The Kingdom of Imereti is a Georgian monarchy established in 1455 by a member of the house of Bagrationi when the Kingdom of Georgia is dissolved into rival kingdoms.

Before that time, Imereti is considered a separate kingdom within the Kingdom of Georgia, to which a cadet branch of the Bagration royal family holds the crown beginning in 1260 by David VI, King of Georgia.

This is due to the Mongolian conquest of the 13th century which decentralizes and fragments Georgia, forcing the relocation of governmental centers to the provinces.

From 1455 onward, however, the kingdom becomes a constant battleground between Georgian, Russian, Persian, and Turkish forces until it is annexed into Russia completely in 1810.

Throughout the course of this time, Mengrelia, Abkhazia and Guria princedoms declare their independence from Imereti and form their own governments.

In Persian - Azeri nomenclature the name of the region is changed to " baş açıq" which literally means "without a head scarf".