Born to an émigré Georgian noble family in the village Muromtseva, Kaluga Governorate, Yashvil graduated from a cadet corps in 1786 and took part in the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) and the Polish campaigns (1792, 1794). He commanded various artillery units and was promoted to major general in 1800. That year, he joined several Russian officers in a palace coup against Paul I and, along with General Bennigsen assassinated the tsar in Saint Michael's Castle. Paul's successor Alexander I, allegedly the coup sympathizer[citation needed], soon sacked Yashvil. Being prohibited from visiting both St. Petersburg and Moscow, Yashvil spent next several years in a compulsory retirement at his estate. During Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812, Yashvil managed to obtain permission from General Dmi