Prince Elizbar Davitishvili (Bagrationi)

Elizbar, also known as Elizbar-beg (Georgian: ელიზბარ ბაგრატიონ-დავითიშვილი; born 1605 — died 1666), was a Georgian prince and political figure (bokaultuhutsesi) of the Kingdom of Kartli, one of the most prominent feudal lords in mid-17th century Kartli. A representative of the Georgian royal Bagrationi dynasty (the branch of the Princes Davitishvili), he was a 7th-generation descendant of the last king of a united Georgia, George VIII (1446–1466). He was the Prince of Sadavitishvilo.

Born in 1605 into the family of Prince David Davitishvili (d. 1635/1637), who was born from the marriage of Prince Ramaz Davitishvili to the daughter of King Bagrat III of Imereti (1510–1565).

David, along with the future King of Kartli, Rostom, was held at the Shah's court in Persia as a hostage (amanat) and enjoyed great favor from Rostom. During Rostom's reign in Kartli, Prince David was appointed to the position of eshikagasbashi (chief of the guard), from 1634 he held the position of mdivanbeg (mouravi) of Zemo-Akhaldaba, and in 1635 David also became the mdivanbeg-mouravi of Dirbi. Elizbar was born from David's union with an unnamed daughter from the princely Palavandishvili family of Kartli.

Elizbar's father, David, was a close supporter of King Rostom-khan of Kartli, accompanying him to the court of the Persian Shah, being part of the royal retinue, and held the analogous position of bokaulturhucesi under Rostom, preceding his son Elizbar in this role. It is possible that Elizbar was born in the Kingdom of Kakheti, where his father David had estates.

In 1608, during his father Prince David's lifetime, their clan was granted lands in the Kingdom of Kartli by King Rostom, which included mountains, arable land, vineyards, fields, mills, floodplains, and pastures.

In 1626, Zebede Nekreseli purchased land for keeping animals in the village of Zemo-Nikozi from Prince Katsia Diasamidze; there he also disputed with Prince David and his son, Elizbar Davitishvili, over the legality of his purchase of the village of Tikhrevi.

On October 23, 1634, Elizbar, together with his father, Prince David, opposed his cousin, Prince Ramaz Georgievich Davitishvili (died after 1634), son of Prince George Samtskheli, from the second marriage of Prince Ramaz Davidovich Davitishvili to the daughter of the ruler of Shavsheti, who died between 1550 and 1580. Ramaz Georgievich, as a member of the junior branch of the Bagration-Davitishvili family, sought a fief and entered into a dynastic dispute with his relatives. The litigation was resolved in favor of David and his son Elizbar. Prince Samtskheli himself remained in Samtskhe-Saatabago, thus solidifying the schism between the Bagration-Davitishvili and Bagration-Ramazishvili branches. The decree was signed by Queen Mariam and King Rostom-khan; involved in the case were Catholicos-Patriarch of Kartli Eudemios I, eristav Zaal-beg, Prince Iotam Amilakhvari, Prince Zurab Baratashvili, and mdivanbeg Kaplan. The oath was witnessed before the mouravi of Ateni, George, Bishop Saginashvili, bokaulturhucesi Roin Javakhishvili, and Prince Saakadze. The village was awarded to the main branch of the House of Davitishvili.

After the death of his father, Prince David, in 1635/1637, Elizbar succeeded him as head of the Davitishvili family and became the independent ruler of the Sadavitishvilo principality.

Prince Elizbar became known in the Kingdom of Kartli as one of the closest supporters of King Rostom-khan and also served as his ambassador to the court of the Shah of Persia, like his father before him. During the rebellions of Prince Nodar Tsitsishvili in 1639, the captured rebel princes Chkheidze were sent to Persia to the Shah via Elizbar. Prince Iotam Amilakhvari, Saamilakhvro, also sided with the rebels. King Rostom ordered Elizbar the bokaulturhucesi: "Take the rearguard and, send those whose horses are strong quickly, with God's help I will meet the morning at Nodar's." Rostom marched against Prince Nodar Tsitsishvili and his supporters with cannons and, for the first time in the history of the Georgian army, shelled the Mdzovreti castle in 1639, destroying it.

The King himself spurred his horse and his troops attacked in a general front and began to cut down the enemy. Bezhan Chkheidze was captured by the son of the mouravi, Ioram; others were taken prisoner by the soldiers of Baratashvili and the men of Elizbar the bokaulturhucesi.
Parsadan Gorgijanidze, History of Georgia

In the conspiracy of Prince Nodar Tsitsishvili against Rostom's rule, besides Prince Iotam Amilakhvari, the following took part: the Aragvi eristav Zaal, George Bagrationi-Gochashvili, and the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Eudemios I, who had instigated the rebellion against Rostom.

