ABKHAZIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF GEORGIA Special Thanks to David Gigauri for Contributing to Article
XIX AD – XX AD
• All of fragmented Georgia is absorbed by the Russian Empire. Modern day territory of Abkhazia becomes Sukhumsky Okrug ( Sukhumi district), of Kutaisskaya Gubernya ( Kutaisi Province ), again we see that it is kept within Western Georgia .
• According to the document issued in Russia which was Imperially sanctioned as of 11 August 1866 on the governing regulations of Sukhumi District, one of the points states – Head of the Sukhumi district, in all cases (inc. military) is subordinate to General-Governor of Kutaisskaya Gubernya (Kutaisi Province – Western Georgia).
• On march 23, 1899 elected by all social strata of Abkhazian people, - Prince B.Emukhvari, Prince M.Marshania, Prince T. Margani, Prince K.Inal-Ippa in their letter to General-Adjutant Prince Sviatopolk-Mirskoy characterized Georgian- Abkhazian relations in the following way: Since the time immemorial Abkhazia had been the part of the former Georgian Kingdom. The Georgian Kings had never excluded Abkhazia from the large Georgian family . And before the division of the Kingdom and after it, till the very last days of their reign kings were titled as the Kings of Georgia, Kartli, Abkhazia, Imereti and Kakheti. When the Georgian King Vakhtang VI at the beginning of the last century summoned all deputies from all provinces of the former Georgian Kingdom to involve them then in the work of establishing laws, there were deputies from the Abkhazian people that so far faithfully preserved the most ancient Georgian customs.
• Russians carried out a population census. Here are the results for Sukhumi District (Abkhazia):
Year |
1886 |
1926 |
Georgians |
34806 |
67494 |
Abkhazians |
28320 |
55918 |
Armenians |
1090 |
25677 |
Greeks |
2149 |
14045 |
Russians |
126 |
12533 |
Total |
68773 |
201016 |
In 1886 Georgians made up 50,60%, Abkhazians 41,18%.
In 1926 Georgians made up 33,57%, Abkhazians 27,82%.
• The new ethnic Abkhaz nobility become georgianised, as they are surrounded by Georgian culture and intermarry with the Georgian nobility, especially with the previously mentioned western Georgian nobles (Dadiani, Asatiani, Gurieli, Tsulukidze, Gugushvili etc). This can also be seen by the fact that their surnames are only used in the Georgian form and not Abkhaz form – Marshania instead of Amarshan, Margania/Marganidze instead of Maan, Emukhvari instead of Emkhaa etc. Many representatives of these families fought and died for Georgian independence!!!
