Heraclius II of Georgia
Heraclius II, also known as Erekle II (Georgian: ერეკლე II) and The Little Kakhetian[1] (Georgian: პატარა კახი [pʼatʼaɾa kʼaχi]; 7 November 1720 or 7 October 1721 [according to C. Toumanoff[2]] – 11 January 1798), was a Georgian monarch (mepe) of the Bagrationi dynasty, reigning as the king of Kakheti from 1744 to 1762, and of Kartli and Kakheti from 1762 until 1798. In the contemporary Persian sources he is referred to as Erekli Khan (ارکلی خان), while Russians knew him as Irakly (Ираклий). Heraclius is the Latinized form of his name.
"Erekle II" redirects here. For the nobleman of the House of Mukhrani, see Erekle II, Prince of Mukhrani.Heraclius II
8 January 1762 – 11 January 1798
Mtskheta
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
1 October 1745
1744–1762
7 November 1720
Telavi
11 January 1798 (aged 77)
From being granted the kingship of Kakheti by his overlord Nader Shah in 1744 as a reward for his loyalty,[3] to becoming the penultimate king of the united kingdoms of Kakheti and Kartli in eastern Georgia, his reign is regarded as the swan song of the Georgian monarchy.[4] Aided by his personal abilities and the unrest in Iran following Nader Shah's death, Heraclius established himself as a de facto autonomous ruler, unified eastern Georgia politically for the first time in three centuries,[5] and attempted to modernize the government, economy, and military. Overwhelmed by the internal and external menaces to Georgia's precarious independence and its temporary hegemony in eastern Transcaucasia, he placed his kingdom under the formal Russian protection in 1783, but the move did not prevent Georgia from being devastated by the Persian invasion in 1795. Heraclius died in 1798, leaving the throne to his moribund heir, George XII.
Heraclius II was married three times; first, he married Princess Ketevan née Orbeliani in 1738 or Princess Ketevan née Mkheidze in 1740.[19] According to a relatively recently established version, Princess Orbeliani was repudiated by Heraclius before the marriage actually took place. Instead, he married Princess Mkheidze, who died in 1744. Of his first marriage, Heraclius two children:
In 1745 Heraclius remarried Princess Anna née Abashidze (b. 1730 – d. Tbilisi, 7 December 1749). They had two children:
In 1750, Heraclius married thirdly Darejan Dadiani (Daria; b. 20 July 1734 – d. 8 November 1808). They had 23 children:
Legacy[edit]
King Heraclius occupies a special place among the Georgian monarchs, with his name being associated with chivalry and valour among Georgians. However, Heraclius's decision to sign Treaty of Georgievsk with Russia has been a matter of dispute among Georgians since the 19th century. It has been reported that those with different views on how to manage relations with Russia accordingly have different interpretations of Heraclius's move. For example, the "Society of Erekle II", established in 2009, seeks closer ties with Russia as opposed to the integration with the West. They primarily justify their position by alluding to Heraclius's decision and claim that the Orthodox kinship with Russia was of paramount importance to preserve Georgian nationhood, while European culture may pose a threat to Georgian spirituality, especially Orthodox Christianity as a pillar of Georgianness. Others who hold more pro-Western views emphasize that King Heraclius saw Russia as a window to European civilization.[20]
Erekleoba is an annual, traditional public feast celebrated at Hereclius II's palace in Eastern Georgia's city of Telavi on November 7 to pay tribute to his memory.[21]