Vakhtang VI

Vakhtang VI
Vakhtang VI fromkontakion,printed byMihai Iștvanoviciin 1709 inTiflis
King of Kartli
Reign	1716 - July 1724
Coronation	1716
Predecessor	Heraclius I
Successor	Jesse
Born	(1675-09-15)15 September 1675
Died	26 March 1737(1737-03-26)(aged 61) Governorate of Astrakhan,Russian Empire
Burial	Church of Assumption of theAstrakhan Kremlin
Consort	Rusudan of Circassia
Issue	legitimate Tamar of Kartli Princess Ana of Kartli Princess Tuta of Kartli Prince Bakar of Kartli Prince George of Kartli illegitimate Rostom di Kartli Vakhushti of Kartli Paata of Kartli Elene of Kartli Mariam of Kartli
Dynasty	Bagrationi
Father	Levan of Kartli
Mother	TutaGurieli
Religion	Georgian Orthodox Church,Roman Catholic,Islam
Khelrtva

Vakhtang VI(Georgian:ვახტანგ VI), also known asVakhtang the Scholar,Vakhtang the LawgiverandḤosaynqolī Khan(Persian:حسینقلی خان,romanized:Hoseyn-Qoli Xān;15 September 1675 – 26 March 1737), was aGeorgianmonarch (mepe) of the royalBagrationi dynasty.He ruled the East GeorgianKingdom of Kartlias a vassal ofSafavid Persiafrom 1716 to 1724. One of the most important and extraordinary statesman of early 18th-century Georgia, he is known as a notable legislator, scholar, critic, translator and poet. His reign was eventually terminated by theOttomaninvasion following the disintegration of Safavid Persia, which forced Vakhtang into exile in theRussian Empire.Vakhtang was unable to get thetsar's support for his kingdom and instead had to permanently stay with his northern neighbors for his own safety. On his way to a diplomatic mission sanctioned byEmpress Anna,he fell ill and died in southern Russia in 1737, never reaching Georgia.

As a regent

Son of PrinceLevan,he ruled as regent (janishin) for his absent uncle,George XI,and his brother,Kaikhosro,from 1703 to 1712. During these years, he launched a series of long-needed reforms, revived economy and culture, reorganised administration and attempted to fortify the central royal authority. In 1707–1709, he substantially revised the legal code (dasturlamali,aka “Vakhtang’s code” ) which would operate as a basis for the Georgianfeudalsystem up to theRussianannexation. He was summoned by theshahHusaynin 1712 to be confirmed aswali/kingofKartli.The shah would not grant the confirmation, except on condition of Vakhtang embracingIslam,which having refused to do, he was imprisoned,and, after a brief regency ofPrince Simon,his brotherJesse(Ali Quli-Khan), who complied with the condition, was put in his place in 1714. Jesse governed Kartli two years, during which he suffered from internal troubles and the inroads of theDagestanitribes, otherwise known asLekianoba.

During the years of captivity, Vakhtang requested aid from the Christian monarchs ofEurope,particularly he sent his uncle and tutor,Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani,on a mission toLouis XIV of France.Later, in his last letters to the PopeInnocent XIIIandCharles VIdated 29 November 1722, Vakhtang said that he had for years beensecretly Catholic,but he could not confess it publicly "because of betraying people about me", and confirmed with it the reports ofCapuchinmissionaries from Persia. They claimed that Vakhtang became Catholic before he converted to Islam and went to Catholic mass. These political efforts were, however, in vain, and Vakhtang reluctantly converted in 1716, adopting the name of Husayn-Qoli Khan. Appointedsipah-salar(commander-in-chief) of thePersianarmies, he also served asbeglerbeg(governor-general) ofAzerbaijanfor some time. He sent his son,Bakar,to govern Kartli, whereas Jesse, having abjured Islam, had retired.

