Roustam

Born in Tbilisi in 1783 to Armenian parents, Roustam Raza was kidnapped as a boy, sold into slavery, and eventually made his way into Napoleon Bonaparte’s service. He became the emperor’s Mamluk bodyguard and valet, a striking and well-known figure at court and on campaign.

Roustam accompanied Napoleon through many of the most important years of the empire and was close enough to witness both public ceremony and private daily life. That unusual position later gave his memoir lasting value: it is prized as a vivid personal account from someone outside the usual circle of generals, ministers, and aristocrats.

He died in 1845. Today he is remembered less as a military leader than as a singular observer of Napoleonic history, whose story bridges the Caucasus, the Ottoman world, and France.