The Duchy of Tskhumi ( ka, ცხუმის საერისთავო) was a

duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a Middle Ages, medieval country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition. There once exis ...

(''

saeristavo Saeristavo ( ka, საერისთავო), in historical and scientific literature with this term is defined a territorial unit in old Georgia, which was ruled by Eristavi (duke). List of the Duchies of Kingdom of Georgia See also *Eris ...

'') in a

medieval Georgia The nation of Georgia ( ka, საქართველო ''sakartvelo'') was first unified as a kingdom under the Bagrationi dynasty by the King Bagrat III of Georgia in the early 11th century, arising from a number of predecessor states of ...

. Ruled by a

House of Shervashidze The House of Sharvashidze or Chachba or Shervashidze ( ka, შარვაშიძე-შერვაშიძე-ჩაჩბა) was a Georgian- Abkhazian ruling family of Principality of Abkhazia. The family was later recognized as one of the ...

, the duchy existed from 8th to 14th century, in the north-western part of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

and comprised territories around modern

Sukhumi Sukhumi (russian: Суху́м(и), ) or Sokhumi ( ka, სოხუმი, ), also known by its Abkhaz name Aqwa ( ab, Аҟәа, ''Aqwa''), is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of ...

History

2014 Suchum, Pozostałości zamku Bagrata (02)

Duchy of Tskhumi was probably formed as a separated

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...

entity during the reign of Leon II on the lands of ancient Apsiles. Forming one of the eight duchies of

Kingdom of Abkhazia The Kingdom of Abkhazia ( ka, აფხაზთა სამეფო, tr; lit. "Kingdom of the Abkhazians"), also known as Abasgia or Egrisi-Abkhazia, was a Middle Ages, medieval feudalism, feudal state in the Caucasus which was established i ...

, it comprised territories above

Lazica Lazica ( ka, ეგრისი, ; lzz, ლაზიკა, ; grc-gre, Λαζική, ; fa, لازستان, ; hy, Եգեր, ) was the Latin name given to the territory of Colchis during the Roman/Byzantine period, from about the 1st centur ...

up to

Anacopia New Athos or Akhali Atoni ( ka, ახალი ათონი, ''Akhali Atoni''; ab, Афон Ҿыц, ''Afon Ch'yts''; russian: Новый Афон; ''Novy Afon'', gr, Νέος Άθως, ''Neos Athos'') is a town in the Gudauta ''raion'' of ...

and

Alania Alania was a medieval kingdom of the Iranian Alans (proto-Ossetians) that flourished in the Northern Caucasus, roughly in the location of latter-day Circassia, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and modern North Ossetia–Alania, from its independence from th ...

. Bagrat's castle served as the seat of the

Eristavi ''Eristavi'' (; literally, "head of the nation") was a Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine ''strategos'' and normally translated into English as "prince" or less commonly as "duke". In the Georgian aristocratic hierarchy, i ...

of Tskhumi. In 1033, Bagrat IV's half-brother

Demetre Demetre is an Old Greek male name. Examples *Demetre Chiparus *Demetre II of Georgia *Demetre I of Georgia * Demetre Kantemir * Demetre of Guria * Demetres Koutsavlakis *Demetrescu-Tradem Traian Rafael Radu Demetrescu (; also known under h ...

organized the plot with the aim of dethrone his brother. Although an attempt by some great nobles to exploit Demetre's possible aspirations to the throne in their opposition to Bagrat's rule failed. Now threatened by Bagrat, the

dowager A dowager is a widow or widower who holds a title or property—a "dower"—derived from her or his deceased spouse. As an adjective, ''dowager'' usually appears in association with monarchy, monarchical and aristocracy, aristocratic Title#Aristocr ...

Queen Alda defected to the Byzantines and surrendered Anacopia to the emperor

Romanos III Romanos III Argyros ( el, Ρωμανός Αργυρός; Latinized Romanus III Argyrus; 968 – 11 April 1034), or Argyropoulos was Byzantine Emperor from 1028 until his death. He was a Byzantine noble and senior official in Constantinople whe ...

who honored her son Demetre with the rank of ''

magistros The ''magister officiorum'' (Latin literally for "Master of Offices", in gr, μάγιστρος τῶν ὀφφικίων, magistros tōn offikiōn) was one of the most senior administrative officials in the Later Roman Empire and the early centu ...

''. According to the words of the chronicler of ''

The Georgian Chronicles ''The Georgian Chronicles'' is a conventional English name for the principal compendium of medieval Georgian historical texts, natively known as ''Kartlis Tskhovreba'' ( ka, ქართლის ცხოვრება), literally "Life of Kar ...