The King sent an army from Gori which devastated the domains of Tsitsishvili, upstream beyond the Skra River. He sent the Chkheidze princes to the Shah with Elizbar the bokaulturhucesi, with the following report: "The Georgians are becoming disobedient and committing crimes because I have no children or relatives and they see no heir from me. My cousin Teimuraz-Mirza has three children; the one who bears the name of my grandfather Luarsab, grant him to me as a son, so that the Georgians may see in him their master after me."

King Rostom entrusted Prince Elizbar Davitishvili with this matter of special importance due to his high trust in him; in 1639, Prince Elizbar was ordered to safely bring Prince Luarsab (son of the Kartlian prince, Vakhtang Simonovich Bagrationi, and his wife, the unnamed daughter of Prince David Bagrationi-Davitishvili, Elizbar's father) from Persia and deliver him to Rostom in Kartli, as the matter concerned the succession to the throne of the Kingdom of Kartli and the further unification of the fragmented Georgian kingdoms into a single entity. King Rostom himself had no biological heir due to his advanced age.

Elizbar, son of David [​Davitishvili], arrived from the Shah and brought a robe of honor and Prince Luarsab.
Parsadan Gorgijanidze, History of Georgia

Upon arriving in the Kingdom of Kartli, the Georgian prince Luarsab (also known as Khosro-mirza), brought from Persia, was received unfavorably by the local feudal lords due to his foreign religion and culture (Shiite Islam), which gave free rein to the Kakhetian king Teimuraz I, who was seeking leverage against the King of Kartli. Prince Luarsab was a descendant of all three royal branches of the Bagrationi dynasty; through his father, Luarsab was the grandson of King Luarsab I of Kartli, and through his mother, Princess Davitishvili, he descended from the Kakhetian and Imeretian royal houses of the Bagrationi. Elizbar declared Luarsab the heir to the throne of Kartli. Soon, Luarsab was killed as a result of court intrigues; he was mortally wounded by a bullet while hunting in the Karaia grove and died in the presence of the grieving Rostom.

But he had no son and he adopted Luarsab, son of Vakhtang, son of King Simon, bringing him from Isfahan and declared him his son. However, while the construction of the Gatekhili bridge was underway, Rostom was stationed in Khunani, and one day Luarsab, together with his loyal men, went hunting in the Karaia grove. And during the rifle shooting at a herd of deer, a bullet hit Luarsab and he died. Hearing this, Rostom grieved deeply, for the seed of the great King Luarsab had perished.
Vakhushti Bagrationi, History of the Georgian Kingdom

The loyal Prince Shiosh Baratashvili accused Prince Baindur Tumanishvili of Luarsab's murder, but the latter was acquitted in a trial by combat, and Shiosh was imprisoned.

The first to charge against the opponent was Shiosh. He struck him with a spear, pierced his chainmail and wounded his side. The spear broke, and its tip stuck in Baindur's side. Then Baindur turned on him and struck Shiosh with a spear in the thigh. His spear also broke. He rode away from his opponent. Shiosh chased him, caught up, and, striking with a mace, retreated. Then Baindur caught up with him and struck with a mace, but since his hand was wet with his own blood, the mace slipped from his hand, and his horse bolted. Shiosh chased him and beat him with a mace. Baindur grabbed his saber and swung it behind him. The blow hit the nasal guard of Shiosh's helmet and he immediately fell from his horse.
Parsadan Gorgijanidze, History of Georgia

The remains of the prince were buried in Ardabil, and according to the Georgian Paris Chronicle, Luarsab remained unavenged. Rostom turned his attention to Prince Luarsab's brother, Vakhtang (Rustam-mirza, d. 1655); however, the latter was found dead in Isfahan in 1655. King Teimuraz I of Kakheti was suspected, but this was not confirmed.

Ultimately, King Rostom's plans were not destined to come true. After the murder of Prince Luarsab, he wished to adopt the Imeretian prince Mamuka, due to his royal lineage and relation. The Kartlian aristocracy attempted to organize the assassination of King Rostom, but their plan failed when a hired assassin mistook a servant of the royal bathhouse for the King of Kartli himself, leaving the servant severely wounded (according to some accounts, he killed him), then jumped into the Kura River and escaped. Rostom suspected Teimuraz of Kakheti and opponents at court, but his main suspicions began to fall upon his potential heir, the Imeretian prince Mamuka.

When the plot was uncovered, King Rostom did not try to ascertain the identities of the assassins, not wanting to risk the alliance with Mamuka. However, he soon realized that Prince Mamuka himself was behind the attempt. Twenty days after the attempt, Rostom agreed to place the blame on Mamuka. Instead of arresting him, he offered him a large sum of money and sent him a letter to his residence with the following content:

"I fear that the Shah will summon you to court; I give you my word that no violence will be permitted against you, but you also know that I cannot contradict the Shah. Therefore, go to Akhaltsikhe, and I will do for you here everything that is within my power."
Rostom to Prince Mamuka

The frightened Mamuka fled to Akhaltsikhe before returning to Imereti, thus putting an end to the project of reuniting the Georgian monarchy.

