Abazasdze

The Abazasdze (Georgian: აბაზასძე) was a noble family in medieval Georgia, probably an offshoot of the Georgian feudal house of Tbeli. A purported founder of the Abazasdze dynasty, Tbeli Abazay, is recorded in the 11th century inscription from Bortsvisjvari. The family had attained to the high dignity of eristavi (i.e., a hereditary governor) of Kartli by the first half of the 11th century.

Ivane Abazasdze, the most prominent member of this dynasty, grew powerful enough to challenge the authority of King Bagrat IV of Georgia (reigned 1027-1072), who tried to eliminate or at least restrict the powers of great nobles. This confrontation with the Bagratid crown resulted in the defeat and eventual decline of the Abazasdzes of whom we hear rarely throughout the following centuries.

A branch of the dynasty had been enfeoffed, by 1405, of the former possessions of the Abuletisdze family in Kakheti; another survived into the 18th century as gentry (aznauri) in Upper Kartli, but played no significant role in the country’s political life.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Khimshiashvili

Sources

• Georgia in the XI-XII centuries by Mariam Lordkipanidze (George B. Hewitt, ed., 1967), pg 52. Tbilisi: Ganatleba.