Tiflis Governorate

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Tiflis Governorate
Тифлисская губерния
Coat of arms of Tiflis Governorate 1878.svg
Tiflis Governorate ATD.png
Administrative map of the Tiflis Governorate
Country Russian Empire
Viceroyalty Caucasus
Established1846
Abolished1917
CapitalTiflis
(present-day Tbilisi)
Area
  Total40,861.03 km2 (15,776.53 sq mi)
Highest elevation5,034 m (16,516 ft)
Population
 (1916)
  Total1,473,308
  Density36/km2 (93/sq mi)
   Urban
40.90%
   Rural
59.10%

Tiflis Governorate [lower-alpha 1] was a province ( guberniya ) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire with its administrative centre in Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi). In 1897, it constituted 44,607 square kilometres (17,223 sq mi) in area and had a population of 1,051,032 inhabitants. [1] Tiflis Governorate bordered Elizavetpol Governorate to the southeast, Erivan Governorate to the south, Kars Oblast to the southwest, Batum Oblast to the west, Kutaisi Governorate to the northwest, Terek Oblast to the north, Dagestan Oblast to the northeast, and after 1905, the Zakatal Okrug to the east. The governorate covered areas of central and southeastern Georgia, the partially recognised state of South Ossetia, most of the Lori Province of Armenia, small parts of northwestern Azerbaijan, and a minuscule southern part of Ingushetia of Russia.

Contents

History

Tiflis Governorate was established in 1846 along with the Kutaisi Governorate, after the dissolution of the Georgia-Imeretia Governorate. It was initially formed from uezds of Tiflis, Gori, Telavi, Signakh, Elizavetpol, Erivan, Nakhichevan and Alexandropol and the okrugs of Zakatal, Ossetian and Tushino-Pshavo-Khevsurian. In 1849, uezds of Erivan, Nakhichevan and Alexandropol were attached to Erivan Governorate. In 1859, the Ossetian Okrug became part of Gori district and Tushino-Pshavo-Khevsurian Okrug was renamed to Tionety Okrug. In 1867, the northern part of Tiflis uezd was separated into the Dusheti uezd, while Akhaltsikhe uezd which was created after ceding from Ottoman Empire to Russian Empire in 1829, was detached from Kutaisi Governorate and part of Tiflis one. In 1868 Elizavetpol uezd (in the same decree, the Kazakh uezd was formed from it) became a part of the Elizavetpol Governorate. In 1874, the southern part of Akhaltsikhe uezd became the Akhalkalaki uezd, and the Tionety okrug was elevated to an uezd . Finally, the southern part of Tiflis uezd was detached to become the Borchaly uezd.

The Tiflis Governorate lasted within these boundaries for some 50 years until the Russian Revolution and subsequent founding of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918. [2] The governorate and its counties were soon abolished after its incorporation into the Soviet Union and reorganised into the raions (counties) of the Georgian SSR by 1930.

Administrative divisions

The counties ( uezds ) of the Tiflis Governorate in 1917 were as follows: [3] [4]

NameAdministrative centrePopulationArea
1897 [5] 1916 [6] 18971916
Akhalkalaki uezd (Ахалкалакскій уѣздъ) Akhalkalaki 5,4407,05572,709107,1732,407.00 square versts (2,739.32  km2 ; 1,057.66  sq mi )
Akhaltsikhe uezd (Ахалцихскій уѣздъ) Akhaltsikhe 15,35725,47068,83796,9472,331.88 square versts (2,653.82  km2 ; 1,024.65  sq mi )
Borchaly uezd (Борчалинскій уѣздъ)Shulavery (Shaumiani)4,553---128,587169,3516,046.96 square versts (6,881.82  km2 ; 2,657.08  sq mi )
Gori uezd (Горійскій уѣздъ) Gori 10,26918,454191,091241,0166,007.56 square versts (6,836.98  km2 ; 2,639.77  sq mi )
Dusheti uezd (Душетскій уѣздъ)Dushet

(Dusheti)

2,566---67,71966,4303,411.80 square versts (3,882.84  km2 ; 1,499.17  sq mi )
Signakh uezd (Сигнахскій уѣздъ)Signakh

(Signagi)

8,99417,662102,313153,8645,291.79 square versts (6,022.39  km2 ; 2,325.26  sq mi )
Telavi uezd (Телавскій уѣздъ)Telav

