Mikhail, Prince of Abkhazia

Born into an old House of Sharvashidze, ruling family of Abkhazia, he was the son of Giorgi, Prince of Abkhazia and his wife, Princess Tamar Dadiani. Mikhail, who was Orthodox Christian, came to power at a time when Abkhazia had only recently been declared a protectorate of Russia, as a result of the 1810 manifesto of Tsar Alexander I. During the Crimean War of 1853–55, Abkhazia was invaded by Turkey, and Mikhail was forced to declare his loyalty to Turkey. This came back to haunt him when, in 1864, the Russians accused him of cooperating with Turkey during the war. He was subsequently exiled to Voronezh, in Russia – an act which was vastly unpopular with the Abkhaz people. Mikhail's deportation, and death not long after, also marked the beginning of the end for Abkhazian self-governance for the next 140 years. In June 1864, the Princedom was abolished and replaced by the Sukhumi Military Sector. In 1866, a popular uprising declared Mikhail's son Giorgi a Prince, but this was short-lived. ==Personal life==