PROJECTS

Project Name : Georgia in the Medieval centuries'European World

Donor Organization : Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation

Budget: 82800

Grant number : 31/66

Direction : 2 Social Sciences and Humanities, Economic Sciences

Subdirection : 2-103 Medieval History

Key word : The medieval History

Description : In the Middle Ages Georgia was a field of perm anent wars that ensued lost of the vast part of written and m aterial m onum ents. Therefore, all the sources that are available in the archives and book storages abroad, are of the utm ost im portance for learning political, cultural, econom ic, and diplom atic problem s of the history of Georgia. Am ong all these staff the m ost significant are the chronicles preserved in Vatican, and form al correspondence between countries, notes of m issionaries, diplom ats, travelers and other eye-witnesses, desc_ription of their travels and reports sent to the head representatives. The fact that the key issues of econom ic, political, diplom atic, religious, social, and cultural history of Georgia of the 13th-18th centuries are not adequately covered so far in the Georgian historiography, can be explained by the scarcity and som etim es one-sided nature of the Georgian recorded sources. Therefore, the im portance of foreign sources is doubled for us when studying Middle Ages and the following period of the Georgian history, especially those of the Western European sources – Italian, Latin, and French. Starting from the 13th century, Georgia's leaders were seeking political and m ilitary ally for preserving the independence of the country. Exactly from this period, the Rom an Church had taken particular interest towards eastern countries. Rom an Popes used to delegate their representatives out to the extrem e East to explore and learn new circum stances risen (Mongolians show up), likewise, of course to carry out certain political and m issionary objectives out there. Nam ely to this epoch are linked one of the first correspondence between Georgian kings and aristocracy and the pontiff. Part of these m aterials is fam iliar to us, as som e were published in western editions, though their com plete text with the Georgian translation is not discovered by us so far. Therefore, rem oval of this flaw is one of the am bitious objectives for our science. These m aterials not only com prise history and give possibility to have a clearer insight of the epoch, they also dem onstrate vast interest of the Georgian society towards the West. Significance of these sources is doubled by the fact that basically it is a correspondence and its authors are participants or witnesses them selves of the events they describe. We’ll be enabled to review som e historical activities in different m anner, clarify a num ber of historical dates, related persons’ nam es and surnam es vague or unknown hitherto. Through the Western European m aterials revealed by us, it will be put into scientific circulation new historical sources unknown till now, that would enable us to gaze at the historical process of this period perfectly anew and m ake its reinterpretation. The discovered sources will bring novelty in learning of the rich relations of Georgia with the Western European countries and the Rom an Catholic Church. It will bring the new light at the civil history of Georgia, and will clearly reveal those characteristics of the Georgian-European identity, on the basis of which we can discuss striving for the European values of that period Georgia. The represented problem is very tim ely. It gives us an opportunity to represent m iscellaneous culture of Georgia standing on the crossroad of civilizations and display tradition of coexistence of various religions in Georgia in the Middle Ages em ploying m odern m ethods of study. It will enable to show the role of an external elem ent in the form ation of Georgian culture – how they coexisted in the Middle Ages, what contrasts they had, and role of representatives of different confessions in Georgia’s internal and external policy affairs. The novelty here is a com parative research of Georgian and European history of the Middle Ages, com parative analysis of the form s of relations between church and governm ent in the western and eastern countries. Learning of Georgia’s political, social, econom ic, diplom atic, and religious history of the Middle Ages and the early new period, as well as studying Georgia’s place and the one for it in the European world, sharing experience of relations and coexistence between various confessions, are very im portant for Georgia’s political tasks towards its European and Atlantic integration. Once m ore, this gives a chance to depict m edieval and early new period’s European diversity, influence of the European and Western culture and their relations with the Georgian culture.

Duration : 27/04/2013 - 27/04/2015

Leader : No leader

Project manager :

Project participant(s) : Murman Papashvili 27/04/2013 - 27/04/2015

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