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Struggle for Georgia

Type Event Region Caucasus Time 1541–1550

In the 1540s the Georgian kingdoms lay between the Ottoman Empire and Safavid Persia, wavering between tribute and alliance as the two empires compet…

Timeline

  1. 1541–1546Mtskheta · GeorgiaKartli kings such as Luarsab and other monarchs sought room to survive between the Ottomans and Safavids, at times paying tribute to one side and at times turning to the other. In the 1540s both empires tried to bring Georgia into their spheres of influence, leaving local politics full of uncertainty.
  2. 1545–1550Tbilisi · GeorgiaThe Ottomans launched punitive expeditions against pro-Persian or disobedient Georgian monarchs and occupied some fortresses, while the Safavids countered through suzerainty and military support. By the late 1540s the Caucasus had split into an Ottoman-controlled west and a Safavid-influenced east.

Sources