Principality of Abkhazia აფხაზეთის სამთავრო | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1463[1]–1864 | |||||||||||
.svg)  Top: State flag (1770–1866) Bottom: State flag (1808–1810)  18th-century coat of arms according toVakhushti | |||||||||||
.jpg) The Principality of Abkhazia (Abassia) in the 1850s | |||||||||||
| Capital | Zupu (Lykhny)[2] 43°09′N40°37′E / 43.150°N 40.617°E /43.150; 40.617 | ||||||||||
| Official languages | Georgian (language of governance, literacy and culture)[3][4][5] | ||||||||||
| Other languages | Abkhaz,Mingrelian | ||||||||||
| Religion | Eastern Orthodox Christianity (majority and dynastic 1463–1780; 1810–1864) Sunni Islam (significant minority and dynastic 1780–1810) | ||||||||||
| Demonyms | Abkhazian, Abkhaz | ||||||||||
| Government | Principality | ||||||||||
| Prince; | |||||||||||
• c.1451-1465(first) | Rabia Sharvashidze | ||||||||||
• 1823–1864(last) | Mikhail Sharvashidze | ||||||||||
| Historical era | Early Modern Period | ||||||||||
• Established | 1463[1] | ||||||||||
| 1817–64 | |||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1864 | ||||||||||
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ThePrincipality of Abkhazia (Georgian:აფხაზეთის სამთავრო,romanized:apkhazetis samtavro,Abkhazian: АԥсуaАҳратәра,romanized: Apsua Ahratwra) emerged as a separate feudal entity in the 15th-16th centuries, amid the civil wars in theKingdom of Georgia that concluded with thedissolution of the unified Georgian monarchy. The principality retained a degree of autonomy underOttoman and thenRussian rule, but was eventually absorbed into theRussian Empire in 1864, following theCaucasian War.
Abkhazia, as aduchy (saeristavo) within the Kingdom of Georgia, was previously referred as theDuchy of Tskhumi was ruled by the house ofSharvashidze since the 12th century. The sources are very scarce about the Abkhazian history of that time. TheGenoese established their trading factories along the Abkhazian coastline in the 14th century, but they functioned for a short time. When the Georgian kingdom was embroiled in a bitter civil war in the 1450s, the Sharvashidzes joined a major rebellion against KingGeorge VIII of Georgia, which saw him defeated at the hands of the rebels atChikhori in 1463. As a result, Georgia split into three rival kingdoms and five principalities. The Abkhazian princes were the vassals of thePrincipality of Mingrelia under the dynasty ofDadiani(-Bediani), which, in turn, was subordinated to theKingdom of Imereti. The vassalage was, however, largely nominal, and both Mingrelian and Abkhazian rulers not only successfully fought for their independence, but contested borders with each other and with Imereti. The independence of Abkhazia was largely symbolic as the region was generally left alone as the kings of Imereti had their hands full governing their designated area. In 1490, the split became official as Georgia was split by treaty into theKingdom of Kartli,Imereti, of which Abkhazia was a part,Kakheti andPrincipality of Samtskhe.[8]
In the 1570s, theOttoman navy occupied the fort of Tskhumi, turning it into the Turkish fortress of Suhum-Kale. Abkhazia came under the influence of Turkey andIslam, althoughChristianity was but slowly replaced and it was not until the second half of the 18th century that the ruling Sharvashidze family embraced Islam. Until then, Abkhazia, secured from large-scale invasions by its mountainous location and impassable forests, had retained independence and profited from commerce in traditionalCaucasian commodities, that of slaves not excepted.
Throughout the 16th–18th centuries, the Abkhazian lords were involved in the incessant border conflicts with the Mingrelian princes. As a result, the Sharvashidze potentates were able to expand their possessions in the east, first to the riverGhalidzga, and then to theEnguri, which serves as today's boundary betweenAbkhazia andGeorgia proper. After the death of the Abkhazian princeZegnak circa 1700, his principality was divided among his sons. The oldest brotherRostom established himself as a prince of Abkhazia proper, also known as the Bzyb Abkhazia, on the coast from the modern-dayGagra on theBzyb River to the Ghalidzga river, with the residence in the village ofLykhny; Jikeshia received Abjua between the Ghalidzga and the Kodori; and Kvapu became a lord of a county on the coast extending from the Ghalidzga to the Inguri, subsequently known as the country of Samurzakan’o after Kvapu's son Murzakan. The highlands of Dal-Tzabal (Tzebelda, Tsabal) were without any centralized government, but were dominated by the clan of Marshan.Sadzny, formerly known asZygia (Jiketi of the Georgian sources) extended north to Abkhazia proper between the modern-day cities of Gagra andSochi, and was run by Gechba, Arydba and Tsanba clans. These polities included also several minor fiefdoms governed by the representatives of the Sharvashidze-Chachba house or other noble families such as Achba (Anchabadze), Emhaa (Emukhvari), Ziapsh-Ipa, Inal-Ipa, Chabalurkhua and Chkhotua. All these princedoms were more or less dependent on the princes of Abkhazia proper.
