Kakheti kingdom

As a special kingdom of Kakheti , Georgian chronicles have been mentioned since the 4th – 5th centuries ^[1] , from the time Christianity was established here. Arab writers have also known this country since the 7th century ^[1] . The rulers of Kakheti were known under various names - korikozov, mtavari, etc. Kvirike III (died in 1029 ), nicknamed the great, proclaimed himself king (mepe) of Kakheti and Eretia . From IX art. the life of st. Hilarion , a native of Kakheti, is on the list in 1074 . This document shows that at that time Christianity flourished in Kakheti; here were male and female monasteries , richly stocked with books, there were bishops and other clergy who maintained religious relations with Syria , Palestine , Constantinople and even Rome . After the death of Kvirike III, the throne was inherited by his nephew (sister's son) Gagik, from the family of Armenian Kyurikids , kings of the Tashir-Dzoraget kingdom ^[2] . In 1106, Georgian king David IV captured Agsartan II, the last Kakheti-Heretian king, and annexed Kakheti to the rest of Georgia. From then until 1468, Kakheti was part of a united Georgia, ruled by the kings of the Bagration dynasty, so for 363 years the history of Kakheti merges with the general Georgian history. In the second half of the 15th century, Georgia was divided into three kingdoms and five principalities: Mingrel , Guri , Svanet , Abkhaz and Samtskhe-Saatabag .

Western Georgia, that is, the kingdom of Imereti and the principalities, were under the political influence of the Ottoman Ports , and eastern Georgia, that is, the kingdoms of Kartala and Kakheti, were under the same influence of Persia . The fragmentation of Georgia into several parts was eagerly supported by Turkey and Persia, as one of the means to weaken the country. Another means was the propaganda of Islam , among other things - in eastern Kakheti ^[1] . The tribute paid in the era of political dependence on Turkey and Persia was insignificant, but the issuance of a certain number of children of both sexes, who were sent from time to time to Tehran and Istanbul as hostages, was mandatory; girls married shahs , sultans and their close associates there, and boys raised in the spirit of Islam usually returned to Georgia to occupy higher posts.

The rest of the Georgian kingdoms remained independent. Christian Georgia, however, was weighed down by the nominal supremacy of the Muslim powers, and often it managed to completely get rid of their influence. The external history of Kakheti from 1468 to 1762 , as well as other parts of Georgia, took place in the struggle against Persia, Turkey and the Caucasian highlanders, and in friendly relations with Russia . The Muslim powers and their co-religionists, the Caucasian highlanders, not expecting anything good for themselves from Georgia’s rapprochement with Russia, tried their best to upset him. Meanwhile, the Moscow state, especially after the conquest of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms ( 1552 - 1556 ), quite consciously tried to extend its trade and military-political influence to the south, through the Caucasus , to Persia. To do this, he needed firm support in the person of the Christian kingdom. Such was Georgia. In the "cross-kissing record" concluded between the Kakhetian Tsar Alexander II ( 1527 - 1605 ) and the Moscow Tsar Fedor Ioannovich (circa 1586 ), the latter gives Alexander the promise "to protect him from all his enemies."

This promise was renewed verbatim and with subsequent kings. In exchange for the “wake,” the ambassadors brought them no less valuable gifts from the Moscow tsars; at the same time, they persuaded the Kakhetian kings to persuade other Georgian kings and sovereign princes to alliance with Russia. The condition for the union was only neutrality in the event of a war between Persia, Turkey or the Caucasian highlanders with Russia. No military assistance was required from Kakheti, in view of the remoteness of the Russian border from Kakheti, the high and impenetrable Caucasus mountains, hostile and warlike peoples inhabiting a space of several hundred miles between Kakheti and Russia, and also due to the danger from Persia and Turkey, always ready to occupy Kakheti, in the absence of local troops. Equally inevitable were Russia's refusals of armed assistance to the tsars of Kakheti (for example, Teimuraz in 1658). The time of the reign in Persia of the powerful shahs Abbas I , Safi and Abbas II (from the end of the 16th century to the 70s of the 17th century) was a particularly difficult time for Kakheti and Kartalinia. At that time, the shahs became especially suspicious of Georgia’s relations with Russia. Shah Abbas I with great distrust looked at the Kakhetian king Teimuraz I. The king’s mother, who refused to accept Islam, was tortured by Abbas I, mutilated his two sons, his daughter took him as a wife against the will of his father. In the fight against Shah Abbas II, the third son of Teimuraz was killed and his second daughter was captured. At the beginning of the XVII century ( 1615 - 1616 ), Shah Abbas I with innumerable hordes twice invaded Georgia, devastated it, robbed churches and took a significant part of the inhabitants of Kakheti, instead of which they resettled up to 15 thousand yards of Azerbaijani Tatars to Georgia ^[1] . But soon the rebellious Georgians exterminated all the resettled Azerbaijanis ^[3] .

According to Vahushti Bagrationi:

“Then (they attacked) Alaverdi and then exterminated the elites throughout Kakheti, for they did not leave the infant in the cradle and liberated Kakheti . They didn’t get to Karagaj, because Salimkhan left there, and Murtazakhan sat there, and returned victoriously. ”

Not only Christian, but also Muslim historians count 60–70 thousand souls beaten on the spot during this invasion ^[1] , and more than 100 thousand souls taken prisoner. The Russian ambassadors, who were then in Persia, in vain persuaded the Shah not to ruin Georgia and not oppress the Christians, if he values ​​the friendship of the Russian sovereign, the patron saint of Christians. Abbas assured them of their friendship with Russia and sent looted Christian shrines to Moscow, but he continued his harsh reprisal against Georgia. The Georgians defended themselves fiercely: Teimuraz told the Russian ambassadors that his subjects had beaten up to 47 thousand Persians. Despite, however, the difficult trials that befell Kakheti, the brave, talented and hardworking population of this kingdom did not lose heart, supported and protected Christianity and religious monuments; the clergy actively defended the purity of faith and church, established schools at churches and monasteries; Carpets, fabrics and silk, and local wine were also known outside of Georgia. In the main cities of Kakheti, Gremi and Telavi , there were higher theological schools (seminaries), with a fairly extensive curriculum. Among the Georgian poets and writers, the Kakhetian kings Teimuraz I and Archil (who died in 1712 ) take pride of place.

Under Heraclius II, Kakheti again merged with Kartalinia and, with them, in 1801 passed under Russian rule.

• Sheki Kingdom

• Massalsky V.I. , Tsagareli A.I. Kakheti // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.