Assays from the History of Georgia ABKHAZIA ABKHAZIA om the History of Georgia Assays fr Ministry of Education and Culture of Abkhazia Institute of History and Ethnology of Iv. Javakhishvili Assays from the History of Georgia ABKHAZIA from ancient times till the present days Tbilisi 2011 UDC (uak) 94 (479.224) G-16 The first generalizing work of Georgian scientists in the English Language on the History of Abkhazia from ancient times to the present days. It gives the readers the possibility of getting acquainted with the opinions of Georgian and Abkhazia histori- ans on different disputable issues and accept or not accept this or that position. Editorial Board: Prof. Jemal Gamakharia (Chief editor) Prof. Tamaz Beradze Prof. Teimuraz Gvantseladze Authors: Jemal Gamakharia (Head of the Project), Lia Akhaladze, Malkhaz Baramidze, Salome Bakhia –Okruashvili, Tamaz Beradze, Lia Bitadze, Dazmir Jojua, Merab Gejua, Irakli Gelenava, Teimuraz Gvantseladze, Badri Gogia, Revaz Khvistani, Bezhan Khorava, Guranda Pkhakadze. Translator: Ketevan Chogigidze Reviews: Prof. Otar Zhordania, Prof. Manana Sanadze, Prof. Tariel Phutkaradze Design: On the Cover – Georgian Inscription by Giorgi Basilisdze on the column of the church of Archangles - Mikhael and Gabriel from the village Anukhva of Gu- dauta district of Abkhazia (11th century); on the back cover - Georgian Incription of Luka Martineva from Tsebelda (14th century) ISBN 978-9941-0-3928-7 Introduction Creation of the generalizing work in history of Abkhazia and its publishing in the Eng- lish Language was extremely delayed. The necessity of creation of such a work is con- ditioned by the numerous circumstances. First of all we have to emphasize the fact, that permanent aspiration of the Russian State to tear from Georgia its North-West part has already been the reason of the politization of history of that latter for already more than one century and consequently the brute falsification of the historical past of Abkhazia and together with it of the whole Western Georgia. Namely, at the beginning of the 20th cen- tury on the soil of the falsificated history under the slogan “Abkhazia is not Georgia” was formed Apsua-Abkhazian political separatism– one of the verities of the Russian imperi- alism and its foothold in Georgia. The affair took a dramatic turn, as the non- legislative regime existing today in Abkhazia and its protectors in the person of the highest Heads of the Russian Federation announce the “historical rights” together with the” people’s will”, as the basis for the statehood independency of the ancient Georgian region”. With the aim of protection of the mentioned “ historical rights” separatistically predisposed authors (S. Lakoba, O. Bgazhba. V. Chirikba, M. Gunba, E. Ajinjal, D. Dbar, etc), published tens of tendentious works in the Russian and English languages. Unfortunately, the separatists pursue and serve the illusory and rather dangerous political aims and not the scientific ones. The false historiography is under a special attention and protection of the Separatist Regime as well as the Highest Political Leadership of Russia. In the Soviet epoch studying and analyzing of the issues from the ancient history of Abkhazia, was practically forbidden for the Georgian historians and they had to defend themselves from the falsifiers of History. From the end of the 80-ies of the 20th cen- tury a number of interesting and significant work on the History of Abkhazia was pub- lished, the authors of which are: M. Lordkipanidze, T. Gamkrelidze, D. Muskhelishvili, T. Mibchuani, G. Gasviani, M. Inadze, E. Khoshtaria-Brosse, N. Lomouri, L. Toidze, A. Menteshashvili, Z. Papaskiri, T. Phutkaradze, G. Kalandia, J. Anchabadze, D. Chitaia, N. Berulava, B. Kudava, T. Koridze, L. Akhaladze, M. Baramidze, S. Bakhia-Okruashvili, T. Beradze, L. Bitadze, T. Gvantseladze, I. Gelenava, B. Gogia, K. Okujava, B. Khorava, D. Jojua and others. But, it is obvious, that the Georgian historiography has not yet worked out a single and whole approach towards the main problem: The negative influence of the Soviet historiography is not yet overcome during the study of such problems, as ethno political history of the Colkhis (Egrisi) Kingdom of the before the antique and especially antique periods, ethno genesis of the Georgian and Abkhazian people etc. This from its side, af- fects the comprehension of other important issues from the history of the region of the further period. This work being offered to the attention of the public is the translation of the same title books, being published in 2007 in Tbilisi in the Georgian language and 2009 in the Russian Language. In certain parts it is remade. The aim of the authors guiding with the integral, conceptual approach to the analyzed important problems is spotlighting of the ethno political history of the territory of modern Abkhazia (and not only Abkhazia, the borders of which did not always coincided with the modern ones), well-grounded refuta- tions of