Gachiani გაჩიანი | |
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  Gachiani Map highlighting the historical region ofGachiani Show map of Kvemo Kartli Gachiani Gachiani (Georgia) Show map of Georgia | |
| Coordinates:41°18′55″N45°07′31″E / 41.31528°N 45.12528°E /41.31528; 45.12528 An approximate geographical area. | |
| Country | Kingdom of Iberia |
| Mkhare | Kvemo Kartli |
| Capital | Armazi |
Gachiani (Georgian:გაჩიანი) was a historical city and district inLower Iberia/Kvemo Kartli in southeastGeorgia. Its exact location and boundaries remain unclear.
The medieval tradition ofLeonti Mroveli ascribes the foundation of Gachiani to an eponymous mythic lord, Gachios, son ofKartlos.[1] The 10th-centuryArmenian historianUkhtanes of Sebastia places Gachiani (Gajenaget) in what he refers to as the Plain of Georgians (Vrac' Dašt) and considers it to be a later name of the earlier town ofTsurtavi (C'urtaw).[2] On the other hand, the early 18th-century Georgian scholarPrince Vakhushti locates Gachiani on the right bank of the riverKtsia.
The land of Gachiani was one of the marshlands between ancient Iberia (Georgia) and Armenia and changed its masters more than once in the course of history. It formed part of the Iberianduchy ofSamsvhilde in the 4th-3rd century BC, but its southwest portion was annexed to the Armeno-Georgianprincipality of Gogarene in the 4th century, and then briefly fell under the ArmenianBagratid control in 888 and 914/8.[3] Its later history is essentially the same as that of Samshvilde and the district southwest ofTbilisi in general. Currently, Gachiani is a name of the predominantlyAzerbaijani-populated village in Georgia'sGardabani district.
