Kvirike succeeded upon the death of his father
David as a prince and
chorepiscopus of
Kakheti, but the
Bagratid king
Bagrat III of Georgia captured him and conquered Kakheti. Following Bagrat's death in 1014, Kvirike was able to recover the crown, took control of the neighboring
kingdom of Hereti and declared himself King of Kakheti and Hereti. He made
Telavi his capital and constructed a palace at Bodoji near
Tianeti. Under Kvirike III, the kingdom experienced a period of political power and prosperity. In 1027, Kvirike joined the combined armies of
Bagrat IV of Georgia led by
Liparit Orbeliani and
Ivane Abazasdze,
Emir Jaffar of Tiflis, and the
Armenian King
David I of Lorri against the
Shaddadid emir of
Arran,
Fadhl II, who was decisively defeated at the Eklez River. Around 1029, Kvirike III defeated an invasion force led by the
Alan king Urdure who had crossed the Caucasus Mountains into Kakheti and ravaged Tianeti. Urdure was killed in battle. At the zenith of his power and prestige, Kvirike was assassinated while hunting in 1037/39. According to the Georgian historian
Vakhushti, this was done by Kvirike's Alan slave who sought to avenge for the death of King Urdure. On Kvirike’s death, Kakheti was temporarily annexed to the
Kingdom of Georgia. == Coins ==