The Abuletisdze family ( ka, აბულეთისძე) was a Georgian noble family – eristavs – with its most prominent members in the 12th and 13th century. The family held appanages in the valleys of
Aragvi
The Aragvi ( ka, wikt:არაგვი, არაგვი, tr ) and its basin are in Georgia (country), Georgia on the southern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains. The river is long, and its basin covers an area of . The ground strata are most ...
Kakheti
Kakheti (; ) is a region of Georgia. Telavi is its administrative center. The region comprises eight administrative districts: Telavi, Gurjaani, Qvareli, Sagarejo, Dedoplistsqaro, Signagi, Lagodekhi and Akhmeta.
Kakhetians speak the ...
.
History
The dynastic name Abuletidze (literally, "sons/descendants of Abulet") is derived from a male name Abulet. A person with this name appears as a commander under the Georgian king
David IV
David IV, also known as David IV the Builder ( ka, დავით IV აღმაშენებელი, tr; 1073 – 24 January 1125), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the 5th List of monarchs of Georgia, king (''mepe'') of the Kingdom of Ge ...
(r. 1089-1125). He was among those nobles who recovered the fortress of
Samshvilde
Samshvilde ( ka, სამშვილდე, ) is a ruined fortified city and archaeological site in Georgia, in the country's south, near the homonymous modern-day village in the Tetritsqaro Municipality, Kvemo Kartli region. The ruins of the ...
from
Seljuk Turks
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turks, Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate society, Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persi ...
in 1110. Later, Abulet was a governor of Ani in 1124. He is last heard of in 1130.
The Abuletisdze's loyalty to the crown was not permanent, however. In the early 12th century, they were among the most powerful vassals and rivals of the kings of Georgia. Thus, already in the reign of David IV, Dzagan Abuletisdze is reported to have defied the royal authority, but was eventually to take refuge at the Shio-Mghvime Monastery which surrendered him to the king. Dzagan's brother Modistos was a
catholicos
A catholicos (plural: catholicoi) is the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and, in some cases, it is the title of the head of an autonomous church. The word comes from ancient Greek ( ...
of the
Georgian Orthodox Church
The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonl ...
, and was removed from this position by the same king.Lordkipanidze, Mariam (1987; translated and edited by George B. Hewitt), ''Georgia in the XI-XII centuries'', p. 81, Ganatleb (Online version).
We next hear of Abulet's son Ivane and grandson Kirkish (Tirkash) who served as the commanders of Georgian troops in
Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
, but subsequently plotted the murder of King Demetrius I, probably to place the king's half-brother Vakhtang on the throne. The king was timely warned and survived. He had Ivane murdered in 1132, while Kirkash fled to the
Seljukid
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persian culture.
The founder of t ...
sultan
Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
Akhlat
Ahlat (; ) is a town in Turkey's Bitlis Province in Eastern Anatolia Region. It is the seat of Ahlat District.Arsharunik whence he launched several raids into Georgia. Kirkish was eventually captured and cast into prison by Demetrius. When Demetrius was temporarily overthrown by his son
David V
David V ( ka, დავით V, tr; 1113 — 1155), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the king ('' mepe'') of the Kingdom of Georgia from 1154 until his death in 1155.
Life
David was born around 1113 and was the eldest son of Prince Demetrius and ...
, was restored to favor and granted the office of
amirspasalar
''Amirspasalar'' or ''amirspasalari'' ( ka, ამირსპასალარი, from , ) was the commander-in-chief of the medieval Georgian army and one of the highest officials of the Kingdom of Georgia, commonly rendered as "Lord High C ...
of which the rival Orbeli clan was dispossessed by the new king. Demetrius, once restored to the throne shortly thereafter, again gave the post to the Orbeli.Robert Bedrosian, "Amirspasalar", in: Joseph Reese Strayer (1983), ''
Dictionary of the Middle Ages
The ''Dictionary of the Middle Ages'' is a 13-volume encyclopedia of the Middle Ages published by the American Council of Learned Societies between 1982 and 1989. It was first conceived and started in 1975 with American medieval historian Jos ...
'', p. 235. Scribner, . Yet, the members of this family remained among the high nobility of Georgia, and were titled as eristavt-eristavs. One of them, Dzagan featured prominently in the
Mongol
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...
capture of Baghdad in 1258, and returned with a substantial wealth of booty through which he acquired the village of Angroini and donated it to the Shio-Mghvime Monastery. Later in the 13th century, the family went in decline. By 1405, their fiefdom in Kakheti had passed to a branch of the Abazasdze.