Alexander V of Imereti
| Alexander V | |
|---|---|
Solomon I of Imereti Joseph, Catholicos of Abkhazia Prince Bagrat of Imereti Prince Archil of Imereti | |
| Dynasty | Bagrationi dynasty |
| Father | George VII of Imereti |
| Mother | Princess Rodam of Kartli |
| Religion | Georgian Orthodox Church |
| Khelrtva | .svg) |
Alexander V (Georgian: ალექსანდრე V) (c. 1703/4 – March 1752), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was king (mepe) of Imereti (western Georgia) from 1720 his death in 1752, with the exceptions of the periods of 1741 and 1746–1749.
Reign
The eldest son of
George VIII Gurieli in June 1720, and was crowned king of Imereti. However, from 1721 to 1728, the government was effectively run by Bezhan Dadiani, Prince of Mingrelia. When Alexander assumed full ruling powers, Bezhan's son and successor Otia
defied him and his pro-Turkish policy, and attempted to remove Alexander from the throne. Alexander managed to force him into submission in 1732 and brought, for the time being, a feudal anarchy to an end.
In the early 1730s, the king effectively withdrew his loyalty from the Ottomans, refused to accept the
Nadir Shah quickly took Alexander's side and protested to the Ottoman government. In 1742, Alexander was restored, but faced a revolt, in 1746, by his brother Mamuka
who ruled as a rival king in parts of Imereti until the fratricide war ended in Alexander's victory in 1749. Yet, the general instability and occasional outbreaks of aristocratic disobedience continued to trouble the rest of Alexander's reign.
Family
Alexander was married twice. He married firstly, in 1721, Mariam (died 1731), daughter of
Levan Abashidze
. Alexander had six sons and two daughters:
- Princess Khoreshan, born of Alexander's union with Mariam Dadiani. She was married to Prince Nikoloz Tsereteli (1722–1772)
- Prince Narin-David (c. 1727–1749), born by Mariam Dadiani.
- Princess Rodam (died 1770), born by Mariam Dadiani, who married, in 1732, Prince Mamia IV Gurieli (died 1784).
- Solomon I(1735 – 23 April 1784), born of Alexander's union with Tamar Abashidze, King of Imereti (1752–1766, 1768–1784).
- Prince Ioseb (1739–1776), born by Tamar Abashidze, Catholicos of Abkhazia (1769–1776).
- Prince Bagrat (1741–1800), born by Tamar Abashidze. Bagrat's progeny, through his son David, is the longest surviving line directly descending from the kings of Imereti.
- Solomon II of Imereti, the last king of Imereti.
- Prince Giorgi (fl. 1748).
References
- (in Russian) Вахушти Багратиони (Vakhushti Bagrationi) (1745). История Царства Грузинского: Жизнь Имерети.
- David Marshall Lang, The Last Years of the Georgian Monarchy, 1658-1832. New York: Columbia University Press, 1957.