Amilakhvari
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The House of Amilakhvari ( ka, ამილახვარი) was a noble house of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
which rose to prominence in the fifteenth century and held a large fiefdom in central Georgia until the
Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...
n annexation of the country in 1801. They were hereditary marshals (''amilakhvar''/''amilakhor'') of Georgia from c. 1433, from which the family takes its name. Subsequently, the family was received among the princes (
knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...
) of the Empire under the name of Amilakhvarov (, 1825) and Amilakhvari (Амилахвари, 1850). Till the 17th century their family residence was in Skhvilo castle, when they moved to Kvemo Chala castle.


History

The House of Zevdginidze (ზევდგინიძე) or Zedginidze (ზედგინიძე), which subsequently assumed the name of its principal office-fief, of ''Amilakhvari'' (''amirakhori'', i.e., Prince-Master of the Horse; deputy Amirspasalar, i.e., Lord High Constable), is traceable in the province of Upper Kartli (now Inner Kartli) to the middle of the fourteenth century. A family legend held it that they descended from a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
officer who accompanied
Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...
on his Caucasian campaign in 65 BC. His descendants are said to have attained to Georgian nobility in the 11th century. Since then they are called Amilakhvari and are divided by several names:,     1. Revazis shvili hvili-son, child     2. Khimshiashvil     2. Qaikhosros shvili;     3. Bezhanis shvili;     4. Erastis shvili and his nephews;     5. Givis shvili. The family rose to an especial prominence with Joatham Zedginidze, who at the risk of his life saved King
George VIII of Georgia George VIII ( ka, გიორგი VIII, tr; 1417–1476) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was ''de facto'' last List of monarchs of Georgia, king (''mepe'') of the formerly united Kingdom of Georgia from 1446 to 1465. He would later rule in the Ki ...
(1446–1465) from the plot formed by the renegade nobles. George VIII must have elevated Joatham's eldest son, T'aqa II (or Joatham himself before he died of the wounds he had received) to the new title and offices. The family was enfeoffed of the offices of ''amilakhvari'', ''sardali'' (commander) of the
Banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...
of Upper Kartli, and '' mouravi'' (
Palatine A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman Empire, Roman times.
) of Gori, as well as of numerous fiefs, including the sepulchral abbey and cathedral of
Samtavisi Samtavisi ( ka, სამთავისი) is an eleventh-century Georgian Orthodox cathedral in eastern Georgia (country), Georgia, in the region of Shida Kartli, some 45 km from the nation's capital Tbilisi, near Igoeti village. The cathe ...
, the town of
Kaspi Kaspi ( ka, კასპი) is a town in central Georgia (country), Georgia on the Mtkvari River. It is a center of Kaspi district, Georgia, Kaspi district, one of the four districts in Shida Kartli region. Founded in the early Middle Ages, the ...
and several villages on the left bank of the Mtkvari River. Their fiefdom was called Saamilakhvro (Samilakhoro), literally meaning "of Amilakhvari". The family briefly held also the duchies of Ksani (1741–1747) and of Argavi (1743–1747). In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Zedginidze house ranked as fourth – after the Bagration-Mukhraneli, and the '' eristavi'' (ducal) dynasties of Aragvi and of Ksani – among the "undivided" princely houses of the
Kingdom of Kartli The Kingdom of Kartli ( ka, ქართლის სამეფო, tr) was a late medieval and early modern monarchy in eastern Georgia, centred on the province of Kartli, with its capital at Tbilisi. It emerged in the process of a tripar ...
. It was then that the name Amilakhvari became a surname of the heads of the house; the cadets being called Amilakhvarishvili. Beyond this principal line, the dynasty branched out as the Princes Khidirbekishvili in the provinces of
Samtskhe Meskheti ( ka, მესხეთი ) or Samtskhe ( ka, სამცხე ), also known as Moschia in ancient sources, is a mountainous area in southwestern Georgia. History Ancient tribes known as the Mushki (or Moschi) and Mosiniks (or Mo ...
and Inner Kartli, and as the Princes Guramishvili and the Princes Tusishvili in
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 ...
. The Emukhvari family of
Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
is also supposed to be another line of this dynasty. The Amilakhvari were related through marriage with several other noble houses of Georgia and the royal
Bagrationi dynasty The Bagrationi dynasty (; ) is a royal family, royal dynasty which reigned in Georgia (country), Georgia from the Middle Ages until the early 19th century, being among the oldest extant Christianity, Christian ruling dynasties in the world. In ...
. After the
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annexation of Georgia (1801) the family was received among the princes (
knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...
) of the Empire under the name of Amilakhvarov (Амилахваровы, Амилохваровы, 1825) and Amilakhvari (Амилахвари, 1850).


Prominent members

* Tamar Amilakhori (fl. 17th-century), favourite concubine of Safavid king Abbas I * Abd-ol-Ghaffar Amilakhori (fl. 17th-century), leading Safavid Iranian noble * Givi Amilakhvari (1689-1754), political and military leader * Alexander Amilakhvari (1750-1802), political writer * Ivane Amilakhvari (1829-1905), general in Russian service * Dimitri Amilakhvari (1906-1942), a French hero of World War II


See also

* List of Georgian princely families


References


Bibliography

*{{in lang, ka იოანე ბატონიშვილი ( Ioane Bagrationi; 1768–1830)
"ამილახვრიანნი" (Amilakhvari)
შემოკლებით აღწერა საქართველოსა შინა მცხოვრებთა თავადთა და აზნაურთა გვარებისა (''The Brief Description of the Georgian Noble Houses''). Retrieved on August 4, 2007. * Toumanoff, Cyril. ''Studies in Christian Caucasian History'', Georgetown University Press, Washington, 1967. *Allen, William Edward David; Muratoff, Paul (1953). ''Caucasian Battlefields: A History of the Wars on the Turco-Caucasian Border 1828–1921''. Cambridge University Press. pp. 23, 31, 33, 42.
Khimshiashvili Dynasty
Noble families of Georgia (country) Russian noble families Georgian-language surnames