The Lezgin raids on Georgia of 1715 were a series of Lezgin incursions into Kakheti and the eastern Georgian frontier during the reign of David II of Kakheti. After David II's return to Kakheti in 1715 after several years at the Safavid court, he attempted to halt the continuing raids by forming an alliance with Jesse of Kartli the ruler of Kartli. The Georgian rulers launched a joint expedition against the Dagestani raiders, but were defeated. The campaign failed to stop the continued settlement of Lezgin groups in the Kakhetian borderlands.
Background During the early 18th century, Kakheti was repeatedly attacked by Dagestani mountain groups. Georgian sources generally referred to these incursions as Lekianoba. The raids affected settlements throughout Kakheti and contributed to the movement of population away from exposed frontier areas.
According to Vakhushti Batonishvili's account of Georgian history, the attacks intensified during the first decade of the 18th century. David II, who had ruled Kakheti since 1709, was required to remain at the Safavid court in Isfahan between 1711 and 1715. During his absence, Kakheti continued to suffer from Dagestani attacks.
David returned to Kakheti in 1715 and attempted to restore the security of the kingdom. The situation remained serious. A study of the historical records of the Alaverdi Monastery states that in 1715 Edisher Cholokashvili, the sakhl tukhutsesi and brother-in-law of David II, was killed in a battle against the Lezgins.
This period marked many Lezgin military actions in the Caucasus, 1711 was also the year when the Lezgin ruler Haji Davud launched a campaign into Safavid Shirvan. Due to this, the Lezgin presence in the Caucasus was at an all-time high.Aliyev, F. M. (1975). Антииранские выступления и борьба против турецкой оккупации в Азербайджане в первой половине XVIII века. Baku: Elm. p. 77.
Campaign After returning to Kakheti, David II sought the assistance of Jesse, who had become king of Kartli in 1714. Jesse, also known as Ali-Quli Khan, had previously served in the Safavid military and was closely connected to the Safavid government.
David and Jesse formed an alliance against the Dagestani raiders. The Georgian forces subsequently marched against the Dagestani groups operating along the frontier. The expedition ended in defeat for the Georgians, and David II failed to prevent the continued expansion of Lezgin settlement in the Kakhetian borderlands.
The precise location of the battle or battles associated with the expedition is uncertain. Modern summaries of David II's reign describe the campaign as a march against Dagestan followed by a major defeat, but do not provide a generally accepted name or location for the engagement.
Aftermath Lezgin raids and settlement continued to pose a major problem for the kingdom during the following years. The continuing attacks contributed to the political and military pressure on David II's government.
The problem also encouraged further military cooperation between the Georgian kingdoms. In December 1719, David II met Vakhtang VI, who had succeeded Jesse as king of Kartli, and negotiated another alliance against the Dagestani groups. In early 1720, Vakhtang sent reinforcements to Kakheti under Prince Erasti Kaplanishvili. David, however, did not launch the planned expedition, and the Kartlian troops subsequently returned.
See also Lekianoba David II of Kakheti Jesse of Kartli Vakhtang VI of Kartli Lezgin campaign into Shirvan Kingdom of Kakheti Kingdom of Kartli
References
Sources Mikaberidze, Alexander. Historical Dictionary of Georgia. 2nd ed. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. Vakhushti Batonishvili. Description of the Kingdom of Georgia (აღწერა სამეფოსა საქართველოსა). The Chronology of the Alaverdi Monastery and the Choloqashvili Family. Foundation for the Advancement of Research in Georgia.