Unknown c. 38,000–45,000 Result Decisive Georgian victory | Date 14 December 1757 | |
11 000 main troops5 000 additional forcesTotal 16,000 men 30 000 Turkish army15 000 soldiers garrisoned in Imereti10 000 Georgian rebelsTotal 55,000 men Similar Battle of Aspindza, Battle of Didgori, Battle of Krtsanisi, Ottoman wars in Europe |
Battle of khresili
The Battle of Khresili (Georgian: ხრესილის ბრძოლა) was fought in 1757, between the armies of the Kingdom of Imereti and the Ottoman Empire. The king of Imereti Solomon I defeated the Turkish army. The battle took place on the 14th of December, 1757. Solomon I was trying to establish a strong monarchy and unify western Georgia. His actions stained the relations between the Georgian King and Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans, in particular, wanted to stop Solomon's struggle against slavery. The Ottomans were in an alliance with rebellious Georgian nobles, one such example was Levan Abashidze, who was fighting against the King of Imereti. Abashidze arrived in Akhaltsikhe and led an Ottoman army to the Kingdom of Imereti. Solomon enticed them into a strategically adroit place near Khresili and decisively defeated them.
Contents
Background
In the 17th century, western Georgia was a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman garrisons were dispatched to Tsutskvati, Poti and Shorapani fortresses. 12,000 slaves were sold in the Ottoman Empire every year from Mengrelia alone. Realizing that Georgia was facing the threat of heavy depopulation, the King of Imereti, Solomon I prohibited slavery, opposing turncoat Lords and wanted independence from the Ottoman Empire. Sultan sent Gola Pasha with a large army to punish Solomon I and re-establish Ottoman rule over the Kingdom of Imereti.
Purpose
The Ottomans wanted to destroy Solomon I and his supporters, and to finally conquer western Georgia The aim of the Georgians was to clear Imereti of Turks.
Battle
Early in the morning, the Georgians started the attack. King Solomon himself reached Ali Pasha and killed him. Ottomans became confused after death of their leader. The Georgians decisively defeated the Ottoman army.