Groom wearing a chokha on a Tushetian wedding

The Tushetians (; ka, თუშები, tr), or Tush , are a subgroup of

Georgians Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and Peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian ethnic group native to present-day Georgia (country), Georgia and surrounding areas historically associated with the Ge ...

who mainly live in

Tusheti Tusheti ( ka, თუშეთი, tr; Bats: თუშითა, romanized: tushita) is a historic region in northeast Georgia. A mountainous area, it is home to the Tusheti National Park. By the conventional definition of the Europe-Asia boundar ...

. Tsova Tushetians speak the Tsova Tushetian language and Chagma Tushetians speak the Chagma Tushetian dialect of Georgian.

Subgroups

The Tush divide themselves into two groups, the Chagma-Tush, who speak the local

Georgian dialect Georgian (ქართული ''kartuli'') is a Kartvelian language spoken by about 4 million people, primarily in Georgia but also by indigenous communities in northern Turkey and Azerbaijan, and the diaspora, such as in Russia, Turkey, Iran, ...

and the Tsova-Tush, also known as Bats or Batsbi, who speak the

Bats language Bats (, or , ), also known as Batsbi, Batsi, Batsb, Batsaw, or Tsova-Tush) is the endangered language of the Bats people, a North Caucasian minority group living in the Republic of Georgia. Batsbi is part of the Nakh branch of Northeast Cauc ...

, a Nakh language. Most Bats also speak Georgian, to which there is a continuing trend of linguistic assimilation.''The Red Book of Peoples of the Russian Empire''; Bats section.
/ref> Despite differences in language and culture (to a degree), both Chagma- and Tsova-Tush consider themselves to be part of the larger group of Tush, which in turn is considered a subgroup of Georgians.

Culture

Traditionally, the Tushetians are

shepherds A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...

. Tushetian Guda cheese (Not to be confused with European

Gouda cheese Gouda cheese (, , ; , "cheese from Gouda") is a creamy, yellow cow's milk cheese originating from the Netherlands. It is one of the most popular and produced cheeses worldwide. The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar che ...

, with which it shares neither the features nor the making technique) and high quality wool was famous and was exported to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. Even today sheep and cattle breeding is the leading branch of the economy of highland Tusheti. The local shepherds spend the summer months in the highland areas of Tusheti but live in the lowland villages of Zemo Alvani and Kvemo Alvani in wintertime. Their customs and traditions are similar to those of other eastern Georgian mountaineers, such as the Khevsurs and Pshavs. Like most Georgian groups, they are mainly

Georgian Orthodox The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonl ...

Christian in religion.

Origins

The origin of the Tush themselves is a mysterious and debatable matter, with numerous theories regarding the origin of Tsova-Tush and of the Chagma-Tush. It also is uncertain whether the two groups have a common origin or not. Theories regarding the origin of the Tsova-Tush include involving descent from South Caucasian Nakh tribes in ancient times (or a Nakh people inhabiting areas of Kakheti and Tusheti), North Caucasian Nakh tribes in the 16th century, or Old Georgian tribes who were influenced by or intermixed with the Nakh. Anthropological studies on the Tsova-Tush found them to be somewhere in between the Chechen-origin Kists and the Chagma-Tush of the region, but significantly closer to the Chagma-Tush. Theories regarding the origin of the Chagma-Tush all include descent from Georgian tribes (possibly pagans fleeing Christianization in the 4th century CE), but variously involve influence or admixture from South Caucasian Nakh, Dagestani peoples, or none.

History

The region of Tusheti was first mentioned by its name in the 4th century BCE. The lands of the Tush have variously been under the rule of Caucasian Iberia, the medieval united kingdom of Georgia, the

Kingdom of Kakheti The Kingdom of Kakheti ( ka, კახეთის სამეფო, tr; also spelled ''Kaxet'i'' or ''Kakhetia'') was a late medieval and early modern monarchy in eastern Georgia, centered at the province of Kakheti, with its capital first at ...

(which eventually fell under heavy influence from Persia), the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and then independent united Georgia.

References

External links