Solomon I
Solomon I
Born 1735; died 1784. Ruler of the Imeretian kingdom (Western Georgia) from 1752 to 1784.
An opponent of the reactionary feudal lords and Turkish domination, Solomon scored an important victory over the Turks on the field of Khressili in 1757. In 1759 he abolished the slave trade. From 1768 to 1774 he fought on the side of Russia in the war against Turkey and expelled the Turks from Imereti, officially terminating his status as a tributary of Turkey. After consolidating his rule over the Imeretian feudal lords, he extended his influence over Guria and Megrelia. In 1784, Solomon requested that the kingdom of Imereti be placed under the protection of Russia.