Tiflis Governorate Тифлисская губернія | |
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![]() Administrative map of the Tiflis Governorate | |
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% |
History of Georgia |
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The Tiflis Governorate [lower-alpha 1] was a province ( guberniya ) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire with its administrative center in Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi). In 1897, it constituted 44,607 sq. kilometres in area and had a population of 1,051,032 inhabitants. [1] The Tiflis Governorate bordered the Elizavetpol Governorate to the southeast, the Erivan Governorate to the south, the Kars Oblast to the southwest, the Batum Oblast to the west, the Kutaisi Governorate to the northwest, the Terek Oblast to the north, the 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 within 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]
District | Russian name | Capital | Population | Area | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1897 | 1916 | ||||
Akhalkalaki | Ахалкалакскій уѣздъ | Akhalkalaki | 72,709 | 107,173 | 2,407.00 square versts (2,739.32 km2 ; 1,057.66 sq mi ) |
Akhaltsikhe | Ахалцихскій уѣздъ | Akhaltsikhe | 68,837 | 96,947 | 2,331.88 square versts (2,653.82 km2 ; 1,024.65 sq mi ) |
Borchaly | Борчалинскій уѣздъ | Shulavery (Shaumiani) | 128,587 | 169,351 | 6,046.96 square versts (6,881.82 km2 ; 2,657.08 sq mi ) |
Gori | Горійскій уѣздъ | Gori | 191,091 | 241,016 | 6,007.56 square versts (6,836.98 km2 ; 2,639.77 sq mi ) |
Dusheti | Душетскій уѣздъ | Dushet (Dusheti) | 67,719 | 66,430 | 3,411.80 square versts (3,882.84 km2 ; 1,499.17 sq mi ) |
Signakh | Сигнахскій уѣздъ | Signakh (Signagi) | 102,313 | 153,864 | 5,291.79 square versts (6,022.39 km2 ; 2,325.26 sq mi ) |
Telavi | Телавскій уѣздъ | Telav (Telavi) | 66,767 | 67,955 | 2,162.91 square versts (2,461.53 km2 ; 950.40 sq mi ) |
Tiflis | Тифлисскій уѣздъ | Tiflis (Tbilisi) | 234,632 | 521,222 | 4,004.08 square versts (4,556.89 km2 ; 1,759.43 sq mi ) |
Tionety | Тіонетскій уѣздъ | Tioneti (Tianeti) | 34,153 | 49,350 | 4,250.06 square versts (4,836.83 km2 ; 1,867.51 sq mi ) |
Zakatal | Закатальскій округъ | Zakataly (Zaqatala) | 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 of 1897, the Tiflis Governorate had a population of 1,051,032, including 575,447 men and 475,585 women. The plurality of the population indicated Georgian to be their mother tongue, with significant Armenian, Tatar (later known as Azerbaijani), 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 |
According to the 1917 publication of the Caucasian Calendar, the Tiflis Governorate had 1,473,308 residents in 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 [lower-alpha 4] | 94,885 | 22.19 | 57,924 | 5.54 | 152,809 | 10.37 |
Sunni Muslims [lower-alpha 5] | 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 6] | 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 [8]
The Elizavetpol Governorate, also known after 1918 as the Ganja Governorate, was a province (guberniya) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Yelisavetpol. The area of the governorate stretched 38,922.43 square versts and was composed of 1,275,131 inhabitants in 1916. The Elizavetpol Governorate bordered the Erivan Governorate to the west, the Tiflis Governorate and Zakatal Okrug to the north, the Dagestan Oblast to the northeast, the Baku Governorate to the east, and Iran to the south.
The Erivan Governorate was a province (guberniya) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its centеr in Erivan. Its area was 27,830 sq. kilometеrs, roughly corresponding to what is now most of central Armenia, the Iğdır Province of Turkey, and the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan. At the end of the 19th century, it bordered the Tiflis Governorate to the north, the Elizavetpol Governorate to the east, the Kars Oblast to the west, and Persia and the Ottoman Empire to the south. Mount Ararat and the fertile Ararat Valley were included in the center of the province.
The Kazakh uezd was a county (uezd) of the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire and later of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic with its center in Kazakh from 1868 until its formal abolition in 1929 by the Soviet authorities of the Azerbaijan SSR. The area of the Kazakh uezd forms a large part of the modern-day Tavush Province and a small northeastern part of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, also forming most of the area of the Agstafa, Tovuz and Qazax districts of Azerbaijan.
The Nukha uezd was a county (uezd) of the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire and later of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic with its center in Nukha from 1868 until its formal abolition in 1921 by the Soviet authorities of the Azerbaijan SSR.
The Elizavetpol uezd, also known as the Ganja uezd after 1918, was a county (uezd) of the Elizavetpol Governorate of the Russian Empire, and later of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and Azerbaijan SSR until its formal abolition in 1929. The area of the Elizavetpol uezd corresponds to the modern-day Gadabay, Shamkir, Dashkasan, Goygol, and Samukh districts of Azerbaijan.
The Sharur-Daralayaz uezd was a county (uezd) of the Erivan Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the governorate's Erivan and Nor Bayazet uezds to the north, the Nakhichevan uezd to the south, the Zangezur and Jevanshir uezds of the Elizavetpol Governorate to the east, and Persia to the southwest. It included most of the Vayots Dzor Province of present-day Armenia and the Sharur District of the Nakhchivan exclave of present-day Azerbaijan. The administrative center of the uezd was the town Bashnorashen.
