GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN RELATIONS AND SAMACHABLO

Abstract

During the XVII century resettlement of the ethnic Ossetian population from the Northern Caucasus had begun in the upper side of Didi Liakhvi Gorge. The Ossetian settlements had first appeared in the mountainous villages. During the Soviet era we had witnessed an artificial burial in oblivion of the Ossetian migration to Georgia and the research of the issue had been conducted in distorted manner. Unfortunately, many Georgian scholars had their input in this case. With the laboring from the ideologists of the Communist party to create a long history for ethnic Ossetians residing in Georgia, had encouraged the Ossetian pseudo-scientists to make the myth of ethnic Ossetian long-term residence in Georgia a subject of scholarly research. It is known that after the Mongol invasions, the Ossetians residing on the Southern part of Russia had been in difficult situation, and the survivors of the invasions had decided to resettle in the mountainous areas of the Northern Caucasus. As according to the historical sources, the resettlement of the ethnic Ossetians from the southern valleys of Russia to Georgia had begun in the II part of the XVII century. The process of the assimilation had occurred of the Scythian-Sarmatian and Alans after their resettlement with the peoples who had created the (Kolch-Koban culture (In Georgian sources a term “Ovsi, Ovsebi” is preserved as the ethnonym of the Ossetian people). The Alans had oppressed the local population and consequently had taken over their territories. In order to better illustrate this, we can mention the “Dvali’s”. Part of the member of Dvali’s had to resettle to the Georgian lowlands and the rests had mixed with the Alans. On the territories resided by the “Davli’s the Ossetian language had been put in practice. Vakhushti Batonishvili abruptly distinguishes the Dval language from the Ossetian language: “They have an ancient language, Dval language, however they speak Ossetian.” The process of Dvali’s becoming Ossetians is described by R. Topchishvili, as non single act, as the assimilation process had been going on for a long time and it had mainly occurred during the XVI-XVII centuries. During the I part of the XVII century ethnic Georgians (with Georgian surnames) had resided in Dvaleti, however in XVIII century the population there had consisted of ethnic Ossetians. After their adjustment in Dvaleti, during the I part of the XVII century part of the ethnic Ossetian population had resettled to the upper part of the river Terek (Truso Gorge) and the other part had resettled to the Didi Liakhvi Gorge- Magran-Dvaleti. The resettlements of the Ossetians had been followed by relapses. The newly settled population had often attacked the local population, which had resulted in fatal occurrences, as this is attested in the Java Deed, which is dated back to the 30s of the XVII century. In the Deed, we encounter the facts of the Ossetian population attacking the local population. Special administrative units (Samouravo) had been specifically been created for Ossetian population, and the heads of the administrative units had been tasked with gathering taxes. It should be noted that the confrontation of the resettled Ossertian and local Georgian population did not have the ethnic disposition, as the then relapses had bared social character. The Ossetian from the Northern Caucasus had attacked the local population with the sole purpose of possessing the horticultural products and the cattle. Unlike the local population, they had not been accustomed to paying taxes or live with the state regulations, lodging, or lodger’s life was new to the ethnic Ossetians and their recalcitrance towards the government had been conditioned by the reason.

Keywords: Resettlement of Ossetians, Migration of Ossetians to Georgia, Assimilation of Dvals with the Ossetians, Georgian-Ossetian relations.