Giorgi Saakadze

Giorgi Saakadze (c. 1570–1629) was a Georgian commander from Kartli's petty nobility. Appointed mouravi of Tbilisi in 1608, he destroyed an Ottoman invasion at Tashiskari in 1609. Forced into exile by intrigue in 1612, he served Shah Abbas I, aided his invasion of Georgia in 1614 and became de facto ruler of Kartli in 1619.

In 1625, learning Abbas planned to massacre armed Kartlians, he ambushed the Iranian army at Martqopi. After the Iranian victory at Marabda he withdrew to the mountains and led a guerrilla campaign. Defeated at Bazaleti in 1626, he took Ottoman service and was executed in Constantinople in 1629.