George XII ( ka, გიორგი XII, ''Giorgi XII''), sometimes known as George XIII (November 10, 1746 – December 28, 1800), of the
House of Bagrationi, was the second and last King of the
Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti in eastern
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
from 1798 until his death in 1800.
Third son of King
Heraclius II, he was raised in a country at war, facing regular attacks from the
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and
Ottoman empires in its south, and
constant Lezgin raids from its northeast, and became heir to the throne after the early death of his two older brothers. As prince, he was a diligent governor of royal domains, seeking to repopulate devastated regions in Georgian
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...
, while seating on his father's royal council, assisting him in leading Georgian forces against Ottoman incursions, and representing him in diplomatic negotiations to bring peace to Western Georgia. However, he had to face the ambitions of his step-mother Queen
Darejan Nestan-Darejan ( ka, ნესტან-დარეჯანი) is a Georgian feminine given name, derived from the Persian ''nest andare jahan'', roughly translated as "the matchless". It occurs in the epic poem by the 12th-century Georgian poe ...
and her sons, ambitions that would grow into open tensions and a 1794 deal in which King Heraclius changed the law of succession to make George's younger brothers next in line after George.
Taking over after his father's death in 1798, he sought closer relations with
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
as a guarantee to secure his succession, especially after reverting the 1794 deal and appointing his son
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
as crown prince. This led to a civil war, with the king's younger brothers rebelling, and Russia dispatching troops in 1799 to restore peace in Kartl-Kakheti. An astute diplomat, he also sought alliances with Persia and the Ottoman Empire and was proposed a military partnership by
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, but was forced to use Russia's power to prevent further devastations of his kingdom by his southern neighbors.
Weakened by illness, he was considered a failed monarch, paralyzed by paranoia, who could not put an end to the constant rebellions of his brothers. The poor economic state of the country led to a collapse in bureaucracy and a rise in crime, while he failed to implement any of the major public, financial, and educational reforms his son
Ioane proposed. Supporting his kingdom's integration into the Russian Empire, he trusted Russian diplomats without realizing their own role in dividing Georgian nobility. In 1800, he secured from Emperor
Paul I Paul I may refer to:
*Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch
* Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople
*Pope Paul I (700–767)
*Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia
*Pau ...
an approval of what his "Petitionary Articles", which provided for Eastern Georgia's integration into Russia as an autonomous kingdom, although he died without knowing about its ratification. His death opened the doors for Russia to break its agreements and fully annex Georgia.
Biography
Youth
George Bagrationi was born on October 9, 1746, son of King
Heraclius II of Kakheti and his second wife,
Queen Ana (herself a daughter of the influential prince Zaal Abashidze). He was the royal couple's fourth child, his elders being princes
Vakhtang and Solomon and Princess Rusudan, the latter having died in her childhood. George grew up during a tumultuous time that saw the slow unification of Eastern Georgian states, his father ruling over
Kakheti and his grandfather
Teimuraz II leading the
Kingdom of Kartli
The Kingdom of Kartli ( ka, ქართლის სამეფო, tr) was a late medieval/ early modern monarchy in eastern Georgia, centred on the province of Kartli, with its capital at Tbilisi. It emerged in the process of a triparti ...
. He was raised at the royal court, in the shadow of his half-brother Vakhtang, who was appointed Duke of
Aragvi
The Aragvi ( ka, არაგვი) and its basin are in Georgia on the southern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains. The river is long, and its basin covers an area of . The ground strata are mostly sandstone, slate, and limestone. The Zhinv ...
by their father at 9 years old.
His youth was marked by several family tragedies. Queen Ana died in December 1749 when George was only 3. Vakhtang, the presumptive heir of Heraclius II and considered by many to be the hope for a Georgian reunification, died in February 1756. His second brother Solomon died in 1765.
In 1762, shortly after the death of King Teimuraz II, Heraclius II proclaimed the unification of the Georgian states east of the
Likhi Range
Likhi Range ( ka, ლიხის ქედი, tr) or Surami Range ( ka, სურამის ქედი, tr) is a mountain range in Georgia, a part of the Caucasus mountains. It connects the Greater Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus ranges and be ...
and was crowned
King of Kartl-Kakheti in
Mtskheta. A young George and the royal family lived from then on in the new capital,
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
, while the
Prince Castle of Telavi was rebuilt by the king.
Heir
With the death of Prince Solomon in 1765, George became the oldest surviving son of the royal family and thus, the presumptive heir to his father's crown. One year later, Heraclius II decided to formalize the future of his dynasty, following the failure of Prince
Paata Bagrationi of Mukhrani's rebellion. Seeking more responsibility within the country, George asked for the governorship of the Armenian province of
Pambak, where he launched a program of repopulation of the region, devastated by centuries of invasion.
George was officially named Heir to the Throne of Two Georgias in 1766. As an apanage, he received large swaths of territories in southern Georgia, at the border with neighboring
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and largely populated by
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diasp ...
and
Turkmens
Turkmens ( tk, , , , ; historically "the Turkmen"), sometimes referred to as Turkmen Turks ( tk, , ), are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, living mainly in Turkmenistan, northern and northeastern regions of Iran and north-weste ...
, as well as the title of "Lord of
Ksani
The Ksani (, , ''Ĉysandon'') is a river in central Georgia, which rises on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in South Ossetia and flows into the Kura (''Mtkvari''). It is long, and has a drainage basin of . ,
Tianeti
Tianeti is a townlet in east-central Georgia, in the Caucasus Mountains. Tianeti is the administrative center of Municipality of Tianeti, which also comprises the town of Sioni and 43 neighbouring villages (total area – 907 km2; population ...
,
Aghja-Qala,
Lore
Lore may refer to:
* Folklore, acquired knowledge or traditional beliefs
* Oral lore or oral tradition, orally conveyed cultural knowledge and traditions
Places
* Loré, former French commune
* Loré (East Timor), a city and subdistrict in La ...
, and Pambak". This secured George's position as his step-mother,
Queen Darejan, increased her influence within the royal court in favor of her own children. One of them,
Prince Levan, received the title of Duke of Aragvi, a major domain in the center of Georgia.
