Supreme Georgian Government

a consultative body attached to the “commander in chief of Georgia,” created by the tsarist government in 1801 in connection with the joining of Eastern Georgia to Russia. The Supreme Georgian Government actually began operation in April 1802. It consisted of four departments which had Russian officials as chairmen; the advisers (mdivanbegs) were Georgian princes and Russian officials. In civic cases the Supreme Georgian Government acted in accordance with the laws of Vakhtang VI, whereas in criminal cases it acted in accordance with the laws of the Russian empire.

As the Supreme Georgian Government changed over time, its function and structure grew closer to the forms of administration of the Russian empire and became more bureaucratic. It was abolished on Dec. 12, 1838, in connection with the general reform of the administration of the Transcaucasian territory.