Misplaced Pages

#899100

13-659: Bearing a hereditary title for governors ( Eristavi ) of Guria since the mid-13th century, Gurieli (literally, "of Guria") was adopted as a dynastic name by the Vardanisdze family (ვარდანისძე), hereditary rulers of Svaneti (a highland province in western Georgia). The other notable branch of the Vardanisdze was the Dadiani (დადიანი) of Samegrelo . Both of these branches occasionally used double names: Gurieli-Dadiani or Dadiani-Gurieli. The medieval Gurieli were vassals of

26-478: A particular breed of horse. Some high-ranking eristavis were also titled as eristavt-eristavi ( Georgian : ერისთავთ-ერისთავი ), i.e. "duke of dukes" or archduke but it is improbable that the holder of the title had any subordinate eristavis. Erismtavari ( Georgian : ერისმთავარი ; literally, "chief of the people" or grand duke) was a similar title chiefly endowed upon the pre- Bagratid rulers of Iberia (Eastern Georgia) and later used interchangeably with

39-508: The eristavi . The title gave origin to the surname of four Georgian noble houses— Eristavi of Aragvi , Eristavi of Ksani , Eristavi of Racha , and Eristavi of Guria —confirmed in their princely ranks under the Russian rule in the 19th century. These families were often known simply as Princes Eristov in Russia but they did not have the same origin. This article about a member of

52-462: The Georgian crown but, at the same time, seem to have paid some kind of homage ( Greek : προσκύνησις ) to the rulers of the neighboring Empire of Trebizond , whose last emperor, David Komnenos (reigned from 1459 to 1461), is documented as having been 'gambros' of Mamia Vardanisdze-Gurieli (c. 1450 - 69), which is interpreted to mean that Mamia married his daughter or sister or close kinswoman. If

65-643: The Georgian nobility is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . House of Sidamoni The House of Sidamoni ( Georgian : სიდამონი) was a noble family ( tavadi ) in Georgia , their principal line known as Aragvis Eristavi (არაგვის ერისთავი) by virtue of being eristavi (“ dukes ”) of Aragvi from 1578 to 1743. They were also known as Sidamonidze (სიდამონიძე), Sidamonishvili (სიდამონიშვილი), and Sidamon-Eristavi (სიდამონ-ერისთავი). The family produced several important figures in Georgian politics, culture, and science. The family claimed descent from

78-661: The Russian authorities deposed Prince David , the last Gurieli, and annexed the Principality of Guria. With the death of David in 1839, his cousin David Gurieli (1802–1856), and his descendants ( Russian : Гуриели, Гуриеловы ) were confirmed in the Russian nobility with the princely title of ( knyaz ) by the Emperor's ukase of 1850. Eristavi Eristavi ( Georgian : ერისთავი ; literally, "head of

91-631: The Sidamoni family of their duchy and his successor Erekle II forced them into retirement to Kakheti where they were granted a smaller estate and confirmed as Princes Sidamonishvili. After the Russian annexation of Georgia in 1801, the Sidamonishvili attempted to restore their erstwhile titles and patrimonial estates in the Aragvi valley, but to no avail. Under the Russian rule, the three Sidamoni lines were received among princely nobility of

104-587: The couple had issue, possibly the subsequent ruler Kakhaber (1469–83), the latter-day Gurieli would descend from several Byzantine and Trapezuntine emperors . In the 1460s, when the power of the Bagrationi dynasty of Georgia was on the decline, the Gurieli pursued a policy of separation and became virtually (formally acknowledged at times) independent rulers ( mtavari ) of the Principality of Guria in

117-505: The crown in 1578. The Eristavi of Aragvi pursued an aggressive, expansionist policy which resulted in important territorial acquisitions at the expense of other noble houses of Georgia. They were considered among the six "undivided" houses of the Kingdom of Kartli, which outranked those that had succumbed to the weakening division of their dynastic allods . Their loyalty to the crown was not permanent. In 1743, King Teimuraz II dispossessed

130-581: The medieval kings of Alania . They originally lived in the village of Vanati on the Little Liakhvi River and, through the loyal service rendered to the Georgian kings of Kartli , rose in the ranks of nobility ( aznauri ) in the mid-16th century. In the 1578s, they secured the help of the Dukes of Ksani and took control of the Aragvi valley, being recognized as the eristavi (“duke”) of Aragvi by

143-549: The mid-16th century, but were forced to pay tribute to the Ottoman Empire , nominally recognizing also the authority of the princes of Mingrelia and kings of Imereti . Throughout the following two centuries, the politics of the Gurieli dynasty were dominated by conflicts with the neighboring Georgian rulers, Ottoman encroachment, and repeated occasions of civil strife and palace coups. In the 17th and 18th centuries, as many as four Gurieli rulers managed to be chosen kings of

SECTION 10

#1732780974900

156-488: The nation") was a Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine strategos and normally translated into English as " prince " or less commonly as " duke ". In the Georgian aristocratic hierarchy, it was the title of the third rank of prince and governor of a large province. Holders of the title were ex-officio commanders of a military ' banner ', wore a distinctive dress, ring, belt and spear and rode

169-460: The whole Western Caucasus in place of hereditary Bagrationi kings of Imereti. Gurieli kings however are usually characterized as usurpers, or as counter-monarchs of a rival dynasty. On several occasions powerful neighbors also managed to divert the rule of Guria to members of rival branches of the Gurieli dynasty. Having accepted Imperial Russian sovereignty in 1810, the dynasty continued to enjoy some autonomy in their home affairs until 1829, when

#899100