Qvarqvare IV Jaqeli

He was member of the Jaqeli family and the son of Kaikhosro II Jaqeli.^[1] During his nominal reign Meskhetian lords revolted several times against Jaqelian rule. Uprisings were suppressed by Ottomans. In 1578 Ottomans started new war against Safavid Persia for the hole territory of Caucasus. Lala Mustafa Pasha invaded Georgia. Qvarqvare IV obeyed him. Pasha had decided to send Qvarqvare and his younger brother Manuchar to Constantinople for recognizing Ottoman absolute rule in Samtskhe. Qvarqvare left the government to his mother, Dedisimedi and went to the capital of the Ottoman Empire. In 1579 by the order of Sultan Murad III Ottomans divided Samtskhe-Saatabago into eight Sanjaks and established Childir Eyalet on the lands of Meskheti. Qvarqvare IV was appointed as Christian ruler of Childir Eyalet, but his brother Manuchar converted to Islam under the name of Mustafa and became the Ottoman Pasha. Qvarqvare died in 1581 and was succeeded by his Muslim brother Manuchar II.

Qvarqvare IV Jaqeli married Marekhi, daughter of Levan I Dadiani, on 6 June 1564. The marriage ended in divorce in March 1580. In 1586, Marekhi remarried Levan of Imereti. Qvarqvare IV Jaqeli had two sons and one daughter:^[2]

• Khosita;
• Kaikhosro, probably identifiable with Kaikhosro, Pasha of Ganja; his daughter married George, son of Alexander II of Kakheti;
• Tinatin (died 1628), who married Mamia II Gurieli, Prince of Guria.