The campaign of Irakli II and Russians against Ch’ar-Belakani and Mughanlo Battle in October 1784 (preliminary military history analysis)

Abstract

Georgian and Russian military cooperation in 1783-1787 constituted one of the major factors in the South Caucasian political history of the period. Two Russian regular Jäger battalions deployed in the Kingdom of Kartl-K’akheti at the disposal of Irakli II contributed to both the defensive and offensive potential of this Georgian state but also alienated and embittered its Muslim subjects, allies, and neighbours.

This article is devoted to the military analysis of one of the major military campaigns of this period: the Georgian-Russian offensive against Ch’ar-Belakani, culminating in the battle at Mughanlo ford over the Alazani river on 14 November 1784.

Having analyzed the military campaign and the battle as well as various factors predetermining the eventual outcome, we confirmed that the Allied victory was a tactical one at its best and had no lasting effects, perhaps only for encouraging Irakli II. On the other hand, it presumably diagnosticated the generally precarious political and military stance of the Kingdom of Kartl-K’akheti after resigning to the Russian Empire in 1783, despite the more or less candid at this stage albeit limited attempts of Russian authorities to give support to their transcaucasian vassal.

We would conclude that the October 1784 campaign, including the Mughanlo battle, has a significant historiographic value highlighting many principal aspects of the Georgian-Russian military confrontation with the Lezgis in 1783-1787, as well as the military history of the Kingdom of Kartl-K’akheti in general.