Givi Amilakhvari
Encyclopedia
Givi Amilakhvari (1689 — 1754) was a Georgian
nobleman with a prominent role in the politics of eastern Georgia in the first half of the 18th century. He waged a lengthy struggle against the Ottoman
and Iranian
encroachments, changing sides and forging uneasy alliances as he tried to preserve autonomy for his native kingdom of Kartli
as well as to prevent the ascendant Bagrationi dynasty
of the neighboring Georgian kingdom of Kakheti
from seizing the throne of Kartli. In the closing years of his turbulent life, Amilakhvari stood by his ertswhile Kakhetian foes and sponsored several construction projects across the country.
of Amilakhvari
, with family links to the ruling house of Bagrationi of Mukhrani
. Givi's paternal grandmother was a daughter of the king Vakhtang V of Kartli
. He inherited from his father a large fiefdom in Inner Kartli
(Upper Kartli) called Saamilakhoro and the office of governor (mouravi
) of Gori
. He first appeared on the political scene of Kartli in 1722. The following year saw the overthrow of his overlord and relative, King Vakhtang VI
, by the Ottomans whose occupation of Kartli would last until 1735. During these years, Givi Amilakhvari intermittently fought and cooperated with the Ottoman regime. In 1726, he used his influence to save the principal Georgian Orthodox cathedral of Sioni
in Tbilisi
, the Ottoman-occupied capital of Kartli, from being converted to a mosque
. In 1727, he became a sanjak-bey
of Upper Kartli. He then joined the Ottoman expeditions against the rebellious Georgian nobility of Kakheti and the marauding Dagestan
i clansmen. In 1732 Amilakhvari married Bangua, daughter of Prince Vakhushti Orbeliani (died July 29, 1766).
as the resurgent Iranians under Tahmasp Qoli Khan (the future shah Nader
) gained an upper hand. Givi Amilakhvari quickly switched the side. He seized Gori from the Ottoman garrison in a surprise attack, rode to join Nader before Ganja
and helped expel the Ottoman forces from Tbilisi. As Nader's ambitions grew, the Iranian hegemony began to ruin the country's economy. Heavy taxes were levied for the costs of the shah's India
n campaigns, soldiers were conscripted and noble hostages were sent to Iran. Amilakhvari was one of those Georgian nobles who were taken as hostages rather than as volunteers along the road to Nader's camp at Kandahar
in 1735. Givi Amilakhvari managed to escape and took to the hills, whence he joined Shanshe, Duke of the Ksani
and Prince Vakhushti Abashidze in an anti-Iranian insurrection. The turmoil disrupted betrothal of Givi's daughter with the Mukhranian prince Teimuraz (eventually Catholicos Anton I of Georgia), nephew of ex-king Vakhtang VI. The girl was carried off by the Iranian soldiers during a wedding ceremony at the church, forcing the 16-year-old Teimuraz to seek refuge at a monastery. Amilakhvari himself was soon captured and forced to fight in the Iranian ranks in India. An able fighter, Amilakhvari was restored to favor with Nader Shah, who sent him back to Georgia to counter the irreconcilable duke Shanshe of Ksani. Shanshe's use of Dagestani and Turkish mercenaries deprived him of popular support and the rebellious duke was easily defeated. Givi Amilakhvari was rewarded with Shanshe's fief of Ksani.
) of Ksani, thereby becoming the most influential Georgian nobleman in eastern Georgia. Later in 1741 he took part in the shah's uneasy campaign against Dagestan which cost Nader thousands of his troops and undermined the situation in Georgia. Nader summoned the leading Georgian nobles to Derbend and covered them with gifts. Of them, the inreasingly influential, flexible and calculating Kakhetian prince Teimuraz Bagrationi
endeavored to persuade the shah to ease tribute levied upon Georgia, while Amilakhvari suddenly fled to Tbilisi and mounted a rebellion, more formidable than that of Shanshe. He recruited the Turkish auxiliaries and sought Ottoman support to put the Russian
-based Mukhranian prince Bakar
, son of Vakhtang VI of Kartli (deposed back in 1723) and brother-in-law to Teimuraz, on the throne. A series of battles were fought at Gori and along the Aragvi river
in which, despite initial setback, Teimuraz and his son Erekle
, with the Iranians, defeated Amilakhvari and his Turks. After the decisive battle at Achabeti in 1744, Amilakhvari surrendered to Teimuraz at Surami
and was treated by the victor with much consideration. In reward for their display of loyalty, Nadir Shah gave full control over all
of eastern Georgia to the father and son, confirming Teimuraz as king of Kartli and senior monarch, and his son Erekle as king of Kakheti and junior monarch.
under the name of Shah-Quli-Khan. He was honored by Nader and made a commander (qullar-agasi) of the shah's élite guards (ghulām). By 1747 Nader's relations with Teimuraz and Erekle had become soured over the Georgians' inreasingly independent policies. Nader placed Amilakhvari at the head of 30,000 troops to reinforce the Iranian hegemony in the Caucasus. The shah's assassination on June 19, 1747, and the ensuing turmoil in Iran rendered this military endeavor abortive. In 1749 Amilakhvari gathered the surviving Georgians and fought his way back to Georgia. He reconciled with Teimuraz and Erekle and reconverted to Christianity
. Teimuraz appointed him a governor (mouravi) of Tbilisi. During these years Amilakhvari sponosored several construction projects, renovating and building churches and fortresses across the country. He died in 1754 and was buried at the ancestral abbey at Shio-Mgvime
, which had been refurbished by himself.
