Kartvelia

Kingdom of Kartvelia

საქართველოს სამეფო (Kartvelic)

Sakartvelos Samepo

Flag of Kartvelia

4.1% Abkhaz

1% Armenian

0.7% Azeri

0.4% Svan

1.1% Other

3% Shia Islam

2.9% Atheism

3% Other

**Kartvelia** (Kartvelic: *საქართველო,* *Sakartvelo)*, officially the **Kingdom of Kartvelia** (Kartvelic: *საქართველოს სამეფო, Sakartvelos Samepo*), is a country located in between Europe and Asia, bordered by Armenia, Turkey, Kurdistan, Russia, Albania and Ichkeria. The capital is Tbilisi, and has a population of 8.2 million people. It is a European nation, although it is sometimes included as part of Western Asia.

## History

The classical period saw the rise of a number of early Kartvelian states, the principal of which were Colchis in the west and Iberia in the east. In the 4th century BC, the Kingdom of Iberia, an early example of advanced state organization under one king and an aristocratic hierarchy, was established.

After the Roman Republic completed its brief conquest of the region in 66 BC, the area became a primary objective of Roman-Iranian geopolitics. From the first centuries A.D, Zoroastrianism was commonly practiced in Kartvelia. In 337 AD, King Mirian III of Iberia declared Christianity as the state religion, giving a great stimulus to the development of literature, arts, and ultimately playing a key role in the formation of the unified Kartvelian nation. The acceptance led to the slow but sure decline of Zoroastrianism, which until the 5th century AD, appeared to be an already established second religion.

Located on the crossroads of protracted Roman–Persian wars, the early Kartvelian kingdoms disintegrated into various feudal regions by the early Middle Ages. The extinction of the different Iberian royal dynasties, such as Guaramids and the Chosroids, led to the Bagrationi family's growth in prominence. The head of the Bagrationi dynasty Ashot I of Iberia, who had migrated to the former southwestern territories of Iberia, came to rule over Tao-Klarjeti and restored the Principate of Iberia in 813.

After repelling an Arab invasion, Leon I married Prince Mirian's daughter, and his successor, Leon II, soon established the Kingdom of Abkhazia. A crisis arose with the matter of church, which was resolved when the Abkhazian Church broke away from the Constantinople and recognized the authority of the Catholicate of Mtskheta. The stage of feudalism's development and struggle against common invaders as much as common belief of various Kartvelian states had enormous importance for spiritual and political unification of Kartvelia feudal monarchy under the Bagrationi dynasty in 11th century.

The Kingdom of Kartvelia reached its zenith in the 12th to early 13th centuries. This period during the reigns of David IV and his granddaughter Tamar has been widely termed as Kartvelia's Golden Age. This early renaissance, which preceded its Western European analogue, was characterized by impressive military victories, territorial expansion, and a cultural renaissance in architecture, literature, philosophy and the sciences. The time-period left a legacy of great cathedrals, romantic poetry and literature, and the epic poem *The Knight in the Panther's Skin*, which is considered a national epic.

The 29-year reign of Tamar, the first female ruler of Georgia, is considered the most successful in Georgian history. She succeeded in neutralizing opposition and embarked on an energetic foreign policy aided by the downfall of the rival powers of the Seljuks and Byzantium. Supported by a powerful military élite, Tamar was able to build on the successes of her predecessors to consolidate an empire which dominated the Caucasus, and extended over large parts of present-day Azerbaijan, Armenia, and eastern Turkey as well as parts of northern Iran, until its collapse under the Mongol attacks within two decades after Tamar's death in 1213.

The revival of the Kingdom of Kartvelia was set back after Tbilisi was captured and destroyed by the Khwarezmian leader Jalal ad-Din in 1226. The Mongols were expelled by George V of Kartvelia, son of Demetrius II of Kartvelia, who helped the country in restoring it's previous strength and Christian culture. George V was the last great king of the state. After his death, different local rulers fought for their independence from central rule, until the total disintegration of the Kingdom in the 15th century.

The kingdom collapsed into anarchy by 1466 and fragmented into three independent kingdoms and five semi-independent principalities. Neighboring large empires subsequently exploited the internal division of the weakened country, and beginning in the 16th century up to the late 18th century, Persia and Ottoman Turkey subjugated the eastern and western regions, respectively. The rulers of regions that remained partly autonomous organized rebellions on various occasions. However, subsequent Iranian and Ottoman invasions further weakened local kingdoms and regions. As a result of incessant Ottoman–Persian Wars and deportations, the population of Georgia dwindled to 550,000 inhabitants at the end of the 18th century.

