Daud Khan Undiladze

== Biography ==

== Biography ==

Daud Khan was the son of [[Allahverdi Khan]], a former Georgian [[Military of the Safavid dynasty#Gholam|gholam]] ("military slave") from the [[Undiladze]] clan who rose through the highest ranks in the [[Safavid]] administration under Shah [[Abbas I of Persia]] (r. 1588–1629). Daud-Khan, unlike his father and older brother, [[Imam Quli Khan (governor)|Imam-Quli Khan]], had closer ties with the country of his origin; he was married to Helene, the sister of the [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] king [[Teimuraz I of Kakheti]] (Tahmuras Khan), and was on friendly terms with the Georgian warlord [[Giorgi Saakadze]] (Murav Beg). Daud-Khan tried to mediate a conflict between Abbas I and the shah's recalcitrant Georgian subjects. After [[Shah Safi]] succeeded upon the death of Abbas in 1629, the new shah's mentor and yet another influential Georgian at the Safavid court, [[Rostom of Kartli|Khosrow Mirza]], succeeded in sidelining the rival Undiladze clan, and persuaded Safi into removing Daud-Khan from the [[majlis|majles]] in 1630/31. In 1633, alarmed by the political purges within the Iranian ruling élite, Daud fled to Georgia, where he apparently encouraged his brother-in-law Teimuraz I to renew his rebellion against the Safavid overlordship. Daud claimed that one of his brothers was actually the son of the late shah Abbas I and that he, having 30,000 troops under his command, had already conquered all of [[Fars province|Fars]], [[Bahrain]], [[Lar, Iran|Lar]], [[Hormuz Island|Hormuz]], [[Khuzestan province|Khuzestan]], [[Safavid Arabestan|Arabestan]], and [[Hoveyzeh]].{{sfn|Babaie|Babayan|Baghdiantz-McCabe|Farhad|2004|page=157, n. 59}}

Daud Khan was the son of [[Allahverdi Khan]], a former Georgian [[Military of the Safavid dynasty#Gholam|gholam]] ("military slave") from the [[Undiladze]] clan who rose through the highest ranks in the [[Safavid]] administration under Shah [[Abbas I of Persia]] (r. 1588–1629). Daud-Khan, unlike his father and older brother, [[Imam Quli Khan (governor)|Imam-Quli Khan]], had closer ties with the country of his origin; he was married to Helene, the sister of the [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] king [[Teimuraz I of Kakheti]] (Tahmuras Khan), and was on friendly terms with the Georgian warlord [[Giorgi Saakadze]] (Murav Beg). Daud-Khan tried to mediate a conflict between Abbas I and the shah's recalcitrant Georgian subjects. After [[Shah Safi]] succeeded upon the death of Abbas in 1629, the new shah's mentor and yet another influential Georgian at the Safavid court, [[Rostom of Kartli|Khosrow Mirza]], succeeded in sidelining the rival Undiladze clan, and persuaded Safi into removing Daud-Khan from the [[majlis|majles]] in 1630/31. In 1633, alarmed by the political purges within the Iranian ruling élite, Daud fled to Georgia, where he apparently encouraged his brother-in-law Teimuraz I to renew his rebellion against the Safavid overlordship. Daud claimed that one of his brothers was actually the son of the late shah Abbas I and that he, having 30,000 troops under his command, had already conquered all of [[Safavid Fars|Fars]], [[Bahrain]], [[Lar, Iran|Lar]], [[Hormuz Island|Hormuz]], [[Khuzestan province|Khuzestan]], [[Safavid Arabestan|Arabestan]], and [[Hoveyzeh]].{{sfn|Babaie|Babayan|Baghdiantz-McCabe|Farhad|2004|page=157, n. 59}}

Teimuraz and Daud started to attack the Persian garrisons in and near Georgia and launched several raids on Ganja of which Daud-Khan had been dispossessed after his defection to Georgia. Teimuraz refused to surrender Daud in exchange of the shah's parole and allowed him a free passage to the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] possessions. Since then, he disappears from the records. His brother and nephews were annihilated, and Daud's sons castrated on the shah's order, thus largely ending the career of this illustrious Iranian Georgian family.

Teimuraz and Daud started to attack the Persian garrisons in and near Georgia and launched several raids on Ganja of which Daud-Khan had been dispossessed after his defection to Georgia. Teimuraz refused to surrender Daud in exchange of the shah's parole and allowed him a free passage to the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] possessions. Since then, he disappears from the records. His brother and nephews were annihilated, and Daud's sons castrated on the shah's order, thus largely ending the career of this illustrious Iranian Georgian family.