General map of the lands limited by the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. From the book by Ellis G. "Memoir of a map of the countries comprehended between the Black sea and the Caspian"
General map of the lands limited by the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. From the book by Ellis G. "Memoir of a map of the countries comprehended between the Black sea and the Caspian"
Great Britain, London
1788
Engraver: Samuel John Neele.
Editor: James Edwards.
Paper; etching, watercolors
80 х 96 (in the frame)
The horizontal sheet features a survey topographic map of the region limited by the Azov, Black and Caspian Seas including the territory of the south of Russia with Caucasus, Georgia and Armenia as part of its territory. The state borders, ethnic territories, large cities and settlements are indicated.
On the bottom left in the cartouche there is an inscription in English: "General Map of the COUNTRIES Comprehended between the Black Sea and the Caspian. London. Published March 30.1788 by Edwards № 102 Pall Mall".
At the bottom in the cartouche there is a rectangular label "University Library, Cambridge. The gifts of Robert M.Holland Martin, C.B, F.S.A. 26 April 1921. Text. 5696.6.78.4" and a red round stamp "University Library Cambridge M 26 Ap 1921".
The scale is in inches. The subscriptions and inscriptions are in English.
The map was attached to the book: Ellis G. Memoir of a map of the countries comprehended between the Black sea and the Caspian; with account of the Caucasian nations and vocabularies of their languages. London: Edwards, 1788.
It was compiled based on the 18th century (the 50-70s) Russian maps of the Caspian Sea and Caucasus.
The copy of this map in Russian transcription was prepared in 1810 and it was attached to the book "Historical and geographical notes about the countries lying between the Black and Caspian Seas, which include the recent detailed descriptions about nationalities living there and the legends about ancient and present descriptions of those lands [with two attached geographical maps]". St. Petersburg, 1810.
The territory of modern south of Russia and Caucasus in the last third of the 18th century was divided among three states - Russia, Ottoman Empire and Persia. International borders by the beginning of the 1770s were determined by the following key agreements:
- the Treaty of Resht (1732) and Treaty of Ganja (1735) between Iran and Russia according to which the Caspian Sea provinces were returned to Iran, the Russian border was moved to Terek/Sulak;
- the Treaty of Belgrade (1739) between Porte and Russia, determining the status of Kabardia as “a neutral barrier” between the parties of the treaty, and the Trans-Kuban region is recognized as the territory under the Turkish protection);
- agreements between Porte and Iran (1736) on their delimiting the Transcaucasia.
The next military stage of Russia-Turkish standoff (1768–1774) ends with the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji (1774), and then with annexation of the Crimean Khanate with its Kuban part by Russia (1783). These dates mark serious territorial expansion of the Russian Empire in the North Caucasus. In the eastern part of the region at the time when the Iranian state was in crisis, semi-independent states such as the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti and the Quba Khanate (the largest among them) grow stronger. Russia strives to prevent Turkish expansion in the Caspian direction and forced reintegration of Kartli-Kakheti as Iran constituent. According to the Treaty of Georgievsk (1783) Russia protects Eastern Georgia. And this way the future base area for Russia to conquer the southern part of the whole Caucasian region is established.
Ref.: Tsutsiev А.А. Atlas of Ethnic and Political History of the Caucasus. М., 2007.
Инв.5548/КНГ