:Tiflis Governorate
{{Short description|Governorate of the Russian Empire}}
{{Infobox settlement
| area_total_km2 = 40,861.03
| elevation_max_m = 5,034
| elevation_max_point = Mount Kazbek
| established_date = 1846
| established_title = Established
| extinct_date = 1917
| extinct_title = Abolished
| image_map = Tiflis Governorate ATD.png
| image_shield = Coat of arms of Tiflis Governorate 1878.svg
| map_caption = Administrative map of the Tiflis Governorate
| mapsize = 220px
| name = Tiflis Governorate
| native_name = Тифлисская губерния
| native_name_lang = ru
| population_as_of = 1916
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_rural = 59.10%
| population_total = 1,473,308
| population_urban = 40.90%
| seat = Tiflis
(present-day Tbilisi)
| seat_type = Capital
| settlement_type = Governorate
| subdivision_name = Russian Empire
| subdivision_name1 = Caucasus
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_type1 = Viceroyalty
| total_type = Total
}}
{{History of Georgia (country)}}
Tiflis Governorate{{efn|{{bulleted list|{{Langx|ru|Тифли́сская губе́рния}}, {{Langx|ru|Тифли́сская губе́рнія|translit=Tiflísskaya gubérniya|label=pre-reform orthography}}|{{lang-ka|ტფილისის გუბერნია|tr}}|{{langx|hy|Թիֆլիսի նահանգ|translit=Tʼiflisi nahang|translit-std=iso}}}}}} was a province (guberniya) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire with its administrative centre in Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi). In 1897, it constituted {{convert|44,607|km2}} in area and had a population of 1,051,032 inhabitants.Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopaedia: [http://gatchina3000.ru/brockhaus-and-efron-encyclopedic-dictionary/101/101251.htm Tiflis Governorate] {{in lang|ru}} Tiflis Governorate bordered Elizavetpol Governorate to the southeast, Erivan Governorate to the south, Kars Oblast to the southwest, Batum Oblast to the west, Kutaisi Governorate to the northwest, Terek Oblast to the north, Dagestan Oblast to the northeast, and after 1905, the Zakatal Okrug to the east. The governorate covered areas of central and southeastern Georgia, the partially recognised state of South Ossetia, most of the Lori Province of Armenia, small parts of northwestern Azerbaijan, and a minuscule southern part of Ingushetia of Russia.
History
Tiflis Governorate was established in 1846 along with the Kutaisi Governorate, after the dissolution of the Georgia-Imeretia Governorate. It was initially formed from uezds of Tiflis, Gori, Telavi, Signakh, Elizavetpol, Erivan, Nakhichevan and Alexandropol and the okrugs of Zakatal, Ossetian and Tushino-Pshavo-Khevsurian. In 1849, uezds of Erivan, Nakhichevan and Alexandropol were attached to Erivan Governorate. In 1859, the Ossetian Okrug became part of Gori district and Tushino-Pshavo-Khevsurian Okrug was renamed to Tionety Okrug. In 1867, the northern part of Tiflis uezd was separated into the Dusheti uezd, while Akhaltsikhe uezd which was created after ceding from Ottoman Empire to Russian Empire in 1829, was detached from Kutaisi Governorate and part of Tiflis one. In 1868 Elizavetpol uezd (in the same decree, the Kazakh uezd was formed from it) became a part of the Elizavetpol Governorate. In 1874, the southern part of Akhaltsikhe uezd became the Akhalkalaki uezd, and the Tionety okrug was elevated to an uezd. Finally, the southern part of Tiflis uezd was detached to become the Borchaly uezd.
The Tiflis Governorate lasted within these boundaries for some 50 years until the Russian Revolution and subsequent founding of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918.[http://nauka.relis.ru/14/0008/14008138.htm Coats of Arms of the Cities of the Georgia-Imeretia Governorate of the Russian Empire] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106234656/http://nauka.relis.ru/14/0008/14008138.htm |date=2008-01-06 }} The governorate and its counties were soon abolished after its incorporation into the Soviet Union and reorganised into the raions (counties) of the Georgian SSR by 1930.
