Abstract

This article reconstructs King George XI of Kartli’s military career in Safavid Iran and Afghanistan, based on archival sources and contemporary travellers’ accounts. The author traces George XI’s political manoeuvres – conversion for survival, diplomatic outreach to European powers, and service as beglerbeg of Kerman and commander‑in‑chief – then examines his Georgian regiment’s campaigns against Baluchi and Afghan forces. Combining battlefield narratives, Persian court politics, and testimonies by Pietro della Valle, Jonas Hanway and others, the research explains Mirwais Hotak’s intrigue and the 1709 massacre that ended King George’s life. The study situates his mission within broader themes of Georgian statehood, military migration, and the precarious balance between loyalty and survival under imperial rule.