Samurzakanians (russian: link=no, Самурзаканцы, ka, სამურზაყანოელები, ab, Myrzaҟanaa ) — a term for the inhabitants of

Samurzakano Samurzakano ( ka, სამურზაყანო, ''Samurzak'ano'', ''Samurzaqano'') is a historical region in southeastern Abkhazia Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially t ...

(modern Gali,

Tkvarcheli Tkvarcheli ( ka, ტყვარჩელი ; ab, Тҟəарчал, ''Tqwarchal''; Ткуарчал (Tkuarchal) russian: Ткварчели, ''Tkvarcheli'') is a town in Abkhazia. It is situated on the river Ghalidzga (Aaldzga) and a railway c ...

and partially Ochamchire districts) that arose within the Abkhazian princedom''Соловьева, Л.'' Субэтноним самурзаканцы: возникновение, история, современность. — 2010. and got widely used in the official documents of

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

in the 19th and early 20th centuries, in fact transforming it into an ethnonym. In many ways, this identity was imposed from the government which was facilitated by the administrative policy of the Russian state. Samurzakano was an ethnical contact zone located between the

Enguri The Enguri ( ka, ენგური, tr, xmf, ინგირი, ingiri, ab, Егры, ''Egry'' russian: Ингури, ''Inguri'') is a river in western Georgia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Ghalidzga Ghalidzga ( xmf, Ghalish Dzga - Gheli bank) - river in Ochamchire Municipality (Abkhazia). It originates on the southern slope of the Kodori Range, near the ( elevation 3,313 m ).

rivers, where already in the 18th century a mixed Abkhaz- Georgian (Abkhaz-

Megrelian Mingrelian or Megrelian (, ) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia), primarily by the Mingrelians. The language was also called kolkhuri (Georgian ) in the early 20th century. Mingrelian has histor ...

) population was recorded. Until the 1670s, the region was part of the

Principality of Mingrelia The Principality of Mingrelia ( ka, სამეგრელოს სამთავრო, tr), also known as Odishi and as Samegrelo, was a historical state in Georgia ruled by the Dadiani dynasty. History The principality emerged out of a ...

, which then was invaded and annexed by the Principality of Abkhazia, causing massive influx of Abkhazian settlers to the newly conquered lands. Compared to the 17th century when according to sources this area was inhabited mainly by Mingrelians, by the 19th century the ethnic composition of the population of Samurzakano had become more complex. The region became bone of contention between the ruling houses of Abkhazia and Megrelia; while the locals were mostly adherents of

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

and bilingual in Abkhaz and Mingrelian. Among the eastern Samurzakanians

Mingrelian language Mingrelian or Megrelian (, ) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia), primarily by the Mingrelians. The language was also called kolkhuri (Georgian ) in the early 20th century. Mingrelian has hist ...

was dominant, while Abkhazian predominated in the western part. It must be assumed that the majority of the Samurzakanians were Mingrelians, and the minority were Abkhazians.

References

{{reflist Mingrelians Abkhaz people People from Georgia (country) by ethnic or national origin