Giorgi Kavtaradze Publications

About the Settlement of the Kartvelian Tribes in Anatolia.

http://us.share.geocities.com/komblema/tomta.htm

(Lang: Georgian)

Treaty of Adrianopol

Why Javakheti is mostly populated by Armenians?
in September 9, 1829. Turkey and Russia signed the Treaty of Adrianopol. according to which they exchanged population. 75000 Meskheti Georgians were resettled to the territory of Ottoman empire while 14000-35000 Armenians were resettled to Javakheti. where after this exchange they have become a majority on Georgian land.

Truth about Javakheti

For the first time region Javakheti (often refered as Javakhk by ethnic Armenians) is mentioned in the historical source about Georgian king Parnavaz, where it is said that Javakheti (Javakhk) is administrative entity of Kartli kingdom that has its own ruler Eristavi (Georgian: ერისთავი) meaning Head of a Nation.

In the I century BC Greek geographer Strabon in his work indicates that Armenia that was initially very small grew larger during Artaxias (Armenian Ruler). Strabon also tells that Armenia managed to occupy foreign territories namely Paradre (modern Parkhal), Khorzene (part of modern Samtskhe-Javakheti), Meskheti and Gogareni (Modern Lower Kartli). Strabon clearly states that these territories (including Javakheti) were integral part of Ibeian Kingdom (ancient Georgian state) that was temporarily occupied by Armenians during short period of time.

Temporary occupying the territory by Armenians obviously does not mean that these territories indeed became Armenian. If this is the case then in medieval ages 70% of Armenian land was under Georgian Kingdom, consequently with the same success we can claim that major part of Armenian land is in fact Georgian.

In the I century AD king of Kartli (Georgian Kingdom) Parsman I (Kveli) managed to get back Javakheti (Javakhk). Moreover since that time Armenian kingdom was for several decades ruled by Georgian royal family.

In the V century during the ruling of Vakhtang V (Gorgaslani) Javakheti (Javakhk) was an ordinary province of Georgia and after his death his second wife the Byzantinian princess settled in Tsunda (part of Javakheti) again proving that Javakheti was an integral part of Georgian Kingdom otherwise Georgian queen would not hold a residense there.

In VII century Armenian geographer Ashkhara Tsuitsi states that Javakheti is part of Kartli Kingdom (Georgian state). During Arab domination Javakheti is still under Georgian kingdom. Many Georgian epigraphic traces are found on this land dating VIII-IX centuries especially in Saint Giorgi’s and Saint Theodore’s churches proving that Javakheti was a part of Georgian cultural area and moreover belonged to Georgian Orthodox Church.

In 1829 Adrianople treaty was signed, where parties agreed to exchange the population. Russians heavily discriminated Georgian muslim population. 75,000 Georgian families were forced to to leave their land and resettle to Turkey, while Russians resettled 14,000 Armenians in Javakheti (Javakhk)in the early 30s of 19th century. Georgian population of the region became a minority on its own land.

During those times there was a special notice in Javakheti that displayed the words of General Paskevics (a Russian military official, who was an initiator of settlement of Armenians families in Javakheti): “Владей этой землей без опаски… Российская армия тебя защитит” (Owe this land without fear, Russian army is protecting you). Paskevics in his memories shares his motivation for this operation. According to him the aim was to create the population that would be liable to the Russian empire and therefore be loyal to it. Modern Armenian population from Javakheti(Javakhk) is very well aware that originally Armenains to that land came from Erzurum, however fail to admit this fact.

Unfortunately, what is today going on in Javakheti (Javakhk) is really embarassing. Certain groups of people intentionally damage Georgian historical monuments, steal stones with ancient Georgian writings and build churches of Armenain architectural style in order to “prove” that Javakheti (Javakhk) is Armenian land.

Extract from the Article from the Georgian periodical “Kviris Palitra” (July 9, 2007)