The House of Abashidze ( Georgian : აბაშიძე ) is a Georgian family and a former princely house. Appearing in the 15th century, they achieved prominence in the Kingdom of Imereti in western Georgia in the late 17th century and branched out in the eastern Georgian kingdoms of Kakheti and Kartli as well as the then- Ottoman -held southwestern region of Adjara . After the Russian annexation of Georgian polities, the family was confirmed as Knyaz Abashidze ( Russian : Абашидзе ) by the Tsar ’s decree of 1825.
20-489: The Abashidze family possibly derived from the medieval Georgian noble house of Liparitid-Orbeliani , but the family legend holds that it descended from an Abyssinian officer named Abash who had allegedly accompanied Marwan ibn Muhammad ’s Arab army to Georgia in the 8th century; Abash is said to have remained in Georgia and ennobled when he saved the life of a Georgian crown prince from a wolf. The first recorded account about
40-545: A Georgian noble house ( didebuli ) in medieval Georgia , with notable members from the 9th to 12th centuries. They were famed for their powerful resistance to the consolidation of Bagratid royal authority in the Kingdom of Georgia . A principal branch of the Liparitid house, known later under the name of Orbelian . The Liparitids are believed by Cyril Toumanoff and some other modern scholars to have been descended from one of
60-597: A strategic mountain of the Trialeti Range to control the roads cut through the cliff connecting the regions of Eastern Georgia with the southern neighboring countries and the Byzantine Empire . This area lay in the possessions of David’s kinsman Guaram of Javakheti , and the move eventually led to a split among the Bagratids which concluded with the murder of David by his nephew (son of Guaram Mampali) Nasra in 881. In
80-513: A Georgian Bagratid prince of Iberia based in Tao-Klarjeti , and built a stronghold called Klde-Karni on a strategic mountain of the Trialeti Range . This area lay in the possessions of David's kinsman Guaram Mampali , and the move eventually led to a split among the Bagratids which concluded with the murder of David by his nephew (son of Guaram Mampali) Nasra in 881. In a civil war that ensued, Liparit supported David's heir, Adarnase I , who
100-586: A civil war that ensued, Liparit supported David’s heir, Adarnase IV of Iberia , who was victorious and crowned, with the Armenian support, as King of the Iberians in 888. Thus, Liparit and his heirs secured a hereditary dukedom of Trialeti and Kldekari. They quickly rose in prominence, gaining more possessions and prestige and when, in the early 11th century, the Bagratid dynasty established the unified all-Georgian monarchy,
120-498: The Battle of Sasireti in 1042, and became a virtual ruler of Georgia, but eventually was forced out by his own subjects in 1059. His son and heir, John , was allowed by the Georgian crown to succeed Liparit IV as a duke. In 1074, John revolted against King George II of Georgia and attempted to get Seljuk support. However, a Seljuk invasion force temporarily occupied the duchy and captured
140-549: The Kakhaberisdze , was enfeoffed of Racha and Takveri in northwestern Georgia, from the 11th or 12th century to the 13th, though they appear to have maintained themselves in it till the 15th. Another possible branch, Surameli , were eristavi of Kartli and princes of Surami down to the 14th century. Duchy of Kldekari The Duchy of Kldekari ( Georgian : კლდეკარის საერისთავო , romanized : k'ldek'aris saeristavo ), sometimes also referred as County of Trialeti
160-614: The 18th century, one representative of the Imeretian line went over to the Ottoman government and settled at Batumi where his descendants attained to the office of sanjak-bey . The Russian annexation of Imereti in 1810 brought the princedom of Saabashidzeo to an end. Henceforth, the family was equated to other noble families of the Russian Empire and confirmed as princes on September 20, 1825. On July 29, 1876, Prince Simon Abashidze (1837–1891)
180-598: The Abashidze dates back to the latter part of the 15th century. By the 1540s, they had already been in possession of a sizeable fiefdom within the Kingdom of Imereti located in its eastern part and called Saabashidzeo (სააბაშიძეო; literally, "[the land] of Abashidze"). The family reached a climax of its might at the turn of the 18th century, when it possessed 78 villages, several castles, fortresses, churches and monasteries as well as 1,500 serf households. Prince Giorgi-Malakia Abashidze
