REGARDING THE UNSPECIFIED ISSUE REGARDING THE COMPOSITION OF THE GEORGIAN DIPLOMATIC MISSION TO FRANCE LED BY SULKHAN-SABA ORBELIANI

Abstract

It is of great significance to note that human trafficking, lamentably, has been a pervasive practice since antiquity. Georgia, unsurprisingly, was not exempt from this grim reality. This detrimental custom was particularly prevalent in Western Georgia and reached its most painful expression during the period of Ottoman dominion.

The roots of human trafficking were both political and economic in nature. A closer examination reveals that the local aristocracy played an active role in this exploitative enterprise, with it serving as one of their primary and crucial sources of revenue. Moreover, a substantial portion of the tribute owed to the Ottoman sultans encompassed the capture of prisoners, and any violation of this stipulation could have led to a renegotiation of the peace treaty between the nations.

The overwhelming majority of captive women were relegated to the Ottoman harems, while select groups of boys were dispatched to the Mamluk and Janissary corps, where they participated in the military campaigns of the Ottoman Empire.

One of the principal hubs for human trafficking in Western Georgia was Tskhum (modern-day Sukhumi), located in what is now the region of Abkhazia.

Society, driven by progressive ideals, consistently waged a fierce battle against this intractable and horrific affliction. Among the various methods employed by the clergy in their efforts to combat the traffickers, the use of "cursing" threats was notably prevalent—an excommunication-like punishment that, at the time, carried immense severity.

Even in the latter half of the 17th century, the political, social, and religious climate in Abkhazia and Samegrelo remained extraordinarily volatile. This precarious situation was exacerbated by internal conflicts, which only served to deepen the turmoil further.

The noble endeavor of spreading Christianity was spearheaded by Catholicos Grigol Lortkipanidze. As early as 1713, French missionary Jean Richard, who, alongside Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, visited the Catholicos of Abkhazia, G. Lortkipanidze, recorded in a letter to Tours: "The Patriarch of Samegrelo and other provinces accompanied us to the Black Sea. Previously, this Patriarch had expressed to me on numerous occasions his intention to join the Catholic Church. He implored me to send missionaries to three regions, wishing to establish them in Samegrelo, Imereti, and Abkhazia, areas inhabited by pagans. His aim was to spread the faith among the Circassians and other nearby provinces, all of which were largely pagan. Mr. Saba was present during all our discussions and encouraged the Patriarch to send his aide, David Monazon, to accompany him, so that he could later join the missionaries I would dispatch."

The negotiations surrounding this matter progressed favorably in the initial stages, largely due to the vigorous efforts of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, who met with King Louis XIV on two separate occasions.

Key words: Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, Catholicos of Abkhazia G. Lortkipanidze, Minister Tours, David Mghebrishvili, Sukhumi, Christianity, pagan beliefs – representations, Genatian bishops.