Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar in Tbilisi: A comparative study on the representation of a historical event

Rashtiani, Goodarz

doi:10.22059/jcountst.2025.402217.1358

Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar in Tbilisi: A comparative study on the representation of a historical event

Document Type : Original

Author

Goodarz Rashtiani

Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22059/jcountst.2025.402217.1358

Abstract

The invasion of Tbilisi by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar in 1795 stands as a pivotal event in the history of the Caucasus, whose echoes have persisted across the historical memories of Iran, Georgia, Russia, and Europe for more than two centuries. While earlier studies have often been valuable in reconstructing aspects of the event, they have typically remained confined within a single linguistic or historiographical tradition and consequently produced partial or one-sided accounts. Persian narratives generally depicted the campaign as the “conquest of Tbilisi” and a symbol of restored Iranian authority; Georgian accounts framed it as a “national tragedy” that marked the collapse of effective independence; Russian historiography cast it as a “historic mission” of the empire to protect the Christians of the Caucasus; and Western writings frequently portrayed it as an illustration of “Eastern violence,” especially within orientalist frameworks. This article takes a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective, bringing these divergent traditions into dialogue and focusing in particular on the contested figures of casualties and captives, which appear exaggerated and politically motivated across all accounts. The analysis demonstrates that numbers and descriptive terms were not neutral reflections of reality but instruments serving broader political legitimation and national identity formation. The findings highlight that the significance of the 1795 invasion lies far less in its short-term military outcome than in the conflicting historical representations and national memories it generated and reproduced over time. In this respect, the article goes beyond traditional accounts and treats the event as a critical case study in the “politics of historical representation” in the Caucasus, while underscoring the need for further comparative historiographical research.

Keywords

Main Subjects

International Relations

حوزة موضوعی: ایران، گرجستان

Scope: Iran, Georgia

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