MATERIALS FOR RESEARCH ON THE ETHNIC IDENTITY OF SOME FAMILIES AND THEIR HISTORICAL MEMORY

Abstract

Throughout various stages of its history, Georgia has faced numerous challenges. Yet, time and again, the Georgian people have found ways to safeguard their country, their families, and their heritage, making decisions that prioritized their best interests.

Among these tumultuous periods, the 18th century stands out as one of the most difficult. The relentless military campaigns of the Ottomans further exacerbated an already dire situation. The consequences of these prolonged conflicts were swiftly felt. From the era of Shah Abbas, who was relatively tolerant of the Armenian Church, the processes of Islamization and Armenization of the Georgian population were sharply intensified. These shifts were driven, on one hand, by the policies of neighboring Muslim rulers and, on the other, by Georgian rulers appointed by them, many of whom had converted to Islam. According to the Monuments of Georgian Law, by the mid-18th century, the ecclesiastical landscape had dramatically changed. In Kartli, only six of the original twenty-one bishoprics remained, in Kakheti, just four of twenty, and in Meskheti, none of the fourteen.

The severe restrictions on rights and the harsh living conditions forced a portion of the population to adopt foreign religions, thereby securing certain privileges to sustain their existence. The Islamic world, which exerted pressure on Georgia, employed various methods to hasten the erosion of Georgian religious traditions and accelerate the assimilation of the Georgian people into foreign cultures.

Among certain segments of the population, the notion of assimilation was somewhat successfully realized. However, for the majority of Georgians, the defense of Christianity became synonymous with the preservation of their national identity. Christianity and Georgianness were often fused into a singular, inseparable principle. To the masses, anyone who embraced a foreign religion was perceived as having forsaken their Georgian identity, as faith and nationality were regarded as one and the same.

Key words: Ethnic identity, historical memory, idea of ​​nationality, faith, nationality, Georgian Catholics, 19th century cameral census.