cials' ideas about which local rulers would make cooperative vassals
and which were enemies. This became important as the seriousness
of Russian involvement in Iran's northwestern marches increased. In
return, local rulers formed their own impressions of Russia, some
perceiving it as a threat, others as a support in local rivalries.
While Russia was never truly enthusiastic about dealing with Aqa
Mohammad Khan Qajar, nor he with them, there were other local
rulers who were as eager as the tsaritsa to reach an accord. After
Russia's first contact with Aqa Mohammad ended with mutual re-
criminations, Russia turned its attention to the Qajar leader's princi-
pal rival, 'Ali Morad Khan Zand, who was interested in using Russian
aid to increase his domains. From his capital in Esfahan, he ruled
over much of central and southern Iran. In 1784, he negotiated with
Russia about the possibility of yielding the Caspian and northwest-
ern provinces in return for Russian recognition of his claim to the
rest of Iran. He did not control the northern provinces anyway and
would rid himself of the Qajar stronghold on the southeastern Cas-
pian coast by ceding this territory. Russia in turn would obtain
rights to the parts of Iran it most wanted and hoped furthermore to
convince lAli Morad to join forces against the Ottoman Empire. The
Zand leader began to have second thoughts as the negotiations con-
tinued; when he died in 1785, the projected alliance had come to
nought.
Negotiations with another local ruler were more successful in the
sense that an agreement was concluded, although it is arguable that,
ultimately, neither side derived what it had expected from that
agreement. King Erekle of Georgia was eager to obtain Russian pro-
tection and, through his own persistence, eventually obtained a
treaty to guarantee it. During Catherine's first war with the Ottoman
Empire, Erekle asked to be taken under the tsaritsa's protection. She
took a skeptical view of his request, determining that the advantages
of such an arrangement would be lopsidedly in Erekle's favor. Her at-
titude changed during the early 1780s when she became interested in
expansion in the Iranian marches. Then Erekle's renewed entreaties
were favorably received. He asked for Russian protection and recogni-
tion of his authority, with Russian backing for his chosen heir against
the many expected rivals. Gregory Potemkin, who supervised the
Russian side of the negotiations, found Erekle's terms acceptable and
the Treaty of Georgievsk was signed in 1783.
Erekle encouraged his neighbor and ally Ebrahim Khalil, the khan
of Qarabagh, to follow suit and offer his own submission to Russia.
The khan had mixed feelings, perceiving the recent establishment of
Russian Expansion under Catherine the Great 37