On August 4 (July 24, old style), 1783, the Treaty of Georgievsk was concluded on the patronage and supreme power of the Russian Empire over the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom.
“The annexation of Georgia to Russia was a political event of paramount importance. It was from the time of this annexation that Russia embarked on a path that, perhaps, would lead it to the shores of the Persian Gulf. The future is always guesswork, but the possibility of such a future is enough, the possession of what Russia now has in the Caucasus is enough to see the full significance of the event, with which, in fact, the spread of Russian possessions in this part of Asia begins,”- this is how the future ardent separatist Zurab Avalov, who ended his days in Germany as Hitler’s henchman, wrote about the significance of Georgia’s annexation to Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century.
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Georgia found itself cut off from the entire Christian world, and a little later it was actually divided between Turkey and Iran, and survived by maneuvering between these two states. At this time, hope for Russian help gradually formed. The first attempts at rapprochement took place back in the 16th century. So, in 1586, under Tsar Theodore Ioannovich, Georgia was formally accepted into the Russian state, and the royal title was added: “Sovereign of the Iveron land and Georgian kings.”
However, Russia’s geopolitical position at that time did not allow it to provide any effective assistance to the Georgians. The situation changed only after the defeat of the Crimean Khanate and the annexation of Crimea to Russia, and after the Kartli-Kakheti king Irakli II Once again appealed to Catherine II with a request to accept Georgia under the protection of Russia, the empress entrusted Lieutenant General Pavel Sergeevich Potemkin (a distant relative of Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin Tauride) with all powers to conclude an agreement. On the Georgian side, princes Ivane Bagration-Mukhransky and Garsevan Chavchavadze acted as plenipotentiaries.
According to the agreement, Tsar Irakli II recognized the patronage of Russia and partially renounced an independent foreign policy, and pledged to serve with his troops Russian Empress. Catherine II, for her part, acted as a guarantor of the independence and integrity of the territories of Kartli-Kakheti. Georgia was granted complete internal independence. The parties exchanged envoys. The agreement equalized the rights of Georgian nobles, priests and merchants with Russian representatives of the corresponding classes.
Especially important had four secret articles of the treaty. According to them, Russia pledged to defend Georgia in the event of war, and during peace negotiations to insist on the return to the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom of possessions that had long belonged to it but were seized by Turkey. Russia has pledged to maintain two infantry battalions in Georgia and to increase the number of its troops in the event of war. At the same time, Georgians were strongly recommended to maintain unity and avoid internecine strife, for which Heraclius II had to make peace with the Imeretian king Solomon I.
The main political significance of the Treaty of Georgievsk was the establishment of a Russian protectorate over eastern Georgia. This protectorate sharply weakened the position of Iran andTurkey in Transcaucasia, formally destroying their claims to Eastern Georgia. In 1783,In connection with the conclusion of the Treaty of Georgievsk, the construction of the Georgian Military Road between Georgia and Russia began, along which several fortifications were built, including the Vladikavkaz fortress.
However, the effect of the treaty did not last long: in September 1786, Suleiman Pasha of Akhaltsikhe sent a letter to the King of Georgia, Heraclius II, proposing to conclude a separate peace treaty. Despite the conditions of Article 4 of the Treaty of Georgievsk, King Heraclius concluded an agreement with the Pasha, which was ratified by the Sultan in the summer of 1787.
This happened just before the start of the next Russian-Turkish war: on August 13 (24), 1787, the Porte declared war on Russia, and the Turkish flotilla attacked two Russian ships stationed near Kinburn.
Under these conditions, Irakli’s peace with Turkey could not be assessed other than as a betrayal, and Lieutenant General Potemkin ordered the withdrawal of Russian units from Georgia.
The departure of the Russian troops did not take long to have an impact: while we were fighting with Turkey, the former rulers of Georgia, the Persians, raised their heads. In 1795, the Persian Shah Agha Mohammed marches on Georgia, using the pretext of its alliance with Russia, defeats the army of Tsar Heraclius II in the Battle of Krtsanis, then enters the Georgian capital without a fight and subjects it to complete defeat: the majority of the population was killed, and 22 thousand were killed. people, mainly women and children, were taken into slavery.
Irakli again sent tearful pleas to Russia, and in April 1796, the 13,000-strong Caspian Corps under the command of Lieutenant General Valerian Zubov moved from Kizlyar to the Azerbaijani provinces of Iran. On May 10, Derbent was taken by storm, and on June 15, Baku and Cuba were occupied without a fight. In November, Russian troops reached the confluence of the Kura and Araks rivers. However, on November 6, 1796, Catherine died, and with her the projects for the conquest of Iran became a thing of the past. Only a small detachment of General Rimsky-Korsakov remained in Georgia, but even that was recalled at the beginning of 1797. Georgia was again left to its own fate, and only the death of Aga Mohammed, who was killed by a blow to the head with a melon by his own servant, who was jealous of the Shah for one of his concubines, saved the Georgians from a new terrible invasion.
After the death of Irakli II, which followed on January 11, 1798, Georgia, which had just suffered the pogrom of Agha Mohammed, was left in the most disastrous situation, being outside under the threat of invasion by the Turks, Persians and Lezgins, and inside torn apart by unrest and the struggle for succession to the throne. The legal heir of Heraclius was the eldest son from his second marriage, George XII.
Having ascended the throne, George did not have sufficient strength and firmness to resist the internal turmoil that flourished around him. His stepmother, Queen Daria, who had already forced Heraclius to divide the entire kingdom into inheritances not in favor of George and his offspring, now became the center of intrigue and plotted to completely remove George’s offspring from the throne. She and her sons did not want to recognize the supreme power of the king and sought protection in Persia.
In these difficult circumstances, in order to finally calm down the homeland, exhausted by the overwhelming struggle with enemies, and at the same time foreseeing all the difficulty of retaining the throne for one’s home,George asked Emperor Paul I to accept Georgia into eternal Russian citizenship and send troops to protect it from enemies, both external and internal. The Emperor ordered the commander of the Caucasian Line, Lieutenant General Knorring, to send the seventeenth Jaeger Regiment to Tiflis, under the command of Major General Lazarev.
Together with the regiment, in the fall of 1799, State Councilor Kovalensky also went for a permanent stay in Georgia as a plenipotentiary minister, bringing the king a crown and other signs of royal investiture, since all the precious regalia used during the coronation of the Georgian kings were stolen during the invasion Agi Mohammed.
Despite the late season, the cold and snowstorms that raged at the pass across the Main Caucasus Range, the regiment successfully completed a difficult campaign and on November 26, the very day of George’s name day, approached Tiflis. His meeting was accompanied by extraordinary solemnity. Tsar George himself, together with the heir to the throne, the princes and a large retinue, received him with bread and salt outside the city outpost.
And a year later On November 23, 1800, the emperor issued a rescript addressed to George XII on the acceptance of his kingdom into Russian citizenship.
Treaty of Georgievsk is a treaty according to which the Russian Empire assumed patronage and supreme power over the united Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti. As a result of the signing of this document in 1783, Georgia actually came under the protectorate of Russia. He was imprisoned in the North Caucasus in the city of Georgievsk, hence his name.
Background
The signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk was preceded by a large number of events that led to this decision.
Even after the fall of Constantinople in the 15th century, Georgia was virtually cut off from the rest of the Christian world. Over time, its territory was essentially divided between Iran and Turkey. She had to survive by maneuvering between these two countries.
