House of Orbeliani
Encyclopedia
The Orbeliani was a Georgian
noble family (tavadi
), which branched off the Baratashvili
family in the 17th century and later produced several lines variously called Orbeliani, Orbelishvili (ორბელიშვილი), Qaplanishvili (ყაფლანიშვილი), and Jambakur(ian)-Orbeliani (ჯამბაკურ[იან]-ორბელიანი). They were prominent in Georgia’s politics, culture, and science; remained so under the Russian rule
in the 19th century – when most of the Orbeliani lines were received among the princely nobility (knyaz
) of the Russian Empire
– and into the 20th century.
, "Son of Heaven of China").
This new princely dynasty received the surname of Orbelishvili (later Orbeliani) or Qaplanishvili after its two early members – Orbel (fl.
1600) and his son Qaplan (killed in 1671). The Orbeliani were in possession of a large fief called Saorbelo or Saqaplanishvilo which comprised the southern part of the Baratashvili princedom (Sabaratiano), including much of the Ktsia and the Dmanisi valleys in what is now the Kvemo Kartli
region
of Georgia. They were considered among the six "undivided" houses of the Kingdom of Kartli, which outranked those that had succumbed to the weakening division of their dynastic allods.
By the 18th century, the Orbeliani exercised sovereignty over almost 100 lesser noble families (aznauri
) and 2,000 peasants who lived in nearly 160 villages. They had a palace and familial abbey in Tandzia, castles at Dmanisi
, Kveshi and Khuluti, and monasteries in Pitareti
and Dmanisi. The members of the Orbeliani family were enfe0ffed of the offices of High Constable of Somkhiti
, Lord Chief Justice and, jointly with the House of Mukhrani
and Panaskerteli, Prince-Master of the Palace of Georgia.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the Orbeliani left their patrimonial estates in Kvemo Kartli – plagued by incessant forays by the Turkic tribes – and resettled in Tbilisi
, the capital of Georgia.
After the Russian annexation of Georgia, seven Orbeliani lines were recognized in a princely rank: four as Princes Dzhambakurian-Orbeliani , one as Princes Dzhambakur-Orbelianov (Джамбакур-Орбелианов), and two as Princes Orbelianov (Орбельянов):
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
noble family (tavadi
Tavadi
Tavadi , "prince", lit. "head/chief" [man], from tavi, "head", with the prefix of agent -di) was a feudal title in Georgia first applied in the Late Middle Ages usually translated in English as prince...
), which branched off the Baratashvili
Baratashvili
Baratashvili is a Georgian noble family, appearing at the end of the 15th century as a continuation of the Kachibadze , which were possibly related to the Liparitids-Orbeli....
family in the 17th century and later produced several lines variously called Orbeliani, Orbelishvili (ორბელიშვილი), Qaplanishvili (ყაფლანიშვილი), and Jambakur(ian)-Orbeliani (ჯამბაკურ[იან]-ორბელიანი). They were prominent in Georgia’s politics, culture, and science; remained so under the Russian rule
Georgia within the Russian Empire
Between 1801 and 1918 the country of Georgia was part of the Russian Empire. For centuries, the Muslim Ottoman and Persian empires had fought over various fragmented Georgian kingdoms and principalities but by the 18th century, a third imperial power, Russia, had emerged in the region. Since Russia...
in the 19th century – when most of the Orbeliani lines were received among the princely nobility (knyaz
Knyaz
Kniaz, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....
) of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
– and into the 20th century.
History
The Orbeliani sprung off the princes Baratashvili – themselves possible descendants of the medieval house of Liparitid-Orbeli – amid the bloody family feuds in the 17th century. The latter-day Orbeliani claimed Chinese imperial descent and the gentilitial title of Janbakur (later Jambakur; in PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, "Son of Heaven of China").
This new princely dynasty received the surname of Orbelishvili (later Orbeliani) or Qaplanishvili after its two early members – Orbel (fl.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1600) and his son Qaplan (killed in 1671). The Orbeliani were in possession of a large fief called Saorbelo or Saqaplanishvilo which comprised the southern part of the Baratashvili princedom (Sabaratiano), including much of the Ktsia and the Dmanisi valleys in what is now the Kvemo Kartli
Kvemo Kartli
Kvemo Kartli is a historic province and current administrative region in southeastern Georgia. The city of Rustavi is a regional capital. The population is mixed between Azeris and Georgians .The current governor is Davit Kirkitadze.- External links :* *...
region
Mkhare
Mkhare is a subdivision in the country of Georgia. It is usually translated as region.The country is divided, according to the Presidential decrees from 1994 to 1996, into regions on a provisional basis until the secessionist conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are resolved...
of Georgia. They were considered among the six "undivided" houses of the Kingdom of Kartli, which outranked those that had succumbed to the weakening division of their dynastic allods.
By the 18th century, the Orbeliani exercised sovereignty over almost 100 lesser noble families (aznauri
Aznauri
Aznauri was a class of Georgian nobility; the term that was first applied to all nobles, but in the later Middle Ages narrowed to designate the petty nobles....
) and 2,000 peasants who lived in nearly 160 villages. They had a palace and familial abbey in Tandzia, castles at Dmanisi
Dmanisi
Dmanisi is a townlet and archaeological site in Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia approximately 93 km southwest of the nation’s capital Tbilisi in the river valley of Mashavera.- History :...
