House of Chikovani

The House of Chikovani (Georgian: ჩიქოვანი; sometimes spelled as Chicovani) is a line of Georgian nobility, once a princely (mtavari) house in monarchical Georgia. Originally, the Dukes of Chikovani ruled the province of Lechkhumi in northwestern Georgia. At the end of the 17th century, General Katso Chikovani rose to prominence in the adjacent Principality of Mingrelia. After him, his son became the ruler of Mingrelia and assumed the dynastic name of Dadiani. Thereafter, Chikovani ruled Mingrelia under the dynastic name of Dadiani until the principality was annexed by the Russian Empire. The cadet branch of the family continued to exist under the name of Chikovani.