At times it managed to obtain privileges within these states and an acceptable position for its citizens, but differences in faith remained an insurmountable barrier to final integration. In the 18th century, an opinion was formed that Russia could help. The first attempts to formalize the union were made during the reign of Peter I. But then they were not crowned with success; the Treaty of Georgievsk, the definition of which is in this article, was concluded several decades later.
Iran War
In 1720, the Astrakhan governor Volynsky received instructions to win over the Georgian king Vakhtang to the side of Russia. At that moment, Persia was experiencing a crisis, and Peter was preparing to march on these lands. Joint negotiations began already in 1721.
The Georgian ruler decided to break off relations with Persia; apparently, Volynsky promised both a permanent alliance and patronage, which was so desired in Georgia.
In March 1722, the Persians were defeated by the Afghans at Gulnabad; Tsar Vakhtang refused to help the Shah, deciding to join the army of Peter I. But at the last moment, the Russian emperor canceled the campaign. For Georgians, the consequences were tragic. Vakhtang was declared an outlaw, Tbilisi was ruined. Turkish army occupied most of Georgia until 1734.
War with Turkey
In the 20s of the 18th century, Georgian clergy and entire classes asked Russia for help, but to no avail. The situation changed when the war against the Turks began in 1768. Another attempt at rapprochement was made, which, however, failed, but became the first step towards the conclusion of the Treaty of Georgievsk in 1783.
The joint campaign was doomed to failure, since the actions of the two armies could not be coordinated. As a result, they managed to win a number of victories, but Catherine II was not satisfied with the results of the campaign. Moreover, during the conclusion of the peace agreement with Turkey, Georgia was never mentioned.
Tsar Irakli II sent proposals to the Russian Empress on the conditions under which Georgia was ready to accept Russian patronage. He offered to pay 70 kopecks per yard, supply soldiers, wine and the best horses. In the future, on the basis of this proposal, the Treaty of Georgievsk was signed. True, it was then that he was rejected.
Signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk
At the end of 1782, Irakli II once again turned to the Russian Empress with a request to accept Georgia under her protection. At that time, Russia was just trying to strengthen its position in Transcaucasia. Reasons for the Treaty of Georgievsk: Russia's desire to strengthen its influence in the south and Georgia's dreams of being freed from Muslim rule. Therefore, Catherine entrusted Pavel Potemkin with the authority to conclude an agreement. general characteristics treaty, the Treaty of Georgievsk of 1783, is given in this article.
Both the Russian and Georgian sides had responsibilities. According to the terms of the agreement, which went down in history as the Treaty of Georgievsk, the Georgian king partially renounced independent conduct of foreign policy, pledging that his army would serve Russia. Russia guaranteed the integrity and independence of Georgian territories, absolute internal independence. Nobles, merchants and representatives of the clergy were given equal rights. The date of signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk over Eastern Georgia is July 24, 1783. This took place in the Georgievsk fortress, today the city of the same name, which is part of the Stavropol Territory.
From this article you will find out who signed the Treaty of Georgievsk. From Russia it was Pavel Potemkin, and from Georgia it was Prince Ivane Bagration-Mukhrani and Adjutant General of the Georgian Tsar Garsevan Chavchavadze. The date of signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk played a big role in the further relations between Georgia and Russia.
Secret articles
Of particular importance in the Treaty of Georgievsk in 1783 were 4 secret articles. They stated that Russia promised to protect Georgia in case of war, and during peace negotiations to insist on the return of possessions seized by Turkey at that time.
At the same time, Russia constantly pledged to maintain two infantry battalions and 4 cannons on Georgian territory. According to the terms of the Treaty of Georgievsk, its main political significance was the establishment of a Russian protectorate over Eastern Georgia. This significantly weakened the positions of Turkey and Iran in the Transcaucasus, effectively depriving them of their claims to these territories.
It was after the conclusion of the Treaty of Georgievsk that the construction of the Georgian Military Road began, along which fortifications and fortresses were created. In particular, Vladikavkaz was founded in 1784. If we talk briefly about the Treaty of Georgievsk of 1783, these are its main provisions.
Violation of agreements
The date of the Treaty of Georgievsk was supposed to serve as a reference for new relations in Russian-Georgian history, but after a few years problems arose. Without interference, the document was valid for no more than 4 years. After this, strong opposition began from Turkish politicians.
The Dagestanis and Akhaltsinians increased their raids, Russia protested, but this did not bring any results. Moreover, Türkiye has already demanded that the terms of the Treaty of Georgievsk be abandoned. For example, to hide the fortifications of Vladikavkaz.
In 1787, in violation of the Treaty of Georgievsk of 1783 Russian troops were withdrawn from Turkey. Historians have still not come to a consensus on why this was done; there are two main versions.
Some researchers believe that Georgia was the first to violate the Treaty of Georgievsk under Catherine II. In 1786 Turkish Pasha invited Irakli II to conclude a separate peace treaty.
It is believed that the Georgian king was the first to deviate from the rules dictated by the conclusion of the Treaty of St. George, entering into negotiations with the Turks. As a result, a peace treaty was concluded; in 1787, the Sultan ratified it just during the Russian-Turkish war. At this moment, according to historians, the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk with Eastern Georgia ceased to apply. After this, Russia was obliged to withdraw its troops.
According to another version, Russia decided to take such a step by making concessions to Turkey, ignoring the postulates that resulted from the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk. At that time, the war was not beneficial for her, so the battalions were withdrawn, the Georgian ambassador was sent away from St. Petersburg and agreed to hide the fortification of the base in Vladikavkaz. At that time, the provisions of the treatise were simply unfavorable for her.
In 1795, the Persian Shah Agha Mohamed Khank united Persia, having gained the upper hand over all his rivals, decided to return Georgia, which was actually separated after the conclusion of the Treaty of Georgievsk. The date when this took place became a black day for Persia.
At that moment, Agha Mohammed Khanq offered Heraclius to return to Iranian citizenship on more favorable terms, but was refused. In September, Tbilisi was destroyed by the troops of the Persian Shah; Catherine II only on October 1 ordered the sending of troops to help Georgia.
Even after the destruction of Tbilisi, the Shah once again invited Heraclius to submit, promising the release of the captives. But the Georgian king is still waiting for the 13,000-strong Russian corps, commanded by Lieutenant General Zubov. The destruction of Tbilisi became one of the reasons for the war in which Russia entered. On May 10, as a result of the assault, Derbent was taken, Cuba and Baku surrendered without a fight. By November, Russian troops reached the confluence of the Araks and Kura rivers. But the trip ended unexpectedly. On November 6, 1796, the empress dies, and with her the plans for the conquest of Persia become a thing of the past. Only a small detachment of the Russian army remains in Georgia, which is recalled in 1797. Agi Mohammed also dies, which, according to historians, saves the country from another devastation.
Only as a result of the Yassi Peace Treaty did Turkey finally renounce its claims to Georgian lands, pledging not to take any aggressive actions in the future. In 1799, the Russian army returned to Eastern Georgia. Together with the regiment of General Lazarev arrives official representative Russia at the court of Giorgi XII Kovalensky. In the same year, Count Apollos Musin-Pushkin, with the permission of Emperor Paul I, begins negotiations with the Georgian king about joining Russia.
