The country of
Georgia was part of the
Russian Empire between 1801 and 1918. For centuries, the
Muslim Ottoman and
Persian empires had fought over various fragmented
Georgian kingdoms and principalities but by the 18th century, a third imperial power, Russia, had emerged in the region. Since Russia was a
Orthodox Christian state like Georgia, the Georgians increasingly sought Russian help. In 1783, the leading Georgian kingdom became a Russian
protectorate but in an unintended chain of events, in 1801 the country was outright
annexed by Russia, receiving a status of
guberniya (
Georgia Governorate or the Government of Georgia).