Giorgi-Malakia Abashidze ( ka, გიორგი-მალაქია აბაშიძე, died October 15, 1722) was a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

nobleman and

King of Imereti The Kingdom of Imereti ( ka, იმერეთის სამეფო, tr) was a Georgian monarchy established in 1455 by a member of the house of Bagrationi when the Kingdom of Georgia was dissolved into rival kingdoms. Before that time, Im ...

as George VI (or George V) from 1702 to 1707. He was a member of the prominent

Abashidze The Abashidze ( ka, აბაშიძე) is a Georgian family and a former princely house. Appearing in the 15th century, they achieved prominence in the Kingdom of Imereti in western Georgia in the late 17th century and branched out in the east ...

family. The youngest son of Prince Paata Abashidze, he served as a priest until about 1684 when he entered politics after the death of his elder brother

Paata Abashidze Paata Abashidze ( ka, პაატა აბაშიძე; died 1684) was a member of the Georgian princely family (''tavadi'') of Abashidze, prominent in the politics of the kingdom of Imereti in the 17th century. Paata Abashidze was born to Pri ...

and began aggressively expanding his patrimonial fiefdom. He dispossessed the

Chkheidze Chkheidze ( ka, ჩხეიძე, russian: Чхеи́дзе) is a Georgian family name which is – apart from the capital Tbilisi – most frequently to be found in the western Adjara, Guria and Imereti and the eastern Kvemo Kartli an ...

family of

Shorapani Shorapani ( ka, შორაპანი) is a small Georgian town, situated in the Zestafoni District, part of the region of Imereti. Founded in the 3rd century BC, it served as a residence of the ''eristavi'' (dukes) of Argveti (also known as th ...

, and the Agiashvili of Tsutskhvati, and took control of the royal domain in Upper Imereti. His daughter, Tamar, was married to the two successive kings of Imereti, Alexander IV and

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

. During the reign of the latter monarch, Abashidze effectively ran the government and acted as an all-powerful kingmaker. In 1699, he gave his daughter Anika in marriage to King

Simon of Imereti Simon ( ka, სიმონი) (died 1701), of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was King of Imereti from 1699 to 1701. An illegitimate son of Alexander IV of Imereti, he was brought up at the court of Erekle I of Kartli, while Imereti was embroiled in the ...

, but they divorced in 1700. In 1701, Abashidze compelled King Mamia of Imereti to abdicate and seized the throne for himself. He managed to establish a degree of stability in Imereti and ceased to pay tribute to the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, triggering a military response in 1703. He also patronized culture and learning. Deposed after a revolt by the nobles, in favour of the rightful Bagrationi king George VII, Abashidze took refuge at the court of

Vakhtang VI of Kartli Vakhtang VI ( ka, ვახტანგ VI), also known as Vakhtang the Scholar, Vakhtang the Lawgiver and Ḥosaynqolī Khan ( fa, حسین‌قلی خان, translit=Hoseyn-Qoli Xān) (September 15, 1675 – March 26, 1737), was a Georgian m ...

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...

. He died there in 1722, and was buried in the Katskhi monastery in Imereti.

References

* Вахушти Багратиони (Vakhushti Bagrationi) (1745)
История Царства Грузинского: Жизнь Имерети
*

David Marshall Lang David Marshall Lang (6 May 1924 – 20 March 1991), was a Professor of Caucasian Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He was one of the most productive British scholars who specialized in Georgian, Armenian and an ...

, ''The Last Years of the Georgian Monarchy, 1658-1832''.

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by Jennifer Crewe (2014–present) and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fiel ...

, 1957. {{DEFAULTSORT:George Vi Of Imereti 17th-century births 17th-century people from Georgia (country) 18th-century people from Georgia (country) 1722 deaths Nobility of Georgia (country) Kings of Imereti Eastern Orthodox monarchs