the conclusions of the separatist-falsifiers. The main arguments are the Georgian and foreign historical sources. The book is crammed full with the information from those 3 sources. One of the peculiarities of the study is that it has a complex character. In the book are used the newest scientific achievements of the historians and archeologists, special- ists of the historical geography, church architecture and the anthropologists, linguists, ethnologists and demographists. This work does not have and cannot have anything in common with working out the current policy and problems of defining the future status of Abkhazia. The aim of the present work is restoring of the historical truth. Though, the views and opinions of the Georgian and Abkhazian historians on this stage are incompatible, the authors of the book are ready for collaboration with the Abkhazian colleagues. The authors of the book thank for the advice and kind wishes Academician Mari- am Lordkipanidze, professors: Otar Zhordania, Vakhtang Japaridze, Geronti Gasviani, Gela Saitidze, Ioseb Chikava, Zurab Papaskiri, David Chitaia, Murman Papashvili, Igor Kveselava, Givi Rogava and others. We express our gratitude for the highly qualified professional help in preparing the book to the doctor of historical sciences: Khvicha Kardava and Nana Gogia, Nana Kvar- atskelia, Dinara Darsalia, David Zhvania, Salome Gamakharia and Sophia Gamakharia. The present work can be used as the additional text-book at the Universities and Insti- tutes in teaching the course of the Georgian history, political science, geopolitics, conflict resolution studies and other educational courses. 4 Chapter I. The Brief Historical-Geographical Review One of the corners of our country, the Autonomous Republic of Georgia - Abkhazia is located in the North-West part of Georgia, on the banks of the Black Sea, between the rivers Inguri and Psou. The river Psou and the main watershed range of the Caucasus separates the republic from Russian Federation and the river Inguri and spurs of the Big Caucasus - Kodori and Abkhazian-Svanetian ranges from the neighboring Georgian regions – Svaneti and Same- grelo. The area of Abkhazia equals 8, 7 thousand square kilometers, which comprises 13% of all the territory of Georgia. The capital of the Autonomous Republic Sokhumi is one of the most ancient and famous Georgian towns. Toponyme Sokhumi derives from the Georgian word Tskhomi/Tskhumi and means beech. In the ancient Greek sources (Pseu- do-Skilak of Kariand- IV centuries B. C. ) it is mentioned as Dioskuria. According to the antique traditions this name originates from the mythical Dioskures. Dioskures- Greek Dioskurio, (exactly - sons of Zeus) – twin brothers Kastor and Polidevkes (Polluks). It was believed that, the town was established by the coach-men of the Dioskures, the Argo- nauts Telkius and Amphyst. But, the names of the town must be the Greek comprehension of the old Georgian word combination. It is significant, that “dia” in several dialects of the Georgian language and among them in Megrelian means mother and “Skuri” means wa- ter. The Romans in the I century B. C. renamed the town into Sebastopol in honor of The Roman emperor Gai Octavian Augustus (27 B. C- 145 A. N. ), carrying together with the title Augustus the title “Sebastos” (Great). Throughout the whole medieval centuries the name of the town is met in the Georgian sources in two variants - Tskhomi and Tskhumi. At the beginning of the 14th century the Arabian author Abu-Al – Pheda for the first time mentions it as “Sukhum”, which is the Arabian form of the Georgian name “Tskhum”. Turk-Ottomans, who appeared in the Black sea area in the second half of the 15th century, also called the town Sukhum//Sokhum. In the oriental languages (Turkish, Arabian) the sound “ts” is absent and pronunciation of the two consonant sounds one after another is also impossible. Thus, from the Georgian name Tskhumi//Tskhomi is got the Turkish Tskhum//Tskhom, being established in Georgian in form of ‘Sokhumi “and in the Russian language in form of “Sukhumi”. The Abkhazians call the capital town -“Aqua”. In 1561 this Abkhazian Geographical name is fixed for the first time on the map of the Italian cartographer J. Gastald in the form of “Aqua” in the middle flow of the river Kuban (see here map N14). And only in 1737 on the map of the West Georgia being compiled in the Georgian language it is denoted on the territory of Sokhumi in the form of Aqua, though next to it is designated the “Tskhum Fortress” (see here map N13). From the North Abkhazia is bordered by the main Caucasian watershed range being spread from the North-West to the South –East. Within Abkhazia are located such peaks of the Caucasus, as Dombi-Ulgen (4046m), Gvandra (3985m), Ertsakhu (3910m), Pshish (3790m), Agepsta (3257m), Sanchar (2292m), Adzapsha (2497m), Alashtrakhu (2723m), Nakhar (2931m), Marukh (2746m) and Klukhor (2781m). All across the pass, pedestrian paths go to the North Caucasus.