Mikhail, Prince of Abkhazia

Mikhail
Prince of Abkhazia
Reign	1823 – 1864
Full name	Mikhail Shervashidze/Chachba
Died	April 1866
Place of death	Voronezh
Predecessor	Dmitri
Successor	Georgij II
Offspring	Georgij II, Prince of Abkhazia
Royal House	Shervashidze/Chachba

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.

Mikhail 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 Giorgij Prince, but this was short-lived.

See also

• Russification

References

• Lak'oba, S. (1999). 18th century-1917 in The Abkhazians; a handbook. Curzon Press, Richmond (England).

Mikhail, Prince of Abkhazia House of Shervashidze/Chachba
Regnal titles
Preceded by Dmitri	Prince of Abkhazia 1823 - 1864	Succeeded by Georgi II

Persondata
Name	Mikhail, Prince Of Abkhazia
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	1866
Place of death	Voronezh