Jaqeli

The Jaqeli were a Georgian princely house, named for their castle of Jaqi. The line ruling Samtskhe began with Ivane-Qvarqvare, enfeoffed by Queen Tamar. Under Sargis I the province seceded from Georgia in 1266 and placed itself under the Mongol Ilkhanate; Sargis had saved Hulagu's life in battle.

In 1334 George V brought Samtskhe back under the crown and granted the Jaqelis the hereditary title of atabeg, so their state became known as Samtskhe-Saatabago. Qvarqvare II defeated King George VIII near Lake Paravani in 1465 and broke away from Georgia.

In 1535 King Bagrat III of Imereti annexed the principality, but after the Ottoman victory at Sokhoista in 1545 Samtskhe became an Ottoman vassal. From 1578 the Jaqeli atabegs converted to Islam and ruled as hereditary pashas of Akhaltsikhe until the Russian conquest of 1829.