Tiflis Governorate Тифлисская губерния | |
---|---|
Country | Russian Empire |
Viceroyalty | Caucasus |
Established | 1846 |
Abolished | 1917 |
Capital | Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi) |
Area | |
• Total | 40,861.03 km2 (15,776.53 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 5,034 m (16,516 ft) |
Population (1916) | |
• Total | 1,473,308 |
• Density | 36/km2 (93/sq mi) |
• Urban | 40.90% |
• Rural | 59.10% |
Part of a series on the |
History of Georgia |
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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.
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.
The counties ( uezds ) of the Tiflis Governorate in 1917 were as follows: [3] [4]
Name | Administrative centre | Population | Area | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1897 [5] | 1916 [6] | 1897 | 1916 | |||
Akhalkalaki uezd (Ахалкалакскій уѣздъ) | Akhalkalaki | 5,440 | 7,055 | 72,709 | 107,173 | 2,407.00 square versts (2,739.32 km2 ; 1,057.66 sq mi ) |
Akhaltsikhe uezd (Ахалцихскій уѣздъ) | Akhaltsikhe | 15,357 | 25,470 | 68,837 | 96,947 | 2,331.88 square versts (2,653.82 km2 ; 1,024.65 sq mi ) |
Borchaly uezd (Борчалинскій уѣздъ) | Shulavery (Shaumiani) | 4,553 | --- | 128,587 | 169,351 | 6,046.96 square versts (6,881.82 km2 ; 2,657.08 sq mi ) |
Gori uezd (Горійскій уѣздъ) | Gori | 10,269 | 18,454 | 191,091 | 241,016 | 6,007.56 square versts (6,836.98 km2 ; 2,639.77 sq mi ) |
Dusheti uezd (Душетскій уѣздъ) | Dushet (Dusheti) | 2,566 | --- | 67,719 | 66,430 | 3,411.80 square versts (3,882.84 km2 ; 1,499.17 sq mi ) |
Signakh uezd (Сигнахскій уѣздъ) | Signakh (Signagi) | 8,994 | 17,662 | 102,313 | 153,864 | 5,291.79 square versts (6,022.39 km2 ; 2,325.26 sq mi ) |
Telavi uezd (Телавскій уѣздъ) | Telav (Telavi) | 13,929 | --- | 66,767 | 67,955 | 2,162.91 square versts (2,461.53 km2 ; 950.40 sq mi ) |
Tiflis uezd (Тифлисскій уѣздъ) | Tiflis (Tbilisi) | 159,590 | 346,766 | 234,632 | 521,222 | 4,004.08 square versts (4,556.89 km2 ; 1,759.43 sq mi ) |
Tionety uezd (Тіонетскій уѣздъ) | Tioneti (Tianeti) | 1,089 | --- | 34,153 | 49,350 | 4,250.06 square versts (4,836.83 km2 ; 1,867.51 sq mi ) |
Zakatal okrug (Закатальскій округъ) | Zakataly (Zaqatala) | 3,009 | 4,505 | 84,224 | [lower-alpha 2] | 3,502.24 square versts (3,985.77 km2 ; 1,538.91 sq mi ) |
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]
Language | Native speakers | % |
---|---|---|
Georgian | 465,537 | 44.29 |
Armenian | 196,189 | 18.67 |
Tatar [lower-alpha 3] | 107,383 | 10.22 |
Russian | 79,082 | 7.52 |
Ossetian | 67,268 | 6.40 |
Avar-Andean | 34,130 | 3.25 |
Greek | 27,118 | 2.58 |
Turkish | 24,722 | 2.35 |
German | 8,340 | 0.79 |
Dargin | 7,565 | 0.72 |
Ukrainian | 6,443 | 0.61 |
Polish | 6,282 | 0.60 |
Jewish | 5,188 | 0.49 |
Kurdish | 2,538 | 0.24 |
Chechen | 2,207 | 0.21 |
Persian | 1,991 | 0.19 |
Assyrian | 1,570 | 0.15 |
Imeretian | 1,546 | 0.15 |
Lithuanian | 1,263 | 0.12 |
Kyurin | 1,149 | 0.11 |
Mingrelian | 498 | 0.05 |
French | 356 | 0.03 |
Kist | 296 | 0.03 |
