Adjarians

Adjarians
The Adjarians are an ethnographic group of Georgians living mainly in Adjara in south-western Georgia and speaking the Adjarian dialect of the Georgian language.
The Adjarians had their own territorial entity, the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, founded on 16 July 1921 as the Adjara ASSR. After years of post-Soviet stalemate, the region was brought closer within the framework of the Georgian state in 2004, retaining its autonomous status.
Adjarian settlements are also found in the Georgian provinces of Guria, Kvemo Kartli, and Kakheti, as well as in several areas of neighbouring Turkey.
In the 1926 census, Ajars were categorized as a distinct ethnic group. In the 1939 census, they were included in the same category as Georgians. Today, most Adjarians considered themselves Georgians, but many Georgians see Muslim Adjarians as second-class "Turkicized" Georgians.
History
Many Adjarians converted to Islam in the 16th and 17th centuries when the Ottomans ruled over southwestern Georgian lands.
The Georgian population of Adjara had been generally known as Muslim Georgians until the 1926 Soviet census listed them as Adjarians, separate from the rest of Georgians, counting 71,426 of them. In subsequent censuses (1939–1989), they were listed with other Georgians, as no official Soviet census asked about religion. In the 1920s, the suppression of religion and compulsory collectivization led to armed resistance against Communist authorities by Adjarians.
In 1989, during an anti-Soviet demonstration in Batumi, Zviad Gamsakhurdia said to thousands of Adjarians: "Dear Adjarians, you are also Georgians!" According to some commentators, by using "also", Gamsakhurdia excluded Adjarians from the state building process. Others considered that there was nothing unusual about this statement. During the first free parliamentary elections, Gamsakhurdia's coalition (Round Table – Free Georgia) won a landslide victory with 54% of the vote. However, in the Ajara region, the coalition only received 24% of the votes, because of Gamsakhurdia's public statements against the region's autonomy.
Ajarians (like Ossetians and Abkhazians) benefit from a special regime to claim Russian citizenship with an expedited application process, perceived as Russian interference in its internal affairs by Georgia.
Religion
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the re-establishment of Georgian independence accelerated the Christianization of Adjarians, especially among the young, under the government of Zviad Gamsakhurdia. However, a number of Adjarians, particularly in and around Khulo, remain Sunni Muslim.
Language
The Adjarians speak Adjarian, a Georgian dialect related to the one spoken in the neighbouring northern province of Guria, but with a number of Turkish loanwords. Adjarian also possesses many features in common with the Zan languages (Mingrelian and Laz), which are sisters to Georgian and are included in the Kartvelian language group.
Famous Adjarians
Emzar Paksadze (b. 1972), famous lawyer from Adjara
Aslan Abashidze (b. 1938), former leader of the Adjarian Autonomous Republic
Memed Abashidze (1873–1941), Muslim Georgian politician
Rostom Abashidze (b. 1935), Greco-Roman wrestler
Tbeli Abuserisdze (1190–1240), Georgian writer and scientist
Niaz Diasamidze (b. 1974), singer and composer
Nino Katamadze (b. 1972), jazz singer
Sopho Khalvashi, Georgian singer
Ahmed-Pasha Khimshiashvili (1781–1836), ruler and military leader under the Ottoman Empire
Selim Khimshiashvili (1755–1815), ruler under the Ottoman Empire
Konstantin Meladze (b. 1963), Russian composer
Valery Meladze (b. 1965), Russian singer
Zurab Noghaideli (b. 1964), former Prime Minister of Georgia, (2005–2007)
Ulvi Rajab (1903–1938), Azerbaijani actor
Levan Varshalomidze (b. 1973), former leader of the Adjarian Autonomous Republic
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (b. 1954) President of Turkey
Lasha Gobadze (b. 1994) Georgian sport wrestler
Shmagi Bolkvadze (b. 1994) Greco-Roman wrestler from Georgia.
Amiran Shavadze (b. 1993) Georgian Greco-Roman wrestler
Nebahat Çehre (b. 1944) Turkish-Georgian actress, model, and singer
Murat Cemcir (b. 1976) Turkish actor
Haidar Abashidze (b. 1966) Georgian politician, journalist, and educator
Grigory Mairanovsky (1899-1964) Georgian-Russian toxicologist and poisoner for the NKVD
Gürkan Uygun (b. 1974) Turkish actor of Georgian descent
Beyazıt Öztürk (b. 1969) also known as Beyaz, Turkish television personality, standup comedian and actor
Sherip Khimshiashvili (b. January 1833) was a Muslim Georgian nobleman (bey) of the Khimshiashvili from Adjara in the Ottoman service.
See also
Chveneburi, ethnic Georgians in Turkey many of whom are of Adjarian heritage
Laz people, Kartvelian-speaking ethnic subgroup of Georgians
Notes
References
Nugzar Mgeladze (Translated by Kevin Tuite). Ajarians. World Culture Encyclopedia. Accessed on 1 September 2007.
Adjara
Islam in Georgia (country)
People from Georgia (country) by ethnic or national origin