| Battle of Murjakheti | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Kingdom of Imereti Principality of Mingrelia Principality of Guria |  Samtskhe-Saatabago | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Bagrat IIIRostom Gurieli | Qvarqvare III (POW) | ||||||||
TheBattle of Murjakheti was fought between the armies of theKingdom of Imereti and theSamtskhe-Saatabago at the place of Murjakheti nearAkhalkalaki, on 12 August 1535.[1]
DuringQvarqvare III's reignPersian influence onSamtskhe was growing day by day. Because of thatOttomans greatly damaged the country and especially it's southwestern region.Meskhetian lords had recognized that under Qvarqvare's rule Samtskhe would finally turn to the Enemy's hands. They made an alliance with the Georgian kings,Bagrat III of Imereti andLuarsab I of Kartli to end upJaqelian rule and protect Samtskhe from dominant Muslim empires (Ottomans andSafavids).[2]
In 1535 KingBagrat III with help of princeRostom Gurieli andMingrelian allies invadedSamtskhe. He defeated and capturedQvarqvare III, theatabeg was captured by Gurieli's cup-bearer Isak Artumeladze, and eventually delivered to Bagrat. Georgians had annexed Samtskhe-Saatabago. Qvarqvare died in prison, while Rostom of Guria was awardedAdjara andLazeti.[3]
A few years later,Qvarqvare's survived youngest sonKaikhosro II requestedOttomans to expelImeretian andKartlian forces fromSamtskhe. The Ottomans retaliated with a major invasion:Bagrat andRostom were victorious at theBattle of Karagak in 1543, but decisively defeated, in 1545, at theBattle of Sokhoista, where Rostom's son Kaikhosro was killed.[4][5] And Samtskhe became vassal of the Ottoman Empire.[6]
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