Levan (son of Vakhtang V)
Encyclopedia
Prince Levan also known by his Persian name Shah-Quli Khan (born ca. 1660 – died July 13, 1709, Isfahan
, Iran
) was a Georgian
prince (batonishvili) and the fourth son of the king of Kartli
Shahnawaz
(Vakhtang V).
In 1675, he was confirmed as a janisin (regent) of Kartli during the absence of his reigning brother, George XI
(Gurgin Khan), at the Persian military service in Afghanistan
. Summoned to Isfahan
in 1677, he had to accept Islam
and take the name Shah-Quli Khan. Thereafter he was appointed as naib
of Kerman
, Iran
, and, as a commander of Georgian auxiliary forces, he secured the eastern provinces of the Persian empire from the rebellious Baluchi
tribesmen from 1698 to 1701. For a short time in 1703, he was again a janisin for his absent brother in Kartli. As a reward for his military service the shah
Husayn
made Levan, in 1703, a divanbeg (chief justice) of Persia, and his son, Khusrau Khan
, darugha (i.e., prefect) of Isfahan.
During his governance in Kartli, he patronised Catholic
missioners in the Caucasus
. He also encouraged scholarly activities in Georgia, and helped his cousin, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani
, to create a Georgian dictionary, which is still widely used in Georgia. Although officially a convert to Islam, Levan covertly remained Christian
and composed the prayers to St John the Baptist
, St Peter, St Paul
and other Christian saint
s.
Levan married Tinatin, daughter of the Georgian nobleman Giorgi Avalishvili, in 1680, after the death of Tutha. She bore him several children:
Levan had also several natural children, including
, The Last years of the Georgian Monarchy, 1658-1832 The Royal Ark
Isfahan (city)
Isfahan , historically also rendered in English as Ispahan, Sepahan or Hispahan, is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 km south of Tehran. It has a population of 1,583,609, Iran's third largest city after Tehran and Mashhad...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
) was a Georgian
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...
prince (batonishvili) and the fourth son of the 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...
Shahnawaz
Vakhtang V of Kartli
Vakhtang V was the king of Kartli from 1658 until his death, who ruled as a vassal wali for the Persian shah. He is also known under the name of Shah Nawaz, which he assumed on being obliged outwardly to conform to Islam.-Life:...
(Vakhtang V).
In 1675, he was confirmed as a janisin (regent) of Kartli during the absence of his reigning brother, George XI
George XI of Kartli
George XI was a Georgian monarch who ruled Eastern Georgia from 1676 to 1688 and again from 1703 to 1709. He is best known for his struggle against the Safavid Persia which dominated his weakened kingdom. Being an Eastern Orthodox Christian, he converted to Islam prior to his appointment as...
(Gurgin Khan), at the Persian military service in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Summoned to Isfahan
Isfahan (city)
Isfahan , historically also rendered in English as Ispahan, Sepahan or Hispahan, is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 km south of Tehran. It has a population of 1,583,609, Iran's third largest city after Tehran and Mashhad...
in 1677, he had to accept Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and take the name Shah-Quli Khan. Thereafter he was appointed as naib
Naib
Naib is an Arabic term for a local leader in some parts of the Ottoman Empire and eastern Caucasus.Naib or NAIB may also refer to:*National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
of Kerman
Kerman
- Geological characteristics :For the Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. Finding new dinosaur footprints in 2005 has now revealed new hopes for paleontologists to better understand the history of this area.- Economy :...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and, as a commander of Georgian auxiliary forces, he secured the eastern provinces of the Persian empire from the rebellious Baluchi
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
tribesmen from 1698 to 1701. For a short time in 1703, he was again a janisin for his absent brother in Kartli. As a reward for his military service the 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:...
Husayn
Husayn (Safavid)
Sultan Husayn was a Safavid king of Iran . He ruled from 1694 until he was overthrown in 1722 by Shah Mahmud Hotaki, an Afghan warrior of Pashtun ethnic background...
made Levan, in 1703, a divanbeg (chief justice) of Persia, and his son, Khusrau Khan
Kaikhosro of Kartli
Kaikhosro , of the House of Bagrationi, was a king of Kartli, eastern Georgia, from 1709 to 1711...
, darugha (i.e., prefect) of Isfahan.
During his governance in Kartli, he patronised Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
missioners in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. He also encouraged scholarly activities in Georgia, and helped his cousin, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani
Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani
Prince Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani was a Georgian prince, writer, monk and convert to Roman Catholicism.- Biography :...
, to create a Georgian dictionary, which is still widely used in Georgia. Although officially a convert to Islam, Levan covertly remained Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and composed the prayers to St John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
, St Peter, St Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
and other Christian saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s.
Family and children
Levan was married twice. He married, in 1662, Tutha, daughter of Kaikhosro II Gurieli. She died in 1678. Their children were:- Kaikhosro of KartliKaikhosro of KartliKaikhosro , of the House of Bagrationi, was a king of Kartli, eastern Georgia, from 1709 to 1711...
- Vakhtang VI of KartliVakhtang VI of KartliVakhtang VI , also known as Vakhtang the Scholar and Vakhtang the Lawgiver, was a Wāli of Kartli, eastern Georgia, as a nominal vassal to the Persian shah from 1716 to 1724. Traditionally, he has been still styled as king of Kartli...
- Domenti III, Catholicos Patriarch of GeorgiaCatholicos-Patriarch of All GeorgiaCatholicos–Patriarch has been the title of the heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1010. The first Catholicos–Patriarch of All Georgia was Melkisedek I...
- Princess Khwaramze, married to a nobleman Sazverel Kakhaberisdze-Chijavadze
Levan married Tinatin, daughter of the Georgian nobleman Giorgi Avalishvili, in 1680, after the death of Tutha. She bore him several children:
- Jesse of KartliJesse of KartliJesse , also known by his Muslim names Ali-Quli Khan and Mustafa Pasha, , of the Mukhranian Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Kartli , acting actually as a Safavid Persian and later Ottoman viceroy from 1714 to 1716 and from 1724 until his death, respectively.He was a son of Prince Levan by his...
- Svimon (November 9, 1683 – January 27, 1740), janisin (regent) of Kartli from 1711 to 1712
- Teimuraz (1688-1710)
- Aleksandre (1689-1711), killed during the Afghan revolt
Levan had also several natural children, including
- Rustam Khan, a chief officer in the Persian army, killed during the Afghan revolt in 1722
- Athanase Bagration (1707-1784), who was later a general in the Russian service
External links and references
History of Iranian-Georgian relations, an article by Keith Hitchins at Iranica.com Political history of Georgia 1658-1703, excerpt from David Marshall LangDavid Marshall Lang
David Marshall Lang , was a Professor of Caucasian Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He was one of the most productive British scholars who specialized in Georgian, Armenian and ancient Bulgarian history.David M...
, The Last years of the Georgian Monarchy, 1658-1832 The Royal Ark