Beka III Jaqeli

Beka III Jaqeli (c. 1564—1635), also known as Sefer Pasha (Georgian: ბექა III ჯაყელი; Turkish: Sefer Paşa), was a Georgian Pasha of Childir Eyalet from 1625 to 1635. He was a member of the Jaqeli family and the third son of Kaikhosro II Jaqeli and Dedisimedi, a noblewoman of the House of Mukhrani and Princess consort of Samtskhe. Beka came to power after poisoning his nephew Manuchar III, the last Christian ruler of Samtskhe-Saatabago, which was then fully incorporated as the Childir Eyalet. After this, Beka III went to Istanbul, to the court of Sultan Murad IV. He converted to Islam, a prerequisite for the position, called himself Sefer Pasha and returned to the Childir Eyalet..^[1] His conversion and rule as Pasha solidified Ottoman control and accelerated the process of Islamization in the region of Samtskhe. Sefer Pasha died in 1635 and was succeeded by his son, Yusuf I, as Pasha of Childir.

• Mikaberidze, Alexander (2015). Historical Dictionary of Georgia (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1442241466.
• Rayfield, Donald (2012). Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. Reaktion Books. ISBN 978-1780230702.