Aslan-Bey / Nikoloz Sharvashidze was a prince of the
Principality of Abkhazia in 1808–10. He was the second son of
Kelesh Ahmed-Bey Sharvashidze
Kelesh Ahmed-Bey (Kelesh-Bey) Sharvashidze (1747–1808) was the head of state of the Principality of Abkhazia from the 1780s to 1808. Kelesh-Bey was the son of Manuchar Sharvashidze.
Biography
Kelesh-Bey was born in 1747 in the Principality of ...
. Aslan Bey was christened in his childhood as Nikoloz Sharvashidze, but he was taken captive by the Ottomans at the age of 6 years old and his new name became Aslan meaning lion in port-turkic.
Naturally, Aslan-Bey was associated with pro-western / pro-Turkish elements of the region, and was responsible for rebelling against and later killing his father in order to ascend the throne of the Principality. According to George Hewitt this a Russian fabrication and the assassination was organised by Aslan-bey's brother
Sefer-Bey,
Nino Dadiani
Nino ( ka, ნინო; 15 April 1772 – 30 May 1847) was a Georgia (country), Georgian princess royal (''batonishvili'') as a daughter of King of Georgia, King George XII of Georgia and princess consort of Principality of Mingrelia, Mingrelia a ...
and the Russian military administration.
Aslan-bey turned the town of
Sukhumi into his royal residence, which at the time, was guarded by a
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
military regiment. Aslan-Bey actively fought together with King Solomon II of
Imereti
Imereti (Georgian: იმერეთი) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 municip ...
against
Tsarist Russian forces.
In 1810, after several decisive Russian military victories, Sharvashidze was driven out of Sukhumi together with the Turkish regiment that was protecting him and fled to
Turkey. After Aslan-Bey’s expulsion from Abkhazia, the Tsarist Russian leadership established Aslan-Bey’s brother,
Sefer Ali-Bey, as the new ruler of Abkhazia.
In an interview with Nikoloz/Nicolas Sharvashidze (Head descendant of Aslan-bey) it was mentioned that the elder descendants of the Aslan-Bey branch of the Sharvashidze family currently preside in Georgia, while the junior branch is stated to have gone extinct in Turkey.
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
References
* ''Georgian State (Soviet) Encyclopedia.'' 1983. Book 10. p. 688.
* ''Sinop Etnografya Museum/Aslan Torun Mansion''
Princes of Abkhazia
Aslan-Bey
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