In 1800, the Georgian embassy transferred documents of citizenship to the College of Foreign Affairs.
Emperor's Manifesto
At the end of 1800, a delegation from Georgia proposed to Russia a project for an even closer partnership. Prince Chavchavadze, on behalf of his king, submits a noma, which is approved by the Collegium of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, Count Rostopchin declares to the Georgian ambassadors that Paul I decided to accept the Tsar and the entire Georgian people into eternal citizenship. On November 23, the emperor sent a rescript addressed to George XII, in which he declared his acceptance of Russian citizenship. George was promised to retain his royal powers until the end of his life, and after his death, the Russian government planned to approve the governor-general as the heir to the throne, and classify Georgia as a Russian province, calling it the Georgian kingdom.
The matter was moving toward drawing up a legal agreement that would be the optimal solution to a long-standing issue. But exactly two days before the audience, the emperor sent a rescript to General Knorring, in which he ordered to immediately send troops into Georgia. This went against the principles established in 1783 by the Treaty of Georgievsk. According to it, the issue of appointing an heir remained within the competence of local authorities.
On December 18, a manifesto on the unilateral accession of Georgia was signed, even before the death of George, which occurred 10 days later. The ambassadors returned with this manifesto in early January. On January 15, Prince David published an official appeal.
Three days later, the manifesto of Emperor Paul I was published in St. Petersburg. It is worth noting that the text itself was compiled very vaguely; for example, it does not say anything about the fate of the Georgian dynasty. It is declared that the Georgian kingdom is annexed forever, its citizens receive all the necessary rights and benefits corresponding to the rights of Russian citizens.
On February 16, 1801, the manifesto on the annexation of Georgia to Russia was read out in Georgian and Russian at the Zion Cathedral. The next day it is officially announced in the cathedral church of Tbilisi.
However, it was not possible to actually complete the annexation of Georgia; on March 12, Paul I was killed as a result of a conspiracy. Alexander I becomes the new emperor.
The question of the annexation of Georgia under a new ruler
Already in March, the issue of annexing Georgia had to be decided by Alexander I. Some contradictions arise here. If under the previous ruler this topic was approached exclusively from the point of view of state interest, then under the new emperor it was approached from the point of view of law.
Alexander was a supporter of honest politics, so he had an extremely negative attitude towards the act of accession, which had practically no legal basis. the main problem was that the manifesto signed by Paul had already been read, which means that the annexation was actually about to begin. Due to doubts that arose, the emperor brought this issue up for discussion by the State Council, which in those years was called the Permanent Council.
The issue turned out to be incredibly complex; it took about six months to resolve it. The first meeting of the council for Georgia took place on April 11, 1801. The State Council was dominated by the so-called imperial party, which, unlike the close friends of the new emperor, supported expansion Russian territories by any means. They wanted to get Georgia because of the rich mines that Musin-Pushkin spoke about, as well as for the sake of peace on the southern borders and the greatness of the empire.
At that time, Georgian ambassadors had already been in Russia for a month to take part in a bilateral solution to the issue, but State Council did not want this option, insisting on the obvious benefits of the project.
At the second meeting of the State Council on April 15, Prosecutor General Bekleshov stated that he considered the appropriation of someone else's land unfair, noting that he expressed the point of view of the emperor. A dilemma arose: either complete independence or complete annexation.
Since independence would be disastrous for Georgia, the Council concluded that only complete annexation with Russia was possible. Count Knorring was sent to Georgia to find out whether all the people really wanted this annexation and whether Georgia could be an independent kingdom.
A split arose among the supporters of Alexander I on this issue. If the majority in the Council was the “imperial” party, then among the Secret Committee, which included high-ranking persons close to the emperor, the majority was against it.
They managed to express their common opinion in the report of the future Minister of Internal Affairs Viktor Kochubey and Count Alexander Vorontsov, which was sent to the emperor four days before Knorring’s report. The authors of the report proceeded from the fact that the key principle of Alexander’s policy was not the expansion of the empire, but its internal improvement. The question of conquering the Caspian region disappeared, but the annexation of Georgia was part of this plan. The authors of the report argued that the unanimity of the Georgian people on this issue seems doubtful.
The wealth of the mines that Georgia promises to transfer to Russia has also been questioned. From the point of view of Russian state interests, as Vorontsov and Kochubey noted, the annexation of Georgia could play a negative role.
They suggested that the emperor choose one of the princes for the kingdom according to the order of succession or based on his personal qualities, and, if necessary, select the remaining contenders for the throne. It was proposed to leave a small number of troops in Georgia and appoint a specialized minister under the tsar.
Knorring's report
Knorring, who went to Georgia on behalf of the State Council, arrived there on May 22. Almost all the time he remained in Tbilisi. The essence of its mission was actually predetermined by the dilemma that the Council established: either complete annexation or complete independence.
When Knorring arrived in Tbilisi, anarchy had already reigned in Georgia for about six months. Russian generals did not allow Prince David to proclaim himself king, while he was considered the confirmed heir. When Russian soldiers took the oath to the new Emperor Alexander, Georgian soldiers were not sworn in at all, leaving them in limbo. There was real anarchy in the country, Georgia was subject to raids by mountaineers from Dagestan, and moreover, it had not yet managed to fully recover from the Persian invasion. General Tuchkov, who arrived in Tbilisi at the same time, noted that the city was in ruins, with only two streets intact. From Knorring Tuchkov learned that the issue of Georgia’s annexation had still not been resolved. According to recollections, Tuchkov was then indignant - isn’t it the duty of the Russian sovereign to protect fellow Christians against Muslims? To which Knorring replied that “now there is a different system in everything.”
In Georgia, Knorring saw only disorder and chaos, which he reported to the sovereign. He could not find a rational grain in the confusion that reigned in the country at that time. He stayed in the mission for 22 days, returning to St. Petersburg, on June 28 he submitted a report to the emperor, in which he spoke negatively about Georgia’s ability to stand independently and independently without outside help. Noting that the Georgians themselves unanimously want to join Russia.
The final solution to the issue
The issue, which was discussed in the Treaty of Georgievsk in 1783, was finally resolved only in 1801. On August 8, at the next meeting of the State Council dedicated to Georgia, it was announced that during the year of anarchy the country had lost all semblance of a state. Among the clumsy justifications for joining was even the fact that the world has long strongly associated Georgia with Russia, which means that retreat on this issue would be unworthy for such a great empire.
At the meetings, reports were heard from Kochubey-Vorontsov and Knorring. The council sided with the latter. It was separately stated that it was necessary to prevent attempts by the Turks and Persians, who were able to seize Georgia, and also that this annexation would help curb the mountain peoples.
In his final speech, Kochubey insisted on the danger of expanding borders, as well as the injustice of annexation from a monarchical point of view, and therefore proposed maintaining the vassal position of Georgia. However, the State Council still made a positive decision on this issue.
Despite this, Emperor Alexander still hesitated. On August 13, he once again discussed this issue at a meeting of the Secret Committee, whose members were categorically against it, but the ruler himself gradually leaned towards the Council’s decision.
At the same time, authorized officials from Georgia tried their best to ensure that Georgia’s voluntary accession remained the same in form. They sent notes to the Russian emperor in which they made proposals to resolve the issue of Georgia in their direct presence as delegates from the people, but no one was interested in their position.
