Levan Batonishvili

Prince Levan (ლევან ბატონიშვილი, Levan "Batonishvili"), also known by his Persian name Shah-Quli Khan (born ca. 1660 – died July 13, 1709, Isfahan, Iran) was a Georgian prince ("batonishvili") and the fourth son of the king of Kartli Shahnawaz (Vakhtang V).

In 1675, he was confirmed as a "janisin" (regent) of Kartli during the absence of his reigning brother, George XI (Gurgin Khan), at the Persian military service in Afghanistan. Summoned to Isfahan in 1677, he had to accept Islam and take the name Shah-Quli Khan. Thereafter he was appointed as naib of Kerman, Iran, and, as a commander of Georgian auxiliary forces, he secured the eastern provinces of the Persian empire from the rebellious Baluchi tribesmen from 1698 to 1701. For a short time in 1703, he was again a janisin for his absent brother in Kartli. As a reward for his military service the shah Husayn made Levan, in 1703, a "divanbeg" (chief justice) of Persia, and his son, Khusrau Khan, "darugha" (i.e., prefect) of Isfahan.

During his governance in Kartli, he patronised Catholic missioners in the Caucasus. He also encouraged scholarly activities in Georgia, and helped his cousin, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, to create a Georgian dictionary, which is still widely used in Georgia. Although officially a convert to Islam, Levan covertly remained Christian and composed the prayers to St John the Baptist, St Peter, St Paul and other Christian saints.

Family and children

Levan was married twice. He married, in 1662, Tutha, daughter of Kaikhosro II Gurieli. She died in 1678. Their children were:
*Kaikhosro of Kartli
*Vakhtang VI of Kartli
*Domenti III, Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia
*Princess Khwaramze, married to a nobleman Sazverel Kakhaberisdze-ChijavadzeLevan married Tinatin, daughter of the Georgian nobleman Giorgi Avalishvili, in 1680, after the death of Tutha. She bore him several children:
*Jesse of Kartli
*Svimon (November 9, 1683 – January 27, 1740), janisin (regent) of Kartli from 1711 to 1712
*Teimuraz (1688-1710)
*Aleksandre (1689-1711), killed during the Afghan revoltLevan had also several natural children, including
*Rustam Khan, a chief officer in the Persian army, killed during the Afghan revolt in 1722
*Athanase Bagration (1707-1784), who was later a general in the Russian service

External links and references

*en icon "History of Iranian-Georgian relations", an article by Keith Hitchins at [http://www.iranica.com/articles/v10f5/v10f504b.html Iranica.com]
*en icon [http://rustaveli.tripod.com/sakartvelo/history/17century.html Political history of Georgia 1658-1703] , excerpt from David Marshall Lang, "The Last years of the Georgian Monarchy", 1658-1832
*en icon [http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Georgia/kartli3.htm The Royal Ark]