ალექსანდრე კახთა მეფე და ქართველთა პილიგრიმობის საკითხი იერუსალიმში

Abstract

Georgian territories were one of the main arenas of the ongoing wars between the Ottoman Empire and Iran in the XVI-XVII centuries. If before that the battles took place on the lands of Samtskhe-Saatabago, the next war started in 1578 also covered the kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti. This time, Lala Mustafa Pasha was appointed as the commander of the Ottoman army. Before the campaign, he sent separate letters to the kings and princes of Georgia and demanded their subordination, otherwise he threatened to plunder and destroy the country and take the people as captives. King Giorgi II of Imereti (1565-1583), who had peaceful relations with the Ottoman state, agreed to help the Ottomans in order to subdue the Georgian commanders, especially the king of Kakheti and Atabag of Samtskhe. Apart from Imereti, Mustafa Lala Pasha ordered to participate in the "Eastern campaign" and sent relevant letters to the princes of Samegrelo and Guria. It was decided in Istanbul that the campaign in Iran would be conducted through Georgia and all the strong outposts that Safavid Iran would use against the Ottomans would be destroyed. Moreover, Lala Mustafa Pasha was instructed to use the so-called stronghold of Iran against the Safavids of the Georgian principalities. On August 5, 1578, the Ottoman army camped in Artaan, from where the conquest of Samtskhe-Saatabago fortresses began. The family of Samtskhe Atabag and his supporters fiercely resisted the incident, but to no avail. On August 9, 1578, a decisive battle took place between the Ottomans and the Iranians in the Childir Valley, where the Shah's army was severely defeated. Atabag Manuchar of Samtskhe was forced to submit to the Ottomans, although he continued to resist. The Ottoman authorities intended to fully incorporate Samtskhe-Saatabago, turn it into a settlement and divide it into Sanjaks. He needed an official here, not an assistant, which he managed to do later. After the subjugation of Samtskhe-Saatabago, the Ottomans opened the way to Tbilisi. Daud-Khan, converted to Islam, reigned in the throne city of Kartli, who usurped the throne after the capture of the Safavids of Simon I in Iran. On August 24, 1578, the Ottomans entered Tbilisi. After the conquest of Tbilisi, Mustafa Pasha's army marched towards Shirvan. On the way, he had to pass through the kingdom of Kakheti. Aleksandre, the king of Kakheti, known for his diplomatic talent, met the Ottoman commander, still in Sartichala, with his subordinates and declared his obedience. Aleksandre met with Ottoman Pasha in Sartichala and held talks. He gave gifts and undertook to pay certain tributes. In the work, according to the reports and sources of various historians, the issues of negotiation between the king of Kakheti and the Ottoman commander-in-chief are analyzed and restored as much as possible. As a result of the truce, Kakheti was saved from the aggression of the Ottomans. During the march from Kakheti to Shirvan, the Kakheli officials themselves had to guide the Ottomans in the land of Kakheti, one of the reasons for which was to protect the illegal activities of the Ottoman army. Under the truce, the Ottomans promised Aleksandre that they would help him regain lost territories. Of course, it was just a kind gesture on their part, in fact, they were driven by their own plans. According to the Ottoman manuscripts preserved in the archives of Turkey, it is clear that one of the important issues of the negotiations between the King of Kakheti and Lala Mustafa Pasha was to obtain the right to travel and safe movement of the Georgian pilgrims under Aleksandre to Jerusalem. Three manuscripts dated 17 Zilkaadeti 986 Hijra (15 January 1579) and their Georgian translations are brought here, which refer to the permission issued by the Sultan regarding the mentioned issue. The Kingdom of United Georgia and then the individual kingdoms paid great attention not only to the Georgian churches and monasteries located on the Holy Land, but also to the Georgian clergy working there. We briefly touched on the mentioned issue as well.