Siege of Şorapani
| Siege of Şorapani | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) | |||||||
.jpg) Ruins of the Shorapani Fortress | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Ottoman Empire |
 Russian Empire Kingdom of Imereti Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Unknown |
Gottlieb Totleben Solomon I | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 23 janissaries | 400 Russians | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Low, if any | Unknown | ||||||
  Location within Europe  Siege of Şorapani (Georgia) | |||||||
The siege of Şorapani[a] was a military siege undertaken by Russia and the Kingdoms of Imereti and Kartli-Kakheti in October 1769 against the Ottoman city of Şorapani. The siege was part of the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774), and resulted in an Ottoman victory.[1]
Prelude
[edit]After the battle of Khresili in December 1757, the Ottomans attacked the Kingdom of Imereti many times between 1758 and 1766, but they could not subjugate Solomon I. They were eventually forced to sign a treaty with Imereti, a term of which was that Imereti was no longer an Ottoman vassal but an independent kingdom under Ottoman protection. One of the only concessions to the Turks was an annual tribute of 60 women of any ethnic origin, which Solomon I failed to honor.[2]
In May 1769, during the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774), Solomon traveled to Tbilisi to meet with Heraclius II, King of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti. The two kings agreed to request five regiments of soldiers from Russia to join their war against the Ottoman Empire, contingent upon the guarantee that Georgian interests would be safeguarded in a future peace treaty with the Ottomans.[3] In response, the Russians dispatched a small contingent led by General Gottlieb Heinrich Curt von Totleben in August 1769.[4] However, Catherine the Great gave explicit orders to Totleben that he should utilise Georgian troops rather than Russian ones as much as he can. Although Solomon wanted to recapture his own capital (Kutaisi) from the Ottomans, Totleben disagreed and besieged Şorapani instead in October 1769.[5]
Siege
[edit]The Ottoman garrison was comprised of only 23 janissaries. A trilateral force consisting of Russians, Imeretians, and Kartlians participated in the siege. The main commander was Gottlieb Totleben, who was accompanied by Solomon I and Russified Georgian commander Anton Mouravov.[1] Despite the size of the Ottoman garrison, factors such as the strength of the fortress, along with a shortage of supplies and news of a large skirmish by the Dadiani family of Mingrelia on Imereti's western borders, complicated the siege significantly. Totleben was forced to lift the siege only after four days.[5]
Aftermath
[edit]Following the failed siege, Solomon I departed to counter the Dadianis and gather extra provisions. Meanwhile, Gottlieb Totleben unexpectedly withdrew into Kartli without informing the Imeretians, setting up winter quarters at Tskhinvali.[5] Totleben would constantly abandon both Solomon I and Heraclius II close to a battle (such as at Aspindza, which Heraclius nevertheless won).[1] Heraclius remarked before the battle: "I can clearly perceive why the Count is betraying me. He hopes that I shall succumb in this engagement, and when I am no more, he will be the master in Georgia."[6]
Notes
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c d Rayfield, Donald (2012). Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia. London: Reaktion Books. p. 243. ISBN 9781780230306.
- ^ მარიამ ლორთქიფანიძე, ოთარ ჯაფარიძე, დავით მუსხელიშვილი, როინ მეტრეველი (2012). საქართველოს ისტორია [History of Georgia] (in Georgian). Vol. III, Tbilisi. p. 398.
- ^ Tabuashvili, Apolon (2018). "The Issue of Georgian Captives in the Crimea in the 18th Century" (PDF). МАИАСК (10). Ness Ziona: Kimmeria Publishing House: 331. doi:10.24411/2219-8857-2018-00014. ISSN 2219-8857.
- ^ Shirokorad, Aleksandr B. [in Russian] (2009). Rusların Gözünden 240 Yıl Kıran Kırana Osmanlı Rus Savaşları [240 Years of Violent Ottoman-Russian Wars from the Russian Perspective] (in Turkish). Translated by Batur, Ahsen. Istanbul: Selenge Yayınları. p. 141. ISBN 9789758839636.
- ^ a b c Lang 1957, p. 166.
- ^ Lang 1957, p. 169.
References
[edit]- Lang, David M. (1957). The Last Years of the Georgian Monarchy, 1658-1832. Studies of the Russian Institute. New York City: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231937108. ISSN 0588-5477.