Khevsureti

Khevsureti Region ხევსურეთის მხარე Khevsuretis Mkhare
Region
Map highlighting the modern political subdivision
Map highlighting the historical region of Khevsureti in Georgia
Country	Georgia
Government
• Governor	Tsezar Chokheli (since Feb.2008)
Area
• Total	1,050 km2 (410 sq mi)
Population
• Total	3,200
• Density	3.0/km2 (7.9/sq mi)

Khevsureti/Khevsuria (Georgian: ხევსურეთი, a land of valleys) is a historical-ethnographic region in eastern Georgia. They are the branch of Kartvelian (Georgian) people located along both the northern (Pirikita khevsureti, Georgian: პირიქითა ხევსურეთი) and southern (Piraketa khevsureti, Georgian: პირაქეთა ხევსურეთი) slopes of the Great Caucasus Mountains.

Geography

Comprising the small river valleys of the Migmakhevi, Shatili, Arkhoti and the Aragvi, the province borders with Chechnya and is included in the present day Dusheti district, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, Georgia. The province covers 405.3 square miles (1050 km²), with a winter population of approximate 3,200 people. The largest villages are Barisakho and Shatili.

Mutso, Kkhevsureti, Georgia

Ethnography

Khevsur clansmen, c. 1910

The territory of Khevsureti, together with the neighboring area of Pshavi was known to medieval writers under the joint designation Pkhovi or in the Georgian language: ფხოვი. Chronicler Leonti Mroveli mentions that after the conversion of the King Mirian II and the Queen Nana into Christianity in the early 4th century, St. Nino continued to preach among Georgian highlanders (მთიულნი, mtiulni) including Pkhovi.

"და წარვიდა წმიდა ნინო და ეპისკოპოსი იოვანე, და მათ თანა წარატანა მეფემან ერის-თავი ერთი. მივიდეს და დადგეს წობენს, და მოუწოდეს მთეულთა, პირუტყუთა სახეთა მათ კაცთა, ჭართალელთა, ფხოელთა, წილკანელთა და გუდამაყრელთა." (ქართლის ცხოვრება,1955)

Medieval Georgia was never able to establish a typical feudal system. The civil code of the community remained based on the ancient traditions and values. Children of the noble families and lords were brought up by the families of peasants (გლეხი, glekhi) who were known for their wisdom and human qualities. These people introduced youth to their culture, history, traditions and all aspects of human knowledge and experiences based on Christian orthodox values. (See Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church) Later prominent writer Ilia Chavchavadze expressed three Georgian treasures: language, land and belief.

Historically, Georgian highlander communities enjoyed a degree of autonomy. Khevsurs never accepted local lords; they elected their leaders or khevisberi (ხევისბერი, elder) and council of elders and submitted themselves only to the monarch (see List of the Kings of Georgia). They were exceptional warriors with traditional Georgian qualities of courage, openness and honesty, fraternity, independence and love of freedom, who were often promoted as royal bodyguards. Kings regarded them as reliable guardians of the Caucasus Mountains and the northern border of the kingdom. In the battles Khevsurs wore flags adorned with crosses and considered themselves permanent members of the army of the sacred flags and guardians of Georgian Kings.

Khevsur woman. Photo by D.A. Nikitin, 1881.

There has been a hypothesis, coming from the locals and descriptions by Russian serviceman and ethnographer Arnold Zisserman who spent 25 years (1842–67) during Russian expansion in the Caucasus (see Georgia within the Russian Empire), that these Georgian highlanders were descendants of the last European Crusaders because their folk culture – the material, social, and religious practices – greatly resembled those of the Crusaders. American traveler Richard Halliburton (1900–1939) saw and recorded the customs of the Khevsur tribe in 1935. Khevsurs are mentioned in Greek, Roman and Georgian sources before the formation of European crusades (See History of Georgia and Georgian People), and the pure European origin of Khevsurs is not supported by most modern scholars. However, some form of settlement of Crusaders in these areas is possible, as they are mentioned in several manuscripts of the time as participants of several battles against the Muslims in Georgia (100 "Frankish" Crusaders participated in King David's army in the Battle of Didgori), and the fact that some passed through here after the fall of the Holy Land.

The Khevsur men, dressed in chain mail and armed with broadswords, wore garments full of decoration made up of crosses and icons, which served as a means of protection according to Christianity which they adopted early in 4th century (See history of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church). Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484 – c. 425 BC) notes that the Caucasian highlanders of that time, were brilliant knitters and embroiders of their dress or Chokha, which wore out but never faded from frequent usage. Young girls started knitting at the age of 6-7, but men studying and military training, because according to their tradition women were deprived from education and higher social status.

They had a strict system of physical training in martial arts preserved as a Khridoli martial art, and which is a part of the rich Georgian military tradition.

Khevsur dances also preserved in the national dances as a warrior dance Khevsuruli.

Religion

The Abuletart Fortress near Kistani, south of Shatili

Their religion is a unique mixture of Georgian Orthodox Christianity and pre-Christian cults. They worship sacred places locally known as jvari (“cross’), khati (“icon”) or salotsavi (“sanctuary”). Aside from their religious character, these were the sites where the locals discussed and decided common matters such as raids against enemies, peace-making, appeals of various characters, etc. Even in a Soviet period of harsh restrictions against any religious activities, each year the Georgian highlanders, together with the group of elder priests organized and performed their traditional rituals.

