Battle of Rukh

The Battle of Rukhi (რუხის ბრძოლა) was fought in 1779 between the combined armies of the Kingdom of Imereti, and the Principalities of Mingrelia and Guria against the Ottoman Empire.

Background
In November 1774, Solomon I sent Davit Kvinikhidze as ambassador to Russia, who brought with him an official request to Emperor Catherine II to turn Imereti into a Russian protectorate. But by this time the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (July 10-21, 1774) had already been concluded, the results of which Solomon learned from a letter sent by Catherine. According to Article 23 of this treaty, Russia recognized the right of the Ottomans to Western Georgia under certain conditions - recognized fortresses in Imereti captured by Russian artillery as inviolate. The Ottomans had no more rights to slaves from Imereti, and had to pardon any Imeretian who had attacked them. Nor could Ottomans infringe the rights of Christians.

Battle
In 1779, in order to remove an ally from Solomon I, on the instructions of the Ottoman government, a large army consisting of Abkhazians and North-West Caucasian raiders (Jiks, Alans, Circassians, Balkars and Crimean Tatars) invaded the Principality of Mingrelia. Katsia II Dadiani appealed to the king of Imereti for help. Solomon helped Dadiani with the army of Imereti and Guria, quickly moved to Mingrelia and together with Dadiani won a decicive victory in the battle at Rukhi Castle. The victory at Rukhi stopped the expansion of the Turks in Georgia from the North-west for a long time. Katsia then intervened in Abkhazia, helping Zurab Shervashidze briefly oust Kelesh Bey from Sukhumi.