Kartli-Kakheti

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Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Kartli and Kakheti under Erekle II
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Kartli and Kakheti under Erekle II

The Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti was created in 1762 by unification of two eastern Georgian kingdoms, which had existed independently since the disintegration of Georgian Kingdom in the 15th century.

Historically, Kartli was the dominant province in Georgia, but at that time, it was weakened by Persian military invasions more than its neighboring kingdom from the east. Therefore, Kings of Kakheti were the rulers of the new kingdom and Telavi, the capital of Kakheti, was the capital of the new state. The unification did not deter the Persian Empire from its aggression towards Georgia and by the end of 18th century the frequently attacked Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti was almost totally devastated. In 1801 it was annexed by the Russian Empire, former ally and patron.

[edit] Kings of Kartli-Kakheti