The Kazbegi ( ka, ყაზბეგი), originally known as Chopikashvili (ჩოფიკაშვილი), was an influential clan from the northeastern highland

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 ...

district of

Khevi Khevi ( ka, ხევი) is a small historical-geographic area in northeastern Georgia. It is included in the modern-day Kazbegi district, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region (mkhare). Located on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus mountains, it co ...

. Of a semi-legendary noble descent, the Chopikashvili rose in prominence under the Georgian king

Erekle II Heraclius II ( ka, ერეკლე II), also known as Erekle II and The Little Kakhetian ( ka, პატარა კახი ) (7 November 1720 or 7 October 1721 C. ToumanoffHitchins, KeithHeraclius II. ''Encyclopædia Iranica Online edit ...

at the end of the 18th century, when the clan's leader Kazi-Beg was made an official (

mouravi Mouravi ( ka, მოურავი) was an administrative and military officer in early modern Georgia, translated into English as seneschal, bailiff, or constable. A mouravi was an appointed royal official who had a jurisdiction over particular t ...

) in the village

Stepantsminda Stepantsminda ( ka, სტეფანწმინდა; formerly Kazbegi, ), is a townlet in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of north-eastern Georgia. Historically and ethnographically, the town is part of the Khevi province. It is the center of t ...

and placed in charge of collecting tolls on travelers through the key road to the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...

. Kazi-Beg's son Gabriel was made an

aznauri ''Aznauri'' ( ka, აზნაური, ; pl. ''aznaurni'', აზნაურნი, or ''aznaurebi'', აზნაურები) was a class of Georgian nobility. The word derives from Middle Persian ''āznāvar'', which, in turn, corresponds ...

, noble of a lower rank, and adopted the surname Kazbegi (Kazbek). He played a role in the

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

-Georgian interaction and pledged his loyalty to the Russians upon their annexation of Georgia in 1801. When the Georgian princes of the deposed

Bagrationi dynasty The Bagrationi dynasty (; ) is a royal dynasty which reigned in Georgia from the Middle Ages until the early 19th century, being among the oldest extant Christian ruling dynasties in the world. In modern usage, the name of the dynasty is sometim ...

rallied Georgian and Ossetian highlanders against the

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...

's rule in 1804, Gabriel Kazbegi fought in the Russian ranks and was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. The clan ran Stepan-Tsminda – henceforth frequently referred to as Kazbek in Russian accounts – and Khevi as their fief. Gabriel's son Mikheil (1805—1876) fought in the

Caucasian War The Caucasian War (russian: Кавказская война; ''Kavkazskaya vojna'') or Caucasus War was a 19th century military conflict between the Russian Empire and various peoples of the North Caucasus who resisted subjugation during the R ...

and was made a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

of the Russian army in 1859. Mikheil's son was the famed Georgian prose writer

Alexander Kazbegi Alexander Kazbegi ( ka, ალექსანდრე ყაზბეგი, ) (1848–1893) was a Georgian writer, famous for his 1883 novel ''The Patricide''. Early life Kazbegi was born in Stepantsminda the great grandson of Kazibek Chop ...

Population

* Chopikashvili - 2050 people

Notable members

, writer * Giorgi Kazbegi, general and military writer *

Ivane Kazbegi Ivane Kazbegi ( ka, ივანე ყაზბეგი; pl, Jan wanKazbek; russian: Иван Николаевич Казбек, ) (June 11, 1860 — December 2, 1943) was a Georgian soldier, who served, successively, in the Imperial Russian, G ...

, general * Mikheil Kazbegi, general

References

External links

Kazbegi Outhouse
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazbegi Family Noble families of Georgia (country) Georgian-language surnames