Territorial Structure in the Feudal Georgia

Abstract

The aim of the research paper is to explore the territorial structure of the village of medieval Georgia. In accordance with Old Georgian sources, the village was divided into two parts: village containing the plots of farmers and the lands named „სეფე“ (“Sepe” – that belongs to master), that belonged to signore. Sepe-lands surrounded the village and was within “the legal boundaries” of the village, consisting plots of lands for wheat, vineyard, mill, mountain, forest, hunting area, field, hill, hillside, route, tillage, fishery, lake, pond, springs, etc.

By its origin, this structure comes from the social institution of „საუხუცესო“ (saukhutseso – that belongs to the elder, father). The origin of the social institution of saukhutseso traces back to the old patriarchal house, where for the symbolic designation of Household Father’s („მამასახლისი“//mamasakhlisi) power (Lat. patria potestas), the extra share for the Father was singled out and allotted out of brothers’ equal share. It meant that he who possessed saukhutseso share in the estate was the ruler and master of the Household.

Considering that after the death of a Father, the firstborn son („პირმშო“-pirmsho –  primogenitor) was to become mamasakhlisi (Master of House) on the basis of primogeniture, he would own Saukhutseso, being a symbol of authority (patria potestas) of Household Father. In the wake of time, saukhutseso was named the share of extra portion of the elder brother (pirmsho).

In old Georgian patriarchal temple communities (circa the II-I millennia B.C.), still ethnographically preserved in highland regions of Eastern Georgia (Pshavi and Khevsureti regions), the land in a village was divided into two parts: the land possessed by community members and the land of temple, that belonged to theocratic authorities (“Fathers”// “Elderly”) of the community. After social stratification in old Georgian tribes, socially advanced “mamasakhlisi” (father of household) was named as “upali” (master), from the Old Georgian root –pl- (master, owner, dominant), subsequently, “saukhutseso” land was named as “sepe”-land (that belongs to upali- master). That is how “sepe” was developed from the institution of “saukhutseso”. Similar territorial structure is characteristic to medieval towns in Georgia – town and sepe-lands with small villages and summer houses around the town belonging to aristocracy. This find itself parallel to the medieval village in Europe, where the lands of a village (Lat. Villa) were divided into two parts: one that belonged to farmers (Lat. Mansi) and the other that belonged to the Lord of the feud (Lat. Domain).