The House of Mkheidze (), originally Mkhetsidze (მხეციძე), also Pkheidze (ფხეიძე), Kheidze (ხეიძე), Mkhetsia (მხეცია), and Khetsia (ხეცია), is an ancient Georgian noble family, known from the eighth century. This house, centered at the western district of

Argveti Argveti (), also Margveti (), is a historic district in Imereti, western Georgia. Overview The area lay on the historic Iberian-Lazican frontier, i.e., between what are now eastern and western parts of Georgia. From the 3rd century BC to the 6 ...

, has survived to the end of the Georgian kingdoms and the

Russian Empire 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 ...

which granted them recognition of their princely title (Georgian:

tavadi ''Tavadi'' ( ka, თავადი, "prince", lit. "head/chief" an from ka, თავი ''tavi'', "head", with the prefix of agent ''-di'') was a feudal title in Georgia (country), Georgia first applied in the Late Middle Ages usually trans ...

, Russian:

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 ...

) in 1850.

History

According to the Georgian author

Ioane Bagrationi Ioane ( ka, იოანე ბაგრატიონი) (16 May 1768 – 15 February 1830) was a Georgian prince ( batonishvili), writer, lexicographer and encyclopaedist. Life A son of George XII, the last king of Kartl-Kakheti kingd ...

, writing early in the 19th century, the Mkheidze traced their descent to the medieval house of Liparitid-Orbeli though the version cannot be substantiated by servicing historical evidence. A legend has it that the 8th-century nobles David and Constantine killed by the Arabs belonged to the Mkheidze family. The Mkhe(ts)idze are first documented in the 11th-century cross inscription. In the early 16th century, the Mkheidze fief – Samkheidzo – emerged centered on the village of Zedubani near the present-day town of

Tqibuli Tkibuli or Tqibuli ( ka, ტყიბული ) is a town in west-central Georgia (country), Georgia of 8,130 residents (January 2024). located in the Imereti region at the foot of the Racha Range and the Nakerala limestone cliff, which marks ...

, but went in decline later that century. In the 17th century, the family partially restored its old prestige. Several of its members occupied high posts at the court of the Imeretian kings. They intermarried with 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 ...

, the

Gurieli The House of Gurieli () was a Georgia (country), Georgian princely (''mtavari'') family and a ruling dynasty (dukes) of the southwestern Georgian province of Guria, which was autonomous and later, for a few centuries, independent. A few ducal ru ...

Guria Guria ( ka, გურია) is a region (''mkhare'') in Georgia (country), Georgia, in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. The region has a population of 104,338 (2023), with Ozurgeti as the regional cap ...

, and the Bagrationi of

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 ...

and of

Imereti Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 mun ...

. With the death of Prince Giorgi Mkheidze (1795–1856), the princely branch of the Imeretian Chkheidze/Mkheidze became extinct in their male line. The surviving Chkheidze/Mkheidze descend from the gentry (''

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 ...

'') line as well as the princely (''tavadi'') one established in Mingrelia in the first half of the 18th century. Chikovani, Iuri & Bichikashvili, Ioseb (2005), I. მიქელაძეთა საგვარეულო II. მხეიძეთა საგვარეულოები ("The families of Mikeladze and Mkheidze").

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

: Georgian Genealogical Society,
Online version
from the

National Parliamentary Library of Georgia LEPL Ilia Chavchavadze National Library of Georgia ( ka, სსიპ ილია ჭავჭავაძის სახელობის საქართველოს ეროვნული ბიბლიოთეკა, ''sakartvelos ...

)

References

Noble families of Georgia (country) Georgian-language surnames {{Georgia-noble-stub