Battle of Krtsanisi
Krtsanisi, Tbilisi, Georgia
What happened
King Heraclius II of Kartli-Kakheti, with help from Imereti, fought the Qajar Iranian army of Agha Mohammad Khan. Heraclius had placed Georgia under Russian protection, but no Russian troops came. The Georgians held their positions southwest of Tbilisi for two days, but on the third day the Iranian army crossed the Kura River and outflanked them. Heraclius escaped to the mountains, and Tbilisi was taken.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The defeat showed that Russia's promise of protection had failed. Iran's claims in the Caucasus later led to two Russo-Persian wars.
What came next
Heraclius died in 1798, and Russian troops entered Tbilisi in 1799. In 1801 Russia annexed eastern Georgia.
Did you know?
Heraclius II, then in his seventies, rode with the advance guard himself.
Timeline
- 1783Treaty of Georgievsk makes Georgia a Russian protectorate.
- 8–11 September 1795Battle of Krtsanisi.
- 11 January 1798Heraclius II dies.
- 1801Russia annexes Kartli-Kakheti.