Vakhtang ( ka, ვახტანგი; after 1495 – 1548) 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 ...

prince of the

Bagrationi dynasty The Bagrationi dynasty (; ) is a royal dynasty which reigned in Georgia from the Middle Ages until the early 19th century, being among the oldest extant Christian ruling dynasties in the world. In modern usage, the name of the dynasty is sometim ...

of the

Kingdom 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 ...

, a younger son of King

Alexander II of Imereti Alexander II ( ka, ალექსანდრე II) (died April 1, 1510) was a king of Georgia in 1478 and of Imereti from 1483 to 1510. Life In 1478, his father Bagrat VI died and Alexander became king of Georgia, initially ruling its two ma ...

by his wife Tamar. Vakhtang was in opposition to his elder brother, King

Bagrat III of Imereti Bagrat III ( ka, ბაგრატ III) (1495-1565), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a King of Imereti from April 1, 1510, to 1565. He succeeded upon the death of his father, Alexander II, and faced repeated assaults from the Ottoman Turks as wel ...

and eventually had to flee to the

Kingdom of Kartli The Kingdom of Kartli ( ka, ქართლის სამეფო, tr) was a late medieval/ early modern monarchy in eastern Georgia, centred on the province of Kartli, with its capital at Tbilisi. It emerged in the process of a triparti ...

, followed by many Imeretian noblemen. In 1512, Bagrat with his army crossed into Kartli, attacked Vakhtang at his base in Mokhisi and defeated him. Through the mediation of King

David X of Kartli David X ( ka, დავით X) (1482–1526) was a king of the Georgian kingdom of Kartli from 1505 to 1525. Life David was the eldest son of Constantine II, whom he succeeded as king of Kartli in 1505. Although Constantine had recognised the ...

, the brothers reconciled and Vakhtang returned to Imereti. In the late 1540s, Vakhtang was placed at the head of an Imeretian detachment of 500 men sent by Bagrat in response to the cry for help from

Rostom Gurieli Rostom Gurieli ( ka, როსტომ გურიელი; died 1564), of the House of Gurieli, was Prince of Guria from 1534 until his death in 1564. Alongside his royal suzerain, Bagrat III of Imereti, Rostom fought against the expanding Ottom ...

Prince of Guria The Principality of Guria ( ka, გურიის სამთავრო, tr) was a historical state in Georgia. Centered on modern-day Guria, a southwestern region in Georgia, it was located between the Black Sea and Lesser Caucasus, and was r ...

, who was pressured by the Ottoman advance into his possessions around

Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ) is the second largest city of Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia's southwest. It is situated in a subtropical zone at the foot of th ...

. Since Gurieli also appealed for help to

Levan I Dadiani Levan I Dadiani (also Leon; ka, ლევან ��ეონI დადიანი; died 1572) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ruler of Odishi, that is, Mingrelia, in western Georgia. He succeeded on the death of his father, Mamia III ...

Prince of Mingrelia Principalities Princes and dukes of Guria * Kakhaber I Gurieli c. 1385–1410 *Mamia Gurieli c. 1450–1469 *Kakhaber II Gurieli 1469–1483 * Giorgi I Gurieli 1483–1512 *Mamia I Gurieli 1512–1534 *Rostom Gurieli 1534–1564 *Giorgi II Guriel ...

, Vakhtang received a clandestine instruction from his brother not to allow any accord between Gurieli and Dadiani, who were defiant vassals of the king of Imereti. In the meantime, Gurieli succeeded in rolling back the Ottoman forces beyond the Chorokhi before the reinforcements arrived, but he failed to cross the swollen river, thus losing

Gonio Gonio fortress ( ka, გონიოს ციხე, previously called Apsarus or Apsaros ( grc, Ἄψαρος) and Apsyrtus or Apsyrtos (Ἄψυρτος)) is a Roman fortification in Adjara, Georgia, on the Black Sea, 15 km south of Batumi, ...

and

Adjara Adjara ( ka, აჭარა ''Ach’ara'' ) or Achara, officially known as the Autonomous Republic of Adjara ( ka, აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა ''Ach’aris Avt’onomiuri Resp’ublik’a'' ...

to the enemy. His hopes that the Mingrelians and Imeretians would eventually come to aid were dashed. Through Vakhtang's intrigues, Dadiani, camping at the mouth of the

Rioni The Rioni ( ka, რიონი, ; , ) is the main river of western Georgia (country), Georgia. It originates in the Caucasus Mountains, in the region of Racha and flows west to the Black Sea, entering it north of the city of Poti (near ancient P ...

Poti Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near t ...

, went back to Mingrelia; Vakhtang too, seeing an untenable situation of Gurieli, returned to Imereti. Vakhtang was married Princess Khvaramze (died 1528), daughter of

George II of Kakheti George II ( ka, გიორგი II, ''Giorgi II'') also known as George the Bad, the Mad or the Evil (''Av-Giorgi'', ავგიორგი) (1464–1513), of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a king of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from 1511 to 1513 ...

. He had two sons: * Prince Teimuraz * Prince

Khosro Khosrow ( fa, خسرو; also spelled Khusrow, Khusraw, Khusrau, Khusro, Chosro or Osro) may refer to: * Khosrow (word), a given name also used as a title Iranian rulers * Khosrow I, Sasanian ruler 531–579 * Khosrow II, Sasanian ruler 590– ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vakhtang, Prince of Imereti 1548 deaths Bagrationi dynasty of the Kingdom of Imereti 16th-century people from Georgia (country) Year of birth uncertain