Administrative divisions
The counties (uezds) of the Tiflis Governorate in 1917 were as follows:{{Cite web |title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей. |url=http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/emp_lan_97_uezd.php?reg=521 |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=www.demoscope.ru}}{{sfn|Кавказский календарь на 1917 год|pp=206–213}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" |Name ! colspan="3" |Administrative centre ! colspan="2" |Population ! rowspan="2" |Area |
| !1897{{Cite web |title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей. |url=https://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus_gub_97.php?reg=69 |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=www.demoscope.ru}}
!1897 !1916 |
|---|
| Akhalkalaki uezd ({{Langx|ru|Ахалкалакскій уѣздъ|label=none}})
|5,440 |7,055 | align="right" |72,709 | align="right" |107,173 |{{Convert|2407.00|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
| Akhaltsikhe uezd ({{Langx|ru|Ахалцихскій уѣздъ|label=none}})
|15,357 |25,470 | align="right" |68,837 | align="right" |96,947 |{{Convert|2331.88|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
| Borchaly uezd ({{Langx|ru|Борчалинскій уѣздъ|label=none}})
|Shulavery (Shaumiani) |4,553 | --- | align="right" |128,587 | align="right" |169,351 |{{Convert|6046.96|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
| Gori uezd ({{Langx|ru|Горійскій уѣздъ|label=none}})
|Gori |10,269 |18,454 | align="right" |191,091 | align="right" |241,016 |{{Convert|6007.56|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
| Dusheti uezd ({{Langx|ru|Душетскій уѣздъ|label=none}})
|Dushet (Dusheti) |2,566 | --- | align="right" |67,719 | align="right" |66,430 |{{Convert|3411.80|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
| Signakh uezd ({{Langx|ru|Сигнахскій уѣздъ|label=none}})
|Signakh (Signagi) |8,994 |17,662 | align="right" |102,313 | align="right" |153,864 |{{Convert|5291.79|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
| Telavi uezd ({{Langx|ru|Телавскій уѣздъ|label=none}})
|Telav (Telavi) |13,929 | --- | align="right" |66,767 | align="right" |67,955 |{{Convert|2162.91|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
| Tiflis uezd ({{Langx|ru|Тифлисскій уѣздъ|label=none}})
|Tiflis (Tbilisi) |159,590 |346,766 | align="right" |234,632 | align="right" |521,222 |{{Convert|4004.08|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
| Tionety uezd ({{Langx|ru|Тіонетскій уѣздъ|label=none}})
|Tioneti (Tianeti) |1,089 | --- | align="right" |34,153 | align="right" |49,350 |{{Convert|4250.06|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
| Zakatal okrug ({{Langx|ru|Закатальскій округъ|label=none}})
|Zakataly (Zaqatala) |3,009 |4,505 | align="right" |84,224 |{{Efn|The Zakatal Okrug was detached from the Tiflis Governorate in 1905 to be administered separately. As a special administrative okrug, Zakatal's population in 1916 was 92,608.}} |{{Convert|3502.24|verst2|km2 mi2|lk=on}} |
Demographics
= Russian Empire Census =
According to the Russian Empire Census, the Tiflis Governorate had a population of 1,051,032 on {{OldStyleDate|28 January|1897|15 January}}, including 575,447 men and 475,585 women. The plurality of the population indicated Georgian to be their mother tongue, with significant Armenian, Tatar,{{Caucasian Tatars}} Russian, and Ossetian speaking minorities.