Kelesh Bey remained neutral between the interests of theRussian Empire and theOttoman Empire. The first attempt to enter into relation with Russia was made by the said Keilash Bey in 1803, shortly after the incorporation of eastern Georgia into the expanding Tsarist empire (1801). When the Ottomans tried to subjugate Abkhazia and sent a naval squadron to its coast in 1806 Kelesh Bey gathered twenty-five thousand soldiers. Seeing that the fortress ofSukhum-Kale was well-defended the Turkish forces ships sailed back.[7][9] After the assassination of this prince by his sonAslan-Bey on May 2, 1808, the pro-Ottoman orientation prevailed but for a short time. On July 2, 1810, theRussian Marinesstormed Suhum-Kale and had Aslan-Bey replaced with his rival brother,Sefer-Bey (1810–1821), who had converted to Christianity and assumed the name ofGeorge. Abkhazia joined the Russian empire as an autonomous principality.
However, George's rule, as well of his successors, was limited to the neighbourhood of Suhum-Kale and the Bzyb area garrisoned by the Russians while the other parts had remained under the rule of the Muslim nobles. Thenext Russo-Turkish war strongly enhanced the Russian positions, leading to a further split in the Abkhaz elite, mainly along religious divisions. During theCrimean War (1853–1856), Russian forces had to evacuate Abkhazia and PrinceMichael (1822–1864) seemingly switched to the Ottomans. Later on, the Russian presence strengthened and thehighlanders of Western Caucasia were finally subjugated by Russia in 1864. The autonomy of Abkhazia, which had functioned as a pro-Russian "buffer zone" in this troublesome region, was no more needed to the Tsarist government and the rule of the Sharvashidze came to an end; in November 1864, Prince Michael was forced to renounce his rights and resettle inVoronezh. Abkhazia was incorporated in theRussian Empire as a special military province of Suhum-Kale which was transformed, in 1883, into anokrug as part of theKutaisGuberniya.
Principal language of governance in the principality of Abkhazia wasGeorgian language.[10]
Evliya Çelebi in his work mentions that the Sharvashidze dynasty spokeMingrelian language too(along withAbkhaz)"The principal tribe in Abaza are the Chach, who speak Mingrelian too, which is spoken on the opposite shore of the Fasha/Phasis(Rioni)"[11]
NorthernAbkhazians who lived in the dol ofSochi[12] and theSadzen region spoke both their native language, as well asAbaza,Circassian andUbykh language[13][14][15][16]
In July 1866 an attempt made by the Russian authorities to collect information concerning the economic conditions of the Abkhaz, for the purpose of taxation, led to the Lykhny revolt. The rebels proclaimed Mikheil Sharvashidze's sonGiorgi as prince and marched onSukhumi. Only the strong Russian reinforcements led by GeneralDmitry Ivanovich Svyatopolk-Mirsky were able to suppress the revolt by the same August. The harsh Russian reaction led, subsequently, to a considerable emigration of the Abkhazmuhajirs to theOttoman Empire, especially after the locals took part in the rebellion of the Caucasian mountaineers incited by the landing of Turkish troops in 1877. As a result, many areas became virtually deserted.[18]
The rulers of theAbkhazian principality among theAbkhazian-Abaza are known asChachba, which translated meant "prince over prince"[19][20][21]
In the north, among the mountains, there is Sadasha, the land belonging to Sidi Ahmed Pasha; the inhabitants speak well both the Abkhazian language and the language of the Circassians, the latter is adjacent to their country, their seven thousand brave and strong men.
джигетские садша, и теперь еще именуемые по-абхазски сазуа, говорили на убыхском языке.[A.N. Genko, the Dzhiget sadsha, and now also called sazua in Abkhazian, spoke the Ubykh language.]