, Kveshi and Khuluti, and monasteries in Pitareti
Pitareti
Pitareti is a medieval Orthodox Christian monastery in Georgia, approximately 26 km southwest of the town of Tetritsq'aro, Kvemo Kartli, southwest of the nation’s capital Tbilisi....
and Dmanisi. The members of the Orbeliani family were enfe0ffed of the offices of High Constable of Somkhiti
Somkhiti
Somkhiti was an ambiguous geographic term used in medieval and early modern Georgian historical sources to refer to Armenia on one hand and to the Armeno-Georgian marchlands along the river valleys of Debed and Khrami on the other hand...
, Lord Chief Justice and, jointly with the House of Mukhrani
House of Mukhrani
The house of Mukhrani is a Georgian princely family, a collateral branch of the former royal dynasty of Bagrationi of which it sprung early in the 16th century, and received in appanage the domain of Mukhrani located in Kartli, central Georgia...
and Panaskerteli, Prince-Master of the Palace of Georgia.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the Orbeliani left their patrimonial estates in Kvemo Kartli – plagued by incessant forays by the Turkic tribes – and resettled in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, the capital of Georgia.
After the Russian annexation of Georgia, seven Orbeliani lines were recognized in a princely rank: four as Princes Dzhambakurian-Orbeliani , one as Princes Dzhambakur-Orbelianov (Джамбакур-Орбелианов), and two as Princes Orbelianov (Орбельянов):
| Family | Date of recognition | Date of confirmation | Governorate Guberniya A guberniya was a major administrative subdivision of the Russian Empire usually translated as government, governorate, or province. Such administrative division was preserved for sometime upon the collapse of the empire in 1917. A guberniya was ruled by a governor , a word borrowed from Latin ,... |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dzhambakurian-Orbeliani I | 7 March 1826 | 22 December 1848, 13 April and 12 October 1849, 28 November 1851 |
Tiflis Tiflis Governorate Tiflis Governorate was one of the guberniyas of the Russian Empire with its centre in Tiflis . In 1897 it constituted 44,607 sq. kilometres in area and had a population of 1,051,032 inhabitants... |
|
| Dzhambakurian-Orbeliani II | 9 October 1829 | 24 November 1854 | Tiflis | |
| Dzhambakurian-Orbeliani III | 6 December 1850 | Tiflis | ||
| Dzhambakurian-Orbeliani IV | 28 March 1873 | Tiflis | Authorization for the ward of Prince Dimitri Dzhambakurian-Orbeliani, Fevronia (a natural daughter of Prince Aleksandr Baryatinsky and Princess Elisaveta Dmitrievna Dzhambakurian-Orbeliani, born before their marriage), to take the name and title of her guardian | |
| Dzhambakur-Orbelianov | 20 September 1825 | 28 November 1851, 9 October and 27 November 1858 | Tiflis | |
| Orbelianov I | 20 September 1825 | Tiflis | ||
| Orbelianov II | 17 June 1852 and 9 July 1853 | Poltava Poltava Governorate The Poltava Governorate or Government of Poltava was a guberniya in the historical Left-bank Ukraine region of the Russian Empire, which was officially created in 1802 from the disbanded Malorossiya Governorate which was split between the Chernigov Governorate and Poltava Governorate with an... |
This branch came to Russia in the suite of King Vakhtang VI of Kartli Vakhtang VI of Kartli Vakhtang VI , also known as Vakhtang the Scholar and Vakhtang the Lawgiver, was a Wāli of Kartli, eastern Georgia, as a nominal vassal to the Persian shah from 1716 to 1724. Traditionally, he has been still styled as king of Kartli... in the 1720s |
Notable members
- Sulkhan-Saba OrbelianiSulkhan-Saba OrbelianiPrince Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani was a Georgian prince, writer, monk and convert to Roman Catholicism.- Biography :...
(1658–1725), a writer, monk, and diplomat - David OrbelianiDavid OrbelianiDavid Orbeliani , monikered David "the General" was a Georgian military figure, politician, translator, and a poet of some talent....
(1739–1796), a soldier, politician, and translator - Alexander OrbelianiAlexander OrbelianiPrince Alexander Orbeliani was a Georgian Romanticist poet, playwright, journalist and historian, of the noble House of Orbeliani....
(1802–1869), a poet, playwright, journalist, and historian - Grigol OrbelianiGrigol OrbelianiGrigol Orbeliani was a Georgian Romanticist poet and soldier in the Imperial Russian service. One of the most colorful figures in the 19th-century Georgian culture, Orbeliani is noted for his patriotic poetry, lamenting Georgia's lost past and independent monarchy...
(1804–1883), a poet, and soldier - Vakhtang OrbelianiVakhtang OrbelianiVakhtang Orbeliani was a Georgian Romanticist poet and soldier in the Imperial Russian service, of the noble House of Orbeliani....
(1812–1890), a poet and soldier - Georgi Ilich Orbeliani (1853–1924), a soldier
- Ivan Makarovich OrbelianiIvan Makarovich OrbelianiPrince Ivan Makarovich Orbeliani was a Georgio-Russian general and governor of Kutaisi.- Biography :He was born as a member of one of the most important princely families of Georgia, the House of Orbeliani. His parents war Prince Mamuka Tomazovich of Orbeliani and Ketevan Princess Eristavi of Ksani...
(1844-1919), a general