Bezhan Dadiani

Bezhan Dadiani (Georgian: ბეჟან დადიანი; died 1728), of the House of Dadiani, was Prince of Mingrelia from 1715 to 1728. He acceded to power in a coup against his own father, Giorgi IV Dadiani, and came to dominate western Georgian politics by asserting tutelage over King Alexander V of Imereti until being murdered by Ottoman agents.

Bezhan was the second of Giorgi IV Dadiani by his wife, Sevdia Mikeladze, whom Giorgi divorced, in 1701, to marry Tamar, daughter of the powerful prince Giorgi-Malakia Abashidze, sometime King of Imereti. In 1704, Giorgi made his eldest son, Katsia, prince of Mingrelia and installed Bezhan as lord of Lechkhumi, of which he had dispossessed his younger brother, Iese. Giorgi himself retired to the patrimonial fiefdom of Salipartiano, but continued to wield significant influence on his sons until until 1709, when Katsia and Bezhan—who never forgave Giorgi for divorcing their mother—forced Giorgi into flight to Abkhazia. Giorgi returned as prince of Mingrelia after Katsia's death in 1710, but his renewed authority was challenged by Bezhan, who enjoyed support of King George VII of Imereti.

In 1715, Bezhan invited Giorgi for family reconciliation, but had him disarmed and deposed. Giorgi was confined by Bezhan to house arrest and persuaded to remarry Sevdia Mikeladze, with whom Giorgi lived until his death later that year. Like his father, Bezhan became involved in incessant intrigues and power struggles in Imereti. In 1720, he made accord with the Ottoman government and helped crown Alexander V, son of the murdered king George VII. Bezhan married his daughter Mariam to the young king Alexander and became the kingdom's most influential nobleman. He also intervened in Guria on several occasions, but eventually made peace with Giorgi IV Gurieli. While Bezhan dominated western Georgia, an Ottoman force was stationed in the Imeretian capital of Kutaisi, and Alexander was relegated to managing just his crown estates.

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