Levan V Dadiani

Levan V Dadiani (Georgian: ლევან V დადიანი; 1793 – 30 July 1846), of the House of Dadiani, was Prince of Mingrelia, in western Georgia, from 1804 to 1846. Succeeding on the death of his father Grigol Dadiani, he ruled—initially under the regency of his mother Nino from 1804 to 1811—as a loyal subject of the Russian Empire. Levan Dadiani took little interest in the details of government and resigned in favor of his son, David Dadiani, in 1840, remaining a titular Prince of Mingrelia until his death.

Levan Dadiani was the eldest son of Grigol Dadiani, Prince of Mingrelia, and his wife, Nino, daughter of George XII, the last king of Georgia. Grigol died in October 1804, having placed his principality under the Russian suzerainty several months before. The Russian government confirmed, in absentia, the boy-prince Levan as Grigol's successor. At that time, Levan resided in Abkhazia, at the court of Kelesh Ahmed-Bey Shervashidze, whom Grigol had surrendered his son as an honorary hostage in exchange of the Abkhaz support in a power struggle in Mingrelia in 1802. The Russian military intervention, in April 1805, freed Levan, who, on his arrival in Mingrelia, took a solemn oath of fealty to the Russian monarchy and was confirmed as Prince of Mingrelia, receiving, on this occasion, the rank of major-general and Order of Saint Anna, 1st Class, in July 1805. Levan's accession was opposed by his uncle, Manuchar Dadiani, but the power struggle was eventually won by Levan's loyalists through the efforts of his mother Nino and the archbishop of Chqondidi.

As Levan was underage at his accession, the regency council presided by his mother was established. The council was ridden with internal tensions; Princess Nino was sidelined from the government and Levan assumed full ruling powers in 1811. He championed Russian interests in the region and took part, at the head of Mingrelian forces ("militia"), in Russian military campaigns. At the age of 16, he was present at the successful siege of Poti, in 1809, during the war against the Ottoman Empire. Next year, he aided the Russians in the conquest of the Kingdom of Imereti, which had, for centuries, claimed suzerainty over Mingrelia, and in an expedition against the Ottoman-held province of Akhaltsikhe, for which he received the Order of Saint Vladimir, 2nd Class.

...
Wikipedia