The Kingdom of Georgia: Notes of travel in a land of women, wine, and songWardrop, John Oliver
History
The Kingdom of Georgia: Notes of travel in a land of women, wine, and song
Wardrop, John Oliver
Georgia (Republic) -- Bibliography; Georgia (Republic) -- Description and travel
Yermolov became governor-general in 1816, and soon afterwards
the Chechens and Daghestanians began to give the Russians serious
trouble. Then the clergy raised a national movement in Imereti, in
which Guri and Apkhazi joined, and in Mingreli, hitherto faithful,
the Dadian's brother revolted. All these efforts to shake off the
Russian yoke were, of course, fruitless, and they ended in 1822
with the capture of Zakatali from the Lesghians. Then the Cherkesses
(Circassians) broke into rebellion, and in 1826 Persia again declared
war against Russia and marched 60,000 men into Georgia. Aided by the
Lesghians and the Kakhetians, under Alexander, son of Irakli, they
were at first successful, but the tide turned, and Erivan, Tavriz,
and other places saw Russia victorious.
Paskevich succeeded Yermolov in 1827, and the peace of Turkmenchai
having been concluded with Persia, war was declared against Turkey. The
Russians took Kars, Poti, Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe, Bayazid from the
Turks, and in 1829 the belligerents signed the treaty of Adrianople.
In 1830 Kasi-mullah began his revolt, and brought about a general
rising among the Mahometan peoples of the Caucasus. Baron Rosen, who
took the command of the army in 1831, captured Gimri, and Kasi-mullah
was killed. Golovin (1837), Neidhart (1842), and Prince Vorontsov
(1844-1854) enjoyed comparative peace, and were able to turn their
attention to the internal condition of the country. Prince Vorontsov
especially deserves credit for his honest and painstaking efforts
to ameliorate the economic situation of Georgia, and it flatters our
national pride to remember that that statesman was English by birth
and education, if not by blood.
The pacification of Daghestan did not, as was expected, follow the
death of Kasi-mullah. A greater prophet and warrior arose to take the
place of the vanquished hero of Gimri. Shamil, after carrying on a
guerilla warfare for about ten years, raised the whole of the Eastern
Caucasus in 1843, and continued to inflict a series of crushing defeats
on the Russian generals who were sent to oppose him. The declaration
of war with Turkey in 1853 raised the hopes of the Lesghians, but
the utter incapacity of the Turkish leaders in Armenia prevented the
realization of those hopes. Everybody is familiar with the incidents
of Shamil's career down to the capture at Gunib in 1859; but it seems
to me that too little attention has been devoted to the remarkable
religious system which inspired the Murids to their marvellous deeds
of valour. It is surely a noteworthy fact that the mysticism of the
Sufis should have been found to be compatible with a purely militant
faith like Islam.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account