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...
nobleman with a prominent role in the politics of eastern Georgia in the first half of the 18th century. He waged a lengthy struggle against 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 Iranian
Afsharid dynasty
The Afsharids were members of an Iranian dynasty of Turkmen origin from Khorasan who ruled Persia in the 18th century. The dynasty was founded in 1736 by the military commander Nader Shah who deposed the last member of the Safavid dynasty and proclaimed himself King of Iran. During Nader's reign,...
encroachments, changing sides and forging uneasy alliances as he tried to preserve autonomy for his native kingdom 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...
as well as to prevent the ascendant Bagrationi dynasty
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...
of the neighboring Georgian kingdom 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...
from seizing the throne of Kartli. In the closing years of his turbulent life, Amilakhvari stood by his ertswhile Kakhetian foes and sponsored several construction projects across the country.
Family and early career
Givi, son of Prince Andukapar, was born of the prominent noble familyTavadi
Tavadi , "prince", lit. "head/chief" [man], from tavi, "head", with the prefix of agent -di) was a feudal title in Georgia first applied in the Late Middle Ages usually translated in English as prince...
of 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...
, with family links to the ruling house of Bagrationi of Mukhrani
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...
. Givi's paternal grandmother was a daughter of the king Vakhtang V 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:...
. He inherited from his father a large fiefdom in Inner Kartli
Shida Kartli
Shida Kartli is a region in Georgia. It consists of the following districts: Gori, Kaspi, Kareli, Java, Khashuri.The northern part of the region, namely Java, and northern territories of Kareli and Gori, is controlled by the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia since...
(Upper Kartli) called Saamilakhoro and the office of governor (mouravi
Mouravi
Mouravi was an administrative and military officer in early modern Georgia, normally translated into English as seneschal, bailiff, or sometimes as constable. Mouravi was an appointed royal official who had a jurisdiction over particular town or district. In towns, mouravi was assisted by a police...
) of Gori
Gori, Georgia
Gori is a city in eastern Georgia, which serves as the regional capital of Shida Kartli and the centre of the homonymous administrative district. The name is from Georgian gora , that is, "heap", or "hill"...
. He first appeared on the political scene of Kartli in 1722. The following year saw the overthrow of his overlord and relative, King Vakhtang VI
Vakhtang VI of Kartli
Vakhtang 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...
, by the Ottomans whose occupation of Kartli would last until 1735. During these years, Givi Amilakhvari intermittently fought and cooperated with the Ottoman regime. In 1726, he used his influence to save the principal Georgian Orthodox cathedral of Sioni
Tbilisi Sioni Cathedral
The "Sioni" Cathedral of the Dormition is a Georgian Orthodox cathedral in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Following a medieval Georgian tradition of naming churches after particular places in the Holy Land, the Sioni Cathedral bears the name of Mount Zion at Jerusalem...
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...
, the Ottoman-occupied capital of Kartli, from being converted to a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. In 1727, he became a sanjak-bey
Sanjak-bey
Sanjak-bey, Sanjaq-bey or -beg was the Turkish title of the Bey in military and administrative command of a sanjak , answerable to a Wāli or other provincial governor. In a few cases the Sanjak-Bey was himself a governor directly answering to Istanbul....
of Upper Kartli. He then joined the Ottoman expeditions against the rebellious Georgian nobility of Kakheti and the marauding Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
i clansmen. In 1732 Amilakhvari married Bangua, daughter of Prince Vakhushti Orbeliani (died July 29, 1766).
Revolt against the Ottoman Empire
In 1734 the Ottoman fortunes began to reverse in the CaucasusCaucasus
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...
as the resurgent Iranians under Tahmasp Qoli Khan (the future shah Nader
Nader Shah
Nāder Shāh Afshār ruled as Shah of Iran and was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty. Because of his military genius, some historians have described him as the Napoleon of Persia or the Second Alexander...
