Khevi ( ka, ხევი;
lit. "gorge") was historical-geographical and administrative-territorial unit in eastern
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 ...
mountains. It was based on ancient primitive-communal territorial units known as "Gora" ( ka, გორა;
lit. "hill"), which would later evolve into Khevi during the
middle ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. Khevi comprised several mountainous communities along gorges, such highlander communities enjoyed a degree of autonomy or semi-independence within Georgian political entities, corresponding to the period of the so-called “military democracy” or “chiefdom”. They strongly opposed
feudal system
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structu ...
and were rather electing their own "council of elders" and leaders, known as
Khevisberi Khevisberi ( ka, ხევისბერი; lit. "''an elder of the gorge''") secular and ecclesiastical ruler of a Khevi in the Eastern Georgian highlands: He is an elderly man who follows a monk-like life. Khevisberi performs different rituals ...
(elder of the gorge) who would function as a judge, priest and military leader.
Sources
*
Niko Berdzenishvili Niko may refer to:
People
The given name is sometimes a short form of Nikola, Nikolas, Nikolaos or others.
* Nikō (1253–1314), Japanese Buddhist disciple of Nichiren
* Niko (musician), American musician active from 2002
* NiKo (born 1997) ...
, "Issues of Georgian History", XI, Tbilisi 1964.
Types of administrative division
Georgian words and phrases