Michael ( ka, მიქელი, ''Mik'el'') (died 1329), from the

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

, was king of Western Georgia from 1327 to 1329. He claimed the throne of Western Georgia (

Imereti Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 mun ...

) when his brother

Constantine I Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

came to power in 1293, but only obtained it after a civil war lasting nearly 35 years in 1327.

Biography

Early life and Rebellion

Michael was a son of the Georgian king

David VI Narin David VI Narin ( ka, დავით VI ნარინი, tr) (also called ''the Clever'') (1225–1293), from the Bagrationi dynasty, was joint king of king (''mepe'') of Georgia with his cousin David VII from to 1246 to 1256. He made secess ...

and his wife, Tamar Amanelisdze, or a Palaeologian princess. In the latter case, Michael might have been named after his Byzantine ancestor, the Emperor

Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus (; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1261 until his death in 1282, and previously as the co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea from 1259 to 1261. Michael VIII was the founder of th ...

. Little is known about the life of Michael only appears in history from his brother's reign in Imereti. Michael opposed accession of his elder brother,

, on the death of their father in 1293. In a subsequent internecine war, Michael seized control of the provinces of

Racha Racha (also Račha, , ''Račʼa'') is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia's current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and ...

Lechkhumi Lechkhumi ( ) is a historic province in northwestern Georgia (country), Georgia which comprises the area along the middle basin of the Rioni river, Rioni and Tskhenistskali and also the Lajanuri river valley. Now part of the Racha-Lechkhumi and K ...

, and

Argveti Argveti (), also Margveti (), is a historic district in Imereti, western Georgia. Overview The area lay on the historic Iberian-Lazican frontier, i.e., between what are now eastern and western parts of Georgia. From the 3rd century BC to the 6 ...

. On several occasions, talks were held to bring about an end to hostilities, but nothing was achieved and the conflict continued for the remainder of Constantine's reign. The Georgian Chronicles even report that the powerful nobles did what they could to reconcile the two brothers.

Marie-Félicité Brosset Marie-Félicité Brosset (24 January 1802 – 3 September 1880) was a French historian and scholar who worked mostly in the Russian Empire. He specialized in Georgian and Armenian studies. Brosset's interest in the Caucasus developed while ...

, ''Histoire de la Géorgie'', partie II, But all these greats hardly fought for peace in

Kingdom of Western Georgia The Kingdom of Western Georgia ( ka, დასავლეთ საქართველოს სამეფო, tr) was a late medieval '' de facto'' independent fragmented part of the Kingdom of Georgia that emerged during the Mongol invasi ...

. Thus, the conflict created by Michael's usurpation also caused significant noble problems in Imereti.

Giorgi I Dadiani Giorgi I Dadiani ( ka, გიორგი I დადიანი; died 1323) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi in western Georgia from the late 13th century until his death. The principal source on Giorgi Dad ...

took advantage of this to seize the territories of the

Duchy of Tskhumi The Duchy of Tskhumi ( ka, ცხუმის საერისთავო) was a duchy (''saeristavo'') in a medieval Georgia. Ruled by a House of Shervashidze, the duchy existed from 8th to 14th century, in the north-western part of Georgia ...

, thus extending his territories throughout the northeast of the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

as far as Anakopia. The Sharvashidzes took possession of the rest of

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

, while

Guria Guria ( ka, გურია) is a region (''mkhare'') in Georgia (country), Georgia, in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. The region has a population of 104,338 (2023), with Ozurgeti as the regional cap ...

and

Svaneti Svaneti (Svan language, Svan: შუ̂ან, ლემშუ̂ანიერა; ''shwan, lemshwaniera'', and Suania in ancient sources; ka, სვანეთი ) is a historic province in the northwestern part of Georgia (country), Georg ...

in turn obtained de facto independence.

Reign

The conflict continued until 1327, when Michael succeeded on the death of the childless

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine g ...

as king of Imereti, although he had claimed the title earlier, as in the 1326 charter sanctioning a reparational payment (''sasiskhlo'', a Georgian equivalent of

weregild Weregild (also spelled wergild, wergeld (in archaic/historical usage of English), weregeld, etc.), also known as man price ( blood money), was a precept in some historical legal codes whereby a monetary value was established for a person's life, ...

) by a certain Gogitashvili to

Mikeladze The House of Mikeladze ( ka, მიქელაძე) was a Georgian noble family, known from at least the 14th century. The senior, and the princely, line of the Mikeladze flourished in Imereti (western Georgia), while a collateral branch was ...

. Michael sought to resubjugate to the crown the great nobles and provincial dynasts (''

eristavi ''Eristavi'' (; literally, "head of the nation") was a Georgia (country), Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine ''strategos'' and normally translated into English language, English as "prince" or less comm ...

''), who had asserted greater autonomy for themselves in the reign of Constantine I. His efforts were of limited success; all he could achieve was the pledge from the ''eristavi'' to pay tribute and provide troops for a royal army. Michael died in 1329. He was succeeded by his son, Bagrat I, who, owing to his minority, never firmly sat on the throne of Imereti and was reduced to the position of a vassal duke by the resurgent King

George V the Brilliant George V the Brilliant ( ka, გიორგი V ბრწყინვალე, tr; also translated as the Illustrious, or Magnificent; 1286–1346) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the List of monarchs of Georgia, king (''mepe'') of the Kingdom ...

, in 1330.

References

{{Kings of United Georgia Bagrationi dynasty of the Kingdom of Imereti Kings of Imereti 1329 deaths Year of birth unknown 13th-century people from Georgia (country) 14th-century people from Georgia (country)