Leon of Imereti
Encyclopedia
Leon (1573–1590), of the Bagrationi Dynasty
, was a king of Imereti
from 1585 to 1588. He succeeded on the death of his father, George II
, in 1585 when he was twelve years old. With his ascend to the throne, Leon faced a revolt by his own uncle, Constantine, who defied the royal authority and took control of Upper Imereti. Leon made an alliance with the Mingrelian prince Mamia IV Dadiani, married his sister Marekhi, and forced Constantine to surrender in 1587. A year later, Imereti was invaded by Simon I
, the resurgent king of Kartli
in eastern Georgia, who sought to reunify all Georgian lands under his crown. Leon was forced to flee to the highland province of Lechkhumi
, but was soon able to resume the throne after Simon had to return to Kartli. However, Leon soon quarreled with his brother-in-law Mamia IV Dadiani who defeated the king and imprisoned him at Fort Shkheti, Mingrelia, where he died in 1590.
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 1585 to 1588. He succeeded on the death of his father, George II
George II of Imereti
George II , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Imereti from 1565 to 1585. He succeeded on the death of his father, Bagrat III. With his ascend to the throne, George found himself involved in the civil war among the princes of western Georgia. He sided with his nominal vassal, Prince George...
, in 1585 when he was twelve years old. With his ascend to the throne, Leon faced a revolt by his own uncle, Constantine, who defied the royal authority and took control of Upper Imereti. Leon made an alliance with the Mingrelian prince Mamia IV Dadiani, married his sister Marekhi, and forced Constantine to surrender in 1587. A year later, Imereti was invaded by Simon I
Simon I of Kartli
Simon I also known as Svimon , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a Georgian king of Kartli from 1556 to 1569 and again from 1578 to 1599...
, the resurgent king of Kartli
Kartli
Kartli is a historical region in central-to-eastern Georgia traversed by the river Mtkvari , on which Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is situated. Known to the Classical authors as Iberia, Kartli played a crucial role in ethnic and political consolidation of the Georgians in the Middle Ages...
in eastern Georgia, who sought to reunify all Georgian lands under his crown. Leon was forced to flee to the highland province of Lechkhumi
Lechkhumi
Lechkhumi is a historic province in northwestern Georgia which comprises the area along the middle basin of the Rioni and Tskhenistskali and also the Lajanuri river valley. Now part of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region, it corresponds roughly to the present day Tsageri district as well...
, but was soon able to resume the throne after Simon had to return to Kartli. However, Leon soon quarreled with his brother-in-law Mamia IV Dadiani who defeated the king and imprisoned him at Fort Shkheti, Mingrelia, where he died in 1590.