His reign

Vakhtang remained seven years in Persia before he was permitted to return to his kingdom in 1719. He was sent back with the task to put an end to the continual raids by north Caucasian mountain tribes, particularly theLezgintribes of Dagestan.Assisted by the ruler of neighboring Kakheti as well as the beglarbeg ofShirvan,Vakhtang made significant progress in putting a halt to the Lezgins.At the campaign's climax however, in the winter of 1721, the Persian government recalled him.The order, which came after grand vizierFath-Ali Khan Daghestani's fall, was made by the instigation of the eunuch faction within the royal court, having persuaded the shah that a successful end of the campaign for Vakhtang would do the Safavid realm more harm than good; it would enable Vakhtang, the Safavidwalito form an alliance with Russia with the aim to conquer Iran.This terminated Vakhtang's short-lived loyalty to the Shah. He made secret contacts with TsarPeter the GreatofRussia,and expressed his support for Russia's future presence in the Caucasus. After several delays, Peter himself led an army of about 25,000 and a substantial fleet along the west coast of theCaspian Seain July 1722, initiating theRusso-Persian War (1722–1723).

At this time,SafavidPersia was internally in chaos and had already been declining for years, withthe capital Isfahan besiegedby rebelAfghans.As a Persian vassal and commander, Vakhtang's brother, Rostom, died during the siege and the Shah appointed Vakhtang's sonBakaras commander of the defense. However, Vakhtang refused to come to the relief of Isfahan. At the same time, theOttomansoffered him an alliance against Persia, but Vakhtang preferred to await the arrival of the Russians. Peter's promises to provide military support to the Caucasian Christians for final emancipation from the Persian yoke created a great euphoria among the Georgians andArmenians.

In September, Vakhtang VI encamped atGanjawith a combined Georgian-Armenian army of 40,000 to join the advancing Russian expedition. He hoped that Peter would not only seek gains for Russia, but would also protect Georgia from both Persians and Turks. However, Peter became and returned to Russia. He directed his armies to seize territories along the Caspian, but chose not to confront the Ottomans who were already preparing to claim succession to Safavid rule in the Caucasus. Vakhtang, abandoned by his Russian allies, returned to Tbilisi in November 1722. The Shah got revenge on him by giving a sanction to the Muslim kingConstantine II of Kakhetito take the kingdom of Kartli. In May 1723, Constantine and his Persians marched into Vakhtang's possessions. Vakhtang, after having defended himself for some time atTbilisi,was finally expelled. Vakhtang fled toInner Kartli,From there he attempted to win support from the advancing Ottoman forces and submitted to the authority of the Sultan; but the Turks, having occupied the country, gave the throne to his brother Jesse, who again became a nominal Muslim.

In these invasions by Turkey, Persia, Dagestanis and Afghans, three-fourths of the population of Georgia was destroyed.Vakhtang, after having wandered a long time in the mountains with his most faithful adherents, again sought protection from Peter, who invited him to Russia. Accompanied by his family, his close comrades-in-arms, and a retinue of 1,200, he made his way across the Caucasus to Russia in July 1724. Peter had just died, and his successor,Catherine Igave no real help but allowed Vakhtang to settle in Russia, granting him a pension and some estates.

Vakhtang resided in Russia till 1734, but in that year he resolved to try to recover his dominions by the co-operation of the Shah of Persia.Tsarina Annaconsented to Vakhtang's project, but gave him instructions how to act in Persia, and in what manner he should induce the Georgians and Caucasian highlanders to become Russian vassals, and bring about their entire submission to Russia. Vakhtang started on his diplomatic journey, in company with a Russian general, but fell ill on his way, and died atAstrakhanon 26 March 1737. He was buried at the city's Church ofAssumption.Many of his followers remained in Russia, and later served in theRussian army.A descendant,Pyotr Bagration,was perhaps the most famous of them. A grandson of one of the exiles wasPavel Tsitsianovwho became the Russian governor of newly annexed Georgia in 1802.

Scholarly and cultural activities

Book of Chemistry by Vakhtang VI. Manuscript of 1740s (copiestPrince Vakhushti).Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia

Vakhtang VI's royal banner featuring the biblical kingDavid,a reference to aBagratid claim of Davidic origin.

Tomb of King Vakhtang VI in Astrakhan.

