This article offers an overview of relations between Iran and Georgia under the Safavids and into the 18th century. It draws attention to the compromise position that the Safavids were forced to adopt with regard to influence and control over Georgia, an area of strong autonomous tendencies and subject to interests by other parties such as the Turks and the Russians. One theme that receives special attention in this context is the existence of so-called Georgian-Persian bilingual documents, which were long issued in eastern Georgia, and that of the royal seals, which are mostly just in Georgian but, as Iranian influence grew, also appeared in Arabic letters.