With the death of Nader Shah, the two kingdoms of Kakheti and Kartli, which had been under Persian suzerainity since 1555, broke free from the collapsing Persian Empire, and were united by Heraclius II via a personal union. In 1783, Russia and the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti signed the Treaty of Georgievsk, by which the kingdom abjured any dependence on Persia or another power, and made the kingdom a protectorate of Russia, which guaranteed Kartvelia's territorial integrity and the continuation of its reigning Bagrationi dynasty in return for prerogatives in the conduct of foreign affairs. Despite a punitive campaign subsequently launched against Qajar Iran in 1796, this period culminated in the 1801 Russian violation of the Treaty of Georgievsk and annexation of eastern Georgia, followed by the abolition of the royal Bagrationi dynasty. Kartvelia officially became part of the Russian Empire on Septermber 12, 1801.

Following the annexation of eastern Kartvelia, the Kingdom of Imereti was annexed by Tsar Alexander I. The last Imeretian ruler, Solomon II, died in exile in 1815, after attempts to rally people against Russia and to enlist foreign support against the latter, had been in vain. From 1803 to 1878, as a result of numerous Russian wars now against Ottoman Turkey, several of Kartvelia's previously lost territories – such as Adjara – were recovered, and also incorporated into the empire. The Principality of Guria was abolished and incorporated into the Empire in 1829, while Svaneti was gradually annexed in 1858. Lazistan, although a Russian protectorate since 1803, was not absorbed until 1867.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was established with Nikolay Chkheidze acting as its president. The federation consisted of three nations: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. As the Ottomans advanced into the Caucasian territories of the crumbling Russian Empire, Kartvelia declared independence on 26 May 1918.

In February 1921, during the Russian Civil War, the Red Army advanced into Kartvelia and brought the local Bolsheviks to power. The Georgian army was defeated and the Social Democratic government fled the country. On 25 February 1921, the Red Army entered Tbilisi and established a government of workers' and peasants' soviets with Filipp Makharadze as acting head of state. Kartvelia was incorporated into the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, alongside Armenia and Azerbaijan, in 1921 which in 1922 would become a founding member of the Soviet Union. Joseph Stalin, an ethnic Kartvelian born Iosif Vissarionovich Jugashvili in Gori, was prominent among the Bolsheviks. Stalin was to rise to the highest position, leading the Soviet Union from the mid–1920s until his death on 5 March 1953.

After Stalin's death, Nikita Khrushchev became the leader of the Soviet Union and implemented a policy of de-Stalinization. This was nowhere else more publicly and violently opposed than in Tbilisi in 1956, when riots broke out upon the release of Khruschev's public denunciation of Stalin and led to the death of nearly 100 students. Throughout the remainder of the Soviet period, the country's economy continued to grow and experience significant improvement, though it increasingly exhibited blatant corruption and alienation of the government from the people. With the beginning of perestroika in 1986, the Kartvelian Communist leadership proved so incapable of handling the changes that most people, including rank and file Communists, concluded that the only way forward was a break from the existing Soviet system.

On 9 April 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Supreme Council of Kartvelia declared independence after a referendum held on 31 March 1991. On 26 May 1991, Gamsakhurdia was elected as the first President of the Republic of Kartvelia. Gamsakhurdia stoked nationalism, and vowed to assert authority of the Abkhazia and Lazuria regions, which were autonomous oblasts under the Soviet Union.

The last president of the republic would be Mikheil Saakashvili, who was in office from 2004 until 2008, when the monarchy was re-established. The reasons for the dissolution of the republic included the increasing corruption under Saakashvili's presidency. Demonstrations occurred both in September and November 2007 and were initially largely peaceful. The protests went downhill by 6 November 2007, but turned violent the next day when the police, using heavy-handed tactics, including tear gas and water cannons attacked the protestors. The government accused the Russian secret services of being involved in an attempted coup d'état and declared a nationwide state of emergency later that day which lasted until late 16 November 2007. By the end of 2007, at least 62 had died in incidents relating to the protests and the suspected coup.

