Russian Political Games with Solomon I and Captain Steder’s Mission in Imereti

Abstract

After the annexation of Crimea, in order to avoid irritating the Ottomans, the Russian Imperial court postponed the signing of an official protection treaty with the Kingdom of Imereti. At the same time, if the Ottomans declared war on Russia, the Russian government planned to use the Imereti army, along with the Kartli-Kakheti army, against the Ottomans. The Russian government therefore feared that Solomon I would change his political orientation due to refusal for the patronage of the King of Imereti. Commander of Russian troops in the Caucasus Paul Potemkin was concerned about the intensification of Ottoman diplomacy at the court of the King of Imereti. Therefore, on September 6, he immediately sent Captain Leon von Steder to Solomon I. On December 28, 1783, the Russian ambassador to Constantinople I. Bulgakov and Ottoman Admiral Hasan Pasha signed a new agreement. Under this treaty, the Sultan's government recognized the annexation of Crimea-T aman by Russia. As a result, St. Petersburg avoided an unwanted war. Consequently, the need to use the Kingdom of Imereti against the Ottomans was removed from the agenda and Russian political games with Imereti ended at that stage.