ABKHAZIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF GEORGIA Special Thanks to David Gigauri for Contributing to Article

MISUNDERSTANDINGS

•  “ Abkhazians (Apsua) are first mentioned during time of Jason and the Argonauts, as Medeas brother is called Apsyrtus (similar to Apsua)”

In Reality: Apsyrtus in Mengrelian (Western Georgian dialect, spoken in Colchis ) means “killed, destroyed” (Aepsyrua), and was given to him after he is killed chasing the Argonauts.

•  “Abkhazians (Apsua) are aboriginal to the territory of modern day Abkhazia”

In Reality: This is partially true. Historians start to mention Apsilae/Abazgoi (probable predecessors of modern Apsua) as early as I-II AD. BUT 1 - they initially lived further north than today's Abkhazia and slowly moved down with time. 2 – As we have seen they were just one of the ethnic groups in the area. 3 – The fact that in Abkhazian language there are no original words for “Sea” and “Ship”, in an area where there are at least 4 ancient ports (Diouscurias, Pityus, Gyenos, Anakopia), that are at least 2000 years old, seems at the very least a bit odd. 4 – There are no archaelogical findings with Abkha z language or with any differences to the rest of Georgia .

•  “Shervashidze Princes were Abkhazian Princes Chachba”

In Reality: Its true that ethnic Abkhazians (Apsua), call Shervashidze princes Chachba, but Shervashidze is not a Georgian version of the name Chachba because 1) – It doesn't make sense as in other cases like Marshan – Marshania, Inalipa – Inalishvili, Dziapshipa – Dziapshishvili Abkhaz root is kept and only Georgian ending is added, but Chachba and Shervashidze have nothing in common 2) – Name derives from their origin of Shirvan Shahs, and they were known under that name since their move first to Tbilisi and later Abkhazia. The fact that Apsua's call them Chachba became known only 4 centuries later. 3) – As we have seen from above they normally married ethnic Georgian nobility. 4) – Name Chachba is not a family name but more of a title initially, just like before with Abkhaz (Apsua) prince Achba which means “leader/ruler”. Chachba is Ch-Achba, “ruler of rulers”.

•  “When Georgians rejected the Soviet constitution in early 1990's, Abkhazia should legally become independent as they were incorporated into Georgian Soviet Republic under the Soviet Union ”

In Reality: When Georgia rejected the Soviet constitution, it automatically went back to pre-soviet Georgian constitution of 1918-1921 period, where as we have seen from above Abkhazia was incorporated into Georgia right up to the city of Tuapse .

•  “Georgians became a majority in Abkhazia due to Stalin's and Beria's regime” . In Reality: From the population census chart conducted by the Russians up to 1959 (Stalin's and Beria's death), we can see that not only Georgians were always a majority before their rule, but the result of a decrease in Abkhaz population is a result of an increase in Russian and Armenian population, and NOT Georgian.

CONCLUSION

From the above we can see that territory of Abkhazia was always part of Georgia . This by no means suggests that ethnic Abkhaz (Apsua) did not live there. Even though there are no archaeological findings of the Apsua people, many historians mention their existence on this territory. But what's important to note is that physically and culturally they were an integral part of Georgia , just the same as its other inhabitants of Georgia like Svans, Kakhs, Megrelians or Meskhetians. Since time immemorial Georgia has always had many national minorities and Apsua people are one of the elements that together with Georgian majority make up Abkhazia.

Just as reminder I would like to point out that Georgian sources were not used intentionally.