![Queen Mariam of Georgia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Queen_Mariam_of_Georgia.jpg)
This distribution, which continued later with the granting of the Duchy of Ksani to
Prince Iulon in 1790, was an attempt to diminish the large powers of the nobility and to centralize the influence of the
Bagrationi royal dynasty. With several governors appointed to replace deposed princes, George married in 1766 the young princess
Ketevan Andronikashvili, daughter of the Governor of Kiziqi, at the time 12 years old. She soon became popular at the royal court, notably after taking charge herself of a 300-strong army to defeat a
Lezgin raid in 1777. The princely couple gave birth to six sons and six daughters before Ketevan's death on June 3, 1782. On July 13, 1783, George remarried to Princess
Mariam Tsitsishvili, daughter of Governor George Tsitsishvili of Pambak and Shuragali.
As heir to the throne, George's status within the court was important. He became a member of the Great Council of State, responsible for advising the king in national decision-making. Both this power and his numerous children contributed to increasing an obvious jealousy from his step-mother.
Energetic Prince
As heir, Prince Georgia increasingly became involved in the country's national affairs. In April 1770, he joined his father's forces against the
Ottomans and recaptured
Akhaltsikhe. Leading an army of 7,000 men, reinforced by a Russian battalion of 1,200 mercenaries, he sought to capture the
Atskuri Fortress in the
Borjomi Valley, following which the Russian forces left the expedition and left the Georgian troops facing the Turkish invaders alone. Heraclius II and George managed to defeat the Ottomans in
Akhalkalaki and
Khertvisi, before delivering a decisive
victory in Aspindza on April 20. During that battle, George led the left flank of the Georgian army.
Shortly after the Aspindza victory, George and Patriarch
Anton I are sent to
Imereti
Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 munic ...
in May 1770 to negotiate a peace between King
Solomon I and the influential princes
Katsia II Dadiani and
Simon II Gurieli Simon II Gurieli (also Svimon; ka, სიმონ ვიმონII გურიელი, died 1792), of the western Georgian House of Gurieli, was Prince of Guria from 1788/89 to 1792.
Biography
Simon Gurieli was the eldest son of Giorgi ...
. Their goal was to form a united Georgian front against a probable Ottoman invasion.
The same year, he was sent by his father to put an end to the noble rebellion in
Ksani
The Ksani (, , ''Ĉysandon'') is a river in central Georgia, which rises on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in South Ossetia and flows into the Kura (''Mtkvari''). It is long, and has a drainage basin of . , along with his half-brother Levan. After this campaign, during which George was made responsible for the detachment of Higher Kartli, the two princes captured the rebellious leader George of Ksani and annexed his domains to the royal territories. In 1777, George of Ksani, pardoned by the king and restored in his duchy, revolted once more and Heraclius sent his two sons once more to defeat him. A brief siege of the Siata Fortress led to a victory by the royal princes and George of Ksani was imprisoned in Tbilisi, while Prince George received as gift the Ksani lands.
On January 1, 1774, King Heraclius II introduced a mandatory
military draft
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day und ...
throughout the kingdom. To lead by example, George joined the service and was garrisoned in Ghartis-Kari, a border fortress facing constant Lezgin raids. In 1779, he followed his father to besiege
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...
, whose sovereign Hoseyn Ali Khan had rebelled against Kartl-Kakheti. Chronicler Papuna Orbeliani would describe his "exemplary bravery" and his defeat of the khan in single combat.
Crises
During that time, George saw the status of his brothers rise. As early as 1772, Heraclius II sent the younger prince Levan to
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
at the head of a delegation asking for Russia's protection of Georgia against the Ottoman Empire, a responsibility traditionally bestowed upon the heir to the throne. Levan died, however, in 1782 and on July 24, 1783, the Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti and the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
signed the
Treaty of Georgievsk
The Treaty of Georgievsk (russian: Георгиевский трактат, Georgievskiy traktat; ka, გეორგიევსკის ტრაქტატი, tr) was a bilateral treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and the east Ge ...
, placing Georgia under Russian protectorate and formally recognizing Prince George as heir to the throne.
As Heraclius II grew older and weaker, his influence at the royal court was replaced by that of Queen Darejan. In 1790,
Iulon, her oldest son since the death of Levan, was made Duke of Ksani. A year later, Darejan's sons received a donation of 6,000 peasant households, against only 4,000 for George. Finally, in 1794, Heraclius II signed a decree changing the rule of succession that had been in place since the creation of the
Kingdom of Georgia
The Kingdom of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამეფო, tr), also known as the Georgian Empire, was a medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in circa 1008 AD. It reached its Golden Age of political and economic ...
in 1010 to install the concept of agnatic seniority, making Prince Iulon second in the line of succession. This decree remains one of the most controversial decisions of Heraclius II, but contemporary sources reveal that the king's signature on the document may have been forced. A royal letter addressed to Prince George dated May 1794 said:
The decree is nonetheless never cancelled by the King, who spent his last years fearing the outcomes of his pro-Russian orientation. In September 1795, the Persian army invaded Kartl-Kakheti and defeated the small Georgian forces at the
Battle of Krtsanisi
The Battle of Krtsanisi ( ka, კრწანისის ბრძოლა, tr) was fought between the Qajar Iran ( Persia) and the Georgian armies of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti and Kingdom of Imereti at the place of Krtsanisi near Tbilisi, ...
, which ended in a humiliating defeat for Heraclius II, who saw his capital Tbilisi burned down and pillaged. George, in charge of the Kakhetian contingent, was blamed for the loss as he failed to reach Tbilisi in time, held back by his troops' hunger and disease in Sighnaghi.
George was nonetheless forgiven by his father after the battle and tasked with reconquering the capital. In the summer of 1796, George and his Kakhetian soldiers, aided by Russian colonel Sirikhnev and his forces, retook Tbilisi and chased down the Persian garrison. The prince was then charged with rebuilding the capital, while Heraclius II moved to Telavi. In Tbilisi, Prince George rebuilt the main bridge of the city and organized the repopulation of the capital, while using his diplomatic skills to avoid a Lezgin-Ottoman invasion.
