Pavle Ingorokva
Encyclopedia
Pavle Ingorokva (1893-1990) was a Georgian
historian
, philologist
, and public benefactor.
He graduated from the University of St. Petersburg
(1915). In 1917 he was one of the founders of the Union of Georgian Writers. Between 1923-1925, he was the editor-in-chief
of the Georgian scientific and literary Journal Kavkasioni ("The Caucasus").
Between 1929 and 1940 Ingorokva was a Head of the Department of Manuscripts of the State Museum of Georgia (now the Georgian National Museum
), in 1940-1950 a Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of History (Tbilisi
). In 1958 he was one of the founders of the Institute of Manuscripts (now the Georgian National Center of Manuscripts
). He was also a member of the Commission on Study of The Knight in the Panther's Skin
of the Georgian Academy of Sciences
(GAS).
Pavle Ingorokva's main fields of the scientific activity were the history of the Georgian literature, history of Georgia, source studies of the history of Georgia, Rustavelology (Study of the works of the mediaeval Georgian writer Shota Rustaveli
), history of Georgian script, etc. Some of his findings have proved extremely contentious and most western scholars dispute them, claiming his work is biased from an ethno-nationalistic perspective; this is especially in regard to his discussion of the ethnogenesis
of the Georgians and Abkhaz
, and the age of the Georgian alphabet
. A discussion of Ingoroqva’s work can be found in Bruno Coppieters, “In Defence of the Homeland: Intellectuals and the Georgian-Abkhazian Conflict” in Secession, History and the Social Sciences, ed. by Bruno Coppieters and Michel Huysseune, (VUBPress, 2002), p. 93-94.
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...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, philologist
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, and public benefactor.
He graduated from the University of St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University is a Russian federal state-owned higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg and one of the oldest and largest universities in Russia....
(1915). In 1917 he was one of the founders of the Union of Georgian Writers. Between 1923-1925, he was the editor-in-chief
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of the Georgian scientific and literary Journal Kavkasioni ("The Caucasus").
Between 1929 and 1940 Ingorokva was a Head of the Department of Manuscripts of the State Museum of Georgia (now the Georgian National Museum
Georgian National Museum
The Georgian National Museum is a museum network in Georgia that brings together several leading museums from various parts of the country. The Georgian National Museum was established within the framework of structural, institutional and legal reforms aimed at modernizing the management of the...
), in 1940-1950 a Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of History (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...
). In 1958 he was one of the founders of the Institute of Manuscripts (now the Georgian National Center of Manuscripts
Georgian National Center of Manuscripts
The Georgian National Center of Manuscripts is a research and educational institution dedicated to studying old manuscripts and historical documents. The Center is based in Tbilisi . Was founded as Institute of Manuscripts on June 30, 1958...
). He was also a member of the Commission on Study of The Knight in the Panther's Skin
The Knight in the Panther's Skin
The Knight in the Panther's Skin is an epic poem, consisting of over 1600 shairi quatrains, was written in the 12th century by the Georgian epic-poet Shota Rustaveli, who was a Prince and Treasurer at the royal court of Queen Tamar of Georgia. The Knight in the Panther's Skin is often seen as...
of the Georgian Academy of Sciences
Georgian Academy of Sciences
The Georgian National Academy of Sciences is a main learned society of the Georgia. It was named Georgian SSR Academy of Sciences until November 1990...
(GAS).
Pavle Ingorokva's main fields of the scientific activity were the history of the Georgian literature, history of Georgia, source studies of the history of Georgia, Rustavelology (Study of the works of the mediaeval Georgian writer Shota Rustaveli
Shota Rustaveli
Shota Rustaveli was a Georgian poet of the 12th century, and one of the greatest contributors to Georgian literature. He is author of "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" , the Georgian national epic poem....
), history of Georgian script, etc. Some of his findings have proved extremely contentious and most western scholars dispute them, claiming his work is biased from an ethno-nationalistic perspective; this is especially in regard to his discussion of the ethnogenesis
Ethnogenesis
Ethnogenesis is the process by which a group of human beings comes to be understood or to understand themselves as ethnically distinct from the wider social landscape from which their grouping emerges...
of the Georgians and Abkhaz
Abkhaz people
The Abkhaz or Abkhazians are a Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. A large Abkhazian diaspora population resides in Turkey, the origins of which lie in the emigration from the Caucasus in the late 19th century known as Muhajirism...
, and the age of the Georgian alphabet
Georgian alphabet
The Georgian alphabet is the writing system used to write the Georgian language and other Kartvelian languages , and occasionally other languages of the Caucasus such as Ossetic and Abkhaz during the 1940s...
. A discussion of Ingoroqva’s work can be found in Bruno Coppieters, “In Defence of the Homeland: Intellectuals and the Georgian-Abkhazian Conflict” in Secession, History and the Social Sciences, ed. by Bruno Coppieters and Michel Huysseune, (VUBPress, 2002), p. 93-94.
Some main works of Pavle Ingorokva
- Rustveliana (a monograph about Shota RustaveliShota RustaveliShota Rustaveli was a Georgian poet of the 12th century, and one of the greatest contributors to Georgian literature. He is author of "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" , the Georgian national epic poem....
), Tbilisi, 1926, 200 pp. (in GeorgianGeorgian languageGeorgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
) - The Georgian inscriptions of Antique - Bulletin of the Institute of Language, History and Material Culture (ENIMK), vol. X, Tbilisi, 1941, pp. 411-427 (in Georgian)
- The old Georgian chronicle "Moktsevai Kartlisai" and the List of the Kings of IberiaCaucasian IberiaIberia , also known as Iveria , was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia...
(a monograph).- Bulletin of the State Museum of Georgia, vol. XI-B, Tbilisi, 1942, pp. 259-320 (in Georgian) - Giorgi Merchule: kartveli mcerali meate sauvunisa: narkvevi zveli Sakartvelos literaturis, kulturis da saxelmcip oebrivi cxovrebis istoriidan, (Tbilisi; "Sabcota mcerali”, 1954).[Giorgi Merchule - Georgian writer of the 10th century (a monograph)], Tbilisi, 1954, 1000 pp. (in Georgian)
- Ilia Chavchavadze (a monograph), Tbilisi, 1951, 200 pp. (in Georgian)