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Language
!Native speakers !% |
|---|
| Georgian
| align="right" |465,537 | align="right" |44.29 |
| Armenian
| align="right" |196,189 | align="right" |18.67 |
| Tatar{{efn|name=Caucasian Tatars}}
| align="right" |107,383 | align="right" |10.22 |
| Russian
| align="right" |79,082 | align="right" |7.52 |
| Ossetian
| align="right" |67,268 | align="right" |6.40 |
| Avar-Andean
| align="right" |34,130 | align="right" |3.25 |
| Greek
| align="right" |27,118 | align="right" |2.58 |
| Turkish
| align="right" |24,722 | align="right" |2.35 |
| German
| align="right" |8,340 | align="right" |0.79 |
| Dargin
| align="right" |7,565 | align="right" |0.72 |
| Ukrainian
| align="right" |6,443 | align="right" |0.61 |
| Polish
| align="right" |6,282 | align="right" |0.60 |
| Jewish
| align="right" |5,188 | align="right" |0.49 |
| Kurdish
| align="right" |2,538 | align="right" |0.24 |
| Chechen
| align="right" |2,207 | align="right" |0.21 |
| Persian
| align="right" |1,991 | align="right" |0.19 |
| Assyrian
| align="right" |1,570 | align="right" |0.15 |
| Imeretian
| align="right" |1,546 | align="right" |0.15 |
| Lithuanian
| align="right" |1,263 | align="right" |0.12 |
| Kyurin
| align="right" |1,149 | align="right" |0.11 |
| Mingrelian
| align="right" |498 | align="right" |0.05 |
| French
| align="right" |356 | align="right" |0.03 |
| Kist
| align="right" |296 | align="right" |0.03 |
| Italian
| align="right" |259 | align="right" |0.02 |
| Belarusian
| align="right" |247 | align="right" |0.02 |
| Czech
| align="right" |229 | align="right" |0.02 |
| Romanian
| align="right" |198 | align="right" |0.02 |
| Kazi-Kumukh
| align="right" |197 | align="right" |0.02 |
| Talysh
| align="right" |152 | align="right" |0.01 |
| Chuvash
| align="right" |148 | align="right" |0.01 |
| Latvian
| align="right" |123 | align="right" |0.01 |
| Other
| align="right" |818 | align="right" |0.08 |
| TOTAL
!1,051,032 !100.00 |
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Religious composition of the Tiflis Governorate in 1897{{Cite web |title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей. |url=http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus_rel_97.php?reg=96 |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=www.demoscope.ru}} ! rowspan="2" |Faith ! rowspan="2" |Male ! rowspan="2" |Female ! colspan="2" |Both |
| Number
!% |
|---|
| Eastern Orthodox
| align="right" |319,930 | align="right" |264,891 | align="right" |584,821 | align="right" |55.64 |
| Armenian Apostolic
| align="right" |113,399 | align="right" |96,762 | align="right" |210,161 | align="right" |20.00 |
| Muslim
| align="right" |104,500 | align="right" |84,528 | align="right" |189,028 | align="right" |17.98 |
| Armenian Catholic
| align="right" |10,363 | align="right" |9,853 | align="right" |20,216 | align="right" |1.92 |
| Old Believer
| align="right" |8,156 | align="right" |8,053 | align="right" |16,209 | align="right" |1.54 |
| Roman Catholic
| align="right" |8,630 | align="right" |2,914 | align="right" |11,544 | align="right" |1.10 |
| Judaism
| align="right" |5,642 | align="right" |4,068 | align="right" |9,710 | align="right" |0.92 |
| Lutheran
| align="right" |4,221 | align="right" |4,257 | align="right" |8,478 | align="right" |0.81 |
| Baptist
| align="right" |142 | align="right" |122 | align="right" |264 | align="right" |0.03 |
| Reformed
| align="right" |44 | align="right" |31 | align="right" |75 | align="right" |0.01 |
| Karaite
| align="right" |10 | align="right" |5 | align="right" |15 | align="right" |0.00 |
| Anglican
| align="right" |2 | align="right" |7 | align="right" |9 | align="right" |0.00 |
| Buddhist
| align="right" |3 | align="right" |2 | align="right" |5 | align="right" |0.00 |
| Mennonite
| align="right" |2 | align="right" |3 | align="right" |5 | align="right" |0.00 |
| Other Christian denomination
| align="right" |183 | align="right" |10 | align="right" |193 | align="right" |0.02 |
| Other non-Christian denomination