Italian | 259 | 0.02 |
Belarusian | 247 | 0.02 |
Czech | 229 | 0.02 |
Romanian | 198 | 0.02 |
Kazi-Kumukh | 197 | 0.02 |
Talysh | 152 | 0.01 |
Chuvash | 148 | 0.01 |
Latvian | 123 | 0.01 |
Other | 818 | 0.08 |
TOTAL | 1,051,032 | 100.00 |
Faith | Male | Female | Both | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | |||
Eastern Orthodox | 319,930 | 264,891 | 584,821 | 55.64 |
Armenian Apostolic | 113,399 | 96,762 | 210,161 | 20.00 |
Muslim | 104,500 | 84,528 | 189,028 | 17.98 |
Armenian Catholic | 10,363 | 9,853 | 20,216 | 1.92 |
Old Believer | 8,156 | 8,053 | 16,209 | 1.54 |
Roman Catholic | 8,630 | 2,914 | 11,544 | 1.10 |
Judaism | 5,642 | 4,068 | 9,710 | 0.92 |
Lutheran | 4,221 | 4,257 | 8,478 | 0.81 |
Baptist | 142 | 122 | 264 | 0.03 |
Reformed | 44 | 31 | 75 | 0.01 |
Karaite | 10 | 5 | 15 | 0.00 |
Anglican | 2 | 7 | 9 | 0.00 |
Buddhist | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.00 |
Mennonite | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.00 |
Other Christian denomination | 183 | 10 | 193 | 0.02 |
Other non-Christian denomination | 220 | 79 | 299 | 0.03 |
TOTAL | 575,447 | 475,585 | 1,051,032 | 100.00 |
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 | 6,448 | 8.87 | 52,539 | 72.26 | 6,868 | 9.45 | 5,155 | 7.09 | 4 | 0.01 | 72,709 |
Akhaltsikhe | 12,211 | 17.74 | 15,144 | 22.00 | 36,507 | 53.03 | 1,743 | 2.53 | 14 | 0.02 | 68,837 |
Borchaly | 7,840 | 6.1 | 47,423 | 36.88 | 37,904 | 29.48 | 8,089 | 6.29 | 628 | 0.49 | 128,587 |
Gori | 124,180 | 64.98 | 7,686 | 4.02 | 470 | 0.25 | 5,281 | 2.76 | 50,036 | 26.18 | 191,091 |
Dusheti | 49,690 | 73.38 | 1,680 | 2.48 | 405 | 0.6 | 980 | 1.45 | 14,523 | 21.45 | 67,719 |
Signakh | 84,827 | 82.91 | 6,392 | 6.25 | 5,272 | 5.15 | 4,413 | 4.31 | 30 | 0.03 | 102,313 |
Telavi | 57,357 | 85.91 | 4,754 | 7.12 | 1,878 | 2.81 | 694 | 1.04 | 88 | 0.13 | 66,767 |
Tiflis | 80,293 | 34.22 | 57,933 | 24.69 | 12,835 | 5.47 | 51,775 | 22.07 | 1,712 | 0.73 | 234,632 |
Tionety | 30,302 | 88.72 | 538 | 1.58 | 13 | 0.04 | 637 | 1.87 | 227 | 0.66 | 34,153 |
Zakatal | 12,389 | 14.71 | 2,100 | 2.49 | 28,953 | 34.38 | 315 | 0.37 | 6 | 0.01 | 84,224 |
TOTAL | 465,537 | 44.29 | 196,189 | 18.67 | 132,105 | 12.57 | 79,082 | 7.52 | 67,268 | 6.40 | 1,051,032 |
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 | 62,627 | 14.64 | 580,009 | 55.47 | 642,636 | 43.62 |
Armenians | 197,916 | 46.28 | 213,831 | 20.45 | 411,747 | 27.95 |
Russians | 94,885 | 22.19 | 57,924 | 5.54 | 152,809 | 10.37 |
Sunni Muslims [lower-alpha 4] | 6,353 | 1.49 | 61,164 | 5.85 | 67,517 | 4.58 |
Asiatic Christians | 19,560 | 4.57 | 36,410 | 3.48 | 55,970 | 3.80 |
North Caucasians | 2,714 | 0.63 | 45,037 | 4.31 | 47,751 | 3.24 |
Shia Muslims [lower-alpha 5] | 9,434 | 2.21 | 29,548 | 2.83 | 38,982 | 2.65 |
Other Europeans | 12,058 | 2.82 | 12,845 | 1.23 | 24,903 | 1.69 |
Jews | 14,296 | 3.34 | 4,948 | 0.47 | 19,244 | 1.31 |
Kurds | 2,279 | 0.53 | 3,653 | 0.35 | 5,932 | 0.40 |
Yazidis | 4,697 | 1.10 | 0 | 0.00 | 4,697 | 0.32 |
Roma | 851 | 0.20 | 269 | 0.03 | 1,120 | 0.08 |
