Mamia IV Gurieli

Mamia's relations with Alexander's son and successor, Solomon I, was initially hostile. His involvement in an ultimately unsuccessful coup against Solomon in 1752 cost him the throne of Guria: Solomon returned with Ottoman support in 1756 and deposed Mamia in favor of his younger brother, Giorgi V Gurieli.^[2][3] Mamia fled to the mountains of Racha and eventually crossed into eastern Georgia to solicit support from the resurgent king Heraclius II of Kakheti. Through Heraclius's intercession, Mamia garnered favor with the Ottoman pasha of Akhaltsikhe and was restored in Guria in 1758. He reconciled with Solomon and took part in his struggle against the Ottoman encroachments and slave-trading. In 1765, the pasha of Akhaltsikhe overthrew Mamia and replaced him with his more amenable brother, Giorgi V Gurieli.^[2]

During the Russo-Turkish War of 1767–1774, Solomon invaded Guria, defeated an Ottoman force marching from Batumi to Imereti, and restored Mamia in his principality. The relations between the two rulers quickly soured as Solomon sought to assert his supremacy in all of western Georgia. In 1775, he twice raided Guria. Mamia's brother and rival Giorgi exploited the instability and forced Mamia into retirement to a monastery.^[2] Mamia died in 1784^[2] (or 1778^[4] according to Cyril Toumanoff).

Mamia was married twice, first to Rodam, Princess of Imereti, and then to a noblewoman Tavdgiridze. He had three children:^[4]

• Princess Darejan (died 1813), married to Prince Mkheidze;
• Prince Giorgi, who died very young;
• Princess Tamar.