HUMINO CONGRESS-Online International Conference Hosted from Paris, France https://conferencious.com August 21st -22nd ,2021 THE RELATIONSHIP OF LEVAN - THE KING OF KAKHETI TOWARDS THE POPULATION IN THE MOUNTAINS OF KAKHETI Associate Professor Madona Kebadze Iakob Gogebashvili, Telavi State University, Mzia Maisuradze, Doctor of History, Mentor Teacher of History at LEPL Telavi N:5 Public School Eka Kobiashvili, Doctor of History, Teacher of History and Civic Education at LEPL Telavi N:6 Public School Nestani Kazarashvili, II course in modern and recent history (Master's degree) One of the important issues of the internal policy of kinf Levan is his relationship with the population in the mountains of Kakheti. The relationship between the mountains and the valley was peculiar agricultural economical relationship. As it is known the main field of agriculture is cattle-breeding. In the summer mountains are very good place for the cattle, but if in the winter mountaineers don’t drive their cattle flock down to the valley they won’t be able to feed them. Besides the main consumers of the cattle products is the population in the valley. Mountaineers find every necessary goods that they can’t get them in the mounatins. The relationship between the mountains and the valley is significant in another way. Mountains can only room certain number of population. Increase number of population move down to the valley. We would like to mention Levani’s relationship with the Tush people. We meet the idications about Tusheti in Georgian historiography only from the second half of the XV century. We have very little information about Tusheti in the XV-XVI centuries. In the historical sources, Tush people actively appear after separating Kakheti as an independent kingdom. Mainly, they stood against those actions that Giorgi VIII had started. The kings of Kartli and Kakheti provided geographical location of Tusheti, valued its special devotion that was revelaed in the relation of royal family towards Tush people: the reason and aim that kings treated well to Tush people were political and economical [1, 340] .The Tush people guarded Kakheti from the North and protected it from the invasion of nomadic tribes. Political importance of Tusheti for the kingdoms of Krtli and Kakheti increased grately from XVI- XVII centuries. Tusheti has got such geographical location that it was wonderful strategical point thos days: Tusheti stood against Lezgians in the Eatern side and Chechens in the North while invasion. Gerogia couldn’t find better guards here than Tush people those days.Kist –Lezgians knew The Tush people and on The Tush people knew Kists and Lezghians. [1, 341] Besides political value Tusheti had economical importance for Georgia as well. Georgian kings tried to create conditions for Tusheti’s progress. With official deeds and charters, kings of Kartli and Kakheti ascertained The Tush people Kakhetian valleys and fields as grasslands (we mean the charter issued on February 7, 1757 by Teimuraz II and Erekle II), mainly, big valley of Alvani, gorges of Pankisi and Lopota. As it is seen Georgian kings implemented such activities form the XVI century. [1, 341; 29, 573] After the implemented reforms I Kakheti kingdom, the mountaineers of Kakheti rose against the government. From the II half of the XV century, Tush-Pshav-Kkevsurians who existed independently were reconciled by king Levan not with the force of arms but with the power of agreement. About this fact, Vakhushti writes the following: “ not long ago Tush-Pshav-Khevsurians didn’t obey the kings of Kakheti, king Levan conquered them not with the force, but promised them to let their sheep graze safely in Kakheti and sacrificed to the cross of Lashari in Tianeti and henceforth they would give certain rates”. [2, 573] Since dividing Kakheti kingdom as provinces ruled by mouravi (state official) and until Georgia joined Russia, Tusheti is always connected to central government as mouravi province. In XV-XVIII Page | 7 HUMINO CONGRESS-Online International Conference Hosted from Paris, France https://conferencious.com August 21st -22nd ,2021 centuries, Tusheti is seen as separate mouravi province and sometimes is consolidated with Pshav- Khevsureti and Kakhetian highlands refpresent one mouravi province. [1, 88] During XVI-XVIII centuries, the highest official who connected Tusheti and the central government was called mouravi (estate manager) and was mainly considered as militaryofficial. His duty was to take military army out of the mountain and take part in certain battles. He had to take care about the safety of Tusheti region. If the danger exceeded the opportunities of Tusheti, he had to tell it to the kingdom and ask for help. Mouravi had strick regulations to act in the mountains. He didn’t have right to interfare the internal cases of the mountaineers. The latter ones also couldn’t go to the battle field without informing and agreeing