The rugged mountain region between the Black and Caspian Seas, known as
the Caucasus, covers 180,603 square miles consists of 14 provinces.
The population in 1914 was 11,735,100, of whom 87 per cent. were
illiterate; there are no less than 46 distinct nationalities among
the inhabitants, chief of which are the Georgians and Armenians. The
Georgians were the only nationality to maintain their independence up
to the end of the eighteenth century. Georgia existed as a State long
before the Christian era; Alexander the Great conquered the country.
In 1080 the Kingdom of Georgia was established by David III. Peter the
Great of Russia, recognizing its importance, entered into an alliance
with the kingdom, and in 1721 Russian and Georgian troops penetrated to
Baku, the rich industrial district bordering on the Caspian Sea. King
Heraklius II., who reigned during the middle and end of the eighteenth
century, received high praise from Catherine the Great and Frederick
the Great for his military prowess and intellect, and in 1768 Russia
and Georgia took joint action against the Turks.
In 1783 the Turks and Persians invaded Georgia, and Russia again
concluded a treaty of protection, in which Georgia's independence
was guaranteed. In 1801 Russia violated this treaty by annexing
Georgia as a Russian province. The people revolted, but the uprising
was unsuccessful. The Georgian mountaineers, however, never became
reconciled to Russian dominion, and in connection with the Circassians
carried on guerrilla warfare for forty years. In 1864 they were finally
defeated and given the choice of submitting or emigrating to Turkey.
Only 90,000 submitted and 418,000 emigrated to Turkey.
The jubilee of 100 years' alliance between the Kingdom of Georgia
and Russia was celebrated in Tiflis, Sept. 26, 1901. At that time
Czar Nicholas II. issued a manifesto acknowledging the loyalty of
the Georgian people, who "voluntarily placed the kingdom under our
protection," expressing imperial thanks to the Georgian Nation, and
extending the promise of "my special attention and care for this brave
nation, which is united with us by common ties of religion." This in
face of the further fact that in 1811 the independence of the Georgian
Church, which had existed since the year 542, was abolished by the
Russians and only six Bishoprics out of twenty-eight were allowed to
remain, while more than $350,000,000 of church property was confiscated!
[Illustration: RUSSIAN CAUCASUS REGION, INCLUDING GEORGIA AND RUSSIAN
ARMENIA, PARTS OF WHICH WERE HANDED OVER TO THE TURKS BY THE TREATY OF
BREST-LITOVSK]