Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti

Georgia, 1762–1801. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti was created in 1762 by the unification of the two eastern Georgian kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti. In 1783 Heraclius signed the Treaty of Georgievsk with the Russian Empire, which made the kingdom a Russian protectorate. In the 1790s Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar invaded the Georgian kingdom, capturing and sacking Tbilisi. In 1801 the kingdom was officially annexed into the Russian Empire.

Seat of power: Tbilisi

Rulers

Heraclius II of Georgia

king, 1762–1798

Heraclius established himself as a de facto autonomous ruler, unified eastern Georgia politically for the first time in three centuries, and attempted to modernize the government, economy, and military. He placed his kingdom under the formal Russian protection in 1783, but the move did not prevent Georgia from being devastated by the Persian invasion in 1795.

Portrait of Heraclius II of Georgia: UnknownUnknown derivative work: Carnby, Public domain, file

Culture

Silver coins minted in Tbilisi up until 1799 carried the name of Ismail III or the Zand-style inscription ya karim.
Despite its commitment to defend Georgia, Russia rendered no assistance when the Iranians invaded in 1795, capturing and sacking Tbilisi and massacring its inhabitants.
Many of the priceless frescoes of Svetitskhoveli were lost when the Russian Imperial authorities whitewashed them.

Picture

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, Georgia, is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and its present structure was completed between 1010 and 1029.

Image: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images, but please mention me as the author ..., CC BY 4.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.