Ioane was a son of Prince Constantine III of Mukhrani. He succeeded to the headship of the House of Mukhrani on the retirement of his relative, Simon. He was a son-in-law and senior official of King Heraclius II of Georgia. In 1783, Ioane signed, together with Prince Garsevan Chavchavadze, the Treaty of Georgievsk whereby Georgia was promised a Russian protection and preservation of its throne under the House of Bagrationi. From 1786 to 1795, he was a military governor of the Erivan Khanate, Georgia's tributary state. He was responsible for putting down a revolt against Heraclius' hegemony in the Nakhichevan Khanate in 1786 and commanded elements of Georgian troops at the disastrous battle against the Iranian invasion of Tbilisi in 1795.