New Archival Sources on Catholicos-Patriarch Domentius IV of Georgia and King Kaikhosro from the Propaganda Fide Historical Archives

Abstract

This article analyzes newly identified archival documents from the Historical Archives of Propaganda Fide, focusing on correspondence among Catholicos-Patriarch Domentius IV of Georgia, King Kaikhosro of Kartli, and Pope Clement XI at the start of the eighteenth century. The main argument is that examining these newly discovered letters from 1708 reveals the mechanisms by which Georgian actors participated in and were affected by the circulation of information and power dynamics within the Roman Curia, thereby reshaping our understanding of early modern Georgian diplomacy and its confessional politics under Safavid rule. By offering a detailed reconstruction of these exchanges, the study ultimately demonstrates how integrating these
sources deepens our comprehension of Georgia’s political and religious engagements in the early modern world.