Flax Culture in the XVI Century Samtskhe-Javakheti

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Flax Culture in the XVI Century Samtskhe-Javakheti
Roman Maisuradze
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, 1, Chavchavdze Ave., Tbilisi, 0179, Georgia
Received: 15.09.2018; accepted: 15.11.2018
A B S T R A C T
depicted. The comparative analyses of the conditions in the XVI and XXI centuries were conducted as well.
Keywords:
Retrospective cartography, Flax, Landscape change, Agricultural crops, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia.
*Corresponding author: Roman Maisuradze:: E-mail address: roman.maisuradze@tsu.ge
Introduction
agricultural crops are of great importance from
both economic and cultural viewpoints. In the last
century resulting from the Soviet state-planned
economy the agricultural branch experienced
a number of changes that were frequently
related to the propagation of monocultures.
This phenomenon became the reason for the
disappearance of many agricultural crops that
had a negative impact on both the diversity and
competitiveness of the agricultural branches.
For Georgia as for the country with an ancient
agricultural tradition, taking into account of the
past experience is of great importance. There
were such varieties of the agricultural crops here
that are forgotten out and away. Fortunately,
Georgia has a rich historiographic material in the
of various agricultural crops and narrates us about
their importance. Flax is directly among these
crops.
both feed and for curative purposes [1-5]. Oil
– ‘Bezir’ was made of it. This oil was used not
only for feeding and curative purposes, but also
in the process of dyes and leathers manufacturing
[6]. It was prepared by using the local special oil-
pressing stones – ‘Gelazi’. Some settlements were
famous thanks to their ‘Bezirkhanas’, i.e. due to
manufactured [7, 8]. The information about rural
settlements; also, the taxes levied is given in ‘the
Great Defter of Gurjistan Vilayet’ [1, 2]. These
taxes implied both money duty and its equivalent
natural taxes [1, 3, 4].
Resulting from the study of the document we
century.
Annals of Agrarian Science 17 (2019) 28– 35
R. Maisuradze
Annals of Agrarian Science

Objects and methods
The region under study – Gurjistan Vilayet
was spread on the territory of both modern
Georgia and Republic of Turkey. The part of
Gurjistan Vilayet located at the territory of
Georgia mainly includes the administrative unit
of Samtskhe-Javakheti. The study area is 6412.8
square kilometers. The population equals 160.5
thousand people; six municipalities – Akhaltsikhe,
Adigeni, Borjomi, Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda and
Aspindza are combined in the region [9, 10]. The
region is mountainous and is distinguished by
alternation of structural basin, canyons, mountain
chains and volcanic mountainous plateaus [11].
Samtskhe-Javakheti is located in the Mtkvari
river valley, Akhaltsikhe structural basin and
Javakheti plateau. In the past centuries the area
The following archive sources, data and maps
were used to conduct the research:
1. The main source was The Great Defter of
Gurjistan Vilayet – a document drawn up
half of the XVI century. The Georgian
version of this document was prepared in
three volumes by academician Sergi Jikia in
the last century. We made use of the second
and third volumes of the Defter, where the
population and agricultural crops described
in the settlements are given, as well as the
taxes levied and the geographical locations of
settlements are indicated, too, that was very
2. The results of agricultural census carried out
in 1923, in which the data on agricultural
crops and areas under crop are given [12];
3. The results of 2004 and 2014 censuses that
assisted us in the establishment of the modern
4. The map composed by Sergi Jikia and
Alexander Aslanikashvili in 1953 based
on ‘The Great Defter of Gurjistan Vilayet’
(1:330 000) [13];
5. Topographic maps (1:25000; 1:50000);
6. Satellite images;
7. Materials obtained in expeditions, notes and
photos.
The following methods were used during our
research:
a. The historiographic analysis methods, which
envisage the processing and analysis of
historical sources, as well as the study and
analysis of works published by researchers in
the last century;
b. Field research. We conducted the expeditions.
In the course of expeditions, we became
acquainted with the state of agricultural
culture, which is kept in the form of residual
elements of oil-pressing enterprises;
c. The mapping method, which envisages the
plotting, marking out of distribution zones
and the preparation of thematic maps;
d. Geo-information method, which implies
preparation of digital layers and vast
database using GIS-technologies, drawing of
thematic maps on their basis, qualitative and
quantitative analysis;
e. The method of data, comparative analysis,
which implies the comparison of the state
of the period under study with subsequent
periods, including modern data that assist
us to study the dynamic of the events and
manifested tendencies.
Results
Flax plantings were distributed almost over all
settlements both at the Javakheti plateau and in
river valleys. There is observed, their concentration
in the following sections: 1. Kvabliani river valley
and Akhaltsikhe (Samtskhe) hollow; 2. Middle
part of Uraveli river; 3. Mtkvari river valley
at the Klde-Atskuri-Slesa section; 4. Mtkvari
canyon at Margastani-Tmogvi-Vardzia section;
5. Buzmareti basin; 6. Javakheti plateau, volcanic
distributed to the left side of Mtkvari canyon, on
the Niala-Erusheti volcanic massif.
Annals of Agrarian Science 17 (2019) 28 – 35
R. Maisuradze

gorge (Petre Liva, Petre and Kashveti Nihies) that
probably can be explained not only by shortage of
lands but also by a small number of populations.
We deem that especially favorable conditions
plateau that can be explained by the following:
despite the fact that the land fund was mainly used
indicators of its yield in Tke-Javakheti, Akshehiri
(Akhalkalaki) and Qanarbeli Nihies. The high
hypsometric range of its distribution is indicated
Atskuri Nihie to Nialiskuti, Akshehiri, Qanarbeli
crop was characteristic also for villages located
in Buzmareti Nihie, similar to Nihies, where the
altitude of settlements hypsometrically reached
2100-2200 m and sometimes even exceeded it.
Fig. 1.
Annals of Agrarian Science 17 (2019) 28– 35
R. Maisuradze

