South Caucasus Under the Interests of the Great Empires (XVI-XVIII Centuries)

Abstract

This article examines the great empires’ imperialist ambitions in the South Cau-casus during the 16th -18th (in particular, till the 1720s) centuries. During this period, the region was under the control of two powerful eastern countries, Per-sia and the Ottomans, which threatened the region’s stability. However, by the mid-sixteenth century, a new political landscape began to be shaped, with Mos-cow State as a third power with strategic interests in the region. Unlike Persia and the Ottomans, Russia adopted a comparatively diplomatic approach to its involve-ment in the region based on avoiding military confrontation whenever possible. Within the frames of the study, we employed the historical-comparative method, analyzed various historical facts, and conducted a systemic analysis to draw rele-vant conclusions. Our research included an examination of written sources in this period. Through this analysis, we discovered that Moscow’s primary objective during this period was to maintain its position in the Caucasus by creating its in-fluence on the individual South Caucasian governors. Our research also revealed that the Georgian kings and princes needed to understand the objectives of Rus-sia’s foreign policy despite their desire to be liberated from Persia and the Otto-mans. This lack of understanding was partially conditioned by the complexity of Russia’s regional strategic goals. Nevertheless, the common faith shared by Russia and Georgia provided a “good bait” for Russia to expand its influence in the region. In preparation for its eventual attack on the South Caucasus, Russia complied with various types of political, economic, and statistical information to ensure its success. The information was critical to the success of Russia’s imperialist ambi-tions in the South Caucasus in the 16th - early 18th centuries.