Ultimately, Prince Mamuka of Imereti was captured and blinded by Prince Levan II Dadiani of Mingrelia, as a result of which Mamuka died in a Mingrelian dungeon, mourned in Imereti and Kartli. With the consent of Queen Mariam, Levan's sister and Rostom's wife, the Prince of Mingrelia was solemnly cursed.

Rostom's successor to the throne of Kartli became the Prince of Mukhrani, Bakhuta (Vakhtang V). In 1648, Teimuraz organized a campaign against Rostom-khan to drive him out of Kartli. That same year, in the Battle of Magharo, the forces of Rostom-khan (who was stationed in Gremi) defeated the army of Teimuraz, commanded by his son David, the Prince of Mukhrani. Prince Datuna himself was killed in the battle by Jamal-khan, and his severed head was delivered to Rostom-khan. The prince's head, along with King Teimuraz's banners, were sent by the Kartlian nobility to Persia; the grateful Shah gifted Prince Elizbar three villages in Ganja.

They sent the heads of Prince David and other Kakhetian nobles, and the banner of King Teimuraz with Bakhuta, son of Husein-beg, and Elizbar-beg, son of David [​Davitishvili] to the Shah... [​The Shah] granted three villages in Ganja to Elizbar-beg...
Paris Chronicle (Georgian Chronicle of the 18th Century)

After the defeat and death of his son, King Teimuraz lost the Kingdom of Kartli and took refuge in the Kingdom of Imereti, where, twelve years later, an Interregnum began, dealing a irreparable blow to Imereti.

In the scholarly work of Georgian historian Saurmag Kakabadze, several judicial decisions of bokaulturhucesi Elizbar Davitishvili, dated 1654 and between 1658, have survived. The first decision, confirmed by King Rostom-khan of Kartli, concerned a land dispute between the Nakhidurtsi and the Tavmgvrvaltsi (vassals of Svetitskhoveli); Elizbar ruled in favor of the Tavmgvrvaltsi. The second case, confirmed under Rostom's successor, King Vakhtang V (Shahnavaz), again concerned a dispute between the Tavmgvrvaltsi and Nakhidurtsi; by Shahnavaz's decree, Prince Elizbar upheld the 1654 decision.

A deed of gift has been preserved, dated July 13, 1664, in which the Tsitsishvili princes, brothers Tsitsi, Kaikhosro, Edisher, Parsadan, and Vakhtang, donated two peasant households from Ktsanisi to the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral as a penance imposed by the Church upon the Tsitsishvili (in atonement for one of the Tsitsishvili princes marrying a daughter of Elizbar Davitishvili).

He died in 1666. Prince Elizbar Bagrationi left behind offspring:

* Prince David Bagration-Davitishvili (d. 1692), who succeeded him as Prince of Sadavitishvilo, from his marriage to his distant relative, Princess Tinatin Bagrationi-Mukhraneli, daughter of Prince Kaikhosro Mukhranbatoni; David had a daughter — Tamar (d. 1683), who became the wife of King George XI of Kartli, thus becoming the only representative of the Bagrationi-Davitishvili branch to hold royal status after 1476.
* Prince Constantine (born before 1610 — died after 1642);
* Prince Khosia (born before 1610 — died after 1642);
* An unnamed daughter, Princess: married to a prince from the Tsitsishvili family.

Genealogy:
* David-Soslan, from the royal dynasty of Alania; king-consort to his wife, Queen Tamar (d. 1207);
* King of united Georgia, George IV Lasha (d. 1223);
* King of united Georgia, David VII Ulu (d. 1270);
* King of united Georgia, Demetre II the Self-Sacrificer (d. 1289);
* King of united Georgia, George V the Brilliant (d. 1346);
* King of united Georgia, David IX (d. 1360);
* King of united Georgia, Bagrat V the Great (d. 1393);
* King of united Georgia, Constantine I (d. 1411);
* King of united Georgia, Alexander I the Great (d. 1445);
* Last king of united Georgia, George VIII (d. 1476). Also known as the first King of Kakheti, George I of Kakheti;
* King of Kakheti, Alexander I of Kakheti (d. 1511);
* Prince of Kakheti, Demetre Tvaldamtsvari (d. after 1511/1513);
* Prince David Bagrationi (d. circa 1540);
* Prince Ramaz Bagrationi (d. circa 1550-1580);
* Prince of Sadavitishvilo, David Bagrationi (d. 1635/1637);
* Prince of Sadavitishvilo, Elizbar Bagrationi.