'': King Bagrat defeated united army of his opponents and then besieged Anacopia, then he went back, leaving

Eristav ''Eristavi'' (; literally, "head of the nation") was a Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine '' strategos'' and normally translated into English as "prince" or less commonly as "duke". In the Georgian aristocratic hierarchy, ...

of Abkhazia - Otago Chachasdze and his army to take charge of the fortress. Owing to the active support of the Abkhazian Eristav, Bagrat IV managed to return the fortress of Anacopia to Georgia. Beslet bridge

In 12th century, king

David the Builder David IV, also known as David the Builder ( ka, დავით აღმაშენებელი, ') (1073–1125), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the 5th king of United Georgia from 1089 until his death in 1125. Popularly considered to be ...

appointed the son of

shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

Shirvan Shirvan (from fa, شروان, translit=Shirvān; az, Şirvan; Tat: ''Şirvan''), also spelled as Sharvān, Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical Iranian region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both pre-Islam ...

Otagho as a

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

of Abkhazia, who later became the founder of

. The city of Tskhumi (

) became the summer residence of the

Georgian kings This article lists Georgian monarchs, and includes monarchs of various Georgian kingdoms, principalities and duchies. Georgian monarchs: *List of monarchs of Georgia *List of Georgian royal consorts *List of mothers to monarchs of Georgia *L ...

. According to Russian scholar V. Sizov, it became an important "cultural and administrative center of the

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

state."ABKHAZIA – UNFALSIFIED HISTORY" Giorgi Sharvashidze.
/ref> The historian Yuri Voronov also conjectured that castle might have hosted the queen-regnant

Tamar of Georgia Tamar the Great ( ka, თამარ მეფე, tr, lit. "King Tamar") ( 1160 – 18 January 1213) reigned as the Queen of Georgia from 1184 to 1213, presiding over the apex of the Georgian Golden Age. A member of the Bagrationi dynasty ...

during her stays in Abkhazia in the early 13th century. During this period the Eristavi (Duke) of Tskhumi was Otagho Shervashidze. In the 1240s,

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...

divided Georgia into eight military-administrative sectors (

Tumens Tumen, or tümen ("unit of ten thousand"; Old Turkic: tümän; mn, Түмэн, ''tümen''; tr , tümen; hu , tömény), was a decimal unit of measurement used by the Turkic and Mongol peoples to quantify and organize their societies in group ...

), the territory of contemporary Abkhazia formed part of the duman administered by

Tsotne Dadiani Tsotne Dadiani ( ka, ცოტნე დადიანი) (died ) was a Georgian nobleman of the House of Dadiani and one of the leading political figures in the time of Mongol ascendancy in Georgia. Around 1246, he was part of a failed plot aim ...

Odishi Odishi ( ka, ოდიში) was a historical district in western Georgia, the core fiefdom of the former Principality of Mingrelia, with which the name "Odishi" was frequently coterminous. Since the early 19th century, this toponym has been su ...

Vakhushti Vakhushti ( ka, ვახუშტი, tr) (1696–1757) was a Georgian royal prince (''batonishvili''), geographer, historian and cartographer. His principal historical and geographic works, ''Description of the Kingdom of Georgia'' and the ''Geo ...

notes that Duchy started to decline in 14th century after consolidation of power in western Georgia by dukes of Odishi. During the civil war between the successors of Imeretian King David Narin —

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given na ...

and

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

, Duke of Odishi,

Giorgi I Dadiani Giorgi I Dadiani ( ka, გიორგი I დადიანი; died 1323) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi in western Georgia from the late 13th century until his death. The principal source on Giorgi Dad ...

, subjugated much of the duchy of Tskhumi and expanded his possessions up to Anacopia, while the Shervashidze entrenched in

Abkhazia Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which vi ...

, from that time on Georgian monarchs were recognizing Tskhumi as a feudal domains of

House of Dadiani The House of Dadiani ( ka, დადიანი ), later known as the House of Dadiani- Chikovani, was a Georgian family of nobles, dukes and princes, and a ruling dynasty of the western Georgian province of Mingrelia. The House of Dadiani Th ...