In December, George took on the regency of the kingdom as his father became too weak to govern. On December 7, to preserve the family unity, he signed an act recognizing his younger brother Iulon as his heir. The king died on January 12, 1798, at 77 years old, at the Telavi Palace, recently rebuilt by George.
Weak King
Accession
![Crown of George XII of Georgia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Crown_of_George_XII_of_Georgia.jpeg)
On his deathbed, Heraclius II had George returned from Tbilisi to formally hand him over the state's affairs. On January 14, 1798, two days after his father's death and on the Day of St. Nino, George was recognized King of Kartl-Kakheti by the nobility and the
Georgian Orthodox Church
The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonly ...
in a ceremony in the town of Kazakh. His title showcased his father's ambitions toward unifying the
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
:
![Barataev 1844](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Barataev_1844._Georgi_XIII.jpg)
King George is stylized George XII, though Russian historian
Nikolai Dubrovyn claims he has often been called George XIII during his reign because of
King George XI's two reigns.
It's only on December 5, 1799, nearly two years after his accession to the throne but only a few months after his recognition as king by Russian Emperor
Paul I Paul I may refer to:
*Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch
* Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople
*Pope Paul I (700–767)
*Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia
*Pau ...
, that King George XII's coronation takes place at the
Anchiskhati Cathedral in Tbilisi. This coronation, the last in Georgian history, was led by Patriarch
Anton II. Russia participated in the ceremony by making the king a Knight of the
Order of Saint Andrew
The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called (russian: Орден Святого апостола Андрея Первозванного, translit=Orden Svyatogo apostola Andreya Pervozvannogo) is the highest order conferred by both the ...
and his wife, Queen Mariam, as a First Class Lady of the
Order of Saint Catherine
The Imperial Order of Saint Catherine (russian: Императорский Орден Святой Екатерины) was an award of Imperial Russia. Instituted on 24 November 1714 by Peter the Great on the occasion of his marriage to Catherine ...
, the two highest decorations of the Russian Empire. This was King George's second Russian decoration, the first being the
Order of Saint Alexander Nevski he received on May 3, 1783.
The first days of his reign were busy with his attempt to assert control over the royal court. Queen Dowager Darejan sought in vain to remain Queen of Kartl-Kakheti by preventing Mariam of that title, but in a show of force, George XII forced Darejan's partisans to pledge their allegiance to his and Queen Mariam's reign. While the royal court remained established in Telavi, Darejan resettled in Tbilisi, the reconstruction of which continued actively under the direct supervision of the king. From there, she would continue to confront her step-son's reign.
Many feared George XII's reign would be a short one. 51 years old, the king was notably overweight and his love of feasts led high nobles to question his capacity to rule a country in crisis. Suffering, like his father, of
edema, his movement was limited, a handicap for a nation used to monarchs leading troops themselves on the battlefield.
Crisis of Succession
![Caucasus map 1799](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Caucasus_map_1799.png)
Following his accession, George XII was forced to sign a decree recognizing his half-brother Iulon as heir to the throne, a decision made by the king to avoid a civil war in a kingdom stuck between the Russian Empire and a hostile Persia. However, he hoped to nullify the decree in favor of his oldest son
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
, at the time in Russia's military service, a plan quickly discovered by Queen Dowager Darejan and her sons.
The family conflict went deeper than a dynastic dispute. At the core of the disagreement was George XII's foreign policy, a continuation of his father's largely pro-Russian policy. The royal court was divided in two camps - those supporting the king's orientation and those fearing Russian imperialism. The latter were led by
Prince Alexander Bagrationi. King George's decision to send Prince George Avalishvili to Saint Petersburg as a special envoy to assist Ambassador
Garsevan Chavchavadze
Prince Garsevan Chavchavadze ( ka, გარსევან ჭავჭავაძე) (July 20, 1757 - April 7, 1811) was a Georgian nobleman (''tavadi''), politician and diplomat primarily known as the Georgian ambassador to Imperial Russia.
...
to launch negotiations with Emperor Paul I over a renewal of the Treaty of Georgievsk worsened the situation at home, as it became evident Avalishvili was sent to secure the recognition of David as Crown Prince by Russia.
Heraclius II's policy of centralizing the kingdom by granting noble fiefs to the royal family had serious consequences. Pyotr Buktov, a 19th-century Russian historian, explained the situation in Kartl-Kakheti at the ascension of George XII:
The royal brothers strengthened themselves in their domains after Avalishvili was sent to Russia, announcing their refusal to recognize George XII as king. In response, the latter confiscated the domains of Queen Dowager Darejan and promulgated a decree restricting the rights of royal princes. The civil war that George XII had sought to avoid began at the time with the capture of the
Surami Fortress by Prince Pharnavaz Bagrationi in 1798. Worsening the situation, the kingdom's central army disappeared by being divided amongst the various princes, removing King George's only loyal forces outside of Kakheti.
The king had to hire 1,200 Lezgin soldiers, a decision largely criticized in society as Lezgins had historically been known as enemies of Georgia, often organizing
devastating raids since the 16th century. The Lezgins were ordered to restore order in Kartli but they also ravaged villages. The high cost of maintaining these mercenaries led George XII to increase taxes on merchants and on petty nobles and threatened with force any noble house refusing to pay. Across the kingdom, the lack of funds to pay for law enforcement led to an increase in the crime rate.
With the situation collapsing, King George and his brothers opened their doors to foreign intervention. The king sent his embassy to Russia to change the terms of the Treaty of Georgievsk and to allow the Russian Empire to intervene in the internal affairs of Georgia, while granting the Emperor the sole power to recognize the heir to the Georgian throne. On April 18, 1799, the efforts of Ambassador Chavchavadze led to the signing of an imperial edict by Paul I renewing the treaty and recognizing the pro-Russian David, son of King George, as Crown Prince of the "Two Georgias".
