THE population of Tskhavat gorge in the 1860s

Abstract

Other than the Ksni river, the Ksni valley also includes Nizuzmula, Churuta, Tskhavatura, Aleura, Nakhidura and other gorges.

The paper talks about the population of Tskhavat valley according to the chamber census of the 60s of the 19th century. At that time, the villages of Tskhavat valley were included in the Ksni part of Gori Mazri of Tbilisi Governorate.

The introduction talks about the historical geographical environment of the Tskhavat valley, its role in the political, economic and cultural life of feudal Georgia. The toponym "Tskhavati" is explained.

When talking about the antiquities of the valley, attention is paid to the Church of the Savior of the 8th-9th centuries in the Chumaant area, on the eastern facade of which there is a three-line Asomaturli inscription mentioning the craftsman Ina Kalatozi. The rich traditions of "Tskhavati pottery" and the role of viticulture in the life of Tskhavati people are highlighted.

An important source about the population of the Tskhavat valley is the statistical descriptions of the Saeristavo of Ksni in the second half of the 18th century.The census of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti in 1794-1799, the reports of the royal census of Ioane Batonishvili in 1803, the Russian chamber censuses, which are properly studied and compared with the chamber census of the 60s of the XIX century, which is given special attention due to the research topic. An important news is that the archival material of the given period is published for the first time.

Unlike the statistical descriptions of Ksani Saeristavo, in the census of 1860 Tskhavat districts are presented as separate villages. These villages were: Bunturtkari, Gogichaantkari, Zhivtkari, Sukhaantkari, Gharoeti, Tsikhis-sofeli or Tsenubani.In Bunturtkar, the serfs belonged to the estate, Bidzina and Giorgi Eristavis, there lived 4 households, 19 men and 19 women: Bunturs, Chumashvili and Gogiashvili. In Gogichaantkar - Davit Ivane dze, Davit Luarsab dze and Bidzina Revazi dze Eristavas, lived 5 families, 19 men and 27 women: Gogicashvili and Zhividze.8 households, 27 men and 21 women lived in Zhivtkar - Davit Ivanes dze, Estate Mirmanoz dze, Manana and Giorgi Eristavis: Zhividzes and Kuraulis. In Sukhaantkar - Davit Luarsab son, Kona Mirmanoz son, Giorgi, Bidzina and Manana Eristav lived 8 households, 43 men and 26 women: Bunturis and Sukhashvilis. In Gharoeti - Davit Ivane dze, Kona Mirmanoz dze, Bidzina Revazi dze and Davit Luarsab dze Eristavi lived 7 families, 28 men and 13 women: Burduli and Meltauri.In the castle-village or Tsenuban - Davit Ivane dze, Estate Mirmanozi dze, Bidzina Revazi dze and Giorgi Eristavs. There were 12 households, 40 men and 30 women: Bunturis, Kalomletsavs and Khurishvilis.

The population of Tskhavat valley was historically Georgian.