Mamuka was a member of the Bagrationi dynasty of Imereti, a kingdom in western Georgia. A son of King George III of Imereti, he was a leading commander in a series of wars with Levan II Dadiani, Prince of Mingrelia, who captured Mamuka in 1647 and had him blinded. Mamuka died as Dadiani's prisoner. At one point in the 1630s, Mamuka had been considered by the childless king Rostom of Kartli as his heir apparent.

Levan II Dadiani was a member of the House of Dadiani and ruler of the Principality of Mingrelia in western Georgia. Levan is known for his extensive raiding of neighboring countries and taking hostages for ransom.