George II of Imereti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George II |
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George II, a fresco from the Gelati Monastery
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| King of Imereti (more...) | |
| Reign | 1565–1585 |
| Predecessor | Bagrat III of Imereti |
| Successor | Levan of Imereti |
| Died | 1585 |
| Spouse | Rusudan Shervashidze Tamar Diasamidze |
| Issue | Levan of Imereti |
| Dynasty | Bagrationi dynasty |
| Father | Bagrat III of Imereti |
| Mother | Elene |
| Religion | Georgian Orthodox Church |
| Khelrtva | .svg) |
George II (Georgian: გიორგი II) was a king of Imereti, a kingdom in what is now Georgia. He belonged to the Bagrationi dynasty, a very old and important royal family. George II ruled from 1565 until his death in 1585.
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Becoming King of Imereti
George II became king after his father, Bagrat III, passed away. When he took the throne, George quickly got caught up in a big civil war. This was a fight between powerful princes in western Georgia.
Fighting for Control
King George II joined forces with Giorgi II Gurieli, the Prince of Guria. Gurieli was a "vassal," meaning he was a ruler who owed loyalty to the king. They fought against Levan I Dadiani, the Prince of Mingrelia.
Levan Dadiani teamed up with George's cousin, Prince Khosro. In 1568, they tried to remove George II from power and make Khosro king instead.
Victory and New Challenges
King George II won an important battle at Ianeti. After this victory, he and the Prince of Guria took control of Mingrelia. Levan Dadiani had to flee to Istanbul.
With help from the Ottoman Empire, Levan Dadiani was able to return and take back his throne. This forced Gurieli to ask for peace. Later, the two princes, Gurieli and Dadiani, became allies. They then rebelled against King George II.
Dealing with Outside Powers
The princes of western Georgia were often fighting among themselves. They would form and break alliances, and raid each other's lands. This made the region very unstable.
Besides these internal conflicts, the Ottomans also put more pressure on the Kingdom of Imereti. In 1578, George II successfully stopped the Ottoman commander Lala Mustafa Pasha from advancing into eastern Georgia.
However, George II eventually had to follow the Ottoman Sultan's orders. In 1581, he led a combined army from Imereti, Mingrelia, and Guria. They raided the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli. The ruler of Kartli, Simon I, was constantly fighting against the Ottoman army.
Family Life
George II was married three times during his life. We don't know the name of his first wife. She might have been a daughter of Mamia I Gurieli.
His second wife was Rusudan Shervashidze, who passed away in 1578. His third wife was Tamar Diasamidze, who died in 1586. She was the daughter of Prince Shermazan Diasamidze.
George II had six sons:
- Prince Alexander (died 1558), from his first marriage.
- Bagrat (1565 – 1578), from his second marriage.
- Levan (1573–1590), from his second marriage. Levan later became King of Imereti from 1585 to 1588.
- Prince Alexander (born around 1584), from his third marriage.
- Prince Mamia (born around 1584), from his third marriage.
- Prince Rostom (born around 1584), from his third marriage.
