The Russians also had other enemies to fight in the Caucasus. Raids
by Lesghis from the high mountains on Georgia's northeastern bor-
der were a recurrent problem. They sometimes acted in concert with
one of the Bagration pretenders or other mountain tribes and some-
times on their own initiative. Since their aim was to raid, not to con-
quer, they preferred to avoid pitched battles with the Russians but
caused considerable disruption nonetheless, as in 1805, when some
20,000 of them swept past the 150 Russians guarding the northeast-
ern border and raided Georgia. Other mountain tribes periodically
battled the Russians. Among the most dangerous were the Ossetes
and Chechens, who lived in the area where the narrow road linking
Georgia and the Caucasian Line crossed the high mountains. In 1804
and on several later occasions, they completely cut the road or raided
travelers on it, thus blocking communications. Some of the western
Georgians also opposed the expansion of Russian power in the Cau-
casus. The foremost of these opponents was King Solomon of Imer-
etia, who had been forced into nominal submission in 1804 but who
repeatedly fought the Russians until they conquered his principality
in 1809. The principality of Mingrelia had been on hostile terms with
Imeretia and therefore chose to make common cause with Russia in
- Abkhazia submitted in 1809, but a civil war in which one side
was anti-Russian complicated the takeover. Guria did not submit
until 1811.
Even the east Caucasian principalities that formally submitted to
Russia could not be considered securely in the Russian camp. The
khanates of Qarabagh, Shakki, and Derbent-Qobbeh were all the
scenes of armed struggle against the Russians. The Georgians, many
of whom had looked to Russia to protect them from external and
internal strife, were disenchanted by the termination of Bagration
rule, heavy-handed Russian administration, and the privations caused
by famine, plague, and prolonged warfare (from which the Russians
had failed to protect Georgia). This led to the defection of Georgian
nobles (to Imeretia, the high mountains, and Iran) and rebellions in
which all levels of society participated. There was a serious rebellion
in the north in 1804, some minor disturbances in 1806 and 1810,
and a massive explosion in the north and east in 1812 that involved
Georgian peasants and mountain tribesmen. The road across the
mountains was cut, a Russian garrison of 214 was massacred, and
Russians elsewhere were under siege or in retreat. The rebellion in
Georgia was put down by the summer, but fighting in the high moun-
tains lasted into the spring of 1813.
The natural environment provided as many obstacles as the human
102 The War, 1804-1813