Nobility of Georgia (country)
The nobility of Georgia was the social and legal grouping of individuals and families with a special status in the former Kingdom of Georgia (along with its successor states).
The Georgian nobility has always been split across two main groups: the princely and ducal Houses, which were in the minority, and the untitled noble Houses which comprised the vast majority.[1]
The untitled nobility comprised of the gentry who were the direct vassals of the King along with the vassals of the various princes and dukes, as well as those of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia who had his own realm.[1] Before the formal annexation by the Russian Empire, there were no other hereditary nobiliary titles other than the Western European equivalents of Prince and Duke.[1]
Archducal status
The Georgian nobiliary system had a title equivalent to that of a western archduke called Eristvi-mtavar.[2]
Princely status
The Georgian hereditary titles of Mtavari (Georgian: მთავარი) and Tavadi (Georgian: თავადი), both having similar roots, were granted to heads of noble houses and considered equivalent to the German Fürst while cadet houses (and their heads), would use titles such as Tavadischvili and Eristvichili.[1][2] These houses enjoying the title of Mtavari or Tavadi are recognized by the sovereign as being of the most important in the realm, of nobility from time immemorial equivalent to the uradel of Germany or the noblesse de race of France.[1] These princely houses of Georgia enjoyed full authority over their dominion and headed their own armies, enjoying a kind of mediatized sovereignty under the Georgian Crown.[1]
At the end of the middle ages, the title of Mtavari came to be associated with independent princes whereas Tavadi would designate those directly under Crown.[1] The realm of the former would be known as samtavaro whereas of the latter satavado.[1]
The Batonishvili title was reserved for Royal Princes and for royal cadet houses, equivalent to the Russian czarevich.[2]
Ducal status
The Georgian equivalent of duke was the title of Eristavi (Georgian: ერისთავი), and in a singular case the Armenian Melik.[1][2] The need for this class of nobles came out of the need of the Georgian Crown to introduce feudal reforms in the realm and recognizing the low control of the (semi) independent princely houses.[1] The realms under the direct control of the ducal houses were known as saeristavo.
Untitled nobility
The broad class of untitled nobles were known as Aznauri (Georgian: აზნაური).[1]
Integration into the Russian Empire
With the formal integration of the Georgian Kingdoms into the Russian Empire, all former royal, princely, and ducal houses were received by imperial decree as princes of the empire.[1] The untitled nobles were incorporated as untitled nobility of the Empire and a full list of admitted families was published by imperial authorities.[1]
After the annexation, all nobiliary titles in what were the former independent kingdoms of Georgia followed the Russian nobility system.[1]
See also
- List of Georgian princely families
- Georgian feudalism
- Noble families of Georgia
- Noble titles of Georgia
- Bagrationi dynasty
- "Georgian Nobility in the Russian Empire". Russian Nobility Association in America.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Toumanoff, Cyril (1983). Les Maisons princières géorgiennes de l'Empire de Russie (in French). Rome.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b c d Toumanoff, Cyril (1976). Manuel de généalogie et de chronologie pour l'histoire de la Caucasie chrétien (Arménie - Géorgie - Albanie) (in French). Rome.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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