Georgian Royalty. He was the Royal Prince, or the Batonishvili, of the nation of Georgia. He was the eldest son of the last Kartl-Kakhetian, King George XII and his first wife Ketevan Andronikashvili. The Bagrations, the oldest Christian dynasty of Europe, reigned as kings in Georgia from the 9th to the 19th centuries. His father, King George XII, had a two-year reign during a very unstable political era with financial problems and possible invasion of Persia or Russia. After his father's death, he was Regent, David of the Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti in eastern Georgia, from December 28, 1800 to January 18, 1801. In 1801, Georgia was to merge into Russia, but this was a slow process as resistance was met with many Georgians wanting to stay an independent country, maintaining their own culture. Using the Treaty of Georgievsk of July 24, 1783, Russia did assist in defending Georgia from the Muslim invaders. In 1801, in violation of the express terms of the Treaty of Georgievsk, Russia refused to recognize him as Regent, overthrew the centuries old Georgian monarchy, and absorbed Georgia into the Russian empire. In 1803, after the unification of Georgia with Russia, he was relocated, or as sources state "deported and confined to a convent with military guard," in St. Petersburg with other members of his family. As former regent and heir to the Georgian throne, Prince David Bagration, was called by the royal title of tsarevich during his years of exile in Russia. In 1833, Imperial Russia decreed that only the grandsons of King Erekle II and King George XII must be accorded the title of "Georgian prince." After that, the next generation would have the surname of Gruzinski. At this point, the Treaty of Georgievsk had been forgotten, the Russian Romanoff Dynasty began to treat the Georgian Bagrationi Dynasty as mere titled nobility and subjects and the other Georgians were being merged into Russian society. Instead of seizing a gun to fight, he seized the pen. Living the rest of his life in a "house arrest." he authored numerous scholarly subjects and translating Voltaire into Georgian. In 1800, when his father was King of Georgia, he published "Law by Prince David," and years later, he analyzed and edited the Russian translation of "Georgian King Vakhtang VI's Law 1675-1737." In an attempt to maintain the Georgian culture, he was the author of various translations into the Georgian text, among these were the French philosopher, Montesquieu's "The Spirit of Laws." Revising his father's work, he wrote "The Review of Law and Jurisprudence of Georgia." He translated to Georgian the "Survey: A Work on the history of Georgia" in 1800 and "Short History of Georgia" in 1805. After compiling articles for an encyclopedic dictionary, he issued in 1814 "History of Georgia" covering ancient times to 1744. Besides his knowledge of law, he wrote on physics. As a young prince, he had his childhood in the court of his grandfather, King Erekle II. With numerous scholars of various subjects imported to Georgia to teach the royal children, he and his siblings were well-educated. Besides having an understanding of the Georgian language, he spoke Russian, French and other languages. Due to these scholars, Prince David was greatly interested in European culture, especially French literature and history and the French Enlighteners. Being recognized as a representative of the first generation of Georgian Voltairians, he became a translator, author and scholar. With much admiration, he followed the activity of Napoleon Bonaparte, believing Napoleon would be the only challenge to Russia in Europe. He wrote a short novel "The New Shikh," which was created under the influence of French ideas. By being the author, who documented the critical history and culture of Georgia, he received recognition as a Georgian historian. He received many honors and awards during his lifetime including Knights of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and the Order of St. Andrew of the Russian Empire. With his knowledge of law, he was appointed to the Russian governing senate. Although he failed, he attempted to restore his country of Georgia being independent of Russia and died wanting this. He married Elene Abamelik and the couple did not have a male heir, thus the defunct Georgian throne went to one of his younger brothers' sons.