| Alexander I | |
|---|---|
| King of Kakheti (more...) | |
| Reign | 1476–1511 |
| Predecessor | George I |
| Successor | George II |
| Born | 1445/1457 |
| Died | 27 April 1511 |
| Spouse | Ana-TinatinCholokashvili |
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Bagrationi |
| Father | George VIII of Georgia |
| Mother | Nestan-DarejanBagration |
| Religion | Georgian Orthodox Church |
Alexander I (Georgian:ალექსანდრე IAlek’sandre I) (1445/1457 – April 27, 1511), of theBagrationi dynasty, was aking (mepe) ofKakheti in easternGeorgia from 1476 to 1511. Alexander's pliancy and flexible diplomacy earned him security from the neighboring powers, only to be murdered by his own sonGeorge II "the Bad". He recognized the suzerainty ofShah ("King")Ismail I ofSafavid Iran at the beginning of the 16th century.[1]
Born between 1445 and 1457,[2] Alexander was appointed by his fatherGeorge I of Kakheti (i.e., George VIII, formerly king of aunited Georgia) as a co-ruler in 1460, and succeeded on the throne upon George's death in 1476.
In 1477 Kakheti was attacked by theAq Qoyunlu nomads who had earlier ravaged the neighboring Georgian kingdom ofKartli. Alexander won peace by sending precious gifts to the Aq Qoyunlu leaderUzun Hasan and succeeded in diverting his attention away from Kakheti. Alexander also preferred to keep peace with the rival Bagrationi branch in Kartli, which recognized him as an independent monarch in 1490.
He was the first Georgian ruler to have attempted to forge an alliance with the co-religionistprinces of Moscow in order to counterbalance the growing ambitions of theSafavid dynasty ofIran. After the two Kakhetian embassies, in 1483 and 1491, toGrand DukeIvan III, whose reign laid the basis for Russian unity, failed to bring any results, Alexander sent, in 1500, his younger son Demetre to deliver homage toIsmail I (r. 1501–1524), theShah of Iran, who was ona campaign inShirvan in the immediate eastern neighborhood of Kakheti. Received with honors by the shah, the mission helped establish stable relations with Iran which would remain more or less peaceful until the early years of the 17th century. This allowed Alexander to strengthen the royal authority and to secure internal stability within his kingdom.
In 1511, Alexander's reign was abruptly terminated in a coup led by his elder son,George, who, suspicious that Alexander intended to deprive him of legacy, had his father executed and his brother, Demetrius, blinded.[3][4]
According to the Georgian genealogists, Alexander was married twice. His first wife was Princess AnaCholokashvili, daughter of Prince GarsevanCholokashvili; the second wife is known only by her name, Tinatin. According to the historianCyril Toumanoff, both names were bore by the same woman, a daughter of Prince Beena Cholokashvili, reflecting the polyonymy not infrequently found among the Georgian royal females.[5] Alexander was the father of two sons:
| Preceded by | King of Kakheti 1476–1511 | Succeeded by |