Jesse, also known as "Isa Khan Gorji was a Georgian prince of the royal house of Kakheti, whose career flourished in the service of the Safavid dynasty of Iran and included numerous years as a governor of Shaki in what is today Azerbaijan.
Background
Jesse was a son of King Leon of Kakheti by his first wife Tinatin Gurieli. As a young prince, Jesse was placed by his father at the head of the Georgian auxiliaries requested by the Safavid shah Tahmasp I during his war with the Ottoman Empire (1532-1555).
Career
He stayed governor of Shaki until 1580. In 1576 "Isa Khan became embroiled in a power struggle following the death of Shah Tahmasp. He was part of the Kazvin-based Georgian faction, including Tahmasp"s Georgian widow Zahra Baji, a Shalikashvili princess, which tried to secure the succession for Tahmasp"s younger son Heidar.
According to the 17th-century historian, Iskandar Beg Munshi, "Isa Khan was imprisoned together with another Georgian, Simon I of Kartli, at Alamut, and was liberated with him by Shah Ismail.
Munshi may have confused him with Archil, son of Bagrat, Prince of Mukhrani. On the accession of Shah Mohammed Khodabanda in 1578, "Isa Khan was again in favor.
Together with Simon and yet another Georgian, Shah Rustam the Lur, he was present at the coronation of Khodabanda and the three received the honor of kissing the shah"s feet. That same year, "Isa Khan had to take flight before the Ottoman army of Lala Kara Mustafa Pasha.