 He was a long-time rival of fellow Souliot Markos Botsaris.After Independence, Tzavelas became a supporter of Kapodistrias and eventually a leader in the Russian Party which was the conservative and arch-Orthodox political faction in the period of King Otto.Accused of planning a revolt against the king in 1834, Tzavelas was imprisoned by the Regency Council head by von Armansperg along with other politicians of the Russian Party.