The Nakhichevan uezd was a county (uezd) of the Erivan Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the governorate's Sharur-Daralayaz uezd to the north, the Zangezur uezd of the Elizavetpol Governorate to the east, and Iran to the south. The uezd's administrative center was the city of Nakhichevan.
The Dagestan Oblast was a province (oblast) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It roughly corresponded to most of present-day southeastern Dagestan within the Russian Federation. The Dagestan Oblast was created in 1860 out of the territories of the former Caucasian Imamate, bordering the Terek Oblast to the north, the Tiflis Governorate and Zakatal Okrug to the west, the Elizavetpol Governorate to the south, and Baku Governorate to the east. The administrative center of the oblast was Temir-Khan-Shura.
The Kutaisi or Kutais Governorate was a province (guberniya) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It roughly corresponded to most of western Georgia throughout most of its existence, and most of the Artvin Province of Turkey between 1878 and 1903. Created out of part of the former Georgia-Imeretia Governorate in 1846, the governorate also included Akhaltsikhe uezd before its cession to the Tiflis Governorate in 1867. The Kutaisi Governorate bordered the Sukhumi Okrug to the northwest, the Kuban Oblast to the north, the Terek Oblast to the northeast, the Tiflis Governorate to the southeast, the Batum Oblast to the southwest, and the Black Sea to the west. The governorate was eponymously named for its administrative center, Kutais.
The Zakatal or Zakatali 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 the city 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 unique in that it was the smallest independent administrative unit of the Russian Empire, similarly to the Sukhumi Okrug.
The Georgia-Imeretia Governorate was a short-lived governorate (guberniya) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, administered from Tiflis (Tbilisi). Roughly corresponding to modern Georgia and parts of Armenia and Azerbaijan, it was created in 1840 from the territory of the Georgia Governorate and the oblasts of Imeretia and Armenia.
The Caucasus Viceroyalty was the Russian Empire's administrative and political authority in the Caucasus region exercised through the offices of glavnoupravlyayushchiy and namestnik ("viceroy"). These two terms are commonly, but imprecisely, translated into English as viceroy, which is frequently used interchangeably with governor general. More accurately, glavnoupravlyayushchiy is referred to as the High Commissioner of the Caucasus, and namestnik as Viceroy.
The Sukhumi or Sukhum Okrug was a special administrative district (okrug) in the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, part of the Kutaisi Governorate from 1883 until 1905. The administrative center of the district was the Black Sea port city of Sukhum (Sukhumi). The okrug bordered the Kutaisi Governorate to the southwest, the Kuban Oblast to the north and the Black Sea Governorate to the northwest and in terms of its area corresponded to most of contemporary Abkhazia. During 1905-1917 the Sukhumi Okrug was one of the smallest independent administrative units of the Russian Empire, second to the Zakatal Okrug.
The Alexandropol uezd, known after 1924 as the Leninakan uezd, was a county (uezd) of the Erivan Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. The uezd bordered the governorate's Etchmiadzin and Nor Bayazet uezds to the south, the Borchaly and Akhalkalaki uezds of the Tiflis Governorate to the north, the Kazakh uezd of the Elizavetpol Governorate to the east, and the Kars Oblast to the west. The area of the uezd included most of the contemporary Shirak Province, and southern parts of the Lori Province of Armenia. The district was eponymously named for its administrative center, Aleksandropol, which at the time was a major railway hub of the Russian South Caucasus.
The Nor Bayazet or Novobayazet uezd was a county (uezd) of the Erivan Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. The uezd bordered the Alexandropol uezd to the north, the Etchmiadzin and Erivan uezds to the west, the Sharur-Daralayaz uezd to the south, and the Kazakh, Elizavetpol, and Jevanshir uezds of the Elizavetpol Governorate to the east. Centered on Lake Sevan, the Nor Bayazet uezd included most of the contemporary province of Gegharkunik and northern parts of the Kotayk Province of Armenia. The administrative center of the uezd was the city Novobayazet for which the district was eponymously named.
The Etchmiadzin uezd was a county (uezd) of the Erivan Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. The uezd bordered the Alexandropol uezd to the north, the Nor Bayazet uezd to the east, Erivan uezd to the north, the Surmalu uezd to the south, and the Kars Oblast to the west. It included all of the Armavir Province and most of the Aragatsotn Province of present-day Armenia. The county's administrative center was the town of Vagorshapat (Vagharshapat), also referred to as Etchmiadzin—the administrative capital of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The Ozurgeti uezd was a county (uezd) of the Kutaisi Governorate of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It bordered the Senaki uezd to the north, the Kutaisi uezd to the east, the Akhaltsikhe uezd of the Tiflis Governorate to the southeast, the Batum Okrug of the Batum Oblast to the south, and the Black Sea to the west. The area of the Ozurgeti uezd corresponded to most of the contemporary Guria region of Georgia. The uezd was eponymously named for its administrative center, Ozurgeti.
The Akhalkalaki 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 Akhalkalak. The uezd bordered the Gori uezd to the north, the Borchaly uezd to the east, the Alexandropol uezd of the Erivan Governorate and the Kars and Ardahan okrugs of the Kars Oblast to the south, and the Akhaltsikhe uezd 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 center 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.