Early years of Russian rule Georgia within the Russian Empire

1 years of russian rule

1.1 integration empire
1.2 georgian society
1.3 emancipation of serfs
1.4 immigration

early years of russian rule








integration empire

during first decades of russian rule, georgia placed under military governorship. land @ frontline of russia s war against turkey , persia , commander-in-chief of russian army of region governor. russia gradually expanded territory in transcaucasia @ expense of rivals, taking large areas of land in rest of region, comprising of modern-day armenia , azerbaijan qajar persia through russo-persian war (1826-1828) , resulting treaty of turkmenchay. @ same time russian authorities aimed integrate georgia rest of empire. russian , georgian society had in common: main religion orthodox christianity , in both countries land-owning aristocracy ruled on population of serfs. initially, russian rule proved high-handed, arbitrary , insensitive local law , customs. in 1811, autocephaly (i.e. independent status) of georgian orthodox church abolished, catholicos anton ii deported russia , georgia became exarchate of russian orthodox church.

the russian government managed alienate many georgian nobles, prompting group of young aristocrats plot overthrow russian rule. inspired events elsewhere in russian empire: decembrist revolt in st. petersburg in 1825 , polish uprising against russians in 1830. georgian nobles plan simple: invite russian officials in region ball murder them. however, conspiracy discovered authorities on december 10, 1832 , members arrested , internally exiled elsewhere in russian empire. there revolt peasants , nobles in guria in 1841. things changed appointment of mikhail semyonovich vorontsov viceroy of caucasus in 1845. count vorontsov s new policies won on georgian nobility, increasingly adopted western european customs , attire, russian nobility had done in previous century.

georgian society

when russian rule began in 19th century, georgia still feudal society. @ top had been royal families of various georgian states, these had been deposed russians , sent internal exile elsewhere in empire. beneath them nobles, constituted 5 percent of population , jealously guarded power , privileges. owned of land, worked serfs, unfree peasants made bulk of georgian society. rural economy had become depressed during period of ottoman , persian domination , georgian serfs lived in dire poverty, subject frequent threat of starvation. famine prompt them rebellion, such major revolt in kakheti in 1812. few of them lived in towns, little trade , industry there in hands of armenians, ancestors had migrated georgia in middle ages. century progressed , capitalism came georgia, armenians first seize new opportunities offered , become prosperous middle class. armenian economic dominance in georgia mean there ethnic element class tensions in country.

emancipation of serfs

serfdom problem not in georgia throughout of russian empire. mid-19th century issue of freeing serfs had become impossible ignore longer if russia reformed , modernised. in 1861, tsar alexander ii abolished serfdom in russia proper. tsar wanted emancipate serfs of georgia, without losing earned loyalty of nobility power , income depended on serf labour. called delicate negotiations , task of finding solution acceptable land-owners entrusted liberal noble dimitri kipiani. on 13 october 1865, tsar decreed emancipation of first serfs in georgia. process of abolition throughout traditional georgian lands last 1870s. serfs became free peasants move liked, marry whom chose , take part in political activity without asking lords permission. nobles retained title land divided 2 parts. nobles owned 1 of these parts (at least half of land) outright, other rented peasants had lived , worked on centuries.

the emancipation manifesto promulgated in sighnaghi, 1864

over years, after had made sufficient payments compensate landlords, land become own private property. in event, reforms pleased neither nobles nor ex-serfs. though free peasants, ex-serfs still subject heavy financial burden of paying rent , took decades before able buy land themselves. in other words, still dependent on nobles, not legally, economically. nobles had accepted emancipation extreme reluctance and, though had been more favourably treated landowners in of rest of empire, had still lost of power , income. in following years, both peasant , noble discontent come expressed in new political movements in georgia.

immigration

during reign of nicholas ii, russian authorities encouraged migration of various religious minorities, such molokans , doukhobors, russia s heartland provinces transcaucasia, including georgia. intent both isolate troublesome dissenters away orthodox russians (who corrupted ideas), , strengthen russian presence in region. because georgia served more-or-less russian march principality base further expansion against ottoman empire, other christian communities transcaucasus region settled there in 19th century, particularly armenians , caucasus greeks. these subsequently fought alongside russians , georgians in russian caucasus army in wars against ottomans, helping capture territories in south caucasus bordering georgia became russian militarily administered provinces of batumi oblast , kars oblast, tens of thousands of armenians, caucasus greeks, russians, , other ethnic minority communities living in georgia re-settled.