Historical population figures

Figures from the Russian imperial census of 1873 given in Dr. Gustav Radde's Die Chews'uren und ihr Land — ein monographischer Versuch untersucht im Sommer 1876 (published by Cassel in 1878) divide the villages of Khevsureti into eight communities:

• the Barisakho community: 16 villages, 298 households, consisting of 723 men and 718 women, totalling 1,441 souls
• the Guli community: 8 villages, 162 households, consisting of 335 men and 356 women, totalling 691 souls
• the Roshka community: 7 villages, 145 households, consisting of 335 men and 315 women, totalling 648 souls
• the Batsaligo community: 9 villages, 131 households, consisting of 296 men and 288 women, totalling 584 souls
• the Akhieli community: 5 villages, 111 households, consisting of 273 men and 240 women, totalling 513 souls
• the Shatili community: 5 villages, 121 households, consisting of 252 men and 272 women, totalling 524 souls
• the Ardoti community: 3 villages, 86 households, consisting of 198 men and 249 women, totalling 447 souls
• the Tolaant-Sopeli community: 8 villages, 197 households, consisting of 555 men and 593 women, totalling 1,148 souls

1873 TOTAL: 61 villages, 1,251 households, consisting of 2,967 men and 3,029 women, in all 5,996 souls.

Migration

Some disobedience offered by the Khevsurs to the Soviet ideology was a reason for obligatory migration to the plain initiated by the government in the 1950s. As a result, many high-mountainous villages were deserted. Economic hardship of the last two decades also increased a tendency towards migration.

Traditions

The fortress village Shatili.

The Lebaiskari fortress.

As other mountainous areas of Georgia, Khevsureti is characterized by a great diversity of traditions and customs. They speak a local dialect of the Georgian language that resembles the literary Georgian of the Middle Ages and retain many of their ancient traditions including element of folk rituals. Law of blood revenge was still alive in the twentieth century.

Musical traditions also resemble music of the Middle Ages. Khevsureti is famous for its Medieval ballads and folk music. Khevsureti Perangi is different from the classic Georgian Chokha, because it has more cross decorations and more powerful color balance and is generally short, shaped like a trapezoid.

The architecture of Khevsureti is mostly characterized as fortress style and numbers of towers are located in the mountains as a sign of constant watchfulness of their enemies. Khevsures are known by their warfare with the peoples of the Northern Caucasus including Chechens, Kists, and people of Dagestan. Due to the complexity and the lack of industrialization of the Greater Caucasus, the Northern caucasian tribes used to attack and rob mountain-dwelling Georgians. Well-known Georgian poet Vazha Pshavela described the warfare of the Khevsurs in his poems. One of his most famous poems is Aluda Ketelauri, a young Khevsur, famous of his warrior skills and bravery. One day, after the Khevsur village was invaded by the Kists (Ingush, in classical Georgian works, despite the name of the modern group of Chechen Georgians in Georgia's name being the "Kist", Kist actually referred to the Ingush; the name for Chechens was the "Dzurdzuks"; however, Ingush were less likely to raid then Chechens due to socioeconomic factors, so it may have very well been a Chechen nonetheless), Aluda followed the invaders and killed both of the robbers. After killing the 'Kist' called Mussah, Aluda starting crying for the warrior after realizing the bravery of the 'Kist' and his dedication to his religion. When Aluda returned to Shatili, he told to the village how much he admired the 'Kist' hero, but the community was shocked by his admiration of the pagan and the village ended up condemning Aluda and expelling him from the community.

The Encyclopædia Britannica reported in 1911 that many curious customs still prevailed among the Khevsurs, as for instance the imprisonment of the woman during childbirth in a lonely hut, round which the husband parades, firing off his musket at intervals. After delivery, food was surreptitiously brought to the mother, who was kept in her prison a month, after which the hut was burnt. One of the more striking features of the traditional cultures of Khevsureti was the premarital relationship known as sc’orproba (or c'ac'loba as it is known in Pshavi). As a young couple could lie together during the night with a sword placed between them. Sexual intercourse between the pair was strictly forbidden. Any man who breached this rule was condemned to death.

Dozens of fortifications, sanctuaries and churches are scattered across the province. Chief of these are the Khakhmati fortress, Akhieli fortress, Lebaiskari fortress, Mutso fortress, Shatili fortifications, Gudani Cross, and the Anatori Cross.

See also

• Georgian people
• History of Georgia
• Culture of Georgia

Further reading

• KURTSIKIDZE, Shorena & CHIKOVANI, Vakhtang, Ethnography and Folklore of the Georgia-Chechnya Border: Images, Customs, Myths & Folk Tales of the Peripheries, Munich: Lincom Europa, 2008
• MAKALATIA, Sergi, Khevsureti, Tbilisi: 1931 (in Georgian)
• RADDE, Dr. Gustav, Die Chews'uren und ihr Land — ein monographischer Versuch untersucht im Sommer 1876, Cassel 1878 (in German)
• TEDORADZE, Dr. Giorgi, Five Years in Pshav-Khevsureti, Tbilisi: 1930 (in Georgian)(online at Batsav.com)

External links

• All About Khevsureti / ყველაფერი ხევსურეთის შესახებ
• History of Georgian Mountain Regions
• Legends of Khevsureti
• Central Caucasian religious systems and social ideology... by Kevin Tuite and Paata Bukhrashvili
• Mountain regions of Georgia
• The country of Black Shields
• Expedition to Khevsureti (in Georgian)