Samurzakanians (, ka, სამურზაყანოელები, ) — a term for the inhabitants of Samurzakano (modern Gali, Tkvarcheli 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 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 ...

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 , , , ''Egry'') is a river in western Georgia (country), Georgia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Ghalidzga rivers, where already in the 18th century a mixed Abkhaz- Georgian (Abkhaz- Megrelian) 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. States and territories disestablished in ...

, 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 and bilingual in Abkhaz and Mingrelian. Among the eastern Samurzakanians

Mingrelian language The Mingrelian or Megrelian language ( ) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia), primarily by the Mingrelians. Mingrelian has historically been only a regional language within the boundaries of his ...

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 Abkhazian people Ethnic groups in Georgia (country)