| align="right" |220 | align="right" |79 | align="right" |299 | align="right" |0.03 |
| TOTAL
!575,447 !475,585 !1,051,032 !100.00 |
Linguistic composition of uezds in the Tiflis Governorate in 1897{{Cite web |title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей. |url=https://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/emp_lan_97_uezd.php?reg=521 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=www.demoscope.ru}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" |Uezd ! colspan="2" |Georgian ! colspan="2" |Armenian ! colspan="2" |Tatar and Turkish ! colspan="2" |Russian ! colspan="2" |Ossetian ! rowspan="2" |TOTAL |
| Number
!% !Number !% !Number !% !Number !% !Number !% |
|---|
| Akhalkalaki
|6,448 |8.87 | align="right" |52,539 | align="right" |72.26 | align="right" |6,868 | align="right" |9.45 | align="right" |5,155 | align="right" |7.09 |4 |0.01 | align="right" |72,709 |
| Akhaltsikhe
|12,211 |17.74 | align="right" |15,144 | align="right" |22.00 | align="right" |36,507 | align="right" |53.03 | align="right" |1,743 | align="right" |2.53 |14 |0.02 | align="right" |68,837 |
| Borchaly
|7,840 |6.1 | align="right" |47,423 | align="right" |36.88 | align="right" |37,904 | align="right" |29.48 | align="right" |8,089 | align="right" |6.29 |628 |0.49 | align="right" |128,587 |
| Gori
|124,180 |64.98 | align="right" |7,686 | align="right" |4.02 | align="right" |470 | align="right" |0.25 | align="right" |5,281 | align="right" |2.76 |50,036 |26.18 | align="right" |191,091 |
| Dusheti
|49,690 |73.38 | align="right" |1,680 | align="right" |2.48 | align="right" |405 | align="right" |0.6 | align="right" |980 | align="right" |1.45 |14,523 |21.45 | align="right" |67,719 |
| Signakh
|84,827 |82.91 | align="right" |6,392 | align="right" |6.25 | align="right" |5,272 | align="right" |5.15 | align="right" |4,413 | align="right" |4.31 |30 |0.03 | align="right" |102,313 |
| Telavi
|57,357 |85.91 | align="right" |4,754 | align="right" |7.12 | align="right" |1,878 | align="right" |2.81 | align="right" |694 | align="right" |1.04 |88 |0.13 | align="right" |66,767 |
| Tiflis
|80,293 |34.22 | align="right"|57,933 | align="right"|24.69 | align="right"|12,835 | align="right"|5.47 | align="right"|51,775 | align="right"|22.07 |1,712 |0.73 | align="right"|234,632 |
| Tionety
|30,302 |88.72 | align="right"|538 | align="right"|1.58 | align="right"|13 | align="right"|0.04 | align="right"|637 | align="right"|1.87 |227 |0.66 | align="right"|34,153 |
| Zakatal
|12,389 |14.71 | align="right"|2,100 | align="right"|2.49 | align="right"|28,953 | align="right"|34.38 | align="right"|315 | align="right"|0.37 |6 |0.01 | align="right"|84,224 |
| TOTAL
!465,537 !44.29 !196,189 !18.67 !132,105 !12.57 !79,082 !7.52 !67,268 !6.40 !1,051,032 |
= ''Kavkazskiy kalendar'' =
According to the 1917 publication of Kavkazskiy kalendar, the Tiflis Governorate had a population of 1,473,308 on {{OldStyleDate|14 January|1916|1 January}}, including 780,010 men and 693,298 women, 1,255,176 of whom were the permanent population, and 218,132 were temporary residents:{{sfn|Кавказский календарь на 1917 год|pp=206–213}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" |Nationality ! colspan="2" |Urban ! colspan="2" |Rural ! colspan="2" |TOTAL |
| Number
!% !Number !% !Number !% |
|---|
| Georgians
| align="right" |62,627 | align="right" |14.64 | align="right" |580,009 | align="right" |55.47 | align="right" |642,636 | align="right" |43.62 |
| Armenians
| align="right" |197,916 | align="right" |46.28 | align="right" |213,831 | align="right" |20.45 | align="right" |411,747 | align="right" |27.95 |
| Russians
| align="right" |94,885 | align="right" |22.19 | align="right" |57,924 | align="right" |5.54 | align="right" |152,809 | align="right" |10.37 |
| Sunni Muslims{{Efn|Primarily Turco-Tatars.{{sfn|Hovannisian|1971|p=67}}}}
| align="right" |6,353 | align="right" |1.49 | align="right" |61,164 | align="right" |5.85 | align="right" |67,517 | align="right" |4.58 |
| Asiatic Christians
| align="right" |19,560 | align="right" |4.57 | align="right" |36,410 | align="right" |3.48 | align="right" |55,970 | align="right" |3.80 |