Relations with Russia
![George XII of Georgia1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/George_XII_of_Georgia1.jpg)
The renewal of the Treaty of Georgievsk forced Emperor Paul I to review his policy in the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
and start designing a more interventionist approach. Saint Petersburg was forced to reconsider the economic, political and military benefits of imposing itself in the
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
and
General Karl Heinrich Knorring, who led at the time the Russian troops in the Caucasus, received new instructions. Unbeknownst to Tbilisi, Paul I signed a secret document along with the treaty renewal ordering General Knorring to secure the annexation of the Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti after the death of King George XII.
The Russian Empire sent State Councilor Pyotr Ivanovich Kovalensky as Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to Kartl-Kakheti on November 8, 1799. He was followed on November 26 by Ivan Petrovich Lazarev as head of the Russian forces in Georgia made of two battalions. George XII, seeing this as a diplomatic victory against the anti-Russian noble class, organized a parade to welcome them in the capital and met Kovalensky in the royal palace of Tbilisi. According to 19th-century Georgian poet
Ilia Chavchavadze, "a long time would pass before Georgia would be so happy". The people of Tbilisi, still remembering the carnage of the Battle of Krtsanisi, saw the arrival of Orthodox Christian Russians as a guarantee against the Muslim invaders that had devastated the country since the
13th century.
Kovalensky settled in Kartl-Kakheti with a long list of tasks. Most urgently and to satisfy the demands of King George, he served as a guard against the intrigues of Queen Dowager Darejan, who had continued her campaign against the monarch, and against the imperialist ambitions of Persia. To accomplish this, the Russian troops launched the training of a stable army in Kartl-Kakheti, operating by European standards and capable of defending the country and of following the interests of Russia. Kovalensky also entered in negotiation with the different khans of the
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...
to integrate them into the Russian sphere of influence. Followed by a group of merchants, scientists and economic advisers, he also had to evaluate the economic and geographical potential of the region, while implementing economic reforms to improve the trade situation across the South Caucasus.
But Kovalensky's responsibilities rapidly extended far beyond King George's requests. Part of his troops were garrisoned at the Turkish border to avoid all conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Georgians and to preserve the fragile peace between Russia and the
Sublime Porte
The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( ota, باب عالی, Bāb-ı Ālī or ''Babıali'', from ar, باب, bāb, gate and , , ), was a synecdoche for the central government of the Ottoman Empire.
History
The name ...
. He also organized the integration of Armenian communities within the kingdom, each with their own ''
melik
Мelik (also transliterated as ''Meliq'') ( ''melikʿ''; from ar, ملك ''malik'' (king)) was a hereditary Armenian nobility, Armenian noble title, in various Eastern Armenian principalities known as ''melikdom''s encompassing modern Yerevan ...
'' (prefect). Finally, the Russian ambassador had to oversee the king's handling of domestic affairs to ensure that his decisions were in agreement with Russian interests.
Kovalensky's powers made him a quasi-governor. Soon, he controlled all correspondence of the king. When George XII fell sick toward the end of 1800, Kovalensky and General Lazarev took charge of the country's management instead of Crown Prince David, who had himself returned from Russia in 1799.
George XII and the Ottomans
Shortly after George XII's arrival to power, he had to face an increasingly tense situation at his southern border. While hostile Persia was at the kingdom's southeast, the southwest shared a border with the Ottoman Empire. Notably, Sabuth, pasha of
Childir and brother-in-law of Sultan
Selim III, governed the Georgian territories under Ottoman administration with a particular hostility toward Orthodox Georgians.
In order to ensure peace with Istanbul, George XII considered transforming Kartl-Kakheti into an Ottoman protectorate. This act was seen as an attempt by the king to force Russia to reaffirm its military obligations under the Treaty of Georgievsk, obligations it had seldom enforced since the signing of the treaty in 1783. In 1798, George XII sent Prince Aslan Orbeliani to negotiate terms of a protectorate treaty with Pasha Sabuth.
Saint Petersburg responded rapidly to this potential change in Georgia's foreign policy and agreed to the demands of King George's diplomats. George XII cancelled his negotiations with Childir and recalled Aslan Orbeliani. Sabuth, angered by this unexpected and sudden change, launched several raids on border territories, while engaging Caucasus Lezgins to attack Kakheti. The latter ravaged the province from July to September 1798.
In April 1799, French General
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
, at the time in the middle of
war against the Ottomans in Syria, considered an alliance with King George. He sent an emissary to the royal court, but the latter was intercepted by Sabuth, who had him executed. On April 15, 1799, the news of this potential alliance with France reached Tbilisi, but the king did not seek to renew the opportunity.
Thanks to the official support of Russia toward George XII, Russian diplomat Vasily Tomara, at the time stationed in
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
, secured peace between Kartl-Kakheti and Turkey. Sultan Selim III forbade all aggressive action against the Georgian kingdom. But this would not prevent Sabuth to favor the later Avar invasion of Eastern Georgia.
Fear of Persia
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, فتحعلىشاه قاجار, Fatḥ-ʻAli Šâh Qâjâr; May 1769 – 24 October 1834) was the second Shah (king) of Qajar Iran. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death on 24 October 1834. His reign saw the irr ...
became
Shah of Iran
This is a list of monarchs of Persia (or monarchs of the Iranic peoples, in present-day Iran), which are known by the royal title Shah or Shahanshah. This list starts from the establishment of the Medes around 671 BCE until the deposition of th ...
in July 1797 and immediately turned his attention towards the Caucasus, a region historically strategic for Persia as a buffer with the Ottoman and Russian Empires. In June 1798, Persian General Soliman Khaun Qajar led an expedition to the South Caucasus to absorb the various small principalities of the region into Persia's sphere of influence and tried to force George XII's submission, along with sending Crown Prince David as a hostage to
Isfahan. In a threatening letter, Soliman Khaun said:
On 3 July, the Shah sent a standard at the court of George XII to have him pledge allegiance to Persia and, in a clear change of tone, offered wealth and gifts to the king in exchange for a turn in his pro-Russian foreign policy. According to the British diplomatic mission in Saint Petersburg, George XII sent his step-father, Prince George Tsitsishvili as an emissary to Soliman Khaun with a precious watch as a sign of cooperation (instead of a monetary tribute as the state coffers were extremely decrepit at the time). But when the news of a rebellion against Fath-Ali Shah forced Soliman to return to Persia, Tsitsishvili headed back to Tbilisi without presenting the gift.
