Tamar Koridze
PhD in History
The University of Georgia
Professor
Tbilisi, Georgia
Tamar Koridze
PhD in History
The University of Georgia
Professor
Tbilisi, Georgia
To clarify the chronological order and rule of the Catholicos of Abkhazia
(Western Georgia) (1950s of the 17th century)
Abstract
There are different opinions in Georgian historiography regarding the chronological order and rule of the Catholicos of Abkhazia (Western Georgia) in the 1950s of the 17th century (Maxime Machutadze, Nikolaos Irubakidze-Cholokhashvili, Zakaria Kvariani).
B. Lominadze, who specially studied the chronological order of the Abkhazian Catholics of the XVII-XVIII centuries, defined the rule of the Catholic Zakaria Kvariani as 1657-1660. In the same chronological order, Catholicos Maxime (Machutadze) is named as the predecessor of Catholicos Zakaria (1639-1657). However, in the later published Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, B. Lominadze, in the chronological list of Catholics of Abkhazia attached to his article ("Cathalikos"), placed a Catholic known as Nikifore between Catholics Zacharias and Maxime with the reign of 1657-1657.
The mentioned Catholicos of Abkhazia, Nikifore, was a well-known ecclesiastical and political figure, diplomat, and scholar, and is the same person as Nikoloz Cholokhashvili-Irubakidze, one of the publishers of the first printed Georgian book. Based on historical sources, he is referred to as the Catholicos of Abkhazia in the monograph dedicated to him by G. Akopashvili.
The designation of both the beginning and end of Nikifore's tenure as Catholicos as the same year, 1657, suggests that Lominadze considered him to have held the Catholicosal throne of Abkhazia at some time during the year 1657. Accordingly, 1657 was also determined as the starting year of the rule of the next Catholicos Zacharias. However, we do not find direct information about him, like Nikifore, becoming a Catholic as well as the information about this fact and the date.
In the latest monograph dedicated to Zakaria Kvariani (L. Tkeshelashvili, c. 2017), his Catholicism is dated to 1656-1660. The years of Catholicism of Zakaria Kvariani named in the work and the non-mention of Nikifor (Irbakhi) confirm that the author does not accept the fact of the latter's Catholicism in Abkhazia.
In order to determine the chronological order and reign of the Catholics of Abkhazia (West Georgia) working in the period (that’s) interesting to us, it is necessary to take into account the issue of Abkhazian Catholicism of Hilarion, the high priest depicted in Khobi Cathedral, who according to some opinions (T. Jojua) was probably occupying the Catholic throne in 1657-1658.
Our study represents an attempt to address the discrepancies in Georgian historiography regarding the chronological order and rule of the Catholicos of Abkhazia in the 1950s of the 17th century.
Keywords: Abkhazia (Western Georgia), the Catholicos, Chronological order, Nikoloz Cholokhashvili-Irubakidze, Georgian historiography.