Battle of Krtsanisi
Krtsanisi, Battle of (1795), a battle between the army of Kartli-Kakheti and the Iranian force near Tbilisi, on the Krtsanisi Field. After Agha Mohammad Khan became the supreme ruler of Iran, he demanded that Erekle II restore the former vassal status to Iran and sever military-political ties with Russia. In a difficult situation, Erekle II appealed to the Russian side several times for military assistance. In early September, Agha Mohammad Khan advanced toward Georgia with his main forces (approx. 35,000 men) and on September 8 encamped on the so-called Sarvan Meadow on the bank of the Mtkvari River, between the northern slopes of Soghanlughi-Yaghluja and Lake Kumisi. Accompanying the Iranian forces with their own armies were Javad Khan, the ruler of Ganja, the Meliks of the Karabakh Armenians—Mejlum and Abov—and the Khan of Yerevan. Erekle II, who relied on Russia, hastily managed to assemble only approx. 3,000 men. To this were added 2,000 men brought by King Solomon II of Imereti.
The Georgian command encamped its force in the Seyidabad-Mtkvari defiles. Prince Ioane commanded the vanguard unit, Prince Davit (son of Giorgi XII) headed the right wing, Ioane Mukhranbatoni was in charge of the left wing, and Erekle II commanded the center and the overall front. Behind the center in reserve were two units commanded by Prince Vakhtang (Almaskhan) and Otar Amilakhvari. Agha Mohammad Khan divided his army into 14 units and deployed them on the opposing side—in the surroundings of Shavnabada, Teleti, and Krtsanisi.
On September 10, the enemy's vanguard unit (3,000 men) forcefully attacked the Georgians' fortified line between Tabakhmela and Shindisi. The Georgians were victorious in these engagements. According to tradition, Agha Mohammad Khan, intimidated by the first battle, intended to turn back, but an Iranian spy who escaped from the fortress at night with the help of traitors convinced the Shah of the Georgians' numerical weakness.
On September 11 at 7:00 AM, the Iranian army moved toward Tbilisi through the Mtkvari-Shavnabada defiles and an hour and a half later attacked the Georgians' first defensive combat position. The Georgian force repulsed this attack as well, but following an intensified enemy assault and artillery fire, it was forced to fall back to the second defensive position. In overcoming this position, the Iranians lost several hundred warriors in an hour, but they continuously delegated fresh forces to the battle. Erekle II sent select forces of Kiziqians, Aragvians, and Tush-Pshav-Khevsurians from Prince Vakhtang's and other units to assist the vanguard. They were joined by a unit of the Tbilisi population led by Machabeli, head of the palace theatrical troupe.
The enemy crossed the Shavnabada Ridge from the direction of Teleti and unexpectedly attacked the Georgian right wing. Prince Davit's unit turned it back with artillery fire. Agha Mohammad Khan crossed the Mtkvari River and surveyed the Georgian positions from there. The Georgian command viewed this enemy maneuver as a threat of an encirclement from the rear; the army retreated and joined the forces located in the second and third defensive trenches. With the aid of traitors, the Shah recrossed the Mtkvari via a convenient ford and placed himself in the rear of Prince Ioane's vanguard unit, which broke through the encirclement with the assistance of Prince Vakhtang and joined the main body.
The advance Iranian units broke into the gardens of Seyidabad, but the Georgian force repulsed the enemy with counterattacks launched from the rocks. In the heavy fighting, the Georgians' already small forces were gradually exhausted, and they began to retreat. The Georgian army returned to its original position and attempted to fortify itself there. At the same time, the enemy opened cannon fire on the Georgian force from the heights of Krtsanisi. A sudden assault was launched on Prince Davit's unit. To cut off the Georgians' path of retreat and flank them from the rear, a cavalry unit consisting of several hundred men was dispatched toward Shindisi.
In the second half of the day, Agha Mohammad Khan committed all his reserves into battle and began pursuing the Georgians. The Georgian gunners managed to temporarily hold off the enemy attack. Shortly thereafter, the enemy broke into the city. Erekle II, nearly encircled, was saved from dire peril by his own grandsons and began retreating toward the city; the King and about 150 of his horsemen took refuge in Mtiuleti.
In the evening, the enemy army swarmed into the city and engulfed it in flames. The population in the city engaged the invaders in hand-to-hand combat. The enemy plundered and leveled to the ground the royal palace, churches, residences, and printing house, set fire to the libraries, seized the royal scepter, crown, and flag, and destroyed the famous Tbilisi baths. The number of dead on both sides reached approx. 20,000. Many remained unburied, causing an outbreak of an epidemic in the city. This was complicated by severe famine. A large portion of the population abandoned the city and fled to various parts of Georgia and the North Caucasus. The number of captives taken by the enemy was also large, and redeeming captives was extremely difficult due to the high costs. Agha Mohammad Khan left Tbilisi shortly thereafter.
The war significantly altered the demographic structure and ethnic composition of Tbilisi. The destruction was so severe that even half a century later, the city was unable to restore its former condition.
Literature: ბერძენიშვილი ნ., ჯავახიშვილი ივ., ჯანაშია ს., საქართველოს ისტორია, ნაწ. 1, თბ., 1948; გურული ვ., საქართველო და რუსეთი. მფარველობიდან ანექსიამდე, თბ., 1910; დავით ბატონიშვილი, ახალი ისტორია. – ბაგრატ ბატონიშვილი, ახალი მოთხრობა, თ. ლომოურის გამოც., თბ., 1941; კაკაბაძე ს., კრწანისის ომი, თბ., 1910; ლენგი დ., საქართველოს სამეფო ბოლო წლებში, თბ., 2003; პეტრიაშვილი თ., კრწანისის ბრძოლა, თბ., 2016; საქართველოს ისტორიის ნარკვევები, ტ. 4, თბ., 1973; საქართველოს ისტორიის ქრონიკები XVII–XIX სს. ა. იოსელიანის გამოც., თბ., 1980; სურგულაძე ა., სურგულაძე პ., საქართველოს ისტორია, თბ., 1991; ქიქოძე გ., ერეკლე მეორე, თბ., 1958; შაიშმელაშვილი ი., კრწანისის ომი, თბ., 1965; ცინცაძე ი., აღა-მაჰმად-ხანის თავდასხმა საქართველოზე (1795 წ.), თბ., 1963; ჯამბაკურ-ორბელიანი ა., აღა-მაჰმად-ხანის შემოსვლა ქ. ტფილისში, ტფ., 1895;
G. Narsia
