr
Ketevan, "the Martyr" was a queen of Kakheti, a kingdom in eastern Georgia. She was killed at Shiraz, Iran, after prolonged tortures for refusing to give up the Christian faith and embrace Islam.-Life:...
, widow of Constantine’s brother David I
David I of Kakheti
David I , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from October 1601 until his death in October 1602....
, who requested aid from his relative King George X of Kartli
George X of Kartli
George X , of the Bagrationi royal dynasty, was a king of the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli from 1599 until his death.Titles: H.M...
. Constantine succeeded in bribing some of the rebel nobles, and, on the shah’s order, led a combined Kakhetian-Qizilbash army against Shirvan. During the protracted siege of Shemakha, the Kakhetian auxiliaries revolted and made Constantine flee. The rebels sent emissaries to Shah Abbas and pledged loyalty provided that Abbas confirmed their candidate, Ketevan’s son Teimuraz
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...
, as a Christian king of Kakheti. Meanwhile, the Kartlian forces under Prince Papuna Amilakhvari intervened and inflicted a decisive defeat on Constantine’s army on December 22, 1605. Constantine was killed in battle, and Abbas was forced to acknowledge Teimuraz as a king.