The Armenian "meliks", local feudal lords, had long been recognized as governors of the area by the Iranian shahs. In 1722 however, the Safavid state collapsed. Numerous Muslim tribes in the area were now competing for influence in the area. Peter the Great's steady advance south towards the Caucasus during the Russo-Persian War of 1722-1723 with a massive 30,000 man army had revived hope among the Armenians and Georgians that Russian arms could help clear the region from Muslim dominion. Muslim misrule in the regions of Kapan and Artsakh (Karabakh) eventually provoked the Armenian "meliks" in 1722 to request military aid from Vakhtang.