Aznauri (Georgian: აზნაური, IPA:[aznauɾi]; pl. aznaurni, აზნაურნი, or aznaurebi, აზნაურები) was a class of Georgian nobility.
The word derives from Middle Persian āznāvar, which, in turn, corresponds semantically to Middle Persian āzād and Avestan āzāta- ("nobility").[1] The term is related to Pahlavi āzāt-ān, "free" or "noble", who are listed as the lowest class of the free nobility in the Hajjiabad inscription of King Shapur I (240-270), and parallels to the azat of Armenia. It first appears in "The Martyrdom of Saint Shushanik", a 5th-century work of Georgian hagiographic literature. A later chronicle, that of Leonti Mroveli, derives "aznauri" from the semi-legendary ruler Azon (Georgian –uri is a common adjectival suffix), whose 1,000 soldiers defected him and were subsequently named aznauri by Azon’s victorious rival Parnavaz. This etymology is patently false.[2]
The stratification within the feudal aristocracy of Georgia, generically known as "aznauri", already became apparent in the 9th-10th century. A higher substratum began to be distinguished by adding the title of "didebuli", i.e., the aznauri who held "dideba", an especially high courtier office. Later in the Middle Ages, a clearer distinction was made between an aznauri (now dependent noble), and a tavadi and mtavari (dynastic prince); from the 15th century, the aznauri was considered a qma (literally, "vassal") of his lord, either secular or ecclesiastic. This form of dependence was later subjected to a formal regulation under Vakhtang VI’s Code of Laws which was codified between 1705 and 1708, and loosely governed a Georgian version of feudalism (batonq’moba) even after the Russian annexation of Georgia early in the 19th century. Subsequently, in the 1820s, the status of aznauri was equated to that of the (untitled) dvoryanstvo of Russia.[3][4]
^Chkeidze, Thea (2001). "GEORGIA v. LINGUISTIC CONTACTS WITH IRANIAN LANGUAGES". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. X, Fasc. 5. pp. 486–490.
^Rapp, Stephen H. (2003), Studies In Medieval Georgian Historiography: Early Texts And Eurasian Contexts, pp. 266, 276, 316. Peeters Bvba, ISBN 90-429-1318-5.
^Suny, Ronald Grigor (1994), The Making of the Georgian Nation, pp. 22, 337. Indiana University Press, ISBN 0-253-20915-3
^Lordkipanidze, Mariam (1987; translated and edited by George B. Hewitt), Georgia in the XI-XII centuries, p. 19, Ganatleba (Online version).
Aznauri (Georgian: აზნაური, IPA: [aznauɾi]; pl. aznaurni, აზნაურნი, or aznaurebi, აზნაურები) was a class of Georgian nobility. The word derives from Middle...
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nobility, aznauri, consisting of the takhtis aznauri, dependent on the king, and mtsire aznauri, dependent on the princes, tahhtis aznauri, and the Church...
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was a Georgian sculptor and artist. He was from the a Georgian noble (aznauri) family, Nikoladze. The Georgian National Museum, Iakob Nikoladze House...
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military forces. The lower noble feudal class of Georgia had the title of aznauri who were subordinates of tavadis. List of Georgian princely families Court...
ancient Georgian feudal hierarchy the Machavariani are mentioned as aznauri or takhtis aznauri of the Georgia royal (tavadi) families - House of Orbeliani, Amirejibi...
name. The name possibly derived from the Georgian noble title აზნაური (aznauri), ultimately from Middle Persian aznawar meaning "noble". Alternatively...
Petre (28 March 1920 – 13 August 1984). "Origin of the Georgian Gentry (Aznauri)". Georgian Genealogy [D] – geogen.ge. Retrieved 16 March 2024. The Georgian...
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The Nikoladze (Georgian: ნიკოლაძე) is a Georgian noble (aznauri) family, originating from the province of Imereti, known since 14th-16th century. Nikoladze...
the key road to the North Caucasus. Kazi-Beg's son Gabriel was made an aznauri, noble of a lower rank, and adopted the surname Kazbegi (Kazbek). He played...
retained and leant upon the numerous relatives of Sargis Mkhargrdzeli, an aznauri of Kurdish origin Vardan Arewelts'i's, Compilation of History In these...
nobles and prince's nobles. In the middle of the century, three groups of aznauri (lower-rank nobles) emerged in Georgia. Throne nobles enjoyed greater privileges...