200-595: The Baghuashi, who had been expelled by the Abkhazian kings from his fiefdom of Argveti (in upper Imereti ). In their new fiefdom, the Liparitids accepted the suzerainty of David I of Iberia , a Georgian Bagratid prince of Iberia based in Tao-Klarjeti , and built a stronghold called Kldekari ( Georgian : კლდე კარი ; lit. the "rock gate", as this was a common naming scheme of border strongholds (see "Alan's gate") on
220-409: The Liparitids were among its most powerful vassals and rivals. In the mid-eleventh century, the Liparitid house reached the apogee of their might and remained, for a century, leaders of the feudality in its struggle against the growing power of the kings of Georgia. In 1047, one of the most illustrious representatives of the family, Liparit IV became a regent for the young Georgian king Bagrat IV in
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#1732859606697240-466: The early 1030s, and even succeeded in temporarily driving King Bagrat IV into the Byzantine territory. The kings of Georgia had to concede more possessions and titles to the family in order to pacify a series of the Liparitid rebellions. Subsequently, relations between the two men deteriorated and flared into an armed conflict. With the military support from the Byzantine Empire , Liparit defeated Bagrat at
260-511: The family in order to pacify a series of the Liparitid rebellions. In 1093, David IV of Georgia defeated Liparit IV and expelled him into the Byzantine Empire, absorbing the Liparitid duchy into royal domain. After their expulsion from Georgia, several Liparitids also were active in the Byzantine military and administrative service in the 12th century. A cadet branch of the Liparitid house,
280-553: The fugitive princes of the Mamikonid dynasty . (According to Toumanoff, the Mamikonids themselves originated in Georgia.) This hypothesis is not commonly shared by the scholars in Georgia who believe the family to have been native to the western Georgian district of Argveti whence they were ousted by the kings of Abkhazia in the 870s. Either way, the dynasty, in the person of its eponymous founder, Liparit I , established themselves in
300-434: The mid-eleventh century, the Liparitid house reached the apogee of their might and remained, for a century, leaders of the feudality in its struggle against the growing power of the kings of Georgia. In 1047, one of the most illustrious representatives of the family, Liparit IV , even succeeded in temporarily driving King Bagrat IV into the Byzantine territory. The kings of Georgia had to concede more possessions and titles to
320-472: The province of Trialeti in southern Georgia ( Lower Iberia ) c. 876. In Georgia, they received the moniker of "Baghuashi", probably derived from baghva , an archaic Georgian word for "ravaging" (cf. Orbeliani, Sulkhan-Saba , Dictionary , 4.4: 101. Tbilisi, 1965 [in Georgian]), which eventually firmly attached to the family. In their new fiefdom, the Liparitids accepted the suzerainty of David I Kuropalates ,
340-474: Was a duchy ( saeristavo ) within the kingdom of Georgia from 876-1184. Ruled by a powerful dynasty of Liparitids-Baghuashi , the duchy existed in the south-western parts of modern Kvemo Kartli province, and, despite its small size, created problems for the Bagrationi kings as they sought to bring all Georgian vassals and principalities into a unified state. The duchy was established in 876 by Liparit I of
360-492: Was granted the right to assume the surname and coat of arms of his father-in-law, the late Ukrainian nobleman Semen Davydovych Gorlenko, for himself and his male-line descendants (Abashidze-Gorlenko, Абашидзе-Горленко), but he died without a male heir. The family has survived into the 21st century and has produced several notable writers, public figures and politicians. Liparitids The Liparitids ( Georgian : ლიპარიტები ), also known as Baghuashi (ბაღჳაში), were
380-531: Was not only the most powerful vassal of the crown of Imereti, but himself acted as a kingmaker and even de facto king from 1702 to 1707. The family branched out in eastern Georgia when Erekle II , King of Kartli and Kakheti , granted, in 1774, to his father-in-law Prince Zaal Abashidze and his male descendants estates in Kakheti. A branch had also been established in Kartli in the person of Vakhushti Abashidze . Earlier in
400-467: Was victorious and crowned, with the Armenian support, as King of the Georgians in 888. Thus, Liparit and his heirs secured a hereditary dukedom of Trialeti and Kldekari. They quickly rose in prominence, gaining more possessions and prestige and when, in the early 11th century, the Bagratid dynasty established the unified all-Georgian monarchy, the Liparitids were among its most powerful vassals and rivals. In
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