June 1503

In Sakartvelo (Georgia) the cooperation between the four "kings" - King Alexander I of Kakheti, King Constantine II of Kartli, King Alexander II of Imereti, and Prince Mzetchabuk (the successor of the initial Prince Khaikhosro) of Samtskhe - had always been temporary. The easy conquest of Armenia and the formation of the Quadrumvirate were the bait required to even get them to cooperate. All four knew that this peace between them would not last. The Alexanders of Imereti and Kakheti both had longstanding rivalries with Constantine of Kartli, whereas Mzetchabuk had no intention of surrendering any part of his independence. The Quadrumvirate division of Armenia was laughably ineffective, and only Samtskhe had managed to assume control over towns and castles it could actually defend from its heartland. This made the issue of unity even more time sensitive.

Ismail's invasion could not have gone better (for Sakartvelo). At least as far as Kakheti was concerned, as King Alexander had been the engine behind the Quadrumvirate, and his own ambitions were no secret to anybody. Despite that, his successes spoke for themselves. He had convinced the others to take over Armenia, and then he had overseen the defense against Ismail. His son, Prince George, had been carefully positioned as a man with a clean slate, a heroic all-Georgian hero who could unite the nation. Nevertheless, everybody also knew Prince George and his father were two sides of the same coin.

King Alexander II of Imereti appeared to be all too happy to support this movement. For the rich lands of the northwest, much of the loss of independence could be smoothed over with privileges and royal marriages. Besides, with Armenia remaining as an untamed kingdom rich in potential, the new King of Sakartvelo would need a powerful - and thus privileged - backer in Sakartvelo-proper.

Prince Mzetchabuk saw the writing on the wall and set his own plots in motion. Mingling with foreign agents to arrange support, he began to plan a careful rebellion. However, he did not have the time he thought he had. Word of his treason leaked, and even before that Mzetchabuk's allies at court betrayed him to the Alexanders. Mzetchabuk had gained the principality by deposing his nephew, Qvarqvare, whose supporters had already petitioned Imereti and Kakheti for support. Alexander II had been keeping a close eye in Erzurum, and approved this coup in exchange for concessions with regards to Samtskhe's independence and also its part of Armenia.

The coup launched simultaneously in Akhaltsikhe and Erzurum. Qvarqvare's supporters crowned him Prince Qvarqvare II at home, while Alexander II of Imereti ousted Mzetchabuk from Erzurum. However, he failed to capture the Prince, who raised his flag in rebellion. Nobody came out in his support, as the Alexanders had bribed away most of his allies, but Mzetchabuk still managed to capture a small fortress, Tortomi, from which he continued to resist the coup.

At the same time (or in reality almost a week later), King Constantine II of Kartli suffered a palace coup at the hands of his own sons. The sons, embarrassed by their father's cowardly conduct in the war against Ismail, essentially assumed that at least one of them (further out of the line of succession) would be working with the Alexanders. In an act of self-preserving solidarity, they came together to avoid ending up on the wrong side of history. On the condition that the blessed Prince George, Defender of the Faith, would become co-king of Sakartvelo, and if the Bagrationi line of Kakheti could be united with the line of Kartli through marriage, they were willing to relinquish their own claims to the throne of all Sakartvelo.

Alexander of Kakheti agreed, promising all sons lands to rule in their own right as vassals (but not as kings). Then, a campaign of bribery was launched in Kartli to seal the deal. Meeting their father with a fait accompli, the brothers persuaded him to abdicate and retire to a monastery, as was the custom for Georgian kings who fell out of the favour of their families.

Results:

• Samtskhe becomes a vassal of Kakheti.
• Kartli becomes a part of Kakheti (it ceases to be a claim).
• Prince Mzetchabuk remains as a lone rebel in his fortress (modern-day Tortum).