The Safavids and Russian Concerns and Conflicts in Georgia (Based on the Performance of Georgian Princes)

The strategic location of Georgia, have been placed it for a long time in the profits constellation of interests of major powers of Iran, the Ottomans and the Russians, each acting based on their own interests, military and diplomatic policies, which, sometimes in long term caused tensions and disputes between them. As the realization of economic and political ideas of the Tsars of Russia and the Safavid Shahs in the Caucasus was in contrast to the Ottomans, and confronting their advance and influence could only be made possible through the geographical continuity between conquered regions in the Caucasus, especially Georgia as one of their conformable and envisage states. In the meantime, some of the Georgian princes’ actions in disconnection and hostility to the Safavid court, and trending toward Russia, according to religious and political tendencies, rejection of coalition with Safavids to fight the Ottomans, and Russians policy to realize the idea of Peter the Great, using political and military weaknesses in the structure of Safavid government, loss of their control over Georgia and Georgians governors’ disobedience toward Safavid kings, resulted in the cold and eventually strained relationship between Safavid and the Tsars, ultimately leading to Russian immersive domination over Georgia. This paper intends to answer the following questions, using the review of documents method and based on historical data: What was the Georgia’s role in conflict between Ottomans and Safavids? And what was the role of Georgian princes in intensifying this conflict?