AHC: Make Georgian states survive well into 19th century
If Nader's Afsharid persian empire survives as a stable entity, this is very probable.
Wouldn't Persia try to reincorporate them if it was strong enough though? Like they did in 1798 invasion of Georgia?
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Maybe, maybe not. My guess is that a smart afsharid shah tasked with stabilizing the empire after Nader's conquests would instead decide to keep Kartli and Kakheti as buffer states against Russian aggression.
Georgia makes for good buffer states between the Ottomans and Persians and later Russians. But I do wonder if they'd be allowed to unite or otherwise just be conquered as IOTL. I suspect quite a few would rather join their co-religionists in Russia than continue to be pawns of Muslim empires.
In any case, I think you'd need stronger Turks and/or Persia with an interest in preserving the status quo. Even if the Ottomans and Persians are historic enemies, the threat Russia poses must be obvious and in the early 19th century both states lost big time to the Russians.
In any case, I think you'd need stronger Turks and/or Persia with an interest in preserving the status quo. Even if the Ottomans and Persians are historic enemies, the threat Russia poses must be obvious and in the early 19th century both states lost big time to the Russians.
If they are allowed to keep practicing Christianity and free hand in domestic affairs, I doubt anyone would be unhappy. They made the deal with Russia IOTL because of Persian threats of brutal conquest and direct rule.
Georgia stands in the way of Russian ambition. Their sole protector has to be militarily stronger than or equal to Russia which isn't too hard. Persia would have been the main state to do so if only the land didn't turn in anarchy. A post-Mahmud I Ottoman government will like a buffer between them and Russia just like the Danubian principalities are. But yeah, they need hold off the Russians.
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