Nobility of Georgia (country)

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The nobility of Georgia was the social and legal group with special status in the old Kingdom of Georgia and its successors. It was made up of two main layers: a small number of princely and ducal houses, and a large group of untitled nobles. The untitled nobles, called Aznauri, were the direct vassals of the king, as well as the vassals of the princes, dukes, and the Catholicos-Patriarch who ruled his own lands.

Before Georgia was brought under the Russian Empire, there were no hereditary titles like Prince or Duke in the Georgian sense. The highest Georgian noble titles were Mtavari (the head of a noble house) and Tavadi (a noble). The Batonishvili title was reserved for royal princes and their royal families. The most powerful houses with these titles were considered the realm’s leading nobles and could command lands and armies under the king. Mtavari usually meant an independent ruling prince, while Tavadi were nobles under the Crown. The lands of a Mtavari were called samtavaro, and the lands of a Tavadi were called satavado.

From the 11th to the 14th centuries, Mtavari, Tavadi, and Eristavi (dukes) were all upper nobility, roughly equal in rank. In the 15th century, the Tavadi title began to denote ruling princes, while Mtavari was used for the heads of the most important undivided houses. The Batonishvili title stayed with the royal princes. The term didebuli referred to the highest nobles, a grandee status. Over time, Mtavari and Tavadi remained top ranks, but the lines between them softened under later practice.

The untitled nobles were Aznauri, divided into mamaseulni (nobles of ancient origin) and aghzeebul aznauri (nobles who received their status by grant). From the 15th century, Aznauri often depended on their lords. Some scholars described this as slavery, while others call it servitude, arguing it was a feudal bond rather than outright slavery.

When Georgia joined the Russian Empire, the old royal, princely, and ducal houses were recognized as princes within Russia. The untitled nobles were absorbed as Russian nobles without titles. In 1837 (eastern Georgia) and the 1840s (western Georgia), untitled nobles were emancipated from their princes but had to prove their land titles; if they could not, the land passed to the lords. About 5% of the population belonged to the nobility at the time of annexation, with the Bagratid royal line at the top.