But Persia's ambitions did not end there. Soon, the
Karabakh Khanate
The Karabakh Khanate was a semi-independent Turkic peoples, Turkic Khanates of the Caucasus, Caucasian khanate on the territories of modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan established in about 1748 under Safavid dynasty, Iranian suzerainty in Karaba ...
, historically under Georgia's sphere of influence, broke its ties with Tbilisi and offered its allegiance to the Persian Shah. Fath-Ali Shah send a new embassy to Tbilisi in 1799 to attempt to force George XII into accepting his demands by pointing out Russia's failures to follow its obligations under the Treaty of Georgievsk. But the arrival of Russian troops in November 1799 allowed Tbilisi to reassert a position of power.
In early 1800, Russian ambassador Pyotr Kovalensky sent Reserve Lieutenant Merabov as special representative to the court of the Shah. Merabov arrived in Tehran with a list of demands, including the return of Persian prisoners of war captured during the Battle of Krtsanisi and the reimbursement of all costs of the 1795 invasion. He also added that Saint Petersburg sought friendly relations with Persia if the latter abandoned all claims to Kartl-Kakheti. Grand Vizier
Hajji Ebrahim Shirazi refused Merabov's demands, asked an official embassy from Emperor Paul I, and tried to execute Merabov, who managed to return to Tbilisi through the difficult
Rasht
Rasht ( fa, رشت, Rašt ; glk, Rəšt, script=Latn; also romanized as Resht and Rast, and often spelt ''Recht'' in French and older German manuscripts) is the capital city of Gilan Province, Iran. Also known as the "City of Rain" (, ''Ŝahre B ...
-
Baku road.
In April 1800, a new Persian embassy arrived in Tbilisi to officially respond to Merabov's demands, threatening George XII with a 60,000-strong invasion. However, the king refused to grant the Persian diplomats a private audience and met them at the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi with Kovalensky. George XII, encouraged by the Russian military presence, categorically refused Fath-Ali Shah's terms, the latter then starting preparations for an invasion.
King within an Empire?
Internal divisions and external threats pushed George XII to seek a new change in his relations with Russia. On September 7, 1799, he sent a letter to his embassy in Saint Petersburg, stating:
This demand to annex Kartl-Kakheti into the Russian Empire was based on the ancient Persian system of governance over Georgia, which envisioned a Georgian leader serving as ''
wali
A wali (''wali'' ar, وَلِيّ, '; plural , '), the Arabic word which has been variously translated "master", "authority", "custodian", "protector", is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the ...
'' (governor) of the Shah but also as ''mephe'' (king) to the Georgian people. However, this letter never made it to the Georgian delegation: Kovalensky, jealous of the influence of Georgian ambassador Garsevan Chavchavadze, recalled George XII's diplomats back to Georgia.
In April 1800, King George, once again threatened by Persia, sent another embassy, made of Garsevan Chavchavadze, George Avalishvili and Eleazar Palavandishvili, to Saint Petersburg. They were trusted with a document of the royal court, the Petitionary Articles, listing 16 demands made by the Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti to Emperor Paul I. Among these demands were a promise to keep George XII as King with the right to administer his kingdom with the laws of Russia, a guarantee of the right of succession of his descendants, the permanent presence of 6,000 Russian soldiers in the strategic fortresses of the kingdom, the dispatch of Russian merchants to exploit precious metals in Georgia, an assurance against Ottoman raids, and the promise to grant Georgian nobles, clergy members, merchants, and artisans the same rights as their equals in Russia.
While the Georgian embassy reached Saint Petersburg in June, Kovalensky successfully fought to be named Administrator of the Kingdom by George XII, along with the latter's son Ioane Bagrationi. His power increasing, the Georgians managed to convince Russian authorities to dismiss Kovalensky and Emperor Paul I signed a decree to that matter on August 3, 1800, replacing him with Ivan Lazarev, who took over as the head of political and military forces in Kartl-Kakheti.
Negotiations between Georgians and Russians took place from June to November at the College of External Affairs in Saint Petersburg. The Russian side was led by Count
Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin and on November 19, 1800, the Russian government agreed to the 16 points of the Petitionary Articles. Prior to the formal integration of the kingdom within the Russian Empire the Georgian emissaries had to return to Tbilisi to seek the final agreement from the Royal Council and the signature of King George XII, before an official act could be issued by Emperor Paul. At the end of November, Avalishvili and Palavandishvili returned towards Georgia to lead a campaign to convince the benefits of the agreement to the public opinion. They were helped by General Knorring, who was still leading the Russian forces in the Caucasus.
Emperor Paul, whose domestic policy became increasingly authoritarian and his international relations increasingly unstable, had other plans for Kartl-Kakheti. Following the
British invasion of Malta on September 4, 1800, he imagined granting the
Knights of the Order of Malta control over Georgia. He saw the idea of a sovereign king within his autocratic empire as going against the interests of his crown.
Rise in Internal Chaos
Despite his strong foreign policy equipped with a competent diplomatic team, George XII remained largely incapable of controlling his kingdom. This became largely obvious when his younger son Ioane presented him an ambitious plan of reforms on May 10, 1799, a plan that would have radically changed the administrative system of the kingdom and its financial sector, while introducing a public education program. Despite the king's approval, the lack of support by noble and merchant classes prevented its implementation. Queen Mariam herself abused of the her husband's weakness: she stole the royal insignia to counterfeit the king's signature several times, as the King often loaned the insignia to his younger children as a toy.
George XII was afflicted with a severe paranoia that made him fear assassination. He placed Queen Dowager Darejan under constant surveillance and placed himself under the sole confidence of his three older sons, David, Ioane and Bagrat. The noble class was itself divided between those supporting Darejan and wanting to see Prince Iulon on the throne with a foreign policy moderately favorable towards Russia, and those supporting the pro-Persian clan of Prince Alexander Bagrationi. Some merchants also sought a complete abolition of the monarchy in favor of a republican system.
