Editing Imereti (section)

==History==
[[File:2014 Kutaisi, Katedra Bagrati (24).jpg|thumb|[[Bagrati Cathedral]] in Kutaisi]]
In ancient times, the region was a part of the [[Kingdom of Colchis]], until it was conquered by the [[Kingdom of Pontus]]. After the [[Third Mithridatic War]], Colchis was under loose [[Georgia in the Roman era|Roman control]], and unsuccessfully revolted in 69 AD under [[Anicetus (pirate)|Anicetus]].<ref>Woods, David (2006). "Tacitus, Nero, and the 'Pirate' Anicetus" in ''Latomus'' 65(3)</ref> After the collapse of Colchis, the kingdom of [[Lazica]] was established in 131&nbsp;AD as a Roman vassal. [[Tzath I of Lazica|Tzath I]] was the first Christian king of Lazica,{{sfn|Odisheli|2018|page=1541}} being baptized in [[Constantinople]] in 523&nbsp;AD, and fighting alongside [[Eastern Roman Empire|Eastern Roman]] emperor [[Justinian I]] in the [[Iberian War]].{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|page=82}} In 541&nbsp;AD, the region became the theatre of the [[Lazic War]] between [[Justinian I]] and [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian Persian]] emperor [[Khosrow I]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Imeretia|volume=14|page=331}}</ref>

Between 750 and 985, Imereti was ruled by a dynasty of native princes, but was devastated by hostile incursions, reviving only after it became united to Georgia.<ref name="EB1911"/> After the [[Mongol invasions of Georgia]], Imereti was intermittently part of the independent [[Kingdom of Western Georgia]], until being reunited in 1415 as the [[Duchy of Samokalako]] under the [[Kingdom of Georgia|united Georgian Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Brosset |first=Marie-Félicité |author-link=Marie-Félicité Brosset |date=1849 |title=Histoire de la Géorgie, depuis l'Antiquité jusqu'au XIXe siècle - 1re partie |location=St. Petersburg |publisher=[[Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences]] |url={{GBurl|hc1CAAAAcAAJ}} }}</ref> Since [[Triarchy and collapse of the Kingdom of Georgia|that kingdom's disintegration in the 15th century]], Imereti was an [[Kingdom of Imereti|independent kingdom]] from 1466 onwards.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brosset |first=Marie-Félicité |date=1856 |title=Histoire de la Géorgie depuis l'Antiquité jusqu'au XIXe siècle - IIe partie: Histoire moderne |publisher=Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences |url=https://archive.org/details/BrossetHistGeo2/ }}</ref>

In the 17th–18th centuries, the kingdom of Imereti experienced frequent invasions by the [[Turkey|Turks]] and paid patronage to the [[Ottoman Empire]] until 1810, when it was invaded and annexed by the [[Russian Empire]]. The last King of Imereti was [[Solomon II of Imereti|Solomon II]] (1789–1810).

From 1918 to 1921, Imereti was part of the independent [[Democratic Republic of Georgia]]. Within the [[Soviet Union|USSR]], the region was part of the [[Transcaucasian SFSR]] from 1922 to 1936, and part of the [[Georgian SSR]] from 1936 to 1991. Since Georgian independence in 1991, Imereti has been a region of Georgia with Kutaisi as the regional capital.