Prince Bakar of Kartli

Bakar (Georgian: ბაქარ; born 11 June 1699 or 7 April 1700 in Kharagauli; died 1 February 1750 in Moscow), of the Bagrationi dynasty, he governed Kartli as regent for his father from 1716 to 1719 under the Persian title Shah Navaz Khan III, and reigned briefly as king in his own right from 1723 to 1724 under the Ottoman title Ibrahim Pasha

Born into a dynasty that had ruled Kartli since 1658, Bakar was the son of king Vakhtang VI and was involved in state affairs from an early age. Part of his youth was spent in exile during the violent reign of his uncle Jesse of Kartli (r. 1714–1716). At the age of sixteen, he was appointed by the Safavid authorities to govern Kartli in his father’s absence, while Vakhtang VI was active in Persia, a regency that lasted until 1719. During this period, Bakar challenged the power of the local nobility and introduced a number of internal reforms, before relinquishing authority to his father following a Lezgin invasion.

A supporter of a pro-Persian orientation for Georgia, Bakar was appointed commander of Shah Soltan Hoseyn's imperial guard in 1722. However, Vakhtang VI prevented him from aiding the Safavids during the Afghan invasion of Persia. Vakhtang’s subsequent shift toward a pro-Russian foreign policy led to open conflict between the Persian forces in the Caucasus and the Georgian royal family. Despite Bakar’s military efforts, Vakhtang VI was deposed in 1723. In June of that year, following an Ottoman invasion, Bakar was restored to power and installed as king in Tbilisi. His reign proved short-lived: effective control of Kartli rested with the Ottoman authorities, prompting Bakar to rebel against his own government and wage guerrilla warfare alongside his father.

Lacking international support and facing overwhelming opposition, Bakar and the royal family went into exile in Russia in July 1724, establishing a significant Georgian community in Moscow. There, Bakar entered Russian military and diplomatic service and became involved in imperial policy in the North Caucasus. Repeated attempts to restore him to the Georgian throne failed due to Russia’s reluctance to provide military backing. After the death of Vakhtang VI in 1737, Bakar became a claimant to the throne of Kartli. In Moscow, he led a prosperous Georgian émigré community under Russian protection and, together with his brother Vakhushti, created an important cultural center that included a major printing press.