The arrival of Russian troops in November 1799 only worsened the internal division. Not only Kovalensky was often challenged by General Lazarev, but he also regularly insulted members of the royal family. Moreover, he engaged in a policy of dividing
Georgians and
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diasp ...
in the kingdom, the latter making up a large part of the bourgeois class of Tbilisi. Two Tbilisi Armenian prefects, Jumshid and Pheridun, received a Russian salary for the spreading of pro-Russian sentiments within the Armenian community of Georgia and were in direct contact with Russian authorities, in violation of the agreement between George XII and Saint Petersburg. Joseph II Argutinsky, the Armenian catholicos consecrated in 1800, encouraged opposition to the king and sponsored his followers' support for Emperor Paul. According to British diplomatic intercepts in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, the Russians had promised the Armenians the creation of an autonomous state within the Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti.
Despite her isolation in Tbilisi, Darejan managed to lead a propaganda campaign against George XII throughout the region. She successfully pushed Armenian meliks and Azerbaijani khans against George XII, while seeking her son Iulon's recognition as heir to the throne during secret negotiations with Pasha Subath of Childir and King
Solomon II of Imereti
Solomon II ( ka, სოლომონ II) (1772 – February 7, 1815), of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was the last King of Imereti (western Georgia) from 1789 to 1790 and from 1792 until his deposition by the Imperial Russian government in 1810.
H ...
, the latter governing Western Georgia. The latter was also opposed to the pro-Russian policy of George XII, complaining to the king of the lack of consultations with the other Georgian states.
In July 1800, princes Iulon, Pharnavaz and Vakhtang gathered 3,000 men under the pretext of preparing against an upcoming Persian invasion, but instead besieged Tbilisi to free Queen Darejan. Ivan Lazarev's Russians destroyed their forces and the rebel troops were dispersed, while Darejan remained imprisoned in the capital.
Persian Invasion Attempt
In April 1800, George XII refused one last time to bow to Persia's demands. In response, Fath-Ali Shah sent an army of 10,000 men under the leadership of his son
Abbas Mirza
Abbas Mirza ( fa, عباس میرزا; August 26, 1789October 25, 1833) was a Qajar crown prince of Iran. He developed a reputation as a military commander during the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813 and the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828, as ...
and General Soliman Khaun Qajar to threaten the Georgian borders. The army gathered in
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
and announced its intent to walk on
Maku, Yerevan and Tbilisi, while Prince Alexander Bagrationi left the kingdom to join them in
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
in July. Having informed the Persian invading force of the military weaknesses of Kartl-Kakheti, he joined the troops' leadership and was named Khan of Georgia by the Shah, crossing the
Aras river
, az, Araz, fa, ارس, tr, Aras
The Aras (also known as the Araks, Arax, Araxes, or Araz) is a river in the Caucasus. It rises in eastern Turkey and flows along the borders between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Nakhchivan excl ...
and nearing the Georgian borders.
Russian preparations to defend the capital were weak. Kovalensky, with the agreement of George XII, had trenches built around Tbilisi, exposing hundreds of bodies that had been buried after the Battle of Krtsanisi and leading to an epidemy of viral infection across the capital, an epidemy that spread to Kartli. George XII's response was limited to the dispatching of a religious representative across the region.
On July 10, 1800, Emperor Paul I ordered General Knorring to send reinforcements to Georgia. Ten squadrons of cavaliers and nine battalions of armed infantry crossed the North Caucasus's line of defense. In September, General Guliakov and his regiment of Kabardino mousquetaires arrived in Kakheti. These new arrivals discouraged the Persian forces, which had to leave occupied Yerevan to return to Tabriz, while Alexander found refuge in the
Karabakh
Karabakh ( az, Qarabağ ; hy, Ղարաբաղ, Ġarabaġ ) is a geographic region in present-day southwestern Azerbaijan and eastern Armenia, extending from the highlands of the Lesser Caucasus down to the lowlands between the rivers Kura and ...
.
Avar Invasion
![George XII, Georgian king](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/George_XII%2C_Georgian_king.JPG)
From his refuge in Yerevan, Prince Alexander joined the Avar lands and managed to convince
Omar Khan, the
Avar leader since 1774, to side against George XII. Omar Khan, who was formally a vassal of Kartl-Kakheti, hid his invasion plans by requesting a military protection to General Knorring, while rapidly designing a war plan with Darejan's supporters. Alexander and Omar Khan agreed to invade Kakheti, while princes Iulon, Pharnavaz and Vakhtang prepared to occupy the
Dariali Gorge, the only opening in the
Russia-Georgia natural border, to avoid Russian reinforcements from intervening. The three brothers agreed to divide the kingdom amongst themselves in case of success.
In August 1800, the Avars launched their first attempted invasion in Kakheti's
Sagarejo province. However, they were quickly defeated and forced to retrieve by the forces led by princes Ioane and Bagrat, sons of George XII, during a battle in Niakhuri, on the shores of the
Alazani river on August 15. But Omar Khan managed to gather new forces and received the military support of Fath-Ali Shah and Pasha Sabuth of Childir. Waiting for a new opportunity to attack, Alexander addressed the Georgian people, swearing on the tomb of
Saint Nino
Saint Nino ( ka, წმინდა ნინო, tr; hy, Սուրբ Նունե, Surb Nune; el, Αγία Νίνα, Agía Nína; sometimes ''St. Nune'' or ''St. Ninny'') ''Equal to the Apostles and the Enlightener of Georgia'' (c. 296 – c. 33 ...
that his alliance with Georgia's traditional enemies was only temporary and was meant to restore the legitimate order in the country.
In early November, an army of 12,000 Avars led by Omar Khan and Alexander Bagrationi invaded Kakheti. George XII, increasingly distant from his royal responsibilities, appointed princes Ioane and Bagrat as responsible for the Georgian forces. Ioane became head of the Georgian artillery and was reinforced by the Russian forces of Lazarev and Guliakov. 2,000 Russians, Kakhetians, and mountain militants from
Pshavi
Pshavi ( ka, ფშავი) is a small historic region of northern Georgia, nowadays part of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti ''mkhare'' ("region"), and lying chiefly among the southern foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountains along the Pshavis Aragvi ...