(Telavi)

13,929---66,76767,9552,162.91 square versts (2,461.53  km2 ; 950.40  sq mi )
Tiflis uezd (Тифлисскій уѣздъ)Tiflis

(Tbilisi)

159,590346,766234,632521,2224,004.08 square versts (4,556.89  km2 ; 1,759.43  sq mi )
Tionety uezd (Тіонетскій уѣздъ)Tioneti

(Tianeti)

1,089---34,15349,3504,250.06 square versts (4,836.83  km2 ; 1,867.51  sq mi )
Zakatal okrug (Закатальскій округъ)Zakataly (Zaqatala)3,0094,50584,224 [lower-alpha 2] 3,502.24 square versts (3,985.77  km2 ; 1,538.91  sq mi )

Demographics

Russian Empire Census

According to the Russian Empire Census, the Tiflis Governorate had a population of 1,051,032 on 28 January [ O.S. 15 January] 1897, including 575,447 men and 475,585 women. The plurality of the population indicated Georgian to be their mother tongue, with significant Armenian, Tatar, [lower-alpha 3] Russian, and Ossetian speaking minorities. [3]

Linguistic composition of the Tiflis Governorate in 1897 [3]
LanguageNative speakers%
Georgian 465,53744.29
Armenian 196,18918.67
Tatar [lower-alpha 3] 107,38310.22
Russian 79,0827.52
Ossetian 67,2686.40
Avar-Andean 34,1303.25
Greek 27,1182.58
Turkish 24,7222.35
German 8,3400.79
Dargin 7,5650.72
Ukrainian 6,4430.61
Polish 6,2820.60
Jewish 5,1880.49
Kurdish 2,5380.24
Chechen 2,2070.21
Persian 1,9910.19
Assyrian 1,5700.15
Imeretian 1,5460.15
Lithuanian 1,2630.12
Kyurin 1,1490.11
Mingrelian 4980.05
French 3560.03
Kist 2960.03
Italian 2590.02
Belarusian 2470.02
Czech 2290.02
Romanian 1980.02
Kazi-Kumukh 1970.02
Talysh 1520.01
Chuvash 1480.01
Latvian 1230.01
Other8180.08
TOTAL1,051,032100.00
Religious composition of the Tiflis Governorate in 1897 [9]
FaithMaleFemaleBoth
Number%
Eastern Orthodox 319,930264,891584,82155.64
Armenian Apostolic 113,39996,762210,16120.00
Muslim 104,50084,528189,02817.98
Armenian Catholic 10,3639,85320,2161.92
Old Believer 8,1568,05316,2091.54
Roman Catholic 8,6302,91411,5441.10
Judaism 5,6424,0689,7100.92
Lutheran 4,2214,2578,4780.81
Baptist 1421222640.03
Reformed 4431750.01
Karaite 105150.00
Anglican 2790.00
Buddhist 3250.00
Mennonite 2350.00
Other Christian denomination183101930.02
Other non-Christian denomination220792990.03
TOTAL575,447475,5851,051,032100.00

Linguistic composition of uezds in the Tiflis Governorate in 1897 [10]

Uezd Georgian Armenian Tatar and Turkish Russian Ossetian TOTAL
Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%
Akhalkalaki 6,4488.8752,53972.266,8689.455,1557.0940.0172,709
Akhaltsikhe 12,21117.7415,14422.0036,50753.031,7432.53140.0268,837
Borchaly 7,8406.147,42336.8837,90429.488,0896.296280.49128,587
Gori 124,18064.987,6864.024700.255,2812.7650,03626.18191,091
Dusheti 49,69073.381,6802.484050.69801.4514,52321.4567,719
Signakh 84,82782.916,3926.255,2725.154,4134.31300.03102,313
Telavi 57,35785.914,7547.121,8782.816941.04880.1366,767
Tiflis 80,29334.2257,93324.6912,8355.4751,77522.071,7120.73234,632
Tionety 30,30288.725381.58130.046371.872270.6634,153
Zakatal 12,38914.712,1002.4928,95334.383150.3760.0184,224
TOTAL465,53744.29196,18918.67132,10512.5779,0827.5267,2686.401,051,032

Kavkazskiy kalendar

According to the 1917 publication of Kavkazskiy kalendar , the Tiflis Governorate had a population of 1,473,308 on 14 January [ O.S. 1 January] 1916, including 780,010 men and 693,298 women, 1,255,176 of whom were the permanent population, and 218,132 were temporary residents: [4]

