Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts and Eurasian Contexts

Description

Original literature first appeared among the indigenous population of Caucasia in the fifth century AD as a consequence of its Christianization. Though a number of Armenian histories were composed at this time, several centuries elapsed before the Georgians created their own. But how many centuries? Through a meticulous investigation of internal textual criteria, Studies in Medieval Georgian Historiography challenges the traditional eleventh-century dating of the oldest Georgian narrative histories and probes their interrelationships. Illuminating Caucasia's status as a cultural crossroads, it reveals the myriad Eurasian influences - written and oral, Christian and non-Christian - on these "pre-Bagratid" histories produced between the seventh and the ninth century. Eastern Georgia's place in the Eurasian world and its long-standing connection to the Iranian Commonwealth are specially highlighted. This volume also examines several related historical and historiographical problems of the early Bagratid period and supplies critical translations of six early Georgian histories previously unavailable in English. Professor of History at Georgia State University, Atlanta (USA), and is the Founding Director of its Program in World History and Cultures ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LIST OF MAPS & PHOTOGRAPHS INTRODUCTION TRANSLITERATION TABLES ABBREVIATIONS & BIBLIOGRAPHY PART I: THE INITIAL COMPONENTS OF K'ART'LIS C'XOVREBA 1 BEGINNINGS: C'XOREBAY K'ART'VELT'A MEP'ET'A 2 HAYK AND K'ART'LOS: EVOLUTION OF A CAUCASIAN ORIGIN MYTH 3 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF VAXTANG GORGASALI: C'XOREBAY VAXTANG GORGASUSA PART II: THE HISTORICAL COMPONENTS OF MOK'C'EVAY K'ART'LISAY 4 THE PRE-CHRISTIAN SECTION: THE PRIMARY HISTORY OF K'ART'LI AND ROYAL LIST I 5 CHRISTIAN RULERS AND CHIEF PRELATES: ROYAL LISTS II AND III PART III: TOWARDS POLITICAL UNIFICATION 6 SUMBAT DAVIT'IS-DZE: A BAGRATID PERSPECTIVE ON GEORGIAN HISTORY 7 SAK'ART'VELO CONCLUSIONS APPENDIX I: RECEPTION: MXIT'AR AYRIVANEC'I APPENDIX II: THE DATE AND AUTHOR OF THE MARTYRDOM OF ARCH'IL APPENDIX III: THE DIVAN OF THE AP'XAZIAN KINGS INDEX TABLE OF CONTENTS