Anna Abashidze ( ka, ანა აბაშიძე; 1730 – 7 December 1749) was a
Georgian princess of the
Abashidze family and
Queen Consort of
Kakheti
Kakheti ( ka, კახეთი ''K’akheti''; ) is a region (mkhare) formed in the 1990s in eastern Georgia from the historical province of Kakheti and the small, mountainous province of Tusheti. Telavi is its capital. The region comprises eigh ...
as the second wife of King
Heraclius II whom she married in 1745. She was the mother of
George XII, the last king of Georgia.
Biography
Princess Anna was born in 1730 into one of the leading noble houses of
Imereti
Imereti (Georgian: იმერეთი) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 municip ...
, a kingdom in western Georgia. Her father was Prince Zaal Abashidze. Anna had two brothers, Ioane and Simon. The former served as a governor (''
mouravi'') of
Borchalo
The Borchaly uezd, was a county (''uezd'') of the Tiflis Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, and later of the independent and Soviet republics of Georgia. Its administrative center was the town of Shulavery (present-da ...
and a chief of royal guards (''kechikchibashi'') from 1769 to 1799 and saw action against the Persians at
Krtsanisi in 1795. The latter was a keeper of the royal seal (''mordali'').
Anna married Heraclius II as his second wife in 1745. Her predecessor was either
Ketevan Orbeliani Ketevan Orbeliani ( ka, ქეთევან ორბელიანი; died 1750) was a Georgian princess of the Orbeliani family. She was betrothed to Prince Heraclius, of the royal house of Kakheti and the future king of Georgia, in 1738, bu ...
, whom Heraclius divorced, or, according to more recent research,
Ketevan Pkheidze Ketevan Pkheidze ( ka, ქეთევან ფხეიძე; died 1744) was a Georgian princess of the family of Pkheidze (also known as Mkheidze) hailing from Imereti. She was the first legitimate wife of Heraclius II, then King of Kakheti a ...
, who died of a severe illness in 1744. The marriage was arranged by Heraclius's maternal aunt,
Princess Anuka, who was married to an Abashidze. The wedding was first pompously celebrated at Anuka's house in
Kvishkheti
The village Kvishkheti is located in the Khashuri district of the Shida Kartli region in the Republic of Georgia. It is situated between the Likhi mountain range to the west and the Trialeti Range to the east, and the Mtkvari River flows nearby.
...
and then at the court of Heraclius's father,
Teimuraz II of Kartli, in
Tbilisi. Anna died in Tbilisi at the age of 19 and was interred at the
Cathedral of Living Pillar in
Mtskheta
Mtskheta ( ka, მცხეთა, tr ) is a city in Mtskheta-Mtianeti province of Georgia. It is one of the oldest cities in Georgia as well as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World. Itis located approximately north of T ...
. A year later, in 1750, Heraclius married his third and last wife,
Darejan Dadiani.
Heraclius and Anna had three children:
*
Prince George (10 November 1746 – 28 December 1800), who succeeded Heraclius II as king of Kartli and Kakheti,
* Princess Tamara (12 July 1747 – 4 August 1786), who married Prince
David Orbeliani David Orbeliani ( ka, დავით ორბელიანი), monikered David "the General" (დავით სარდალი, ''Davit’ Sardali'') (11 January 1739 – 29 May 1796) was a Georgian military figure, politician, translator, ...
.
* An anonymous daughter, who died in infancy.
Ancestry
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abashidze, Anna
1730 births
1749 deaths
Queens consort from Georgia (country)
18th-century people from Georgia (country)
Queens consort of Kakheti