| North Caucasians
| align="right" |2,714 | align="right" |0.63 | align="right" |45,037 | align="right" |4.31 | align="right" |47,751 | align="right" |3.24 |
| Shia Muslims{{Efn|Primarily Tatars.{{sfn|Hovannisian|1971|p=67}}}}
| align="right" |9,434 | align="right" |2.21 | align="right" |29,548 | align="right" |2.83 | align="right" |38,982 | align="right" |2.65 |
| Other Europeans
| align="right" |12,058 | align="right" |2.82 | align="right" |12,845 | align="right" |1.23 | align="right" |24,903 | align="right" |1.69 |
| Jews
| align="right" |14,296 | align="right" |3.34 | align="right" |4,948 | align="right" |0.47 | align="right" |19,244 | align="right" |1.31 |
| Kurds
| align="right" |2,279 | align="right" |0.53 | align="right" |3,653 | align="right" |0.35 | align="right" |5,932 | align="right" |0.40 |
| Yazidis
| align="right" |4,697 | align="right" |1.10 | align="right" |0 | align="right" |0.00 | align="right" |4,697 | align="right" |0.32 |
| Roma
| align="right" |851 | align="right" |0.20 | align="right" |269 | align="right" |0.03 | align="right" |1,120 | align="right" |0.08 |
| TOTAL
!427,670 !100.00 !1,045,638 !100.00 !1,473,308 !100.00 |
Governors
The administration tasks in the governorate were executed by a governor. Sometimes, a military governor was appointed as well. The governors of Tiflis Governorate were{{cite book|editor=Н. Ф. Самохвалов|title=Губернии Российской Империи. История и руководители. 1708-1917.|url=http://www.runivers.ru/bookreader/book10419#page/1/mode/1up|year=2003|pages=372–376, 467–468|publisher=Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russian Federation|location=Moscow}}
- 1847–1849 Sergei Nikolayevich Yermolov, governor;
- 1849–1855 Ivan Malkhazovich Andronnikov (Andronikashvili), military governor;
- 1855–1857 Nikolay Yevgenyevich Lukash, military governor;
- 1858–1860 Alexander Khristianovich Kapger, military governor;
- 1860–1876 Konstantin Ivanovich Orlovsky, governor;
- 1876–1878 Maximilian von der Osten-Sacken, governor;
- 1878–1883 Konstantin Dmitriyevich Gagarin, governor;
- 1883–1887 Alexander Ignatyevich Grosman, governor;
- 1887–1889 Karl Leo Sissermann, governor;
- 1889–1897 Georgy Dmitriyevich Shervashidze (Giorgi Shervashidze), governor;
- 1897–1899 Fyodor Alexandrovich Bykov, governor;
- 1899–1905 Ivan Nikolayevich Svechin, governor;
- 1905–1907 Paul Bernhard Demetrius Rausch von Traubenberg, governor;
- 1907–1911 Mikhail Alexandrovich Lyubich-Yarmolovich-Lozina-Lozinsky, governor;
- 1911–1914 Andrei Gavrilovich Chernyavsky, governor;
- 1914–1916 Ivan Mikhaylovich Strakhovsky, governor;
- 1916–1917 Alexander Nikolayevich Mandrika, acting governor.
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
{{Refbegin}}
- {{Cite Armenia and Imperial Decline}}
- {{Cite The Republic of Armenia Volume 1}}
- {{Cite Kavkazskiy Kalendar 1917}}
- {{Cite Atlas of the Ethno-Political History of the Caucasus}}
{{Refend}}
Further reading
- {{Citation |publisher = Russian Outlook |author=William Henry Beable |publication-date = 1919 |publication-place = London |title = Russian Gazetteer and Guide |via=Open Library |chapter= Governments or Provinces of the Former Russian Empire: Tiflis |year=1919 |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/russiangazetteer00beabiala#page/40/mode/2up }}
- {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Tiflis (government) |volume= 26 | page = 966 }}
{{Subdivisions of the Russian Empire}}
{{Caucasus Viceroyalty}}
{{Georgia (country) topics}}
{{coord|41.7167|N|44.7833|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}
Category:Caucasus Viceroyalty (1801–1917)
Category:Governorates of the Caucasus
Category:Modern history of Georgia (country)
Category:1900s in Georgia (country)
Category:1910s in Georgia (country)
Category:States and territories established in 1847
Category:States and territories disestablished in 1917
Category:1840s establishments in Georgia (country)
Category:1917 disestablishments in Georgia (country)