Ali Mirza of Kakheti
Encyclopedia
'Ali-Mirza born Alexander (ალექსანდრე), (died 23 November 1737 or 1739) was a prince
of the Georgian
Bagrationi dynasty of the Kingdom of Kakheti
who ruled in eastern Georgian provinces – Kartli
and Kakheti – for the shah
of Iran
in the late 1730s. Like his father, King David II (Imam-Quli Khan)
, and brothers, Ali-Mirza was a convert to Islam
. As a ruler of Kakheti, he is sometimes known in modern historiography by his Christian
name Alexander and ascribed the regnal number
"Third".
Ali-Mirza was made a viceroy (wali
) at Tbilisi
, the capital of the kingdom of Kartli, by the Iranian shah Nader
as the latter defeated the Ottomans
in 1735. The Persian officer Safi Khan was appointed to watch by him. Ali-Mirza failed to gain foothold in the restive province and, in 1736, attempted to establish himself in his native Kakheti from where his fraternal uncle, Teimuraz
, had been removed by Nader and was then accompanying the shah on the road to Kandahar
. Unable to gain popularity with the local population and facing an unrest, Ali-Mirza was finally deposed by the shah, who now favored the more able Teimuraz. After a token resistance, Ali-Mirza retired to Iran where he commanded the shah's Georgian regiments and died at the campaign in Kandahar in 1737 or 1739.
Ali-Mirza was married to Mariam, daughter of Shanshe II, Duke of Ksani. According to Cyril Toumanoff
's genealogy, Ali-Mirza had two children, who retired and died in the Russian Empire
:
Batonishvili
Batonishvili was a title for princes and princesses of the blood royal in the Transcaucasian kingdom of Georgia, and was suffixed to the Christian name e.g., Alexandre Batonishvili, Ioane Batonishvili...
of the 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...
Bagrationi dynasty of the 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...
who ruled in eastern Georgian provinces – 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...
and Kakheti – for 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:...
of 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...
in the late 1730s. Like his father, King David II (Imam-Quli Khan)
David II of Kakheti
David II also known as Imām Qulī Khān , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from 1709 to 1722...
, and brothers, Ali-Mirza was a convert to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. As a ruler of Kakheti, he is sometimes known in modern historiography by his Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
name Alexander and ascribed the regnal number
Monarchical ordinal
Ordinal numbers or regnal numbers are used to distinguish among persons with the same name who held the same office. Most importantly, they are used to distinguish monarchs...
"Third".
Ali-Mirza was made a viceroy (wali
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
) at 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 capital of the kingdom of Kartli, by the Iranian 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...
as the latter defeated the Ottomans
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...
in 1735. The Persian officer Safi Khan was appointed to watch by him. Ali-Mirza failed to gain foothold in the restive province and, in 1736, attempted to establish himself in his native Kakheti from where his fraternal uncle, Teimuraz
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 :...
, had been removed by Nader and was then accompanying the shah on the road to 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...
. Unable to gain popularity with the local population and facing an unrest, Ali-Mirza was finally deposed by the shah, who now favored the more able Teimuraz. After a token resistance, Ali-Mirza retired to Iran where he commanded the shah's Georgian regiments and died at the campaign in Kandahar in 1737 or 1739.
Ali-Mirza was married to Mariam, daughter of Shanshe II, Duke of Ksani. According to Cyril Toumanoff
Cyril Toumanoff
Cyril Leo Heraclius, Prince Toumanoff was an United States-based historian and genealogist who mostly specialized in the history and genealogies of medieval Georgia, Armenia, the Byzantine Empire, and Iran...
's genealogy, Ali-Mirza had two children, who retired and died 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...
:
- Prince Ioane (Ivan Alexandrovich Bagration; 7 November 1730 – 28 September 1795), who had a son named Peter, whose fate is obscure;
- Princess Ana (Anna Alexandrovna Bagration; 1723 – 19 March 1780), who married in MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, c. 1743, Prince Pyotr Igorovich Dadianov (15 June 1716 – 7 December 1784), captain of the Imperial Russian army of the Georgian noble descentDadianiDadiani was a Georgian family of nobles, dukes and princes, and a ruling dynasty of the western Georgian province of Samegrelo.- The House of Dadiani :...
.