Guria history

The history of Guria is best traced back to the 15th century. At the beginning of this century, it was merely a part of Western Georgia. However, by the middle of the century, Bagrat, the eristavi (duke) of Kutaisi from the Bagrationi-Imeretian lineage, rebelled against the central government. In 1463, he succeeded in defeating the army of King George VIII in the Battle of Chikori (near the fortress of Argveti). This marked a significant turning point, as Western Georgia effectively separated from Central Georgia. Following this victory, Bagrat was crowned king of Imereti and divided his territories into samtavro, distributing them among his supporters: the Shervaishvili family received Abkhazia, the Gelovani family gained Svaneti, the Dadiani family acquired Megrelia, and the Vardanidze family was granted Guria.

The Vardanidze family is an ancient lineage that once ruled over Svaneti. Eventually, they split into the Dadiani family, which further branched out into the Gurieli family. Guria was awarded to Mamia (died 1469), the son of Liparit Dadiani, in 1463. This individual is particularly notable for marrying the daughter of David Komnenos, the last emperor of the Trebizond Empire. The empire itself ceased to exist in 1461, and David passed away in Istanbul in 1463. The offspring of Mamia Gurieli and the emperor’s daughter was Kahaber Gurieli (1469–1483). From this point onward, the Gurieli family considered themselves the descendants and heirs of the Trebizond Empire. Kahaber’s son, Giorgi I (1483–1512), became the prince of the independent principality of Guria in 1491, which encompassed all of modern-day Guria and nearly all of Adjara.

The Gurieli family had several local Gurian princes as vassals, including Gugunava, Machutadze, Maximanishvili, Nakashidze, Tavdgiridze, Shalikashvili, Zedgenidze, and Eristavi-Shervaishvili. Notably, the Nakashidze family’s core possessions were lands west of Ozurgeti, particularly the village of Gorianta, where their ancestral church still stands today, and the village of Tsikhisperdi, which once housed their castle.

In 1681, Prince Giorgi Gurieli even managed to become the king of Imereti, but was deposed by the Turks in 1683. Despite his attempts to resist, he ultimately perished in the battle of Rokiti in 1684. His son Mamia ascended to the throne of Imereti three times: in 1701-02, 1711, and 1713.

From the late 16th century onward, the Turks began advancing from the south, gradually conquering all of Adjara. Guria found itself in a precarious situation and was compelled to submit to Mingrelia. By 1723, the Gurieli princes had definitively lost Batumi. Turkish raids led to significant depopulation, and by 1770, only about 5,000 to 6,000 families remained in the principality.

On June 19, 1810, Mamia V Gurieli (1803–1826) accepted Russian citizenship. In 1819, a major anti-Russian uprising erupted in Guria. David, the son of Mamia, was found to be negotiating with the Turks, leading to the dissolution of the principality on September 2, 1829, when it was transformed into a county.

Significant events unfolded in Guria in 1905. During the First Russian Revolution, peasant unrest spread throughout the region, culminating in the declaration of an independent Gurian Republic in November. This republic lasted only a couple of months before being dissolved on January 10, 1906, by an expedition led by Colonel Krylov.

In 1928, in the Lanchkhuti district, the village of Mamati became the birthplace of E. A. Shevardnadze, who would later become the president of the country. Additionally, among other notable figures, the famous director V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko was born in Guria in 1858.