Demetrius Bagration-Davitishvili

Demetrius (; 1472 – after 1513), known by the historical epithet Tvaldamtsvari (, meaning "with burnt-out eyes"), was a Georgian royal prince (batonishvili) of the Kakhetian branch of the Bagrationi dynasty. He was the younger son of King Alexander I of Kakheti and is known for being blinded by his elder brother, George II, during a coup in 1511. He is the progenitor of the princely house of Bagration-Davitishvili.

Biography

Early life and diplomatic mission Prince Demetrius was born in 1472 and grew up at the royal court in Gremi, the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti, during the reign of his father, Alexander I. Contemporary chroniclers, such as Prince Vakhushti Bagrationi, describe Alexander as a peace-loving and capable ruler. According to historical accounts, a deep ideological rift developed within the royal family. The elder son and heir, George, was said to be cruel, reckless, and envious, constantly urging his father to break the peace with the neighboring Kingdom of Kartli and embark on aggressive campaigns. In contrast, the younger prince, Demetrius, inherited his father's character and views. He was a supporter of cautious diplomacy and peace, which he saw as essential for the prosperity of Kakheti, a kingdom weakened after the fragmentation of a unified Georgia.

In the early 16th century, King Alexander faced a critical foreign policy challenge: establishing relations with the new and powerful ruler of Safavid Persia, Shah Ismail I. The king chose his younger son, Demetrius, as his envoy for this delicate mission. In 1501, Prince Demetrius travelled to Shirvan to meet the Shah. The mission was a significant success. Shah Ismail received Demetrius with high honors and concluded an agreement with Kakheti that exempted the kingdom from paying tribute to the Safavids. This achievement contrasted sharply with the situation of the neighboring Kingdom of Kartli, which was forced to bear the heavy burden of annual tribute to the Persian shah. Demetrius's diplomatic triumph strengthened Kakheti's security and economy, but it also bred jealousy in his elder brother, George, who saw his younger brother's success as a threat to his own claim to the throne.

Blinding and exile In 1511, George, having harbored resentment over his brother's success and suspecting his father intended to pass the throne to Demetrius, exploited an opportunity to commit patricide. He murdered his father, Alexander I, and seized power. Immediately after the coup, George had his brother Demetre captured and blinded. The act of blinding was meant to permanently disqualify Demetrius from ever claiming the throne, as a ruler in medieval Georgia had to be physically unimpaired.

Following his blinding, Demetrius fled Kakheti with his family. He sought refuge at the court of Shah Ismail I in Persia, the same ruler with whom he had successfully negotiated several years earlier. The Shah welcomed the blinded prince. According to Gorgijanidze, to prove their loyalty, Demetrius's son, David, was ordered to fight a duel against one of the Shah's warriors. Following his father's instructions, David won the duel, defeating and beheading his opponent. The Shah was so impressed by this feat that he officially granted the Kingdom of Kakheti to David, recognising the rights of Demetrius's line to the throne, and had his shield filled with silver coins as a reward.