Georgians

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Georgians

The Georgians (georg. ქართველები / Kartwelebi ) in the broader sense are the inhabitants of the Caucasian state of Georgia and, in the narrower sense, the largest population group in the country, the speakers of the Georgian language . The Georgian name Kartweli (Georgian) is derived from Kartli , a region in central Georgia. Another version goes back to Kartlos , the son of Targamos, the great grandson of Noah , the mythological forefather of the Georgian people. According to this legend, the name Kartli in central Georgia comes from Kartlos, as he was buried in this principality after his death.

distribution

About 3.2 of the 4 million Georgians live in Georgia (approx. 83% of the population), another 158,000 in Turkey (mainly in the former Georgian provinces of Tao-Klardscheti ), 157,000 in Russia , 100,000 in Iran , 35,000 in in Ukraine and around 16,300 in Azerbaijan . Another 200,000 Georgians live in other countries, including Canada , the United States , France , Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands .

Lineage and History

The Georgians are believed to have emerged from the amalgamation of various Southwest Caucasian tribes. They were Christianized from the 4th century onwards by a Cappadocian preacher, who later became Saint Nino . Some regions such as B. Ajaria were partly Islamized in the course of the Islamic expansion , but the clear majority remained Christian in these areas as well. From around 900 to 1800 the Georgian regions were initially united as the Kingdom of Georgia and later ruled in several states by the Georgian Bagratid dynasty. From 1801, the Georgian territory was gradually annexed by Russia . An independent republic, the Democratic Republic of Georgia , was established in 1918, but it was annexed by the Soviet Union just three years later. In 1991 Georgia declared its independence again.

language

The Georgian language belongs to the southern branch of the Caucasian languages and is closely related to the Mingrelian, Lasic and Swan languages. The relationship with other Caucasian languages ​​is controversial, for example, the Mingrelians are counted among the Georgians in censuses. The Georgians use their own characters for their language, the Georgian script , which is one of the oldest scripts in the world.

Well-known Georgians

literature

  • Arthur Leist: Georgia: nature, customs and inhabitants . Leipzig 1885.
  • Nicholas Awde: The Georgians: people, culture and history . Benett & Bloom, London 2004, ISBN 1-898948-52-6 .
  • William ED Allen: A history of the Georgian people: From the beginning down to the Russian conquest in the nineteenth century . Barnes & Noble, New York 1971.
  • Steffi Chotiwari-Jünger: Georgians in Berlin , Berlin 1999, 80 p., Publisher: Berlin Foreigners Commissioner. (printed in Georgian: "kartvelebi berlinši", Tbilissi 2001, 68. p.)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jump up to: from Rezvani, Babak (Winter 2009). "The Fereydani Georgian Representation". Anthropology of the Middle East 4 (2): 52-74. doi: 10.3167 / ame.2009.040205 .
  2. ↑ Всеукраїнський перепис населення 2001 | German version | Results | Nationality and citizenship | The distribution of the population by nationality and mother tongue | Selection :. Retrieved September 24, 2018 .
  3. ^ M. Paul Lewis (ed.): Ethnologue: Languages ​​of the World. 16th edition. SIL International, Dallas (Texas) 2009, ISBN 978-1-55671-216-6 .

Web links

Commons : Georgians  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Georgians  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations