King of Imereti Solomon I The Great (Solomon Didi) (1735–1784). King of Imereti between 1752 and 1784. The son of King Alexander V, Solomon proved to be a strong ruler who sought to extend his authority to all of western Georgia. However, he was opposed by powerful lords, who often rose in rebellion. Immediately upon his accession to the throne, Solomon was attacked by the mighty eristavi of Racha and had to abandon his capital for a year.
He then secured an alliance with the princes of Mingrelia and used the support of the gentry in his struggle against the grand nobles. He prohibited the slave trade that had devastated the Georgian principalities, which embittered the Ottomans who actively interfered in Imeretian affairs against King Solomon. In 1757, the Imeretian king scored a major victory over the Ottomans at Khresili. The same year, he negotiated a military alliance with King Teimuraz II of Kartli and Erekle II of Kakheti, providing for mutual support against internal and foreign threats. In 1759, he launched a reform of the Orthodox Church of western Georgia and strengthened his authority.
Between 1760–1763, he defeated several Ottoman expeditions and achieved another important victory at Chkhari in 1768. In 1769, he finally managed to capture his major rival, Eristavi Rostom of Racha, and abolished the Racha saeristavo completely.
During the Russo–Turkish War of 1769–1774, Solomon was offered Russian military help against the Ottomans. Russian troops arrived in Imereti in late 1769, and Solomon was able to capture a series of fortresses, including Shorapani, Baghdadi, and Kutaisi, and defeat his main opponent, the ruler of Guria. In 1774, Solomon appealed to Empress Catherine II for protection, but Russia was unable to satisfy his request because of Ottoman pressure.
The same year, Solomon routed the Ottomans on the banks of the Chkherimela River. By the mid-1770s, Solomon had extended his control to large parts of western Georgia and used his enhanced powers to introduce many changes in his kingdom, which led to discontent among the nobility. In 1778, Prince Alexander led an uprising against Solomon, but it was suppressed. In 1779–1780, Solomon repelled the Ottoman invasion and was victorious at Rukhi. From 1781–1784, he fought in Guria, but he died before seeing the results of his campaigns.
Alexander Mikaberidze