with the mouravi. If there was serious disagreement between mouravi and mountaineers, kingdom would interfare in this case and they would discuss the problems with the king. In connection to this issue, V.Elanidze gives certain examples. [1, 101-102] ”king would personally interfare in the life of mountaineers; he would do the same when there was serious disagreement between the Tush people of the mountain’s tribe- says V.Elanidze. Tush edition has kept one good example about interfaring kingdom in mountaineers’ problems.The case refers to the argument between Tsova and Tush about summer grassland. This case was so complicated that they didn’t mercy each other even from death.The fact that this case was real, can be concluded from the fact that the two communities of Tusheti – Tsova and Gometsreli had disagreements about grasslands even in the XIX century”. [1, 103]. There was disagreement between Tush and Pshaveli people. For example, there exists the charter by Erekle II, dated by May, 9, 1787. King Erekle orders the mouravi of Tusheti the following: Our order is that Kaliskureli and Magraani people wanted to plough in Alvani ad Tush people didn’t allow them to do it. Why shouldn’t they let to plough? The cheaper the bread is the more beneficial it is for Tush people.Nobody contends for the land and why don’t you let them plough? We ask you, the mouravi of Tusheti to prohibit everyone who refuses to plough and let people do it. May. [3] We have already mentioned that after shifting regional districts (saeristao) into samouravo (province governing by mouravi), Tush-Pshav-Khevsurians correctly noticed anticipated danger, separated from the kingdom and hoisted the flag of independence. Those separetd mountaineers were reconciled not by the weapons but with the help of compromising. “ not long ago Tush-Pshav-Khevsurians didn’t obey the kings of Kakheti, king Levan conquered them not with the force, but promised them to let their sheep graze safely in Kakheti and sacrificed to the cross of Lashari in Tianeti and henceforth they would give certain rates” .[2, 573] Winter grasslands had great importance for Shepherd Tush people, such as Aloni valley (Alvani valley) and Tush people had to have friendly relationship with the Kakheti government. Kakhetian kings also tried to unite brave Tushetins for receiving taxes. It’s worth noting that Tushetians still remember this historical fact. You frequently hear from them that King Levan presented Alvani Valley to Tush people. [86, 25] We should also mention that besides Tushetian taxes and campaigning. Tusheti had special political- strategic importance during our research period and in the following centuries as well. The charter dated by February 7, 1757 should be the response to this. It was issued by Teimuraz II and Erekle II. According to this charter, it is proved that the estate Aloni had been presented to Tush people during Teimuraz II forefathers and now the kings of Kartli and Kakheti were corroborating the same territory to Tusheti again. After the deeds investigated by us, it is proved that, the talk is about the usage of grasslands. The author remarks quite rightly that in the deeds issued by Georgian kings in 1757 and 1781, which proves the possession of Alvani, Pankisi and Lopota estates to Tush people, the general attention is paid on creating favourable conditions for Tushetian’s sheep-breeding. The mentioned places are provided for grazing and living. We consider that even Tush people would support such policy of the kings as they needed Kakhetian valley for grasslands only and not for living.During those days, Kartl-Kakheti kingdom would’t support Tush people to abandon old places as they protected srategical roads joining Kakheti and purposely locked Page | 8 HUMINO CONGRESS-Online International Conference Hosted from Paris, France https://conferencious.com August 21st -22nd ,2021 up paths coming from the North Caucasus towards Georgia. It should be provided that there was complicated situation between Georgian mountain and the valley in the XVIII century for constant attacks by neigbouring mountaineers. In this situation, the population in the valley suffered more than mountaineers, as because of its geographical peculiarities, mountain had better chances to protect itself. Besides, North Caucasin mountaineers mainly robbed rich valleys.[1, 358-359] Tush people guarded Kakheti from the North and protected it from invasions of nomadic tribes. Political value of Tusheti for Kakheti and Kartl-Kakheti kingdoms grately increased in XVI-XVII centuries but besides political value, Tusheti had economical importance for Georgia as well.Georgian kings tried to create chances of progress for Tusheti in this direction. Kings of Kakheti and Kartl-Kakheti (Levan, Teimuraz II, Erekle II) confirmed Kakhetian valleys to Tusheti for grazing with official deed-charters, mainly it was big valley of Aloni, Pankisi and Lopota gorges [6].