The Kakhaberidze, archaically Kakhaberisdze (pl. -''ebi'') ( ka, კახაბერი ��ე ��ბი}, literally "the sons of Kakhaber") was a noble family in medieval

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 ...

which held sway over the highland northwestern Georgian province of

Racha Racha (also Račha, , ''Račʼa'') is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia's current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and ...

from the 11th or 12th century to the 13th. The Kakhaberidze were a branch of the Liparitid-Baguashi, their dynastic name being derived from its early member Kakhaber known from a few inscriptions from Racha.

Toumanoff, Cyril Cyril Leo Toumanoff (russian: Кирилл Львович Туманов; 13 October 1913 – 4 February 1997) was a Russian-born Georgian historian and genealogist who mostly specialized in the history and genealogies of medieval Georgia, Armenia, ...

. "The Fifteenth-Century Bagratids and the Institution of Collegial Sovereignty in Georgia." ''Traditio'' 7 (1949–51): 176. By 1184, when Queen

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 ...

ascended the throne, the Kakhaberidze had been in possession of both Racha and the neighboring district of

Takveri Lechkhumi (Georgian: ლეჩხუმი, ''Lečxumi'') is a historic province in northwestern Georgia which comprises the area along the middle basin of the Rioni and Tskhenistskali and also the Lajanuri river valley. Now part of the Racha-Le ...

, bearing the title of "Duke of Dukes" (

eristavt-eristavi ''Eristavi'' (; literally, "head of the nation") was a Georgia (country), Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine ''strategos'' and normally translated into English language, English as "prince" or less common ...

). Kakhaber (II) Kakhaberidze was the one who, together with Archbishop Anton of

Kutaisi Kutaisi (, ka, ქუთაისი ) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the third-most populous city in Georgia, traditionally, second in importance, after the capital city of Tbilisi. Situated west of Tbilis ...

, placed the crown upon Tamar's brow at a ceremony held at the

Gelati Monastery Gelati ( ka, გელათის მონასტერი) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia, it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as a ...

. His descendant and probably a grandson, Kakhaber (III), was powerful enough to defy the royal authority and play King David VI and his

Mongol 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 member of ...

overlords against one another. By c. 1278, Kakhaber had been defeated, blinded and exiled at the king's order. His possessions were turned over to the crown. The Kakhaberidze seem to have retained themselves in Racha into the early 15th century, but then went in obscurity. Antelava, I, "კახაბერისძენი" (''The Kakhaberisdze''), in: ''Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia'', vol. 5, p. 446.

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...

: 1980 Their descendants, the house of

Chichua The House of Chichua (Georgian: ჩიჩუა hichua was a Georgian family of nobles, commanders, and princes in Samegrelo (Mingrelia) or Odishi. Historians have different view points about who were the ancestors of Chichua. Some sources state ...

(ჩიჩუა) became a prominent family in the western Georgian region of

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 ...

while the house of

Chijavadze Chijavadze ( ka, ჩიჯავაძე) or Chizhavadze (ჩიჟავაძე) were a Georgian noble family (''tavadi''), prominent in the western kingdom of Imereti in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Chijavadze of Imereti share origin wit ...

(ჩიჯავაძე) (another branch of Kakhaberidze), continued to play an important role in the western Georgian

kingdom of Imereti The Kingdom of Imereti ( ka, იმერეთის სამეფო, tr) was a Georgian monarchy established in 1455 by a member of the house of Bagrationi when the Kingdom of Georgia was dissolved into rival kingdoms. Before that time, Im ...

and both noble houses were confirmed as the princes (

knyaz , or ( Old Church Slavonic: Кнѧзь) is a historical Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times of history and different ancient Slavic lands. It is usually translated into English as prince or duke, dependi ...

) under the Russian rule in the 19th century.

References

{{reflist Noble families of Georgia (country) Georgian-language surnames

See also

References