Although Vakhtang's political decisions have sometimes been object of criticism, his scholarly and cultural activities are the crowning merits of his reign. He was, indeed, one of the most learned monarchs of the time. He was an author and organiser of numerous cultural and educational projects aimed at reviving the country's intellectual life. It was him who, with the help ofAnthim the IberianandMihai IștvanoviciofWallachia,established, in 1709, the first printing press in Georgia and the whole Caucasus. Among the books published in "Vakhtang's Printing Press" in Tbilisi was the 12th-century national epic poemThe Knight in the Panther's Skin(Vep’khistkaosani) byShota Rustaveli,accompanied by scholarly commentaries by the king himself. This induced a new wave of interest towards that great medieval poet and would influence a new generation of Georgian poets of the 18th century, which is generally regarded as theRenaissanceof the Georgian literature.

He also undertook the printing of theBible,which had been, as it is believed, translated as early as the fifth century from the Greek into the Georgian, and corrected in the 11th century by the monks of the Georgian convent onMount Athos.His printing house printed also theGospels,theActs,thePsalms,and several liturgies and prayer-books, causing a great discontent at the court of Persia which perceived that the nominally Muslim Vakhtang, instead of following theKoran,promoted Christianity.

An eminent critic and translator, Vakhtang himself was an author of several patriotic and romantic lyric poems. He is known to have translated an ancient collection of fablesKalila and Demnafrom Persian toGeorgian language.The translation was later finalized and edited by the King's mentor,Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani.King Vakhtang's translation, along with an earlier translation work by kingDavid I of Kakheti,is considered to be of significant historical importance, since it may help to identify the original text.Vakhtang also chaired a special commission convened to edit and compile the corpus of Georgian chronicles covering the period from theDark Agesto the earlymodern era.

Reburial and portrait fallacy

Since the 1950s, the portrait on the left was erroneously thought to depict King Vakhtang VI. The painting's original source and author was unknown but recently it became clear in the scholarly community that both of these two portraits actually depictPatriarch Filaret of Moscow.It became evident by the portrait structure, setting, and garment comparison and by the very fact that the Georgian monarch would not have the historically inappropriate royal garb or insignia of a Russian clergyman.

In July 2013, Georgia raised the possibility to move Vakhtang's remains to Georgia for reburial.

Family

Vakhtang married inImereti,western Georgia, in 1696, aCircassianprincessRusudan(died inMoscow,30 December 1740). They were the parents of:

• PrincessTamar(1696–1746) who married, in 1712, PrinceTeimuraz,the future king ofKakhetiand Kartli.
• PrincessAnna (Anuka)(1698–1746), who married, in 1712, PrinceVakhushti Abashidze.
• PrincessTuta(1699–1746), who married the Imeretian nobleman of theducal family of Racha,Gedevan, Duke of the Lowlands.
• PrinceBakar(7 April 1700 – 1 February 1750), ruler of Kartli.
• PrinceGeorge(2 August 1712 – 19 December 1786), general of the Russian Empire.

Vakhtang had also several extramarital children, including:

• Prince Rostom (died 1689, buried inTiri monastery)
• PrinceVakhushti
• PrincePaata
• Princess Elene
• Princess Mariam

Sources

• Floor, Willem M. (2008).Titles and Emoluments in Safavid Iran: A Third Manual of Safavid Administration, by Mirza Naqi Nasiri.Washington, DC: Mage Publishers. p. 287.ISBN978-1933823232.
• Fisher, William Bayne; Avery, P.; Hambly, G. R. G; Melville, C. (1991).The Cambridge History of Iran.Vol. 7. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.ISBN0521200954.
• Matthee, Rudi (2012).Persia in Crisis: Safavid Decline and the Fall of Isfahan.I.B.Tauris.ISBN978-1845117450.
• The Cambridge History of Iran: Volume 6, the Timurid and Safavid Periods,edited by Peter Jackson, Stanley I Grossman, Laurence Lockhart: Reissue edition (1986), Cambridge University Press,ISBN0-521-20094-6,page 318.
• (in English)Iranian-Georgian Relations in the 16th- 19th CenturiesArchived14 November 2007 at theWayback MachineinEncyclopædia Iranica.
• Ronald Grigor Suny,The Making of the Georgian Nation:2nd edition (December 1994), Indiana University Press,ISBN0-253-20915-3,page 54.
• This article incorporates text from thePenny Cyclopædiaof theSociety for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge,a publication now in thepublic domain.