THE RECORD OF THE ERISTAVS

Summary

The present publication contains a commented Russian translation of the Georgian family chronicle of the Ksani eristavs. The manuscript of the chronicle (autograph), consisting of ten detached parchment leaves, is preserved in Leningrad, at the department of MSS of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The MS is defective – the opening and closing parts are missing. The text is written in black ink, in the ecclesiastical cursive – nuskhakhutsuri-script. The initial letters of paragraphs and of some proper names, as well as of the alphabetical designation of dates, are in capitals – asomtavruli.

“The Record of the Eristavs” was apparently compiled not earlier than 1405-1406 and not later than 1410, at Largvis Monastery (present day village of Monasteri, at the confluence of the Churta and Ksani rivers) which-down to the early nineteenth century – was the burial place of the Ksani eristavs.

The authorship of the chronicle is tentatively ascribed to Grigol Bandas-dze, son of Avgaroz Bandas-dze, one of three bookmen of the Largvis monastery in the second half of the 14th and early 15th centuries.

The Record clearly falls into two parts. The first describes events of the ninth century: unrest in Dvaleti prior to the establishment of the rule of eristavs, augmentation of power of the Ksani eristavs Kvenipneveli-Largveli under the eristavs Rostom and Largveli and their relations with Kartli, and construction in Largvisi and Dvaleti. All this occured under the kings Istvinian and David Bagratoniani.

The second part of the chronicle covers the period from the end of the 13th century to ca 1405. Here particular attention is given to the description of Timur's campaigns in Georgia.

The opening portion of the “Record of the Eristavs” is probably based on some chronicle which must have been written much earlier than the fourteenth century – perhaps shortly after the events described.

It should be assumed that in its account of the developments in the Ksani Eristavate the document in question is based on reliable sources – an a chronicle dealing with 11th-century occurrences and certain 14th-century sources. However the compiler of the chronicle did not possess good sources on the history of Kartli, and on the kingdom of Georgia in general; hence he committed some errors in relating separate events in the Ksani Eristavate with parallel developments in Kartli. The period of the rule of Virshel III and king Giorgi VII constitutes on exception for the description of the period given by a contemporary author, raises no doubts.

“The Record of the Eristavs” contains evidence on a period treated very scantily in the annals – hence it constitutes the only source for the study of the history of the relations of Eastern Georgia with the mountain tribes – mainly with the Dvals. In addition, the chronicle contains valuable materials for the study of socio-economic relations, expecially in the mountains areas of Kartli.