«persian Project» – One Part Erekle’s Safe Caucasus Model

Abstract

After Agha Mohammad Khan brought Tbilisi to earth in 1795, the king Erekle the Second sent his ambassadors to the Austrian Emperor in Vienna proposing to them the Georgian version of Christian globalization once again. This was the topic that the Emperor of Austria Joseph the Second as well as that of the Holy Roman Empire had been interested in for years. This plan by the king Erekle actually repeated the conceptual model that Capuchin monks Domenique and Mauro Veronelli were supposed to convey to Joseph the Second in 1781-82 if they were not assassinated on their way to him. The King of Kartli and Kakheti proposed to Catherine the Second and Joseph the Second that they give consideration to the Persian Project when dividing Europe according to the Greek Project, as the safe Caucasia model would gain special reliability to the concept of Christian globalization. The tragic events of 1795, the destruction of Tbilisi by Agha Mohammad Khan once again evidenced the high level of necessity of the Persian Project not only for Georgia but for safety of Europe as well. It was for this very reason that the King Erekle once again attempted to find the solution in Europe. The project was realistic within the framework of the single Christian globalization model and with consideration of the international situation of the 80-s of the XVIII century, but the project implementation was obstructed by Russia itself, as it would not abandon its imperial ambitions and preferred conquering the Georgian Kingdoms instead of partnering them and exercising good will toward them.