Zhevakhov was born in the émigré Georgian family of Prince Javakhishvili who had an estate in Ukraine. He joined the military service as a cadet of the Ukrainian hussar regiment in 1775 and received his first major military experience in fighting with the Trans-Kubanian Circassians in 1777. He then fought in the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) and was wounded when storming Ochakov in 1789. Having fought in Poland in 1792, Zhevakhov was promoted to colonel in 1800 and then participated in the wars against Napoleonic France from 1805 to 1807. During the 1812 French invasion of Russia, he commanded the Serpukhov dragoon regiment within the 3rd Army of the West and contributed to the Russian success in the July 1812 battles of Kobryn and Gorodechna, which halted the French advance toward Kiev. H