Alexander, son of Jesse of Kartli
Encyclopedia
Alexander born Ishaq Beg (ისაკ-ბეგი) (c. 1705/8 – September 1773), was an illegitimate son of the Georgian
ruler Jesse of Kartli
, of the Bagrationi-Mukhraneli
, politically active in Georgia in the 1740s. His progeny subsequently flourished in the Russian Empire
, producing a line of several notable figures of the 19th century, among them General Pyotr Bagration
of the Napoleonic Wars
fame.
as Muslim
Ishaq Beg. From 1743 to 1744, he served as a lieutenant (janisin) of Kartli
, then under the Iranian sway. He was soon removed from the office by his cousin Teimuraz II
, of the rival Bagrationi branch from Kakheti
, who became king of Kartli in 1744. Ishaq Beg joined the opposition faction led by his half-brother Abdullah Beg
, but soon had to submit to the ascending power of the Kakhetian Bagrationi. In 1750, he converted to Christianity
, baptized with the name Alexander and received a fief in Kvemo Kartli
. Soon, his relations with Teimuraz again went downhill and Alexander fled to Russia in 1759. He entered the Russian military service and first joined a garrison at Astrakhan
and then, in 1761, the Georgian squadron in Kizlyar
in the ranks of podpolkovnik
.
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...
ruler Jesse of Kartli
Jesse of Kartli
Jesse , 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...
, of the Bagrationi-Mukhraneli
House of Mukhrani
The house of Mukhrani is a Georgian princely family, a collateral branch of the former royal dynasty of Bagrationi of which it sprung early in the 16th century, and received in appanage the domain of Mukhrani located in Kartli, central Georgia...
, politically active in Georgia in the 1740s. His progeny subsequently flourished in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, producing a line of several notable figures of the 19th century, among them General Pyotr Bagration
Pyotr Bagration
Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration was a general of the Russian army. He was a descendant of the Georgian royal family of the Bagrations.- Life :...
of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
fame.
Career
Alexander was born in IranIran
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...
as Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Ishaq Beg. From 1743 to 1744, he served as a lieutenant (janisin) 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...
, then under the Iranian sway. He was soon removed from the office by his cousin Teimuraz II
Teimuraz II
Teimuraz II , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Kakheti, eastern Georgia, from 1732 to 1744, then of Kartli from 1744 until his death.- Life :...
, of the rival Bagrationi branch from 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...
, who became king of Kartli in 1744. Ishaq Beg joined the opposition faction led by his half-brother Abdullah Beg
Abdullah Beg of Kartli
Abdu'llah Beg , born Archil , was a Georgian prince of the House of Mukhrani of the Bagrationi dynasty and claimant to the kingship of Kartli in the 1740s....
, but soon had to submit to the ascending power of the Kakhetian Bagrationi. In 1750, he converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, baptized with the name Alexander and received a fief in Kvemo Kartli
Kvemo Kartli
Kvemo Kartli is a historic province and current administrative region in southeastern Georgia. The city of Rustavi is a regional capital. The population is mixed between Azeris and Georgians .The current governor is Davit Kirkitadze.- External links :* *...
. Soon, his relations with Teimuraz again went downhill and Alexander fled to Russia in 1759. He entered the Russian military service and first joined a garrison at Astrakhan
Astrakhan
Astrakhan is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on the left bank of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of below the sea level. Population:...
and then, in 1761, the Georgian squadron in Kizlyar
Kizlyar
Kizlyar is a town in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located in the delta of the Terek River northwest of Makhachkala. Population: 30,000 ....
in the ranks of podpolkovnik
Podpolkovnik
Podpolkovnik is a military rank in Slavic countries which corresponds to a lieutenant colonel in English-speaking states. Usually this word is translated as lieutenant colonel, however the transliteration is also in common usage, for the sake of the historical context.The exact name of this rank...
.
Family
Alexander fathered five sons (and probably three daughters):- Prince Ioane (Ivan Aleksandrovich Bagration; 1730–1795), Second Major of the Russian army. He was the father of PyotrPyotr BagrationPrince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration was a general of the Russian army. He was a descendant of the Georgian royal family of the Bagrations.- Life :...
, Roman, and Alexander Bagration. - Solomon
- Kirion (Cyril Aleksandrovich Bagration; 1750–1828)
- Tamaz (Thomas) (1743 – c. 1759)
- Porphyry, who became an archimandriteArchimandriteThe title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
of the Monastery of Exaltation of the Cross at Kizlyar