,
Tusheti
Tusheti ( ka, თუშეთი) is a historic region in northeast Georgia.
Geography
Located on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, Tusheti is bordered by the Russian republics of Chechnya and Dagestan to the north and eas ...
and
Khevsureti
Khevsureti ( Georgian: ხევსურეთი, ''a land of valleys'') is a historical-ethnographic region in eastern Georgia. They are the branch of Kartvelian ( Georgian) people located along both the northern (Pirikita khevsureti, Georgia ...
, had to face the invaders. On November 7, 1800, the two sides met at the junction of the
Iori and Alazani rivers.
During the Battle of Kakabeti, the Georgian-Russian forces came out victorious. Following the loss of 2,000 men, the Avars ran away and Omar Khan was severely injured, dying a few weeks later. Alexander Bagrationi fled to Karabakh with 2,000 partisans. As for their victory, Ioane, Bagrat, Lazarev, and Guliakov were awarded the
Order of Saint-John of Jerusalem by Emperor Paul.
Russian Annexation
![Coat of arms of George XII of Georgia (Esadze, 1913)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Coat_of_arms_of_George_XII_of_Georgia_%28Esadze%2C_1913%29.JPG)
The Avar invasion forced the Russian authorities to increase their presence in the South Caucasus. On November 15, 1800, while the diplomatic delegation sent by George XII was still negotiating with Saint Petersburg, Emperor Paul I ordered General Knorring to reinforce as much as possible the Russian strongholds already present in Kartl-Kakheti. He ordered the Russian authorities in Tbilisi to prevent the accession to the throne of the dying King George's successor without the direct agreement of Saint Petersburg, a secret order hid from the Georgian diplomats.
Meanwhile, Count
Apollo Mussin-Pushkin, an eminent Russian geologist established in the Caucasus since September 1799 to study the economic potential of the kingdom, published a detailed report on Kartl-Kakheti. In it, he mentioned Georgia's geological wealth that Russia could exploit, as well as the benefits of using Tbilisi as a commercial base with Persia and India and Georgia as a military base against the Ottoman Empire, Persia, and
Dagestan. Moreover, the report revealed the lack of popularity towards Crown Prince David, the presumed heir to the throne.
General Lazarev presented another report on the socio-political conditions of the kingdom. He detailed the alarming lack of power of George XII and the large opposition against his oldest son. According to Lazarev, the high taxation rate and the general insecurity linked to the internal and external threats had a negative effect on the economy. The lack of funds in the national treasury prevented the royal authorities from paying public salaries, leading to rampant corruption. The population of the kingdom had diminished to a dangerously low level: a census in 1801 counted only 35,000 families across the kingdom and 168,929 residents.
Paul saw these reports as a sign to change his decision towards Georgia in early December and decided to accelerate the process of annexing Kartl-Kakheti without the ratification of George XII. Indeed, the fear of imperial authorities was the death of the sickly monarch before the ratification of the Petitionary Articles, his death probably leading to a new civil war and the capture of Tbilisi by Iulon Bagrationi. The king himself saw the situation with the same eye, writing on December 7, 1800 to Lazarev that "our lands belong to His Imperial Majesty".
On December 17, the Emperor convened the State Imperial Council, led by General Prosecutor
Peter Khrisanfovich Obolyaninov. While a majority of Council sided against the direct annexation of the Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti, Obolianov had the minutes of the meeting changed, declaring that Emperor Paul had already made his decision. These amended minutes were confirmed by imperial prince
Alexander Romanov.
On 18 December, while the Georgian emissaries were still en route an while George XII was on his deathbed, Emperor Paul signed the decree annexing the kingdom. He appointed Crown Prince David as administrator of the province and offered Georgian nobles titles of count and barons. This annexation would be formalized only two years later, Paul being murdered a few months later, before the decree could be published in Tbilisi.
Death
![King George XII makes Prince Ioane a Minister of Artillery, November 20, 1798](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/King_George_XII_makes_Prince_Ioane_a_Minister_of_Artillery%2C_November_20%2C_1798.jpg)
In the second half of 1800, George XII fell gravely sick because of his edemas that slowed down his movement. His lack of public appearances made him largely unpopular amongst his subjects. The state affairs were increasingly under the control of Russian official. The king spent his last months restoring the icon of
Saint George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...
of
Bochorma, a high-mountain village in Tusheti, with artisan Gabriel.
George XII stayed isolated in his palace in Tbilisi. While he trusted only his sons David, Ioane and Bagrat, he set himself apart from David when the latter married on January 9, 1800 Elene Abamelik, the daughter of an Armenian merchant, against the will of his father. Seeking to associate his younger sons to the throne, he named Ioane as Minister of the Armies on 20 November. Seven of his 23 children died before his reign and the king suffered from depression, in addition to his isolation and disease. He would never learn of the signing by Paul I of the decree incorporating Kartl-Kakheti within the Russian Empire, his biggest diplomatic accomplishment. Sick, he sought, in vain, to be healed with Russian medicine and doctor Hirzius.
![Svetitskhoveli, grave of georg XII](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Svetitskhoveli%2C_grave_of_georg_XII.jpg)
On December 28, 1800, while his ambassadors were still in the North Caucasus, heading towards Tbilisi with the Russian document, George XII addressed Knorring one last time through a translator, entrusting him his kingdom while asking his priests to ensure the crowning of David. He died the same day in Tbilisi, due to complications from an angina. His crown and scepter were sent to Saint Petersburg. He was the last King of Kartl-Kakheti and the last Georgian sovereign to be buried in the
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral ( ka, სვეტიცხოვლის საკათედრო ტაძარი, ''svet'icxovlis sak'atedro t'adzari''; literally the Cathedral of the Living Pillar) is an Orthodox Christian cathedral located ...
of Mtskheta. Crown Prince David immediately took over the kingdom, but remained a titleless governor before the final annexation of the Georgian state in 1802.
