Jesse of Kakheti

Who was Jesse of Kakheti?

Jesse or Isā Khān, of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was a ruler of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from 1614 to 1615.

Jesse was a son of Prince George, son of King Alexander II of Kakheti. Held as a political hostage by Abbas I of Persia, he was converted to Islam and brought up at the shah’s court. In 1614, when Abbas I’s armies overrun Kakheti, the king Teimuraz I had to flee to western Georgia. Abbas appointed his loyal vassal, Isā Khān, as a governor of the region, but he failed to gain a foothold there. He was killed during an uprising against his rule. He is not to be confused with his granduncle Prince Jesse of Kakheti, also known as Isā Khān.