On September 12, Alexander signed the annexation manifesto. The “imperial” party of the Zubov brothers won on this issue; one of them, Plato, himself wrote the text of the manifesto. It noted that Georgia joins Russia to fulfill a sacred duty, to fulfill the “prayers of the suffering.” This rule, the manifesto said, would help establish justice, property and personal security in the country.
The manifesto was officially read out on April 12, 1802 at the Zion Cathedral in Tbilisi. The prince and all classes were sworn in, they swore an oath of allegiance. As Tuchkov notes, the entire ceremony took place without the slightest confusion. True, General Vasily Potto noted that Knorring, who came to Georgia again, was not one of the people capable of inspiring people's trust. He instantly distorted the meaning of Georgia's voluntary annexation, giving it the appearance of some kind of violence. In Tiflis, he gathered all the inhabitants of the city, Potto claims, surrounded them with troops, ordering them to swear allegiance to the new sovereign in such an environment.
This unreasonable rudeness aroused dissatisfaction on the part of the Georgians; they were offended; under the threat of bayonets, they did not want to take the oath and simply went home.
A few days after the announcement of the manifesto, a new government was opened. Knorring was appointed ruler of Georgia. When the raids of the mountaineers became more frequent, something like civil war. Knorring was recognized as unable to rectify the situation, he was recalled, replaced by Prince Tsitsianov.
Due to the need to stop the unrest, the command of the Russian army began arresting members of the royal family; some historians believe that this was only a pretext. General Lazarev received mortal wound during the arrests of the Dowager Empress Maria. Those arrested were sent to Vladikavkaz under escort, local residents tried to prevent this, and the detachment had to fight their way through the Caucasus ridge.
To summarize, the consequences of the Treaty of Georgievsk for Georgia were twofold. On the one hand, the country managed to get rid of the raids of the Persians and Turks, which, however, could have been achieved through diplomatic means, but on the other, it lost its independence. Over time, the unrest in the country subsided, since it arose, first of all, not against the Russian government, but against the methods that the sent officials used.
Currently, Georgia is laying the historical foundation for a new interpretation of Russian-Georgian relations. In the direction of the main blow, a treaty was signed on June 24, 1783 in the city of Georgievsk, according to which Eastern Georgia - the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom - came under the protection of Russia as a protectorate, but while maintaining state sovereignty. A similar change of milestones began after E. Shevardnadze came to power as a result of a coup in December 1991 - January 1992 and is developing today.
The Georgian people are being taught that the Treaty of Georgievsk is fatal mistake good-natured Georgian rulers who trusted the treacherous Russian emperors that from their northern neighbor Georgia always received only black ingratitude in response to kindness, and then lost any attributes of sovereignty. Mikheil Saakashvili is trying to create an image of a proud people, constantly subjected to deprivation and humiliation, but in the end freed from the Russian yoke and finding new and true friends.
Brief historical background
The Treaty of Georgievsk of 1783 is an agreement on the voluntary entry of the Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom (Eastern Georgia) under the protection of Russia.
In 1453, after the fall of Constantinople, Georgia was cut off from the entire Christian world, and a little later it was actually divided between Turkey and Iran. In the XVI - XVIII centuries it was the arena of the struggle between Iran and Turkey for dominance in Transcaucasia.
By the end of the 18th century, eastern Georgia was under Persian control.
During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the Kartli-Kakheti and Imereti kingdoms opposed the Turks on the side of Russia. General Totleben's corps of 3,500 people was sent to help them. The victory of Russia over Turkey in 1774 significantly eased the situation of the Georgian lands subject to the Turks, and the payment of tribute to the Sultan by the Kingdom of Imereti was abolished.
On December 21, 1782, the Kartli-Kakheti king Irakli II turned to Catherine II with a request to accept Georgia under the protection of Russia.
The agreement was concluded on July 24 (August 4), 1783 in the Georgievsk fortress (North Caucasus) and signed on behalf of Russia by the general-in-chief, Prince Pavel Potemkin, on behalf of Georgia - by princes Ivan Bagration-Mukhransky and Garsevan Chavchavadze. On January 24, 1784, the treaty came into force...
The Georgian king recognized the “supreme power and patronage” of Russia, which in turn guaranteed the preservation territorial integrity possessions of Irakli II and his heirs...
Other Transcaucasian countries also sought to rely on Russia in the fight against Muslim Persia and Turkey. In 1803, Mingrelia came under Russian citizenship, in 1804 - Imereti and Guria, the Ganja Khanate and Dzharo Belokan region were also annexed, in 1805 - the Karabakh, Sheki and Shirvan khanates and the territory of Shirak, in 1806 - the khanates of Derbent, Kuba and Baku, in 1810 - Abkhazia, in 1813 - Talysh Khanate. Thus, within short term Almost all of Transcaucasia went to the Russian Empire.
There will be no complete answer to all these questions if we cannot understand the state of the Georgian people in the second half of the 18th century. The emergence of the Georgian state dates back to 487, when King Vakhtang I Gorgasal united Georgia politically and, with the consent of Byzantium, declared the Georgian church autocephalous. In the 12th and early 13th centuries, Georgia as a feudal state reached its highest development and became one of the most powerful powers in the region. The leading role in transforming Georgia into a strong state belonged to the Abkhazian kingdom. Abkhazian king Leon II at the end of the 8th century. moved the capital of the Abkhazian kingdom from Anakopia (Psyrdekh) to Kutaisi. “The city of Kutatisi (now Kutaisi) became the residence of the Abkhaz kings. Having subjugated the regions of not only Lazika itself, but also the Argvet region, the Abkhaz kings thereby embarked on the path of unifying not only Western Georgia, but also Georgia as a whole, since the Argvet region had always belonged to the Kartli (Iberian) kingdom... The new Western Georgian entity accepted name of the Abkhazian kingdom." Cultural, economic and political successes of the Abkhazian kingdom in the 8th-10th centuries. prepared the ground for annexing not only Kartli, but also parts of South Georgia in Tao, and thereby for the formation of a united Georgian kingdom at the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century.
But at the beginning of the 16th century, Georgia was divided into independent territories, hostile to each other and microstates (principalities) at war with each other - Kartli, Kakheti, Imereti, Guria, Abkhazia, Mingrelia, Svaneti and Samtskhe. In 1555, Turkey and Persia divided the entire country between themselves without declaring war. Eastern Georgia fell under the rule of Persia, and Western Georgia (especially Abkhazia) came under Turkey.
Türkiye had a detrimental effect on further economic development Abkhazia, and in particular, on the cultural life of the Abkhaz people.
The first contact between Rus' and Georgia recorded by chroniclers dates back to the 70s of the 12th century, when Prince Yuri Andreevich, the son of the Suzdal prince Andrei Bogolyubsky and the grandson of the great Kiev Yuri Dolgoruky, the husband of Queen Tamara, actually became the Georgian king. The Georgian king George III, concerned that he did not have a son-heir, made his daughter Tamara queen during his lifetime.
The Kakhetian prince Leon was the first to voluntarily turn to the Muscovite kingdom for protection in 1564 under Ivan the Terrible.
Under Peter I, one of his favorite friends and associates was the Imeretian prince Alexander. During Peter's lifetime, King Vakhtang of Kartli, overthrown from the throne by the Turks, moved with his entire family, at Peter's call, to Russia. Over 100 Georgians - princes, princes, warriors, and clergy - went to Russia with him.
