Dvals
TheDvals(Georgian:დვალები,Dvalebi;Ossetian:Туалтæ,romanized:Twaltæ) were a ethnographic group ofGeorgians.[1][2]Their lands lying on both sides of the centralGreater Caucasusmountains, somewhere between theDarialandMamisongorges. This historic territory mostly covers the north ofKartli,parts of theRachaandKheviregions in Georgia and south ofOssetiainRussia.
Etymology
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Sisters_Ana%2C_Babale%2C_Ludmila_Dvals._Circa_19th_century_photo.jpg/220px-Sisters_Ana%2C_Babale%2C_Ludmila_Dvals._Circa_19th_century_photo.jpg)
The name of theDvals(Georgian:დვალნი,Dvalni) is found in old Georgian annals. Their land was calledDvaleti(დვალეთი.Dvalet`i) after them.
The ethnonym survived to modern times as"Twal"and"Urs-Twal"(Ossetian:Урстуалтæmeaning "white Twals" ). The Georgian surnameDvali(დვალი),Dvalishvili(დვალიშვილი), Dvalidze (დვალიძე) and OssetianTuallagov/Twallægtæalso come from the name Dvals.[3][4]
History
[edit]When theMongolsdestroyed the Alanian kingdom in theNorthern Caucasusin the 13th–14th centuries, the Ossetes migrated across the Caucasus mountains. In a part of Dvaletia they formed their community called Tualläg. The Dvals were pushed southward and, as a result, the process of theirassimilationinto the Georgians and Ossetes accelerated. By the early 18th century it was complete. The term Dvaleti retained only a geographic meaning, narrowed to refer solely to the area around the Kudaro valley in the west (modern-dayJavadistrict in South Ossetia/Shida Kartli).
Genetics
[edit]Members of theDvalilast name from Georgia belong toG-M201haplogroup.[5]
Language and origin
[edit]There are different theories about the Dvals' origins.
Georgian theory
[edit]Throughout the history of Georgian statehood, even after its inclusion into the Russian Empire, Dvaleti had always been considered an integral part ofKartli.
From the 15th century on Ossetians began to settle in Dvaleti province, located in the northern part of the main Caucasus range. This continued throughout the 16th century, while in the 17th century, assimilation of the local Georgian ethnic group of Dvalians draws to its end. Before the settlement of Ossetians in Dvaleti, a major part of the Dvalians had migrated to different parts of Georgia: Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti, Racha.[6]
Russia annexedKartli-Kakhetiin 1801 along with Dvaleti. In 1858 Dvaleti was administratively detached fromTiflis Governorate,and attached to the Tersky district of Russia.[6]
Vakhushti Bagrationi pointed out that “the language they speak is old, Dvalian, but presently they use Ossetian as if it were their native tongue”.[7]V. Gamrekeli regarded Dvalians Vainakhs, Kartvelian Vainakhs to be more exact. V. Gamrekeli believed that the Kartization of the Dvalians occurred in the 7th century, when the Kartlian population, fatigued by the Arab rule, had migrated. The author later changed his views,[6]and in an article published in Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia he recognized the Dvalians as Kartvelian tribes, namelyZans.[6]Some scholars point that they were not exactlyZanbut represented one theKartvelian languages.The last of the Georgian authors to address the issue of Dvalian origins was B. Gamkrelidze, who arrived at theconclusionthat “Dvaleti, from ancient times, culturally, and administratively had always been an integral part of the Georgian world″.[6]
Another detail to prove their Kartvelian origin is the absence of crypts in Dvaleti.[6]Crypts were encountered only in Chechnya and Ingushetia,[8]while Chechens and Ingush were recognized as skillful builders and used to build the crypts not only in their native lands but in neighbouring Ossetia as well.[9]It is suggested that if the Dvalians had been related to the Vainakhs, the culture of crypt building would have existed among them as well.