. In the 12th–13th centuries, Tskhumi became a center of traffic with the European maritime powers. The

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the Lat ...

established their short-lived trading factory at Tskhumi (''Sebastopolis'') early in the 14th century. Tskhumi served as capital of the Odishi-Megrelian rulers, it was in this city that Vamek I ( 1384-1396), the most influential Dadiani, minted his coins. Documents of the 15th century clearly distinguished Tskhumi from

Principality of Abkhazia The Principality of Abkhazia ( ka, აფხაზეთის სამთავრო, tr) emerged as a separate feudal entity in the 15th-16th centuries, amid the civil wars in the Kingdom of Georgia that concluded with the Triarchy and coll ...

. The Ottoman navy occupied the town in 1451, but for a short time. Later contested between the princes of

and

Mingrelia Mingrelia ( ka, სამეგრელო, tr; xmf, სამარგალო, samargalo; ab, Агырны, Agirni) is a historic province in the western part of Georgia, formerly known as Odishi. It is primarily inhabited by the Mingrelian ...

, Tskhumi (''Suhum-Kale'') temporarily fell to the Ottoman hands in 1578.

Rulers

* Otagho I Shervashidze (?–1138) * Otagho II Shervashidze (1184–1213)"Histories and Praises of Crowned Monarchs" 1959: 33-34 * Dardin Shervashidze (?–1243) *

(1245–c. 1260) * Bedan Dadiani (c. 1270s– c. 1290s) *

(c. 1293–1323) *

Mamia I Dadiani Mamia I Dadiani ( ka, მამია I დადიანი; died 1345) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi in western Georgia from 1323 until his death. Mamia succeeded as duke of Odishi, latter-day Mingrelia ...

(1323–1345) *

Giorgi II Dadiani Giorgi II Dadiani ( ka, გიორგი II დადიანი; died 1384) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi in western Georgia from 1345 until his death. Giorgi II succeeded on the death of his father, ...

(1345–1384) *

Vameq I Dadiani Vameq I Dadiani ( ka, ვამეყ I დადიანი; died 1396) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi in western Georgia from 1384 until his death. Vameq succeeded on the death of his father, Giorgi II ...

(1384–1396) *

Mamia II Dadiani Mamia II Dadiani ( ka, მამია II დადიანი; died 1414) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi, latter-day Mingrelia, in western Georgia from 1396 until his death. Mamia was the son of Vameq I D ...

(1396–1403) *Shervashidze (1403–1412?) *

Liparit I Dadiani Liparit I Dadiani ( ka, ლიპარიტ I დადიანი; died 1470) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi, latter-day Mingrelia, in western Georgia from 1414 until his death. Under his rule, Mingreli ...

(1414–1470) *

Shamadavle Dadiani Shamadavle Dadiani (also Shamandavle or Shamandavla; ka, შამადავლე დადიანი; died 1474) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi ( Mingrelia) in western Georgia from 1470 until his deat ...

(1470–1473) *

Vameq II Dadiani Vameq II Dadiani (also Vamiq; ka, ვამეყ ��ამიყII დადიანი; died 1482) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi ( Mingrelia) in western Georgia from 1474 until his death. Vameq was th ...

(1474–1482) *

Liparit II Dadiani Liparit II Dadiani ( ka, ლიპარიტ II დადიანი; died 1512) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi, that is, Mingrelia, in western Georgia from 1482 until his death. Liparit was a son of Sh ...

(1482–1512) *

Mamia III Dadiani Mamia III Dadiani ( ka, მამია III დადიანი; died 31 January 1533) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ''eristavi'' ("duke") of Odishi, that is, Mingrelia, in western Georgia from 1512 until his death. Mamia was a son and ...

(1512–1533) *

Levan I Dadiani Levan I Dadiani (also Leon; ka, ლევან ��ეონI დადიანი; died 1572) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ruler of Odishi, that is, Mingrelia, in western Georgia. He succeeded on the death of his father, Mamia III ...

(1533–1546) *

Giorgi III Dadiani Giorgi III Dadiani ( ka, გიორგი III დადიანი; died 1582) was Prince of Mingrelia, of the House of Dadiani, from 1572 to 1573 and again from 1578 until his death. He was a son and successor of Levan I Dadiani. Giorgi Dadia ...

(1546–1574) *

Mamia IV Dadiani Mamia IV Dadiani ( ka, მამია IV დადიანი; died 1590) was Prince of Mingrelia, of the House of Dadiani, from 1573 to 1578 and again from 1582 until his death. He was a younger son of Levan I Dadiani. Mamia Dadiani's career unf ...

(1574–1578) *Haydar Pasha (1578–1581) *Puto Shervashidze (1581–?)

References

{{Kingdom of Georgia topics Duchies of the Kingdom of Georgia

House of Shervashidze