The Georgian king Archil turned to Peter I with a request to help the Georgian press. “Tsar Peter ordered to immediately cast Georgian letters for printing, and the first printed books in the Georgian language came out of the Moscow state printing house. Then Russian craftsmen and teachers opened a printing house in the capital of Kartolinia - Tiflis. From the Russians they learned how to organize schools and icon painting.” (Russia under the scepter of the Romanovs. 1613-1913. St. Petersburg, 1912. - Reprint. - M.; Interbook, 1990, p. 165.)
During the reign of Catherine II, under the rule of one king, Erekle II, the two main Georgian kingdoms - Kartli and Kakheti - united. Imereti, Mingrelia and Guria paid the Turks annually shameful tribute: not only in money, but also in “live goods”, sending a certain number of girls. Kartli and Kakheti paid the same tribute to Persia.
Regularly repeated invasions of the Turks and Persians, as well as bloody internecine clashes among the scattered Georgian principalities, led to the fact that the Georgians, already small in number, were brought to the brink of physical extinction, or, at best, assimilation by the Muslim environment (Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, mountainous Caucasian peoples). The king of Kartli and Kakheti, Irakli II, could barely field 10 thousand troops, poorly armed, completely untrained and not knowing any discipline. Therefore, Tsar Irakli II turned to Russia for help.
In accordance with the Treaty of Georgievsk, Russians military units in Georgia were first stationed in 1784 - “to preserve the possessions of Kartli and Kakheti from any touch from their neighbors and to reinforce the troops of His Grace King Erekle II for defense.”
The text of the agreement, in particular, stated: “Any new ruler of Georgia can ascend the throne only with the consent of Russia; Georgia's relations with foreign countries must take place under the supervision of the Russian representative in Tiflis; citizens of both countries have the same rights before the laws; Russia undertakes to keep a detachment of its troops in Tiflis.”
The Shah of Iran, Agha Mohammed Khan Qajar, sent his ambassadors to Heraclius II with a demand to break all relations with Russia. “Not only Agha Mohammed Khan, but even if everyone Asian states go to war against us, and even then I will not give up allegiance to Russia“, - this was the answer of the Georgian king to the Persians. (Abashidze G. Decree. Op. P. 172)
The acceptance of Georgia under Russian protectorate set Persia and Turkey against Russia. “Persia, which was losing its long-time vassal in the person of the Georgian king, protested openly and even gathered troops, but Turkey, which had no reason to clearly interfere in our relations with Georgia, resorted to its usual method - to raise the Caucasian peoples against us. The Kabardians, who had recently experienced the power of Russian weapons, did not accept the Turkish emissaries, but the Chechens rebelled almost without exception.” (Potto V.A. Two centuries of the Terek Cossacks (1577-1801). T.2 P.145. Vladikavkaz. 1912. - Reprint. - Stavropol, 1991.
On September 11, 1995, Shah Agha Mohamed Khan captured Tiflis, and “the entire East trembled from the horrors that accompanied the capture of the capital of Iveria. In a flourishing city, turned into a heap of ruins, no stone was left unturned; Most of the inhabitants were slaughtered in the most barbaric manner, and the rest, numbering 22 thousand souls, were taken into slavery.” (Ibid. pp. 204-205)
All churches were desecrated or destroyed, the Georgian Metropolitan Dosifei was thrown from the bridge into the Kura River.
To this day, Georgian authors sharply reproach Russia for not providing assistance during the invasion of 1795. According to Georgiy Abashidze, the real threat of an attack by Agha Mohamed Khan, enraged by Georgia’s political orientation towards Russia, arose earlier: in 1792, Irakli II first turned to Catherine II with a request for military assistance in the hope of fulfilling their obligations in accordance with the Treaty of Georgievsk.
Why didn’t Russia provide assistance to Georgia in 1795?
Firstly, a difficult war with Turkey has just ended. Secondly, a significant part of the Russian troops remained in Poland. Simultaneously with the Turkish war, there was a war with the Swedes. Third, Austria withdrew from its alliance with Russia and made peace with the Turks, while England and Prussia negotiated an armed alliance with Poland against Russia. Fourthly, the formidable shadow of Napoleon Bonaparte has already loomed on the western borders of Russia. All these factors give reason to consider Russia’s position to be constrained.
Another important circumstance was that Georgia could not then support the Russian troops allied to it. “Under Catherine the Great, Russian troops were sent to Georgia twice; but the internal unrest there was so strong that King Heraclius could not collect food supplies even for several battalions, and King Solomon of Imereti, instead of the promised abundant supplies, delivered only a few bulls to feed the Russian army. The army had to be recalled, but nevertheless, under an agreement with Russia, Turkey was forced to refuse the shameful tribute of people from Georgian lands. This was the first relief wrested for Georgia by the weapons of fellow believer Russia.” (Russia under the scepter of the Romanovs S.168).
In fact, the treaty was in force in the fall of 1795. On September 4, 1795, Catherine ordered “to reinforce Tsar Heraclius, as a Russian vassal, against hostile attempts on his life, stipulated by the treaty with them with two full battalions of infantry.”
After 8 days, Tbilisi was destroyed by the troops of Agha-Magomed Khan. General Gudovich received the Empress's order only on October 1.
By 1795, Agha Mohammed Khan had just managed to unite Iran and defeat his rivals, and the question arose of returning Georgia to Iran, which had actually separated from it after the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk.
“At the repeated requests of Tsar Irakli, in April 1796, Russia sent the 13,000-strong Caspian Corps under the command of Lieutenant General V. A. Zubov from Kizlyar to the Azerbaijani provinces of Iran. On May 10, Derbent was taken by storm, and on June 15, Baku and Cuba were occupied without a fight. In November, Russian troops reached the confluence of the Kura and Araks rivers. However, on November 6, 1796, Catherine died. Only a small detachment of General Rimsky-Korsakov remained in Georgia, which was recalled at the beginning of 1797.”
If the events in Tbilisi in the summer of 1795 may raise questions for Russia, then Russia’s accusation that Emperor Alexander I, as the Tbilisi newspaper “Sakartvelos Republic” (Republic of Georgia) reported in 2006, quoting I. Javakhishvili, “trampled on the treatise , abolishing the kingdom in Georgia and completing its annexation” is controversial. Exist historical facts and they cannot be cast aside if they do not fit into someone’s ahistorical scheme.
In 1797, two years after the defeat of Tbilisi, an envoy from the Georgian king arrived in St. Petersburg to assure Emperor Paul of the king's devotion to Georgia and ask for help and protection.
George XII asked the Emperor of the Russian Empire to accept Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom) into Russia: He feared that the Georgian princes would start an internecine struggle, as a result of which Georgia would be conquered by Persia. Therefore, George XII wanted his son, David XII Georgievich, to take the throne after his death.
It should be noted that the accession to the throne of George XII was marked by a new onslaught of intra-feudal reaction. The king's brothers, incited by their mother, the queen Darejana, forced George XII to approve the order of succession to the throne, according to which the throne passed to the eldest in the family. Thus, the prince became the heir to the throne Yulon, son of Heraclius. George XII soon abolished the new order of succession to the throne. As a result of this, irreconcilable enmity arose between the king and his brothers. Those dissatisfied with George began to group around the princes. The royal court was divided into two camps; the split was extremely dangerous character in the context of the political crisis the country is experiencing.
