Tea Meshvelishvili
PhD in History
The University of Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: 0009-0005-5556-6970
Tea Meshvelishvili
PhD in History
The University of Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: 0009-0005-5556-6970
Raphiel Eristavi's Letters about Ottoman Georgia
In the 70s, the struggle towards awakening the national consciousness and self-awareness of the Georgian nation begins actively. In the years 1877-78 after the defeat of the Ottomans in the war between the Ottomans and Tsarist Russia, Adjara and Tao-Klarjeti were freed from Ottoman domination. There was hope in the Georgian society that the historical unity with Ottoman Georgia would be restored. For this, Georgian public figures spared no effort by publishing newspaper publications or active public activities on the spot to awaken national self-awareness among Georgians who had converted to Islam. Showing the necessity of unity in the process of joining Georgia became the central leitmotif in Georgian journalism, and unity was based on understanding the shared history and emphasizing the language as the central aspect of identity. Letters of Georgian writers and publicists were printed on the pages of the Iveria newspaper and the Times. In Georgia, liberated from the enemy, great importance was attached to the opening of schools and the return of Muslim Georgians to Georgian culture. In addition, it was essential to study the mood of the local population and gain their favor. In the same period, Georgia is being studied from an ethnographic point of view. Giorgi Kazbeg and Dimitri Bakradze traveled to Adjara and Tao in the 70s. They brought Ottoman documentation from the Istanbul archive, including the books of Batumi and Kars Sanjak. Giorgi Kazbeg devoted extensive work to the study of Ottoman Georgia. At first glance, it is ethnographic research. However, it also contains essential intelligence information. The entire Georgian society was involved in studying Georgia and returning Muslim Georgians to their historical roots. In this regard, the letters found in the Raphiel Eristavi Foundation regarding Ottoman Georgia are interesting.
The purpose of the article is to show the attitude towards Muslim Georgians in Georgian society based on the study of the Ottoman manuscripts related to Georgia preserved in the personal archive of Raphiel Eristavi, what historical events contributed to the return of the Georgian land and water under the Ottoman rule, What strategic steps have been taken by the Georgian intelligentsia in terms of bringing the Muslim Georgians living in Adjara, Tao-Klarjeti and Samtskhe closer to their motherland and awakening their state identity.
Keywords: Muslim Georgia, Ottoman Georgia, Ottoman Empire, Tsarist Russia, "Kavkaz" newspaper.