Nationality Urban Rural TOTAL
Number%Number%Number%
Georgians 62,62714.64580,00955.47642,63643.62
Armenians 197,91646.28213,83120.45411,74727.95
Russians 94,88522.1957,9245.54152,80910.37
Sunni Muslims [lower-alpha 4] 6,3531.4961,1645.8567,5174.58
Asiatic Christians 19,5604.5736,4103.4855,9703.80
North Caucasians 2,7140.6345,0374.3147,7513.24
Shia Muslims [lower-alpha 5] 9,4342.2129,5482.8338,9822.65
Other Europeans 12,0582.8212,8451.2324,9031.69
Jews 14,2963.344,9480.4719,2441.31
Kurds 2,2790.533,6530.355,9320.40
Yazidis 4,6971.1000.004,6970.32
Roma 8510.202690.031,1200.08
TOTAL427,670100.001,045,638100.001,473,308100.00

Governors

The administration tasks in the governorate were executed by a governor. Sometimes, a military governor was appointed as well. The governors of Tiflis Governorate were [12]

Notes

  1. The Zakatal Okrug was detached from the Tiflis Governorate in 1905 to be administered separately. As a special administrative okrug, Zakatal's population in 1916 was 92,608.
  2. 1 2 Before 1918, Azerbaijanis were generally known as "Tatars". This term, employed by the Russians, referred to Turkic-speaking Muslims of the South Caucasus. After 1918, with the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and "especially during the Soviet era", the Tatar group identified itself as "Azerbaijani". [7] [8]
  3. Primarily Turco-Tatars. [11]
  4. Primarily Tatars. [11]

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Tiflis <i>uezd</i> Uezd in Caucasus, Russian Empire

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Kutaisi <i>uezd</i> Uezd in Caucasus, Russian Empire

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Lechkhumi <i>uezd</i> Uezd in Caucasus, Russian Empire

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Racha <i>uezd</i> Uezd in Kutaisi, Russian Empire

The Racha uezd was a county (uezd) of the Kutaisi Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the Terek Oblast to the north, the Lechkhumi uezd to the west, the Kutaisi and Shorapani uezds to the south, and the Gori uezd of the Tiflis Governorate to the east. The area of the uezd corresponded to most of the contemporary Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region of Georgia. The administrative centre of the Racha uezd was Oni.

Senaki <i>uezd</i> Uezd in Caucasus, Russian Empire

The Senaki uezd was a county (uezd) of the Kutaisi Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the Zugdidi uezd to the west, the Lechkhumi uezd to the north, the Kutaisi uezd to the east, and the Ozurgeti uezd to the south. The area of the uezd corresponded to most of the contemporary Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region of Georgia. The Senaki uezd was eponymously named for its administrative center, Senaki.

Shorapani <i>uezd</i> Uezd in Caucasus, Russian Empire

The Shorapani uezd was a county (uezd) of the Kutaisi Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the Racha uezd to the north, the Kutaisi uezd to the west, and the Tiflis Governorate to the east. The area of the uezd corresponded to most of the contemporary Imereti region of Georgia. The administrative center of the Shorapani uezd was Kvirila.

References

  1. Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopaedia: Tiflis Governorate (in Russian)
  2. Coats of Arms of the Cities of the Georgia-Imeretia Governorate of the Russian Empire Archived 2008-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 3 "Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей". www.demoscope.ru. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  4. 1 2 Кавказский календарь на 1917 год, pp. 206–213.
  5. "Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей". www.demoscope.ru. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  6. "Кавказский календарь .... на 1917 год | Президентская библиотека имени Б.Н. Ельцина". 2021-11-04. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  7. Bournoutian 2018, p. 35 (note 25).
  8. Tsutsiev 2014, p. 50.
  9. "Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей". www.demoscope.ru. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  10. "Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей". www.demoscope.ru. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  11. 1 2 Hovannisian 1971, p. 67.
  12. Н. Ф. Самохвалов, ed. (2003). Губернии Российской Империи. История и руководители. 1708-1917. Moscow: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russian Federation. pp. 372–376, 467–468.

Bibliography

Further reading

41°43′00″N44°47′00″E / 41.7167°N 44.7833°E / 41.7167; 44.7833