The House of Tarkhan-Mouravi ( ka, თარხან-მოურავი) (Tarkhnishvili, თარხნიშვილი, or Tarkhan-Mouravishvili, თარხან-მოურავიშვილი) is a Georgian noble family, claiming descent from the Shamkhal dynasty of

Tarki Tarki (, ; ) formerly also spelled Tarkou and also known as Tarku, is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) under the administrative jurisdiction of Sovetsky City District of the City of Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan, Russi ...

, in

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; ; ), officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, along the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Fede ...

. Originally known as Saakadze (სააკაძე), they acquired, in the 1640s, the title of prince (''

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 ...

'') and the new surname, which is a composite of the two hereditary offices,

mouravi ''Mouravi'' ( ka, მოურავი ) was an administrative and military officer in early modern Georgia, translated into English as seneschal, bailiff, or constable. A ''mouravi'' was an appointed royal official who had a jurisdiction over pa ...

and

tarkhan Tarkhan (, or ; ; zh, c=達干/達爾罕/答剌罕; ; ; alternative spellings ''Tarkan'', ''Tarkhaan'', ''Tarqan'', ''Tarchan'', ''Turxan'', ''Tarcan'', ''Turgan, Tárkány, Tarján, Tarxan'') is an ancient Central Asian title used by various ...

. The family was reconfirmed as 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 ...

) by 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 ...

in 1826 and 1850. The cadets continued to be called Saakadze and remained members of the untitled nobility (

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 ...

) until 1881 when they were also elevated to the princely rank.

History

The earliest record of the Saakadze clan dates back to the reign of Queen Tamar. The first known member of the family, Siaush Saakadze (died c. 1606), was a loyal officer in the service of

Simon I of Kartli Simon I the Great ( ka, სიმონ I დიდი, tr), also known as Svimon ( ka, სვიმონი, tr; 1537 – 1611), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a Georgia (country), Georgian List of monarchs of Georgia, king (''mepe'') of Kingd ...

, who gave him the office of mouravi of

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 ( ...

in the 1580s. His son,

Giorgi Saakadze Giorgi Saakadze ( ka, გიორგი სააკაძე; 1570 – October 3, 1629) was a Georgian politician and military commander who played an important but contradictory role in the politics of the early 17th-century Georgia. He was ...

(the Grand Mouravi; c. 1570 – 1629) pursued a contradictory and turbulent career. He dominated the political life in eastern Georgia for years in which he firstly collaborated with the Persian

Safavids The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

, conspired against them later on, and eventually ended up his life in exile in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

after the Battle of Bazaleti. His last surviving son, Ioram (died 1664) returned to Georgia, and was conferred with the titles of prince and tarkhan by

Rostom of Kartli Rostom or Rustam Khan ( ka, როსტომი or როსტომ ხანი; c. 1565 – 17 November 1658) was a Georgian royal, from the House of Bagrationi, who functioned as a Safavid-appointed vali (i.e. viceroy)/king ('' mepe'') ...

early in the 1640s. His descendants assumed the surname of Tarkhan-Mouravi. Their fiefdom centered on the village of Akhalkalaki and the Tedzami river valley in Inner Kartli. Throughout the 17th century, the Saakadze's were one of the most successful noble families in

Safavid Iran The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

, especially through Bijan Beg Saakadze and his descendants.

References

{{Reflist Noble families of Georgia (country) Families from Georgia (country) Georgian-language surnames