Free Svaneti ( ka, თავისუფალი სვანეთი, ''t'avisup'ali svanet'i''; , ''vol'naya svanetiya'') was a name applied to the self-governing communities of Svan highlanders, originally coined by the

Imperial Russian The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

officials and explorers of the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

. These communities formed a loose confederation with a clan-based traditional system of law. As a quasi-autonomous region, Free Svaneti probably emerged with the decline of

Georgian feudalism Georgian feudalism, or ''patronkmoba'' ( ka, პატრონყმობა from ''patroni'', "lord", "master", and ''kmoba'', "slavery", "serfdom"), as the system of personal dependence or vassalage in ancient and medieval Georgia is referred ...

in the 15th century and was devoid of any centralized government until being subjected to the Russian Empire in 1853. The last vestiges of the Svan self-rule was brought to an end by the Russian military in 1876.

Society

The Free Svan communities occupied eastern part of Upper Svaneti, the so-called Upper Bal region, along the upper

Enguri River The Enguri ( ka, ენგური, tr , , , ''Egry'') is a river in western Georgia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Latali, Lenjeri, Mulakhi, Mulazhi, Ieli, Tsvirmi, Ipari, Adishi, Kala, and

Ushguli Ushguli ( ka, უშგული ) is a community of five medieval villages located at the head of the Enguri gorge in Svaneti, Georgia. Ushguli is one of the highest continuously inhabited settlements in Europe. Compared to somewhat more develo ...

village communes, with a population of around 5,200. In contrast to other parts of early modern Svaneti, these communities were not subject to the princely dynasties of the Dadishkeliani of

Svaneti Svaneti (Svan language, Svan: შუ̂ან, ლემშუ̂ანიერა; ''shwan, lemshwaniera'', and Suania in ancient sources; ka, სვანეთი ) is a historic province in the northwestern part of Georgia (country), Georg ...

and the

Dadiani The House of Dadiani ( ka, დადიანი ), later known as the House of Dadiani- Chikovani, was a Georgian family of nobles, dukes and princes, and a ruling dynasty of the western Georgian province of Mingrelia. The House of Dadiani T ...

Mingrelia Mingrelia or Samegrelo ( ka, სამეგრელო, tr ; ) is a historic province in the western part of Georgia, formerly known as Odishi. It is primarily inhabited by the Mingrelians, a subgroup of Georgians. Geography and climate Mingr ...

, which had emerged following the dissolution of the

Kingdom of Georgia The Kingdom of Georgia (), also known as the Georgian Empire, was a Middle Ages, medieval Eurasian monarchy that was founded in Anno Domini, AD. It reached Georgian Golden Age, its Golden Age of political and economic strength during the reign ...

in the late 15th century. The Free Svan society was devoid of typical feudalism, with no single family rising to prominence, although the distinction between nobles (''warg'', ''

aznauri ''Aznauri'' ( ka, აზნაური, ; pl. ''aznaurni'', აზნაურნი, or ''aznaurebi'', აზნაურები) was a class of Georgian nobility. History The word derives from Middle Persian ''āznāvar'', which, in turn, co ...

'') and peasants retained considerable significance in social and economic life. The noble families of note were Charkviani, Kipiani, Goshteliani, Japaridze, Ioseliani, Kurdiani, Zhorzholiani, and Devdariani. Each of the Free Svan communities enjoyed self-rule. Common matters were discussed at popular councils, attended by both men and women above 20; the elders from different communities at times convened at Ushguli. This alliance between the Svan clans was based on common interests in joint self-defence, in protecting common property such as pastures and churches, and in safeguarding social order based on the traditional law. The alliance was cemented by an oath of unity which was renewed every three years and was to be taken "on an icon", that is, in the presence of the sacred image of a Christian saint.

History

From the early 1830s the Free Svan clans sought Russian protection against the Dadishkeliani, but refused to admit officials and priests sent to them. In the early 1840s, the Russian government of the Caucasus dispatched Nikoloz Kutateladze, a Georgian priest from

Kutaisi Kutaisi ( ; ka, ქუთაისი ) is a city in the Imereti region of the Georgia (country), Republic of Georgia. One of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is the List o ...

, on a mission to revive Christian church among the Free Svans, who then practiced a mixture of Georgian Orthodox Christianity and pagan beliefs, with no organized church structure. The priest quickly garnered much respect and was able to convince the highlanders to apply for Russian protection. In 1847, most of the Free Svan communities, with the exception of those of Latali and Lenjeri, accepted the Russian authority and were organized into the Malakho-Iparsky circuit administered by a

bailiff A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary. Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...

(''pristav''). The Svans proved to be unruly, however, and two years later, in February 1849, the bailiff Prince Aleksandr Mikeladze was forced into flight to Mingrelia. The Free Svans were, consequently, delisted as Russian subjects until they renewed their quest for imperial protection and allowed Mikeladze to come back in 1853. On his return to Svaneti, Mikeladze was accompanied by Colonel Ivan Bartolomei, a history enthusiast, who left one of the first accounts of medieval Georgian and Byzantine antiquities safeguarded in the old churches of Free Svaneti. There was no Russian military presence in Free Svaneti until the 1870s. In 1875 the Svans resisted the government's survey of peasant-owned land and livestock for taxation purposes. As a result, General Tsytovich's force was deployed. A Russian detachment attacked the rebel stronghold of Khalde and was routed. A larger force, supported by artillery, took the village by storm on 27 August 1876. Khalde's 19 defense towers were destroyed, while the captives were exiled to

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

. Thereafter, the Russians rule was tightened, with appointed headmen. Free Svaneti was no more a distinct entity, but the term survived in ethnographic literature.

References

{{reflist Svaneti Early modern history of Georgia (country) Modern history of Georgia (country) Caucasus Viceroyalty (1801–1917) States and territories disestablished in 1853