In 2008, following the following political crisis, a vote was held on whether the Bragationi Dynasty should lead a re-established monarchy, or if the country should stay as a republic. The vote was close, with a voter margin of 2.7% margin, in favour of re-establishing the Bagrationi Dynasty, and therefore the monarchy. The monarchy was officially re-established in April 22, 2008, with Prince David of Mukhrani becoming the new King of Kartvelia. The anti-government protests gradually vanished, although minor protests were held in 2017 regarding the increasing wealth inequality in the country.

## Politics

The politics of Kartvelia is conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby a hereditary monarch is head of state. The current King of Kartvelia is David Bagration Mukhrani, who has reigned since February 2008. The powers of the king are limited by the constitution and he is primarily a symbolic figurehead. The monarch is head of the armed forces and is required to be Christian as well as the Defender of the Faith. He has the power to appoint his heirs, the power to grant pardons, and the royal assent. The current heir-apparent is Prince Giorgi Bagrationi, his only son, born in 2011.

Kartvelia's legislative organ is the Parlament, a unicameral parliament. It has 184 members, who are elected for 4-year terms, of whom 102 are elected by plurality to represent single-member districts, and 82 are chosen to represent parties by proportional representation. The country's upper house is the Senate (Kartvelic: სენატი *senat'i*), and it's lower house is the House of Deputies (Kartvelic: დეპუტატთა სახლი d*ep’ut’at’ta sakhli*).

The country is divided into 12 regions, the two autonomous regions of Abkhazia & Lazuria and 1 self-governing city, which also acts as a region. These regions are divided into 102 subdivisions, which are known as Counties (Kartvelic: ქვეყანა *kveq'ana*). The most populous of these is Tbilisi, and the least populous is Saingilo. The regions serve an administrative purpose, though most of them do not hold any cultural significance.

The country's foreign policy is aligned to the west, though has historically been tied to Russia, and much earlier, the Ottomans and the imperial Iranian dynasties. Issues remain with Russia over their perceived invasion of Abkhazia after the country's independence, and has spoiled the two's relations. Kartvelia aligns with the EU, as the country has been selected as a suitable candidate for future EU expansion.

Kartvelia's military is organized into land and air forces. They are collectively known as the Kartvelian Armed Forces (KAF). The mission and functions of the KAF are based on the Constitution of Kartvelia, Kartvelia's Law on Defense and National Military Strategy, and international agreements to which Kartvelia is signatory. They are performed under the guidance and authority of the Ministry of Defense. After its independence from the Soviet Union, Kartvelia began to develop its own military industry. The first exhibition of products made by STC Delta was in 1999. STC Delta now produces a variety of military equipment, including armored vehicles, artillery systems, aviation systems, personal protection equipment, and small arms.

## Demographics

As of 2021, the population of the country was 8.2 million, making it the second most populous Caucasian nation after Azerbaijan. The country is currently experiencing a population fall, with the average fertility rate in 2019 being 1.9, and is bound to decrease by 0.3 in the next 30 years. The country also suffers from high emigration, as young people in the country leave in search of employment. The government has been taking measures to increase the national birthrate, with tax breaks and subsidies being handed to families with 3 or more children.

The official language of Kartvelia is Kartvelic, a language belonging to the South Caucasian language family. It is related to the Svan, Mingrelian and Laz languages, and is not related to any other language family. Russian, though not an official language, is a preferred second language in Kartvelia, with 10.2% of the populace claiming at least basic proficiency in Russian. English is becoming an increasingly popular language, and Turkish and Iranic to a lesser extent.

    In Lazuria, Laz is spoken to a degree, but the language is partially endangered, and efforts are currently being taken to preserve the language. Abkhaz is much more spoken, by 98.2% of the Abkhaz population, the rest speaking Russian. Additionally, Azerbaijani is spoken in Saingilo and Kakheti, Armenian is spoken in Samtskhe-Akhaltskhe, and Svan is spoken in Svaneti. Other less spoken languages include Svan, Batsbi, Turkish and Persian.

The largest ethnic group in the country is the Kartvelians, a South Caucasian people who number 7.1 million, or 86.5% of the population. This results in 13.5% of the population, or 1.1 million, being comprised of other, non-Kartvelian people. The largest of these are the Laz, at 0.5 million or 6.2% of the population. The Abkhaz, a Northwestern Caucasian people number at 0.3 million people, at 4.1% of the population. Smaller communities of Armenians, Azeris, Svans, Russians, Turks and Iranis are present in the country, mostly around Tbilisi.