Nakh theory
[edit]According to a number of historians and linguists, the Dvals probably spoke aNakh language.[10][11][12][13][14]Gamrekeli (a Georgian historian) provides the typical version of the Nakh theory, stating that the Dvals had a language clearly distinct from that of the Ossetes (who eventually migrated onto their land) and akin (but not equivalent to) to the Vainakh languages, but he later changed his view as he saw more arguments backing up the theory of Dvals being Georgian mountaineers[3]
Backing the theory that the Dvals were Nakh are numerous sources.
- The people directly to their West (theMalkh;in the northern part of their territory in Southern North Ossetia- "Alania"; not the South Caucasian part where the Svans bordered them) are already more or less confirmed to be Nakh in origin.[citation needed]
- There is evidence produced by the German Caucasologist, Heinz Fähnrich, of extensive Nakh-Svan contact before the advent of Iranian-speaking invaders. Thus, in order to have extensive contact with the Svans, enough for the strong Nakh influence detected by Fähnrich in Svan, a Nakh people must have lived close to them[citation needed].However, without the Dvals or at least a people who lived on their territory before them being Nakh, this could not have happened, as the Malkh, the closest people, lived across one of the most difficult parts of the Caucasus, and to this day the modern inhabitants of Malkhia and the Svans have little if any contact with each other.[12][better source needed]The Georgian historian Melikishvilli argued, using the similarity in name to the old Vainakh clan Dvali, that the Dvals were akin to the Vainakh (i.e. a Nakh people) but distinct and that a remnant of them became absorbed by the Vainakh proper (as was confirmed happened with actually confirmed Nakh peoples, such as theMalkhafter they declined).[3][citation needed]
- Kuznetsov notes the presence of Nakh placenames in South- and North Ossetia: includingTsei,LeahandLeah-hee(Liakhvi).[3]
- Almost all historians agree that the Dvals were not Alans. If they were really Scythians, it would be unlikely that they would have diverged so sharply in such a small area; especially considering that in the Caucasus, many peoples that no longer formed an ethnic unity and already had been separated for a long period were still considered as one.[citation needed]
Ossetian theory
[edit]Another theory is that the Dvals were an Ossetian speaking people.[15][16][17]According to this, they were among first Ossetes to settle in the southern Caucasus.[15][16][18]Evidence for the Ossetian theory also draws from various elements:
- In 1957 an example of text thought by some to be Dval was found in Dvaleti.[16][19]It was written with a Syrian-nestorian writing system.[19]
- Original text, provided by Turchanikov:[19]
- hcawj acgar ama[r]di a jnn mishnq jtkajin ish kwtwn ljkchh khnkn dan aljka ja ctj (m) mhhh at r k jz azj
- Translation to english
- Modern Ossetic form:[19]
- Xwycwy agcar amardi a jyn mysinag y tyxa jyn yz kotton...
- Translation to english
- Much of former Dvaleti is now populated by Ossetes. Although the Dvals were clearly not Alans, similarity could have aided the assimilation of the remainder of the conquered Dvals
- Modern day Ossetes living in the old territory of the Dvals (who some believe to be partially descended from the Dvals), are called Tuals in the north and Urs-Tuals in the south, and speak the Tual dialect of theOssetic language.[15][16][17][18][20]
Accomplishments
[edit]The most prominent Dvals were, perhaps, the 11th–13thcalligraphers– John, Michael, Stephen, and George – who worked at variousGeorgian Orthodoxmonasteries abroad, chiefly inJerusalemand at theMount Athos,and created several fine examples of old Georgian manuscripts, e.g.The MonthsandThe Vitae ofSt Basil(John the Dval, circa 1055), and the so-calledLabechiniGospels(George the Dval, 13th century). Another famous Dval calligrapher was Vola Tliag (Ossetian:Vola Tliagmeaning "Vola fromTli"[21]) who worked overKapelle of Nuzal.[21]
The Orthodox church venerates also the memory of St Nicholas of Dvaletia, a Dval monk from the Georgian monastery at Jerusalem, who was martyred, on October 19, 1314, at the order ofAmirDenghiz for having preached Christianity.[22]He was canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Ethnic Processes in Shida Karthli (The Ossetians in Georgia)".ResearchGate.Retrieved2022-02-15.
