Alexander III of Imereti

Alexander III
Alexander III as depicted by Teramo Castelli, no later than 1659.
King of Imereti
Reign1639–1660
PredecessorGeorge III of Imereti
SuccessorBagrat V of Imereti
Born1609
Died1660 (aged 50–51)
IssueBagrat V of Imereti
DynastyBagrationi dynasty
FatherGeorge III of Imereti
ReligionGeorgian Orthodox Church

Alexander III (Georgian: ალექსანდრე III; 1609 – 1 March 1660), was a Georgian king (mepe) of the Bagrationi dynasty, who reigned as king of Imereti in Western Georgia from 1639 to 1660.

Locked in power struggle with his regional rivals for several decades, Alexander allied himself with the Tsardom of Russia in order to gain an upper hand, but with little success.[1] Ultimately, Alexander was able to establish control over the entirety of Western Georgia on his own, restoring some of Imereti's lost prestige; however, this consolidation proved relatively short lived. By the time of Alexander death in 1660, Western Georgia had reverted back to the state of internal struggles and instability,[2] which had become characteristic of Georgia as a whole following the collapse of the Georgian realm.

  1. ^ " ნ. ტოლჩანოვის იმერეთში ელჩობის მუხლობრივი აღწერილობა, 1650-1652", გამოსცა ი. ცინცაძემ, თბ., 1970, გვ. 37-38
  2. ^ მ. რეხვიაშვილი, "დასავლეთ საქართველო XVII საუკუნეში", თბ., 1978