Mikhail, Prince of Abkhazia

Mikhail
Prince of Abkhazia
Reign 1823–1864
Predecessor Dmitry
Successor Giorgi II
Died April 1866
Voronezh
Burial Sukhumi
Spouse Princess Menika Dadiani
Princess Alexandra Dadiani
Issue Giorgi II
Full name
Mikhail Shervashidze/Chachba
House Shervashidze/Chachba
Father Prince Giorgi Shervashidze
Mother Princess Tamara Dadiani

Mikhail, or Hamud Bey, from the house of Shervashidze, or Chachba (died 1866) was the head of state of the Principality of Abkhazia and reigned from 1823 to 1864.[1]

Mikhail, who was Orthodox Christian, came to power at a time when Abkhazia had only recently been declared a protectorate of Russia, as a result of the 1810 manifesto of Tsar Alexander I. During the Crimean War of 1853–55, Abkhazia was invaded by Turkey, and Mikhail was forced to declare his loyalty to Turkey. This came back to haunt him when, in 1864, the Russians accused him of cooperating with Turkey during the war. He was subsequently exiled to Voronezh, in Russia – an act which was vastly unpopular with the Abkhaz people.

Mikhail's deportation, and death not long after, also marked the beginning of the end for Abkhazian self-governance for the next 140 years. In June 1864, the Princedom was abolished and replaced by the Sukhumi Military Sector. In 1866, a popular uprising declared Mikhail's son Giorgi Prince, but this was short-lived.

Ancestry

See also

References

Mikhail, Prince of Abkhazia
House of Shervashidze/Chachba
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Dmitry
Prince of Abkhazia
1823–1864
Succeeded by
Giorgi II


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, February 05, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.