George XII and the diplomats who took his side sensibly assessed the situation created in the state; they understood that the only way to prevent civil strife in the country was armed assistance from Russia, in the amount necessary to ensure the external and internal security of the Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom. George XII decided to persistently seek from the Russian government the fulfillment of the obligations assumed under the treaty of 1783.
In April 1799 Emperor Paul I renewed the agreement on patronage with the king of Kartli and Kakheti. In the autumn, Russian troops arrived in Georgia.
From a letter from the last king of Kartli-Kakheti, George XII, to his ambassador Garsevan Chavchavadze dated September 7, 1799:
“Give them my entire kingdom and my possession, as a sincere and righteous sacrifice, and offer it not only under the protection of the highest Russian imperial throne, but also leave it completely to their power and care, so that from now on the kingdom of the Kartlosians is considered to belong to the Russian state with the same rights enjoyed by other regions located in Russia ».
Emperor Paul I ordered the immediate dispatch of the 17th Jaeger Regiment to Tiflis to defend Georgia under the command of General I.P. Lazarev “to remain in it forever.”
On November 26, 1799, Russian troops entered Tbilisi. George XII met Russian troops three kilometers from Tbilisi.
The day after General Lazarev arrived in Tbilisi, November 27, 1799 A meeting of the highest clergy and nobility of Georgia took place. The ambassador of Emperor Paul I solemnly announced that the All-Russian autocrat was taking Georgia under his patronage and protection, and King George XII was establishing himself on the throne. On behalf of Paul, the Georgian king was presented with a diploma, a royal crown, porphyry and a banner with the image of a Russian double-headed eagle. George XII took the oath of allegiance to the Emperor of Russia.
First, the 17th Jaeger (later Life Grenadier Erivan) regiment of Major General Ivan Lazarev marched to Tiflis and a little later - Kabardinsky infantry regiment Major General Vasily Gulyakov.
The feudal reaction that was raging in the country was ready, for the sake of personal interests, to agree to any agreement with Georgia’s age-old enemies - Turkey and Iran. It was clear to supporters of Tsar George XII that the assistance provided for by the treaty of 1783 was clearly insufficient to curb feudal anarchy and ensure the external security of Georgia, and George XII, firmly adhering to the Russian orientation, began to revise the points of the Treaty of Georgievsk.
In the note presented June 24, 1800 The Georgian ambassador in St. Petersburg, the king of Kartli and Kakheti proposed to retain only the right of limited autonomous self-government for Kartli and Kakheti, subject to the preservation of the royal throne by George XII and his heirs. The king of Kartli and Kakheti agreed to submit to the authority of the Russian emperor not only in matters of foreign policy, but also in the field of internal administration.
In St. Petersburg, the Georgian embassy on June 24, 1800 handed over to the Collegium of Foreign Affairs a draft document on citizenship. The first point read: Tsar George XII “zealously desires with his descendants, the clergy, nobles and all the people subject to him to one day forever accept citizenship of the Russian Empire, promising to sacredly fulfill everything that the Russians do.”
At an audience on November 14, 1800, Count Rostopchin and S.L. Lashkarev announced to the Georgian ambassadors that Emperor Paul I accepted the Tsar and the entire Georgian people into eternal citizenship and agreed to satisfy all the requests of George XII, “but not otherwise than when one of the envoys will go back to Georgia to announce to the tsar and people there the consent of the Russian emperor, and when the Georgians again declare by letter their desire to become Russian citizens.”
November 23, 1800 Emperor gave a rescript addressed to George XII, about the acceptance of his kingdom into Russian citizenship, he further wrote:
« “We accepted what was revealed to us with our highest royal favor and also honored our most merciful approval of your petitions to accept you into Our citizenship.”
December 22, 1800 Emperor Paul I signed a manifesto on the annexation of Georgia to Russia.
The Georgian ambassadors read out the “petition clauses” that declared David XII temporary ruler of the country until he was confirmed as king by the Russian emperor.
On November 7 of the same year, two Russian regiments under the command of General Lazarev, together with Georgian detachments near the village of Kakabeti, on the banks of the Iori River, inflicted a severe defeat on the troops (15 thousand) of the Avar Khan Omar, who had his son, who had invaded Georgia. Irakli, Tsarevich Alexander.
Time after time, the mountaineers rushed into desperate attacks, trying to crush the detachment that stood in their way, but rifle volleys and grapeshot constantly drove back the enemy. Up to 2 thousand highlanders fell in battle, Omar himself received a serious wound and soon died.
When, incited by the former masters of Georgia, the Persians, a huge horde of Lezgins rushed into Georgia for the usual robbery, 700 people of the Russian infantry of General Lazarev familiarized the Lezgins with Russian bayonet fighting. Supported by 1000 Georgian militia horsemen, they crushed the Lezgin cavalry and put it to flight.
At the end of 1800, Tsar George XII became seriously ill. During his illness, supreme power gradually passed into the hands of the plenipotentiary minister of the Russian government under the Georgian tsar, Kovalensky, and the commander of the Russian troops in Georgia, General Lazarev. During this tense time, which required the unification of all the living forces of the country, the comrades-in-arms of the princes pretending to the royal throne, even during the life of George XII, began a fierce internecine struggle that threatened the existence of the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom.
George XII was promised to retain the right of king for the rest of his life. However, after his death, the Russian government intended to approve David XII Georgievich as governor-general with the title of tsar, and to classify Georgia among the Russian provinces under the name of the kingdom of Georgia.
In the 30-50s of the 19th century. Georgians settled scores with their neighbors who had long been at enmity with them, taking an active part in the Caucasian War against Chechnya and Dagestan on the side of Russian troops. In 1944, the Georgian Lavrentiy Beria carried out a lightning-fast operation to evict the Chechens and Ingush from Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Then the Georgian Joseph Stalin changed the Borders of the Georgian SSR, to whose territory the lands of the mountain republics of the North Caucasus were “added”.
The Georgian SSR included part of the abolished Karachay Autonomous Region and the Kabardian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
What was Georgia like before it was annexed to Russia in 1801?
The Russian ambassador reported to St. Petersburg from Georgia that “73 members of the ruling dynasty, including six brothers and eight sons of Tsar George XII, constitute mutually warring parties and “ constantly stir up civil strife and put pressure on the people, tormenting an already devastated country».
(The death of King George XII and the transfer of power to David XII in December 1800 aggravated the situation in the country. Queen Darejan (widow of Heraclius II) and her sonscategorically refused to recognize the authority of Prince David XII , as well as the annexation of Georgia to Russia.
After the death of Paul I, the decree was confirmed by Alexander I on September 12, 1801. The Georgian nobility did not recognize the decree until April 1802, when Knorring gathered everyone in the Zion Cathedral in Tbilisi and forced them to take an oath to the Russian throne. Those who refused were arrested.
In the summer of 1802, Alexander I appointed a relative of Queen Mariam, wife of George XII, Pavel Tsitsianov (Tsitsishvili), as Commander-in-Chief of Georgia. The consolidation of the new government, according to P. Tsitsianov and Emperor Alexander I himself, was hampered by the presence of numerous Georgian princes in their homeland. Therefore, Alexander I sent letters to queens Darejan and Mariam inviting them to move to St. Petersburg. However, members of the Kartli-Kakheti royal house did not agree to leave their homeland. In April 1803, General Lazarev arrived at the palace of Queen Mariam with the aim of arresting and deporting her. The queen killed the general with a dagger, for which she was exiled to Voronezh. Until 1805, all Georgian princes were also sent to Russia, most of whom settled in St. Petersburg, living on a pension assigned by the emperor, engaged only in scientific and literary activities.)