The vast majority of people in Kartvelia follow the Orthodox church, specifically it's Kartvelic branch, with it's seat at the Bagratid Cathedral in Kutaisi. It is among the first countries to have converted to Christianity, along with neighboring Armenia and Abyssinia, although Zoroastrianism, the pre-christian religion survived in the country until the 5th century. 7.1 million people (85.4% of the population) is an adherent to Christianity. During the periods of the Arab invasions, Islam was introduced. Today, most muslims in the country are ethnic Azeris, although a sizeable community of Kartvelian muslims exists in southeastern Kartvelia. Muslims account for 7.7% of the entire population, or 633 thousand people.

## Culture

Kartvelian culture evolved over thousands of years from its foundations in the Iberian and Colchian civilizations. The culture enjoyed a renaissance and golden age of classical literature, arts, philosophy, architecture and science in the 11th century. Kartvelian culture was influenced by Classical Greece, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the various Iranian empires (notably the Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanian, Safavid and Qajar empires), and later, from the 19th century, by the Russian Empire.

Kartvelian has an ancient musical tradition, which is primarily known for its early development of polyphony. Kartvelian polyphony is based on three vocal parts, a unique tuning system based on perfect fifths, and a harmonic structure rich in parallel fifths and dissonances. The folk song "Chakrulo" was one of 27 musical compositions included on the Voyager Golden Records that were sent into space on Voyager 2 on 20 August 1977. Professional music in Kartvelia existed at least from the 7-8th centuries, when Georgian composers started translating Greek orthodox Christian chants, adding harmonies to the monophonic melodies, and also were creating original chants.

    The most popular sports in the country are football, basketball, rugby union, wrestling, judo, and weightlifting. Historically, Kartvelia has been famous for its physical education, as the Romans were fascinated with the physical qualities of Kartvelians and the training techniques of ancient Iberia. Wrestling remains a historically important sport of Georgia, and some historians think that the Greco-Roman style of wrestling incorporates many Georgian elements. Once-popular sports in the country included polo and Lelo, a full-contact ball game. The first and only race circuit in Kartvelia, the Rustavi International Motorpark is located in Georgia.

Georgia was one of the countries on the Silk Road, which resulted in travelers influencing Kartvelian cuisine. The love of family and friends is one of the reasons why the *supra* (tablecloth) is so important in Kartvelia. *Supra* ("tablecloth) is offered spontaneously to relatives, friends or guests. Every *supra* has its *tamada* ("toastmaster"), who gives the toast and entertains the guests. The most noteable dish from Kartvelia is Kachapuri, which is a type of cheese-filled bread, which has many regional varieties. Spice, cheese, meat and fish are the most prominent ingredients in Kartvelian cuisine, and one of each appears in most dishes.

Kartvelia has one of the oldest wine traditions in the world. The fertile valleys and protective slopes of the Transcaucasia were home to grapevine cultivation and neolithic wine production for at least 8000 years. Due to the many millennia of wine in Georgian history and its prominent economic role, the traditions of wine are considered entwined with and inseparable from the national identity. Among the best-known wine regions are Kakheti (further divided into the micro-regions of Telavi and Kvareli), Kartli, Imereti, Adjara and Abkhazia.

The country is exceptionally rich in architectural monuments. Characteristic features of the local architecture are monumentality, clear composition, strict proportions, moderate use of decorations, and above all these the harmonic interaction with nature. Kartvelian architecture is influenced by a number of architectural styles, including several each for castles, towers, fortifications, palaces and churches. The Upper Svaneti fortifications and the castle town of Shatili in Khevsureti are among the finest examples of medieval Kartvelian castles. Medieval churches have a distinct character, though related to Armenian and Byzantine architecture, typically combining a conical dome raised high on a drum over a rectangular or cross-shaped lower structure.

The most popular sports in the country are football, basketball, rugby union, wrestling, judo, and weightlifting. Historically, Kartvelia has been famous for its physical education, as the Romans were fascinated with the physical qualities of Kartvelians and the training techniques of ancient Iberia. Wrestling remains a historically important sport of Georgia, and some historians think that the Greco-Roman style of wrestling incorporates many Georgian elements. Once-popular sports in the country included polo and Lelo, a full-contact ball game. The first and only race circuit in Kartvelia, the Rustavi International Motorpark is located in Georgia.