Caucasus Viceroyalty (1801–1917)
The Caucasus Viceroyalty was the Russian Empire's administrative and political authority in the Caucasus region exercised through the offices of glavnoupravlyayushchiy ("high commissioner") (1801–1844, 1882–1902) and namestnik ("viceroy") (1844–1882, 1904–1917), situated in the modern areas of the Russian Federation, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. These two terms are commonly, but imprecisely, translated into English as viceroy, which is frequently used interchangeably with governor general. More accurately, glavnoupravlyayushchiy is referred to as the High Commissioner of the Caucasus, and namestnik as Viceroy.
Caucasus Viceroyalty
Кавказское наместничество | |
---|---|
Viceroyalty | |
Administrative map of the Caucasus Viceroyalty | |
Country | Russian Empire |
Established | 1801 |
Abolished | 1917 |
Capital | Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi) |
Area | |
• Viceroyalty | 410,423.66 km2 (158,465.46 sq mi) |
Highest elevation (Mount Elbrus) | 5,642 m (18,510 ft) |
Population (1916) | |
• Viceroyalty | 12,266,282 |
• Density | 30/km2 (77/sq mi) |
• Urban | 15.97% |
• Rural | 84.03% |
Over more than a century of the Russian rule of the Caucasus, the structure of the viceroyalty underwent a number of changes, with the addition or removal of administrative positions and redrawing of provincial divisions.