Tzanaria
Encyclopedia
Tzanaria was a historic district in the early medieval Caucasus
, lying chiefly in what is now the northwestern corner of Georgia
’s Mtskheta-Mtianeti
region
.
In the narrow sense of the term, Tzanaria ' onMouseout='HidePop("73945")' href="/topics/Khevi">Khevi
, i.e. gorge) was applied by the medieval Georgian annals to the area around the Darial Pass, inhabited by the Tzanars. This warlike tribe is already known as Sanars to Ptolemy
. According to the 8th century Arab
historian Masudi, the Tzanars, though Christians
, claimed their origin from Nizar b. Maad b. Murad, and then from a branch of the Ukail family. Although this claim is completely rejected by modern scholars, the origins of the Tzanars are still uncertain. The tribe is sometimes claimed to be an offshoot of Sarmatia
ns. Vladimir Minorsky believes, however, that they were the Nakh-speakers. The modern Circassian historian Amjad Jaimoukha
also supports this .
Whatever their origin, the Tzanars seem to have adopted, over the centuries, many features of Georgian culture, including language and religion, being subsequently completely commingled with the Georgian people
to form one of its ethnographic groups Mokheves
, who were known until recently as Tsans (or Tsons) to the neighboring Ossetes.
The Tzanars gained prominence during the time when Arab
s dominated over the most of the Caucasus
. They staged a powerful uprising against the invaders in the 770s and, according to Ya'qubi
, requested help from the Byzantines
, Khazars
and the as-Saqāliba
. The rebellious tribe soon became a dominant force in the historical Kakheti
region and played a crucial role, circa 787, in the formation of the principality of Kakheti ruled by a prince with the curious title of chorepiscopus. For all practical purposes, the contemporary Arab sources used the word Sanãryia to designate the principality in general. However, the Tzanars seem to have been significantly weakened by the early 9th century, enabling their rival clan of the Gardabani
ans to install their chief Vache
as a chorepiscopus of Kakheti in the 830s. By the end of the 10th century, Tzanaria fell under the kingdom of the Hers
whose king John Senekerim adopted the title of King of the Tzanars.
For the later history see Khevi
.
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, lying chiefly in what is now the northwestern corner of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
’s Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Mtskheta-Mtianeti is a region in eastern Georgia comprising the town of Mtskheta, which serves as a regional capital, together with its district and the adjoining mountainous areas.- External links :...
region
Mkhare
Mkhare is a subdivision in the country of Georgia. It is usually translated as region.The country is divided, according to the Presidential decrees from 1994 to 1996, into regions on a provisional basis until the secessionist conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are resolved...
.
In the narrow sense of the term, Tzanaria ' onMouseout='HidePop("73945")' href="/topics/Khevi">Khevi
Khevi
Khevi is a small historical-geographic area in northeastern Georgia. It is included in the modern-day Kazbegi district, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region...
, i.e. gorge) was applied by the medieval Georgian annals to the area around the Darial Pass, inhabited by the Tzanars. This warlike tribe is already known as Sanars to Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
. According to the 8th century Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
historian Masudi, the Tzanars, though Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, claimed their origin from Nizar b. Maad b. Murad, and then from a branch of the Ukail family. Although this claim is completely rejected by modern scholars, the origins of the Tzanars are still uncertain. The tribe is sometimes claimed to be an offshoot of Sarmatia
Sarmatia
Sarmatia or Sarmatian can refer to:* the land of Sarmatians, western Scythia as described by many classical authors, such as Herodotus in the 5th century BC* Sarmatian languages, part of Scythian languages...
ns. Vladimir Minorsky believes, however, that they were the Nakh-speakers. The modern Circassian historian Amjad Jaimoukha
Amjad Jaimoukha
Amjad Jaimoukha has written a number of books on North Caucasian – specifically Circassian and Chechen – culture and folklore. According to The Circassian Encyclopaedia Amjad Jaimoukha (name in Circassian: Жэмыхъуэ Амджэд; the Circassian personal name "Амыщ" is also sometimes quoted; in...
also supports this .
Whatever their origin, the Tzanars seem to have adopted, over the centuries, many features of Georgian culture, including language and religion, being subsequently completely commingled with the Georgian people
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
to form one of its ethnographic groups Mokheves
Khevi
Khevi is a small historical-geographic area in northeastern Georgia. It is included in the modern-day Kazbegi district, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region...
, who were known until recently as Tsans (or Tsons) to the neighboring Ossetes.
The Tzanars gained prominence during the time when Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s dominated over the most of the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. They staged a powerful uprising against the invaders in the 770s and, according to Ya'qubi
Ya'qubi
Ahmad ibn Abu Ya'qub ibn Ja'far ibn Wahb Ibn Wadih al-Ya'qubi , known as Ahmad al-Ya'qubi, or Ya'qubi, was a Berber Muslim geographer.-Biography:He was a great-grandson of Wadih, the freedman of the caliph Mansur...
, requested help from the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, Khazars
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
and the as-Saqāliba
Saqaliba
Saqaliba refers to the Slavs, particularly Slavic slaves and mercenaries in the medieval Arab world, in the Middle East, North Africa, Sicily and Al-Andalus. It is generally thought that the Arabic term is a Byzantine loanword: saqlab, siklab, saqlabi etc. is a corruption of Greek Sklavinoi for...
. The rebellious tribe soon became a dominant force in the historical Kakheti
Kakheti
Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...
region and played a crucial role, circa 787, in the formation of the principality of Kakheti ruled by a prince with the curious title of chorepiscopus. For all practical purposes, the contemporary Arab sources used the word Sanãryia to designate the principality in general. However, the Tzanars seem to have been significantly weakened by the early 9th century, enabling their rival clan of the Gardabani
Gardabani (historic district)
Gardabani was a region in medieval Georgia, in the extreme southeast of the country, centered at the fortress of Khunani. This land roughly corresponds to a district lying south of Tbilisi, west of the Mtkvari River....
ans to install their chief Vache
Vache of Kakheti
Vache was a prince and chorepiscopus of Kakheti in eastern Georgia from 827 to 839. He came of the Kvabulidze clan and was installed by the Gardabanian community after the death of his predecessor Grigol. He was succeeded by Samuel.- References :...
as a chorepiscopus of Kakheti in the 830s. By the end of the 10th century, Tzanaria fell under the kingdom of the Hers
Hereti
Hereti was a historic province in the medieval Caucasus on the Georgian-Albanian frontier. It roughly corresponds to the southeastern corner of Georgia's Kakheti region and a portion of Azerbaijan's northwestern districts.-History:...
whose king John Senekerim adopted the title of King of the Tzanars.
For the later history see Khevi
Khevi
Khevi is a small historical-geographic area in northeastern Georgia. It is included in the modern-day Kazbegi district, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region...
.