Types of Georgian Nationalism on the First Stage of Its History (19th Century)

Abstract

The history of Georgian nationalism begins in the 1860s and is associated primarily with the name of Ilia Chavchavadze and other “Tergdaleulebi.” Due to various historical and political reasons, Georgian nationalism developed several distinctive features, among which the following are particularly noteworthy: 1)Georgians were a rare exception among the peoples of the Russian Empire in that they had their own statehood at the time of their incorporation into Russia. Thus, joining the empire meant the loss of their statehood, independent church, official status of the Georgian language, and, in effect, their national identity. Accordingly, the ultimate goal of Georgian nationalism was to achieve political independence and restore a sovereign state. Therefore, Georgian nationalism was, in essence, a liberation nationalism. 2) As a result of historical and political developments, Georgia ceased to be a unified state after the 15th century. It entered the Russian Empire as a collection of separate kingdoms and principalities. This situation considerably weakened the overall Georgian national consciousness. It posed a serious threat of national disintegration, where individual sub-ethnic and ethnographic groups might have evolved into separate peoples—especially since this was the direction promoted by official Russian policy. Consequently, one of the most important objectives of Georgian nationalism was to unify the nation and strengthen a shared Georgian national identity. Thus, Georgian nationalism was essentially a unifying nationalism. 3)  The consolidation of the Georgian nation and the restoration of its independence would have set a dangerous precedent for the Russian Empire, potentially inspiring other subject peoples to pursue their own independence. As a result, the Russian authorities, who already considered Georgians (along with Poles) to be among the empire’s least reliable subjects, fiercely resisted any manifestation of Georgian nationalism. From the Russian Empire's perspective, Georgian nationalism, which served as the ideology of the Georgian national liberation movement, was viewed as a destructive, separatist form of mini-nationalism. 4) Recognising the realities of their situation, the leaders of the Georgian national liberation movement understood that demanding political independence outright would be both dangerous and unattainable in the early stages. Instead, they prioritised the spiritual unification of the Georgian nation, which required the development of a standardised literary Georgian language, the growth of the Georgian press and theatre, the widespread promotion of literacy, and the establishment of schools. Early Georgian nationalism, therefore, took shape as a form of cultural nationalism. 5) Alongside cultural goals, one of the important aims of Georgian nationalism was to improve the material conditions of the Georgian people and to develop a national bourgeoisie. The fact that economic control in Georgia was largely in the hands of the Armenian bourgeoisie. At the same time, the Georgian third estate was small and weak, had a profoundly negative impact on Georgian society. As a result, Georgian national figures made every effort to persuade the population to abandon its traditional feudal mentality and embrace commerce and entrepreneurship. Thus, in addition to cultural nationalism, Georgian nationalism also represented a form of economic nationalism. 6) Georgian nationalists had to struggle not only against the Russian authorities and the imperial press but also against segments of the Georgian aristocracy that were gripped by national nihilism. They even denied their ethnic identity, as well as against the leftist intelligentsia who championed internationalist ideologies and largely ignored national concerns. The latter group propagated the idea—often successfully—that national problems would naturally resolve themselves within a unified Russian state once social issues were addressed. Georgian nationalism opposed such ideas and thus came to represent an anti-cosmopolitan ideology. 7) Georgian nationalism was not directed against any particular people. The struggle against the Russian Empire did not translate into hatred toward the Russian people, just as the socioeconomic dominance of the Armenian bourgeoisie did not evolve into anti-Armenian sentiment. Georgian nationalism has never questioned the rights of ethnic minorities residing within the territory of Georgia. No one ever advocated for their deportation, dispersal, or forced assimilation, nor was there opposition to their preservation of language, culture, religion, and traditions. Ethnic minorities were never denied the right to education in their native language or to establish national press, theatre, and other cultural institutions. Therefore, despite its ethnic character, Georgian nationalism was a liberal, democratic nationalism. These features of Georgian nationalism persisted in later periods, although their character sometimes changed depending on historical circumstances. At certain stages, nationalism took on a more aggressive form. Nevertheless, a significant portion of the Georgian population still adheres to the principles of liberal-democratic nationalism today.