Caucasian Committee

a special interdepartmental body established in 1845 by the Russian government in connection with the introduction of the all-Russian administrative system into the Caucasus.

The Caucasian Committee was preceded by a series of tempo-rary committees on the elaboration and introduction of civiliangovernment in the Caucasus (1833–45). The Caucasian Commit-tee subsequently became a permanent body, directing the civilianactivity of the imperial administration in the Caucasus. Thecommittee consisted of the ministers of war, finance, state prop-erties, justice, and internal affairs, as well as the heir to thethrone, the head of the gendarmes, and other high officials ap-pointed by the tsar. In 1882, after the elimination of the Cauca-sian vicegerency and the establishment of a new administrativesystem for the Caucasus, the Caucasian Committee was abolished.