Bagrat V of Imereti
Encyclopedia
Bagrat V (1647—1681), of the Bagrationi Dynasty
, was a king of Imereti
, whose troubled reign in the years of 1660—1661, 1663—1668, 1669—1678, and 1679—1681, was marked by extreme instability and feudal anarchy in the kingdom.
The eldest son of Alexander III of Imereti
by his first wife, he succeeded on his father’s death in 1660, but was captured and blinded on the orders of his stepmother Queen Dowager Darejan who remarried an insignificant aristocrat, Vakhtang Tchutchunashvili
, and had him crowned as king. The move drew many nobles into opposition. They enlisted the Ottoman
and Mingrelian support and restored Bagrat. Darejan was exiled to Akhaltsikhe
, in the Ottoman-held Georgian province.
In 1668, Bagrat was once again dethroned by Darejan’s party with the military support of the pasha
of Akhaltsikhe. However, both Darejan and his favorite were soon murdered, and Bagrat reclaimed the crown in 1669. These events had been closely watched by the royal court in Tbilisi
, eastern Georgia. King Vakhtang V Shahnawaz of Kartli
, whose cooperation with the Persian suzerains allowed him to bring the whole eastern Georgia under his control, campaigned in Imereti and crowned his son Archil
as king of Imereti in 1678. Under the Ottoman pressure, however, Archil was soon recalled from Kutaisi, and Bagrat was replaced on the throne again in 1679.
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...
, whose troubled reign in the years of 1660—1661, 1663—1668, 1669—1678, and 1679—1681, was marked by extreme instability and feudal anarchy in the kingdom.
The eldest son of Alexander III of Imereti
Alexander III of Imereti
Alexander III , 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...
by his first wife, he succeeded on his father’s death in 1660, but was captured and blinded on the orders of his stepmother Queen Dowager Darejan who remarried an insignificant aristocrat, Vakhtang Tchutchunashvili
Vakhtang Tchutchunashvili
Vakhtang Tchutchunashvili was a Georgian adventurer who usurped the crown of Imereti, western Georgia, in the years of 1660-1661 and 1668....
, and had him crowned as king. The move drew many nobles into opposition. They enlisted 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...
and Mingrelian support and restored Bagrat. Darejan was exiled to Akhaltsikhe
Akhaltsikhe
Akhaltsikhe is a small city in Georgia's southwestern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. It is situated on the both banks of a small river Potskhovi, which separates the city to the old city in the north and new in the south. The name of the city translates from Georgian as "new fortress".- History...
, in the Ottoman-held Georgian province.
In 1668, Bagrat was once again dethroned by Darejan’s party with the military support of the pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
of Akhaltsikhe. However, both Darejan and his favorite were soon murdered, and Bagrat reclaimed the crown in 1669. These events had been closely watched by the royal court in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, eastern Georgia. King Vakhtang V Shahnawaz of Kartli
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:...
, whose cooperation with the Persian suzerains allowed him to bring the whole eastern Georgia under his control, campaigned in Imereti and crowned his son Archil
Archil of Imereti
Archil , was a Georgian prince of the Bagrationi Dynasty and poet. He ruled as king of Imereti in western Georgia and of Kakheti in eastern Georgia...
as king of Imereti in 1678. Under the Ottoman pressure, however, Archil was soon recalled from Kutaisi, and Bagrat was replaced on the throne again in 1679.