TOTAL | 427,670 | 100.00 | 1,045,638 | 100.00 | 1,473,308 | 100.00 |
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]
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The Zakatal okrug was a special administrative district (okrug) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, part of the Tiflis Governorate from 1893 to 1905. The administrative centre of the district was Zakataly, and it corresponded to most of the contemporary districts of Balakan, Zaqatala and Qax of Azerbaijan. The Zakatal okrug was established from the territories of the erstwhile Free Jamaats of Jar-Balakan, bordering the Tiflis Governorate to the west, the Elizavetpol Governorate to the south and the Dagestan Oblast to the north. The district was the smallest independent administrative unit of the Russian Empire, similarly to the Sukhumi okrug.
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The Akhaltsikhe uezd was a county (uezd) of the Tiflis Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, and then of Democratic Republic of Georgia, with its administrative center in Akhaltsikh. The uezd bordered the Gori uezd and the Kutaisi Governorate to the north, the Akhalkalaki uezd to the east, the Ardahan Okrug of the Kars Oblast to the south, and the Batum Okrug of the Batum Oblast to the west. The area of the uezd roughly corresponded to the contemporary Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia.
The Tiflis uezd was a county (uezd) of the Tiflis Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, and then of Democratic Republic of Georgia, with its administrative centre in Tiflis. The area of the uezd roughly corresponded to the contemporary Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia. The district bordered the Telavi uezd to the northeast, the Tionety and Dusheti uezds to the north, the Gori uezd to the northwest, the Borchaly uezd to the west, the Kazakh uezd of the Elizavetpol Governorate to the south, and the Signakh uezd to the east.
The Kutaisi uezd was a county (uezd) of the Kutaisi Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the Akhaltsikhe uezd of the Tiflis Governorate to the south, the Ozurgeti and Senaki uezds to the west, the Lechkhumi and Racha uezds to the north, and the Shorapani uezd to the east. The area of the uezd corresponded to most of the contemporary Imereti region of Georgia. The Kutaisi uezd was eponymously named for its administrative center, Kutais.
The Lechkhumi uezd was a county (uezd) of the Kutaisi Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the Terek and Kuban oblasts to the north, the Sukhumi Okrug to the west, the Zugdidi, Senaki, and Kutais uezds to the south and the Racha uezd to the east. The area of the uezd corresponded to most of the contemporary Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region of Georgia. The administrative center of the Lechkhumi uezd was the town of Tsageri.
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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.