Kingdom of Imereti
იმერეთის სამეფო
1260–1810
Flag of Imereti
Flag of the 15th-18th centuries
18th century coat of arms according to Vakhushti of Imereti
18th century coat of arms according to Vakhushti
The Kingdom of Imereti in 1490
The Kingdom of Imereti in 1490
CapitalKutaisi
Common languagesGeorgian
Religion
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
GovernmentMonarchy
King 
• 1260–1293
David I (first)
• 1789–1810
Solomon II (last)
History 
• Coronation of David I
1260
• Re-Annexation to Georgia
1330
• Restoration
1387
• Independence from Georgia
1455
• Vassal of the Ottoman Empire
29 May 1555
• Vassal of the Russian Empire
25 April 1804
• Russian Annexation
20 February 1810
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Georgia
Russia
Abkhazia
Svaneti
Mingrelia
Guria
Today part ofGeorgia
Kingdom of Imereti under Bagrat III after annexing Samtskhe-Saatabago in 1535

The Kingdom of Imereti (Georgian: იმერეთის სამეფო, romanized: imeretis samepo) 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, Imereti was considered a separate kingdom within the Kingdom of Georgia, of which a cadet branch of the Bagrationi royal family held the crown.[1]

The realm was conquered by George V the Brilliant and once again united with the east Kingdom of Georgia.[2] From 1455 onward, however, Imereti became a constant battleground between Georgian and Ottoman forces for several centuries, resulting in the kingdom's progressive decline due to this ongoing instability.

In 1621 it made the earliest appeal to Russia for aid; in 1650 it acknowledged Russian suzerainty and in 1769 a Russian force expelled the Turks.[3] Under pressure from Pavel Tsitsianov, in 1804 Solomon II of Imereti accepted Russian Imperial suzerainty, only to be deposed entirely in 1810. During the time that Imereti was a vassal state, the Mingrelia, Abkhazia and Guria princedoms declared their independence from Imereti and established their own governments.

Kings of Imereti

See also: List of Georgian monarchs and Imereti kings family tree

First House of Imereti

Second House of Imereti

Prince Alexander of Imereti.

Heads of House of Imereti after 1815

Since Solomon II of Imereti had no sons, he proclaimed Prince Constantine, son of king David II of Imereti, and his male-line senior descendants as heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of Imereti.

After the death of Hereditary Prince Constantine (III) (1898–1978), because the male-offspring of this branch came to end, the headship of the House of Bagrationi-Imereti transmitted to Prince Irakli Bagrationi (1925–2013), son of Prince Grigol, the male-line descendant of Prince Bagrat, younger brother of King Solomon I of Imereti (1752–1784).

References

  1. ^ This started in 1260 after David VI revolted against Mongol ruler Hulegu Khan and fled to Abkhazia. This was the result of the Mongolian conquest of Georgia during the 13th century which decentralized and fragmented Georgia, forcing the relocation of governmental centres to the provinces to newly created Kingdom of Western Georgia.
  2. ^ D.M.Lang - Georgia in the Reign of Giorgi the Brilliant (1314–1346), Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 17, pp. 74-91
  3. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Imeretia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 14 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 331.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Non-Bagrationi monarch.