Despite all the costs, life in Georgia, after its inclusion in Russia, as well as in the Caucasus as a whole, became safe for the peoples living here. Famous English traveler Harold Buxton confirmed this in his book “Travel and Policy of Russia in Transcaucasia and Armenia” (1914): “What the Russians have done here over the last century is a matter of enormous scale. Thanks to the peace they established here, the population increased, culture developed, and rich cities and villages arose. Russian officials do not show cruelty and arrogance towards the tribes they rule, so characteristic of our officials.”
Just as in chess, when sacrificing a piece in the opening, one gets a winning position in the future, so Georgia, having sacrificed in early XIX century with its sovereignty, by the end of the 20th century, thanks to being part of Russia and the USSR, it was able to save itself as a people from complete assimilation or wholesale extermination. And ultimately, typing vitality under the protection of Russian weapons, as a union republic, it formed the basis for state education.
The rapprochement between Russia and Georgia was in the interests of both states. Back in 1771, at the height of the Russian-Turkish war, the Georgian king Heraclius sent an embassy to St. Petersburg with a proposal to conclude an agreement on the transfer of Kartli and Kakheti under the protection of Russia. But St. Petersburg, fearing a prolongation of the war with Turkey, did not dare to sign such an agreement. Ten years later, a more favorable situation developed. Preparing to complete the fight against the Crimean Khanate, the Russian government wanted to have a loyal ally in Transcaucasia. In December 1782, correspondence began between Irakli II and Catherine II, and in the spring of 1783 a draft agreement was developed, which then formed the basis of the Treaty of Georgievsk, which was signed shortly after the annexation of Crimea to Russia.
According to the Treaty of Georgievsk, the Georgian king Irakli II pledged not to recognize any other authority other than the power and patronage of the Russian sovereigns. From now on, the monarchs of Russia approved the Georgian king to ascend the throne, and he took an oath of allegiance to them. Eastern Georgia refused independent relations with foreign states and accepted Russian mediation in resolving disputes with Western Georgia (Imereti). The king of Kartli and Kakheti retained “power, with internal management associated, trial and reprisal, and collection of taxes.” In turn, Russia took upon itself obligations to promote the unification of all Georgian lands, defend the East Georgian kingdom and send two battalions there, and in case of war, other troops. On November 3, 1783, the Russian detachment was solemnly welcomed in Tiflis, and on November 23, Irakli II swore allegiance to Russia.
This was a painful blow to both Turkey and Iran (Persia), who competed for possession of Transcaucasia. The signing of the agreement was greeted with enthusiasm by the Georgian people. In Tiflis, wrote G.A. Potemkin, his envoy Colonel Burnashev, “a people’s masquerade walked the streets, all the residents and the most elderly were constantly splashing their hands while beating the tambourines, and it seems that the people day by day imagine new prosperity in sight.” A gala dinner was given in the palace of Irakli II, accompanied by cannon fire. 101 shots were fired for the health of Catherine II, 51 shots were fired for members of the Russian imperial family, 51 shots were fired for Tsar Irakli and his members royal family- 31 shots. Immediately after the signing of the treaty, the commander of the Russian troops in the Caucasus, P. Potemkin (a relative of the famous field marshal), sent out a “universal” throughout the Caucasus, which said: “To all those bordering the kingdoms of His Serene Tsar Irakli Teimurazovich and the surrounding peoples, through this it is announced that they, recognizing his lordship, forever allied and protected by Russia, moved away from all enterprises harmful to him.”
FOR SUCH MONARCHY YOUR MERCIES
APPEAL OF HERAKLIUS II TO KATHERINE II WITH A REQUEST TO ACCEPT HIS COUNTRY UNDER THE PROTECTION OF RUSSIA
The Most Serene and Sovereign Great Empress, Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna, All-Russian Autocrat, Most Gracious Empress.
Your Majesty's most merciful decrees ordered us to be accepted under your Majesty's most merciful protection and to send troops to reinforce us.
For such kindnesses, we offer our most humble gratitude to your majesty, and your majesty most humbly dare to ask that you most mercifully send a search to us in a short time, so that by the mercy of your majesty we can be delivered from the infidels, and grant us troops numbering four thousand regular, or including half of the irregulars, and command him to be especially in our regions, so that I could act together with them against the Turks; for previously the Russian troops that were with us did not have time to always be with us. Moreover, as far as possible, I have to follow the advice of the chief commander over these troops being sent, so that the main commander also accepts my advice, since I have sufficient information about the state and circumstances of local affairs.
Since our ancestors were kings from ancient times, therefore, Your Majesty most graciously asks that I and my descendants remain forever without change in my dignity, but nevertheless under obedience and in rendering Your Imperial Majesty such services as are described below. The Catholicos also has the right to remain in his office without change. Since, with the help of God and the happiness of Your Majesty, many of the Georgians, being prisoners in the Crimea, received freedom for themselves, therefore Your Majesty most mercifully dare to ask, command that they be allowed to return to their fatherland. When Your Imperial Majesty's troops arrive in our regions and we, together with them, take back our regions that were taken from us by the enemies, then how much money from the treasury will be spent on this corps, from those conquered places in a few years we have such a number for Your Majesty's treasury we will contribute.
To represent and bother Your Majesty, although I acknowledge the following for considerable boldness, however, when the troops first entered Georgia from Russia, at that time I was forced to spend money in transporting them, and, moreover, when I repeatedly collected my troops, then We have had enough, and if the money is needed, then I humbly ask you to lend us this money, which will again be contributed to your Majesty’s treasury, for the maintenance of our troops.
When the above-mentioned favors are shown to us, then I have your imperial majesty to send one of my sons, as well as, if possible, several princes and nobles.
How many different ores and metals are now available in our region, as well as how many of them will be found in the future, then from the profits received from all of them, half the amount will be given to your Majesty’s treasury and will be collected. Also, all those inhabitants who are under our possession have to pay seventy kopecks annually from each household to your Majesty’s treasury.
Your Imperial Majesty is sent to have fourteen of the best horses available in our regions every year.
When the Persians and Turks ruled us, every two years they took nine slaves from our kingdom by force, and to supply them with travel expenses, seventy kopecks from each yard. In addition to this, they received fifty loads of the best grape wine, which they transported at their own expense to their sovereign. And now, for the court of Your Majesty, we will annually bring the best grape wine in our region, amounting to two thousand buckets on our own kosht, to Kizlyar.
From the arrival of Your Imperial Majesty's troops in our regions until the conquest with help from other places, we must serve Your Imperial Majesty from those regions that we now own, according to our promises presented above. And when we take possession of other places by force of Your Majesty, then they have to render their services to Your Imperial Majesty as presented below.
When, by the force and help of Your Majesty's corps, we still take possession of the places taken from us by the Turks, then the residents in those newly conquered places will have to pay into the treasury of Your Imperial Majesty, as much as in the Russian Empire taxes are collected from noble peasants, against them in the floors.
