Alexander, son of Bakar (Georgian: ალექსანდრე ბაქარის ძე, romanized: aleksandre bakaris dze) or Aleksandr Bakarovich Gruzinsky (Russian: Александр Бакарович Грузинский; 1726–1791) was a Georgian royal prince. Born in Russia into the Mukhrani branch of the Georgian royal dynasty, Alexander is known for his unsuccessful attempt to reclaim the crown of Georgia from his dynastic relatives ruling Eastern Georgia. At the request of Heraclius II, Alexander was deported back to Russia where he was held in confinement by the Russian authorities until his death. In Russia, Alexander bore the surname of Gruzinsky, meaning "Georgian".
Contents
Early life and career
Alexander was the son of Bakar of Kartli who had followed his father King Vakhtang VI of Kartli into exile to Russia in 1724. Alexander was born and raised in Russia. After incomplete studies at the Moscow University, he enrolled into the Page Corps and then joined the Imperial Russian army, attaining the rank of a Captain-Poruchik.
Claimant to the Georgian throne
After Bakar's death, Alexander renewed his family's claims to the lost throne of Kartli, now held by their cousins from the neighbouring Kakheti. Alexander's unsanctioned attempts to make his way to Georgia, combined with his support of the Tsar Peter III of Russia, led to him falling out of favour with the new Russian empress Catherine II of Russia. In 1766, the Russian government freed Alexander of his allegiance to Russia, depriving him of his military rank, and arranged his travel to the Caucasus. This came a year after Alexander's half-uncle, Prince Paata, was executed for plotting a coup against the rule of the Kakhetian Bagrationi.