- ^Janiashvili, Lavrenti."OSSETIANS AND GEORGIANS IN KAZBEGI REGION HISTORcCIAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES".
{{cite journal}}
:Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^abcdKuznetsov, V.(1992),Essays on the history of Alans (in Russian),Vladikavkaz: IR,ISBN978-5-7534-0316-2
- ^Gagloev, Y.(1959). "On ethnicity of tribe Tulas (in Russian)".Fidiwaeg.
- ^"FamilyTreeDNA - Georgian DNA Project".www.familytreedna.com.Retrieved2024-02-16.
- ^abcdefhttp://www.nplg.gov.ge/dlibrary/collect/0001/000355/inglisuri%20osebis%20texti.pdf[permanent dead link]
- ^Vakhushti Bagrationi, Description of the Georgian Kingdom, Kartlis Ckhovreba (History of Georgia). Georgian text, V. IV, publ.S. Kaukhchishvili, Tb. 1973, p. 755.
- ^Markovin V. I. On the Development of Crypt Constructions in North Caucasus – Issues of Old and medieval archaeology of East Europe., M, 1978.
- ^Abramova T. P. Kumi site burial chambers; M. 1987.
- ^Гамрекели В. Н. Двалы и Двалетия в I—XV вв. н. э. Тбилиси, 1961 page 138
- ^Меликишвили Г. А. К изучению древней восточномалоазийской этнонимики. ВДИ, 1962,1 page 62
- ^abJaimoukha, Amjad M. (2005).The Chechens: A Handbook.Psychology Press.ISBN978-0-415-32328-4.
- ^Gamrekeli
- ^Melikishvilli
- ^abcAkhvlediani, G. (1960),The collection of selected works on the Ossetian language (in Russian),Tbilisi
{{citation}}
:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^abcdVaneev, Z. (1989),Selected works on the history of the Ossetian people (in Russian),Tskhinvali: Iryston, archived fromthe originalon 2010-08-24,retrieved2010-06-23
- ^abLazarashvili, G. (1966),About the time of resettlement of Ossetians to Georgia (in Russian)
- ^abVakhushti(1745),Description of the Kingdom of Georgia (in Russian)
- ^abcdTurchaninov, G. (1990),Ancient and medieval monuments of Ossetian writing and language (in Russian),Vladikavkaz: IR,ISBN978-5-7534-0167-0
- ^Tekhov, B. (1971),Studies in old history and archaeology of South Ossetia (in Russian),Tbilisi
{{citation}}
:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^abKuznetsov V.The light of Christianity in Georgia. Dvaletia (from the book "Christianity in the North Caucasus" )[permanent dead link]
- ^"Official site of" Allon Eparxi "".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-03-08.Retrieved2010-06-21.
Further reading
[edit]- Gagloity Y.Formation of the southern branch of Ossetian people
- Gamrekeli V. N.,The Dvals and Dvaletia in the 1st to 15th centuries AD,Tbilisi, 1961 (A monograph in Russian)
- Vaneev Z.To the question on Dvals(A criticism of Gamrekrli in Russian)
- Tekhov B. V.,Studies in old history and archaeology of South Ossetia,Tbilisi, 1971 (A monograph in Russian)
- Vaneev Z.Selected works on the history of the Ossetian people,Tskhinvali, 1989 (A monograph in Russian)
- Graham Smith, Edward A Allworth, Vivien A Law, Annette Bohr, Andrew Wilson,Nation-Building in the Post-Soviet Borderlands: The Politics of National Identities,Cambridge University Press (September 10, 1998),ISBN0-521-59968-7,page 60
- Dzatiaty R.Role of the towers in the social structure of society(in Russian)