If, by your Majesty’s happiness, we still take possession of the places taken from us, then we also have to serve those places as written above, that is, to pay seventy kopecks annually from each yard, and from the same places we have to Your Majesty send two hundred pounds of lye every year, and if it is possible for us, then more than that date.
Most merciful monarch! At the same time, I most humbly dare to convey that it was commanded this spring to begin the conquest of the Akhaltsikhe region, and when peace follows with the Sultan, then not to leave it under Turkish possession, for this Akhaltsikhe region lies on Georgian land, the people there have the Georgian language and many There are Christians there, and many of them, who in recent times have turned into Mohammedanism.
When, by the happiness of your imperial majesty, our possession receives freedom from the infidels and will be in peace, then both from our present ancient kingdom, and from now on from the newly conquered places, we have soldiers from so many households, from so many souls in the service of your imperial majesty to represent The Russian Empire is gaining strength. If, with the help of God and your Majesty’s happiness, in addition to our own lands taken from us, we conquer other enemy regions with the help of your Majesty’s corps, then what will be done with them, since your Majesty’s permission will follow.
Your Imperial Majesty, we dare to most humbly ask for your royal favors to be granted to us, and, moreover, we present on our part those same services of ours, which we most humbly reported to your Imperial Majesty even before this, on December 30, 1771, and which we acknowledge to provide myself able. And Your Imperial Majesty now show us such motherly mercy as you deign from Your Majesty’s highest will.
Irakli
ARTICLE TWO FOR TEN
This agreement is made for eternity; but if anything is deemed necessary to change or add for mutual benefit, it will take place by mutual agreement.
OVER THE KINGS AND KINGDOMS OF KARTALIN AND KAKHETI
LETTER OF CATHERINE II TO HERACLIUS II ON THE RATIFICATION OF THE TREATISE OF GEORGE
His Serene Highness Tsar Irakli Teimurazovich of Kartalin and Kakheti, loyal and sincere to us. Having approved by our imperial charter the agreement with your highness, decreed on your recognition of ours and the successors to our imperial throne over the kings and kingdoms of Kartalin and Kakheti of supreme power and protection and on the advantages and benefits granted from us to these rulers and peoples, we will take this case with pleasure We repeat our certificates of our excellent goodwill towards your Highness and your entire royal house. As a new proof of this, we bestowed upon your Most Serene Empress, your wife, our Order of St. Catherine, of which we are sending signs to be placed on her. However, we entrust your Highness and your entire house to Almighty God. We are welcoming you.
Originally signed by Her Imperial Majesty's own hand as follows:
Catherine
Treaty of Georgievsk in 1783 - an agreement on the voluntary entry of the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom (Eastern Georgia) under the protection of Russia.
In 1453, after the fall of Constantinople, Georgia was cut off from the entire Christian world, and a little later it was actually divided between Turkey and Iran. In the 16th - 18th centuries it was the arena of the struggle between Iran and Turkey for dominance in Transcaucasia.
By the end of the 18th century, eastern Georgia was under Persian control.
During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the Kartli-Kakheti and Imereti kingdoms opposed the Turks on the side of Russia. General Totleben's corps of 3,500 people was sent to help them. The victory of Russia over Turkey in 1774 significantly eased the situation of the Georgian lands subject to the Turks, and the payment of tribute to the Sultan by the Kingdom of Imereti was abolished.
On December 21, 1782, the Kartli Kakheti king Irakli II turned to Catherine II with a request to accept Georgia under the protection of Russia. Catherine II, trying to strengthen Russia's position in Transcaucasia, agreed.
The agreement was concluded on July 24 (August 4), 1783 in the Georgievsk fortress (North Caucasus) and signed on behalf of Russia by the general-in-chief, Prince Pavel Potemkin, on behalf of Georgia - by princes Ivan Bagration Mukhrani and Garsevan Chavchavadze. On January 24, 1784, the treaty came into force.
The Treaty of Georgievsk consisted of a preamble, 13 main and 4 separate articles, or articles. Attached to them was the text of the oath that the Georgian king had to take for allegiance to Russia, as well as an additional article on the order of succession to the Georgian throne.
The Georgian king recognized the “supreme power and patronage” of Russia, which in turn guaranteed the preservation of the territorial integrity of the possessions of Erekle II and his heirs. Kartli, the Kakheti kingdom undertook to carry out foreign policy subject to prior approval from Russia. The autonomy of the Georgian state was consolidated in resolving all internal affairs, and Article 7 obliged Georgia, if necessary, to provide mutual military assistance to Russia. Separate articles regulated relations between the Russian and Georgian churches, equalized the legal status of Russian and Georgian nobles and merchants, and allowed all Georgians to enter and leave “without restrictions,” as well as to settle in Russia. Separate articles specified individual provisions of the agreement.
(Military encyclopedia. Chairman of the Main Editorial Commission S.B. Ivanov. Military Publishing House. Moscow. in 8 volumes - 2004. ISBN 5 - 203 01875 - 8)
Russia pledged to defend Georgia in the event of war, and during peace negotiations to insist on the return to the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom of possessions that had long belonged to it (but seized by Turkey). Tsar Heraclius pledged to maintain peaceful relations with the Western Georgian Tsar Solomon, and in case of disagreements between them, the Russian Tsar was called upon as an arbiter.
To strengthen the defense, Russia pledged to constantly maintain two infantry battalions in Georgia, and in the event of war, to provide additional assistance to it.
The parties exchanged envoys. The agreement was of an open-ended nature.
In 1783, construction began on the Georgian Military Road between Georgia and Russia, along which several fortifications were built, including the Vladikavkaz fortress.
Türkiye demanded that Russia cancel the Treaty of Georgievsk and tear down the fortifications of Vladikavkaz. As a result, in 1787, Russian troops were withdrawn from Georgia.
In 1787, Turkey, with the support of Great Britain, France and Prussia, declared war on Russia. The Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1792 - during the reign of Catherine II - ended in complete victory for Russia. As a result of this war, Ochakov was conquered, Crimea officially became part of the Russian Empire, and the border between Russia and Turkey moved to the Dniester River.
When the Treaty of Jassy was signed between Russia and Turkey, which ended the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791, the validity of the Treaty of Georgievsk was restored.
Heraclius's heir, King George XII, in an effort to retain power, turned to Paul I with a request to annex his country to Russia, subject to the preservation of the rights to the Georgian throne for his descendants.
Soon after the death of George XII, on January 18 (30), 1801, Paul I signed a manifesto on the annexation of Georgia to Russia. In this document, Kartli and Kakheti were called the “Georgian Kingdom” for the first time. Its population retained all the previous rights and privileges, including property ones, but the rights and privileges of the Russian Empire also extended to it. However, the rights of George's son, David, to the Georgian throne were not confirmed.
On March 6 (18), Alexander I issued a decree “On the Administration of Georgia,” according to which it became a province within Russia.
Other Transcaucasian countries also sought to rely on Russia in the fight against Muslim Persia and Turkey, even at the cost of losing their independence. In 1803, Mingrelia came under Russian citizenship, in 1804 - Imereti and Guria, the Ganja Khanate and Dzharo Belokan region were also annexed, in 1805 - the Karabakh, Sheki and Shirvan khanates and the territory of Shirak, in 1806 - the khanates of Derbent, Kuba and Baku, in 1810 - Abkhazia, in 1813 - Talysh Khanate. Thus, within a short period of time to the Russian Empire