Nikoloz Cholokashvili (Nicholas Irubakidze-Cholokashvili) ( ka, ნიკოლოზ ჩოლოყაშვილი; ნიკოლოზ ირუბაქიძე-ჩოლოყაშვილი), known in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

as Niceforo Irbachi, (1585–1658), was a

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 ...

n Orthodox priest, politician and diplomat. Born into a prominent aristocratic family, he was educated at a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

clerical school in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. From 1608 to 1614, he served later a priest at the court of Teimuraz I,

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

of Kakheti, eastern

. During the invasion by

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 ...

Abbas I in 1614, he left for

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. In 1625, Teimuraz assigned him to lead an embassy to

in order to get support against the

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

aggression. The mission, however, went in vain; the Europeans at that time were too involved in the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

to be concerned about the fate of a small Christian kingdom in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

. While visiting

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, he helped to publish a Georgian dictionary, the first printed book in

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 ...

, in 1629. Upon returning in Georgia, he was ordained as a senior priest at

Metekhi Metekhi (Metechi; ka, მეტეხი) is a historic neighborhood of Tbilisi, Georgia, located (42.92N 44.34E) on the elevated cliff that overlooks the Mtkvari river. The neighborhood is home to the eponymous Metekhi Church of Assumption. ...

Church,

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...

, 1629-1632. In 1632, he was invited by the Mingrelian prince

Levan II Dadiani Levan II Dadiani (also Leon; ka, ლევან ��ეონII დადიანი; 1597-1657) was a member of the House of Dadiani and ruler of the Principality of Mingrelia in western Georgia. Levan grew up in Kakheti under his grandfathe ...

, and appointed him as a minister. From 1643 to 1649, he lived again in

, where he served as an

archimandrite The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") wh ...

of the Georgian

Monastery of the Cross The Monastery of the Cross ( ar, دير الصليب, ''Dayr al-Salīb''; he, מנזר המצלבה; ka, ჯვრის მონასტერი, ''jvris monast'eri'') is an Eastern Orthodox monastery near the Nayot Nayot ( he, נָיו� ...

. He returned to Mingrelia in 1649, and was consecrated as

Catholicos of Abkhazia The Catholicate of Abkhazia ( ka, აფხაზეთის საკათალიკოსო) was a subdivision of the Georgian Orthodox Church that existed as an independent entity in western Georgia from the 1470s to 1814. It was headed by ...

(western Georgia) in 1650. After the death of Levan II (1657), Nicholas was arrested by the new prince Vameq III Dadiani, and died in imprisonment in 1658.

References

*Akopashvili, G. ''A Georgian diplomat Nikoloz Cholokashvili – Nikiphores Irbachi''. Tbilisi, 1977 (Georgian)

External links

Libreria Alberto Govi
(Italian)
Dittionario giorgiano e italiano
By Stefano Paolini, Niceforo Irbachi {{DEFAULTSORT:Cholokashvili, Nikoloz Diplomats of Georgia (country) Lexicographers from Georgia (country) Politicians from Georgia (country) 17th-century Eastern Orthodox priests 1585 births 1658 deaths Catholicoi of Abkhazia 17th-century diplomats Calligraphers from Georgia (country)

See also

References

External links