Alexander was a son of King
Levan of Kakheti by his first wife
Tinatin Gurieli. Upon Levan's death in 1574, Alexander secured his succession in a power struggle with his half-brothers –
El-Mirza and Kaikhosro – and their party. He was aided by his kinsman and western neighbor,
David XI, who sent auxiliary troops under the princes Bardzim
Amilakhvari and Elizbar of the Ksani, and helped Alexander crush the opponents at the Battle of Torgi. Alexander II continued a traditional policy of his predecessors aimed at keeping peace with the neighbors of Kakheti. This, for the time being, secured the economic stability and prosperity in the kingdom. However, he faced a difficult task of maneuvering between the
Ottomans and
Safavid Iran as both empires vied for the hegemony in the
Caucasus. Although Alexander was initially a vassal, at least nominally, of the Safavids, he repudiated his allegiance to the
Shah of Iran and accepted the Ottoman suzerainty when the latter empire
gained the upper hand in 1578. The move did not prevent, however, Kakheti from being attacked by the mountainous subjects of the
Shamkhal of
Tarki who was apparently instigated by the Ottoman agents. Alexander decided to resume his father's efforts to establish alliance with the
Tsardom of Russia. After exchanging ambassadors in 1586–1587, Alexander received the protection of
Tsar Feodor I of Russia, signing the Book of Pledge in 1589. Russian troops were sent against the shamkhal in a brief campaign of 1592. Little else came of the Russian promises, leading to a series of complaints by Alexander to the tsar's ambassadors. Between 1596 and 1597, envoys of Alexander II,
Simon I of Kartli, and Manuchehr of Samtshke arrived at the Safavid court, including slave boys and girls, who were entertained by Prince Constantine (also known as
Kunstandil), the son of Alexander II himself, who had been brought up at the Safavid court.
War with Kabardians In 1596,
Kabardian forces led by princes
Solokh and
Aitek-Murza advanced through the
Daryal Gorge, seizing fortified settlements (’‘kabaki’’) belonging to the
Ingush noble
Sultan-Murza. After establishing control in the highlands, they moved southward into Kartli's mountainous borderlands, specifically targeting the
Sioni and
Ksani regions. The same report noted that another
Kabardian noble, referred to as “Gosudar Alkas,” had warned King Alexander about Solokh's actions and even released many of the captives taken during the raid. In retaliation, Solokh attempted to incite Russian voivodes stationed in
Terek to join him in military action against Alkas. In response, Alexander sent a letter to the Russian commanders urging them not to act against Alkas. He assured them that if Alkas had offended the
Russian Tsar in any way, he would soon “correct his mistake, fully submit to the Tsar, and remain eternally loyal.” == Downfall ==