"UGVARONI" (THE COMMONERS) IN THE POLITICAL LIFE OF GEORGIA (JIKUR, THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES)

Abstract

Drawing upon a critical analysis of references in "The Georgian Chronicles" and scientific publications of Georgian researchers, this work evaluates specific aspects of the roles and activities of the non-noble officials within the medieval Georgian monarchy (so-called "ugvaroni" or commoners)—particularly focusing on Jikur, the Master of Ceremonies.

As is known, for a certain period he gained considerable power at the royal court of King David VII Ulu (1247-1270). During the king's prolonged absence at the Mongol horde, he effectively ruled the country alongside Queen Jigda-Khatun, however his temporary rise to power ended very soon, undermined by his humble origins - he fell victim to the monarch's cruelty. In this work, we once again tried to critically re-examine the activities of this energetic, determined and intelligent public figure and demonstrate that he was not a typical "time-server" and unfairly became a victim of the harsh reality of the Georgian feudal era.

Key words: Feudal era; "time-server"; "ugvaroni"; Jikur - the Master of Ceremonies.