) gained an upper hand. Givi Amilakhvari quickly switched the side. He seized Gori from the Ottoman garrison in a surprise attack, rode to join Nader before Ganja
Ganja, Azerbaijan
Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again and...
and helped expel the Ottoman forces from Tbilisi. As Nader's ambitions grew, the Iranian hegemony began to ruin the country's economy. Heavy taxes were levied for the costs of the shah's India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n campaigns, soldiers were conscripted and noble hostages were sent to Iran. Amilakhvari was one of those Georgian nobles who were taken as hostages rather than as volunteers along the road to Nader's camp at Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
in 1735. Givi Amilakhvari managed to escape and took to the hills, whence he joined Shanshe, Duke of the Ksani
Shanshe, Duke of the Ksani
Shanshe, Duke of the Ksani , was a politician from Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti. From 1718 was eristavi of Ksani....
and Prince Vakhushti Abashidze in an anti-Iranian insurrection. The turmoil disrupted betrothal of Givi's daughter with the Mukhranian prince Teimuraz (eventually Catholicos Anton I of Georgia), nephew of ex-king Vakhtang VI. The girl was carried off by the Iranian soldiers during a wedding ceremony at the church, forcing the 16-year-old Teimuraz to seek refuge at a monastery. Amilakhvari himself was soon captured and forced to fight in the Iranian ranks in India. An able fighter, Amilakhvari was restored to favor with Nader Shah, who sent him back to Georgia to counter the irreconcilable duke Shanshe of Ksani. Shanshe's use of Dagestani and Turkish mercenaries deprived him of popular support and the rebellious duke was easily defeated. Givi Amilakhvari was rewarded with Shanshe's fief of Ksani.
Alliance and war with Iran
In 1741, Givi Amilakhvari was appointed as a governor (wakil) of Kartli for the shah of Iran and reconfirmed as Prince of Saamilakhoro and Duke (eristaviEristavi
Eristavi was a Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine strategos and normally translated into English as "duke". In the Georgian aristocratic hierarchy, it was the title of the third rank of prince and governor of a large province...
) of Ksani, thereby becoming the most influential Georgian nobleman in eastern Georgia. Later in 1741 he took part in the shah's uneasy campaign against Dagestan which cost Nader thousands of his troops and undermined the situation in Georgia. Nader summoned the leading Georgian nobles to Derbend and covered them with gifts. Of them, the inreasingly influential, flexible and calculating Kakhetian prince Teimuraz Bagrationi
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 :...
endeavored to persuade the shah to ease tribute levied upon Georgia, while Amilakhvari suddenly fled to Tbilisi and mounted a rebellion, more formidable than that of Shanshe. He recruited the Turkish auxiliaries and sought Ottoman support to put the Russian
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...
-based Mukhranian prince Bakar
Bakar of Georgia
Bakar was a Georgian prince of the Mukhrani branch of the Bagrationi dynasty....
, son of Vakhtang VI of Kartli (deposed back in 1723) and brother-in-law to Teimuraz, on the throne. A series of battles were fought at Gori and along the Aragvi river
Aragvi River
The Aragvi River and its basin is located in Georgia on the southern slope of the Caucasus Mountains. The river is 112 km in length. The basin covers an area 2,724 km² The ground strata is mostly sandstone, slate, and limestone. The hydro-electricity dam built on the river produces much of...
in which, despite initial setback, Teimuraz and his son Erekle
Erekle II
Erekle II was a Georgian monarch of the Bagrationi Dynasty, reigning as the king of Kakheti from 1744 to 1762, and of Kartli and Kakheti from 1762 until 1798. In the contemporary Persian sources he is referred to as Erekli Khan, while Russians knew him as Irakli...
, with the Iranians, defeated Amilakhvari and his Turks. After the decisive battle at Achabeti in 1744, Amilakhvari surrendered to Teimuraz at Surami
Surami
Surami is a townlet in Georgia’s Shida Kartli region with the population of 9,800 . It is a popular mountain climatic resort and a home to a medieval fortress.- Location :...
and was treated by the victor with much consideration. In reward for their display of loyalty, Nadir Shah gave full control over all
of eastern Georgia to the father and son, confirming Teimuraz as king of Kartli and senior monarch, and his son Erekle as king of Kakheti and junior monarch.
Last years
Amilakhvari was sent to Nader's court at Isfahan, where he was converted to IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
under the name of Shah-Quli-Khan. He was honored by Nader and made a commander (qullar-agasi) of the shah's élite guards (ghulām). By 1747 Nader's relations with Teimuraz and Erekle had become soured over the Georgians' inreasingly independent policies. Nader placed Amilakhvari at the head of 30,000 troops to reinforce the Iranian hegemony in the Caucasus. The shah's assassination on June 19, 1747, and the ensuing turmoil in Iran rendered this military endeavor abortive. In 1749 Amilakhvari gathered the surviving Georgians and fought his way back to Georgia. He reconciled with Teimuraz and Erekle and reconverted 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...
. Teimuraz appointed him a governor (mouravi) of Tbilisi. During these years Amilakhvari sponosored several construction projects, renovating and building churches and fortresses across the country. He died in 1754 and was buried at the ancestral abbey at Shio-Mgvime
Shio-Mgvime Monastery
The Shio-Mgvime monastery is a medieval monastic complex in Georgia, near the town of Mtskheta. It is located in a narrow limestone canyon on the northern bank of the river Mtkvari , some 30 km from Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital....
, which had been refurbished by himself.