Family
Marriages and Children
George XII married in 1766 Princess
Ketevan Andronikashvili, daughter of Papuna Andronikashvili, Governor of Kiziqi, when she was 12 years old. She died on June 3, 1782, after the couple had six sons and six daughters:
*
David Bagrationi (1767-1819), regent of Kartl-Kakheti;
*
Ioane Bagrationi
Ioane ( ka, იოანე ბაგრატიონი) (16 May 1768 in Tbilisi, Georgia – 15 February 1830 in Saint Petersburg, Russia) was a Georgian prince (batonishvili), writer and encyclopaedist.
Life
A son of George XII, the l ...
(1768-1839), military and political leader;
* Varvara Bagrationi (1769-1801), wife of Prince Simeon-Zosim Andronikashvili;
* Luarsab Bagrationi (1771- b.1798), died in childhood;
* Sophio Bagrationi (1772-1841), wife of Prince Luarsab Tarkhanishvili;
*
Nino Bagrationi (1772-1847), regent of Samegrelo;
* Salome Bagrationi, died in childhood;
*
Bagrat Bagrationi (1776-1841), military and political leader in Russia;
* Ripsimi Bagrationi (1776-1847), wife of Prince Dimitri Irubakidze-Choloqashvili;
* Gayana Bagrationi (1780-1820), wife of Prince George Kvenipneveli-Sidamoni;
* Solomon Bagrationi (1780- b.1798), died in childhood;
*
Teimuraz Bagrationi (1782-1846), scientist.
After the death of Ketevan, George married on July 13, 1783
Mariam Tsitsishvili, daughter of Prince George Tsitsishvili of Higher Satsitsiano and military commander under Heraclius II. This Mariam would become the Queen of Kartl-Kakheti and would be arrested by Russian authorities for the murder of General Ivan Lazarev who had been sent to deport following the Russian annexation of Georgia. Together, the royal couple gave birth to several children:
*
Elizbar Bagrationi (1790-1854), military leader in Russia;
*
Michael Bagrationi (1783-1862);
*
Jibrail Bagrationi (1788-1862);
* Tamar Bagrationi (1788-1850), later exiled to Moscow;
* Ana Bagrationi (1789-1796), died in childhood;
* Joseph Bagrationi (died before 1798), died in childhood;
* Spiridon Bagrationi (died before 1798), died in childhood;
*
Okropir Bagrationi (1795-1857), military leader in Russia;
* Simon Bagrationi (1796- b. 1798), died in childhood;
* Heraclius Bagrationi (1799-1859);
* Ana Bagrationi (1800-1850), wife of Prince Eustash Abashidze, then David Tsereteli.
Royal Lineage
While the monarchy was abolished by the Russian Empire, a part of the Georgian nobility continued to consider George XII's descendants as heirs to the Georgian throne. Crown Prince David, followed by his brother Ioane, are considered by modern Georgian monarchists as posthumous claimants to the throne of Georgia. It's only in 1865 that George XII's great-grandson Ivan Griogorievich would receive the title of "His Highness
Prince Gruzinsky" ("Prince of Georgia") by the Saint Petersburg government.
Nugzar Bagration-Gruzinsky is a claimant to the Georgian throne since 1984. He is the descendant of Bagrat Bagrationi, third son of King George XII, and claims the title of King of Georgia as the oldest descendant of the last crowned king.
However, since the 1940s, the cadet
Mukhrani branch of the Bagrationi dynasty has also claimed the Georgian throne, arguing that the Gruzinsky branch abandoned all claims by recognizing the Russian rule over Georgia. Georgian monarchists are divided between those supporting Prince Nugzar as the descendent of George XII and those backing the Mukhrani line.
Personality
![Giorgi XII of Georgia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Giorgi_XII_of_Georgia.jpg)
George XII inherited a kingdom in a dire social and economic situation, the entire region having been devastated by centuries of Muslim invasions. According to several historiographic opinions, he was a poor monarch who failed to address the kingdom's immediate crises. British historian
Donald Rayfield
Patrick Donald Rayfield OBE (born 12 February 1942, Oxford) is an English academic and Emeritus Professor of Russian and Georgian at Queen Mary University of London. He is an author of books about Russian and Georgian literature, and about Jos ...
has theorized that had Heraclius II's successor been more competent in dealing with internal divisions, Georgia would have been reunited within a single, powerful Caucasian state allied with
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, Turkey and Russia.
George was overweight, gluttonous, lazy, and was often of short temper. Suffering from edemas, he had difficulty moving, which contributed to the lack in his popularity. He was rarely interested in domestic affairs, choosing to focus almost entirely on his diplomatic program with Russia. British historian
David Marshall Lang
David Marshall Lang (6 May 1924 – 20 March 1991), was a Professor of Caucasian Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He was one of the most productive British scholars who specialized in Georgian, Armenian and ...
wrote in 1957:
His incapacity was noted by foreign observers of the time. British ambassador
Sir John Malcolm
Major-General Sir John Malcolm GCB, KLS (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, East India Company administrator, statesman, and historian.
Early life
Sir John Malcolm was born in 1769, one of seventeen children of Geor ...
, based in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, spoke of George XII as a monarch "incapable of centering his power". His lack of positive qualities was seemingly obvious before his ascension: as heir to the throne, he often failed to counter his brothers' powers and during the Battle of Krtsanisi, he remained in his stronghold in
Sighnaghi
Signagi or Sighnaghi ( ka, სიღნაღი) is a town in Georgia's easternmost region of Kakheti and the administrative center of the Signagi Municipality. Although it is one of Georgia's smallest towns, Signagi serves as a popular touris ...
instead of coming to his father's aid, failing to convince his troops to leave their vineyards to defend the kingdom against the Persian invaders, even though his own sons David and Ioane led battalions in Tbilisi.
Papuna Orbeliani, a contemporary chronicler, was a lot more generous towards the king, writing:
Bibliography
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:George 12 Of Georgia
1746 births
1800 deaths
Bagrationi dynasty of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti
Kings of Georgia
Burials at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
Eastern Orthodox monarchs