Princess Ketevan of Georgia facts for kids
Princess Ketevan (Georgian: ქეთევანი; 1764 – 5 July 1840) was a Georgian princess. She was the daughter of Heraclius II, who was one of the last kings of Kartli and Kakheti. Ketevan was married to Ioann, Prince of Mukhrani. Like her sisters, Mariam and Thecla, Ketevan was a talented poet. She wrote in a style known as early Romanticism.
Her Life Story
Princess Ketevan was born in 1764. Her parents were King Heraclius II and his third wife, Queen Darejan Dadiani. Around 1781, she married Ioane, Prince of Mukhrani (1755–1801). Prince Ioann was an important military and political leader at that time.
In 1801, the Russian Empire took control of the Georgian kingdom. After this happened, Ketevan lost her family village, Karaleti, which was near Gori.
The Russian commander in Georgia, Prince Pavel Tsitsianov, suspected Ketevan. He thought she might have been involved in a rebellion in 1804. This rebellion was started by members of the former Georgian royal family. Russian agents also found letters from Fath Ali Shah, the ruler of Persia. These letters were sent to Georgian leaders, including Ketevan's son, Konstantin. Because of these events, Tsitsianov had Ketevan arrested for a short time in 1805.
While she was in prison, Princess Ketevan wrote a poem. It was called "Alas how shall I say?" (ჰოი, ვითარ ვსთქვა). In her poem, she used ideas from Romanticism to describe the fall of the Georgian monarchy. She wrote about "a little cloud darkening Asia's stars." She also mentioned "lying waste happy palaces" and "not letting beautiful gardens bloom." These lines showed her sadness about the changes in her country.
Her Family
Ketevan had seven children with her husband, Ioann, Prince of Mukhrani. Their children were:
- Prince Konstantin (1782–7 September 1842). He was the last Prince of Mukhrani and a high-ranking officer in the Russian army.
- Prince Teimuraz (1784–1833).
- Prince Grigol (1787–25 February 1861). He was also a high-ranking officer in the Russian army.
- Princess Barbara (1790–24 July 1843).
- Prince David (1793–22 May 1878).
- Princess Tamar (1798–1851).
- Prince Irakli (1800–around 1816).