Table 1.
Administrative units (Liva
,
Nihie)
Number of settlements with flax
crops
Total amount (tons)
Akhaltsikhe Liva (Sanjak)
Mzvare
16
12.75
Chrdili (Akhaltsikhe)
21
19.76
Ude
45
39.27
Kvabliani
5
5.48
Otskhe
2
1.91
Atsk'uri
29
32.13
Altunkala (Okrotsikhe)
4
2.295
Aspindza
9
6.88
Ch'ach'araki
18
37.99
Total (within the
Akhaltsikhe
149
158.465
Khertvisi Liva
Khertvisi
16
15.43
Tqe
-
Javakheti
35
35.83
Buzmareti
8
8.03
Total (within the
Khertvisi
59
59.29
Akshehir (Akhalkalaki)
L
iva
Akshehir (Akhalkalaki)
43
42.33
Tmogvi
9
10.22
Nialisquri 20 (on the territory of Georgia -
15)
18.62 (on the territory of
Georgia - 13.5)
Total (within the Akhalkalaki
Liva)
72 (on the territory of Georgia -
67)
71.17 (on the territory of
Georgia - 66.05)
Childiri Liva
Kanarbeli 22 (on the territory of Georgia -
15)
19.64 (
on the territory of
Georgia - 11,98)
Total (within the Childiri Liva) 22 (on the territory of Georgia -
15)
19.64 (
on the territory of
Georgia - 11,98)
Fotskhovi
L
iva
Chrdili 4 (on the territory of Georgia -
0)
3.19 (on the territory of
Georgia - 0)
Total (within the Fotskhovi
Liva)
4 (on the territory of Georgia -
0)
3.19 (on the territory of
Georgia - 0)
Petre
L
iva
Petre
0
0
Kashveti
0
0
Total (within the
Petre
Liva)
0
0
Total amount on the territory
of the ‘Gurjistan Villaiet’ (in
Georgia)
306
(on the territory of Georgia-
290)
311.75 (on the territory
of Georgia - 295.78)
Annals of Agrarian Science 17 (2019) 28 – 35
R. Maisuradze

The average yield per one village was
approximately one ton. For some villages the fewer
yields were peculiar, while for others – far more,
indicates the importance of the mentioned crop. The
712 populated places are registered in the Defter,
which are entirely or partly located at the territory of
Georgia. The part of settlements of Kanarbeli, Ude
and Chrdili (Potskhovi Liva) Nihies was located at
the territory of Republic of Turkey. Thus, 683 of
712 registered villages were located at the territory
of modern Georgia. Flax crop was cultivated in
290 populated places that equal to 42,5%. 242 of
683 settlements were already devastated by that
time, therefore, for these populated places the total
levied tax is given in ‘Akhchis’ and nothing is said
about natural taxes. If we judge according to the
rest 441 populated places, we can conclude that
of settlements. Flax seed production remained the
important branch even during the ensuing centuries
forgotten and its plantings were replaced with other
crops. This caused in the end the disappearance of
Table 2.
Mazra
NN
Community
Flax
crop
Flax
field
area
Flax
seed
yield
Akhalkalaki
1
Alastani
22.89
28.6
2
Baraleti
167.969
209.96
3
Gorelovo
1.744
2.18
4
Dilska
148.24
185.3
5
Eshtia
35.752
44.69
6
Kondura
314.683
393.35
7
Kulikami
128.075
160.1
8
Okami
119.464
149.33
9
Sathkhe
2.398
2.9975
10
Khertvisi
0
0
Total
941.215
1176.5
Akhaltsikhe
1
Adigeni
0
0
2
Ats'kuri
0
0
3
Vale
0
0
4
Varkhani
0
0
5
Idumala
0
0
6
Klde
0
0
7
Lepisi
0
0
8
Ude
0
0
9
Uraveli
3.052
3.815
10
Akhaltsikhe town
0
0
Total
3.052
3.815
Gori (Communities according
of ‘Gurjistan Villaiet’ territory)
4
Akhaldaba
0
0
7
Bakuriani
21.364
26.7
8
Borjomi
0
0
11
Gujareti
0
0
12
Dviri
0
0
32
Kvishkheti
0
0
36
Tsagveri
0
0
Total
21.364
26.7
Total (within the entire region)
965.631
1207.04
Annals of Agrarian Science 17 (2019) 28– 35
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The difference between the 1574 and 1923 data
total indicator is almost 4-times bigger as far as the
times. In the Akhaltsikhe hollow and Mtkvari valley
were already disappeared by the mentioned period.
Khertvisi, as well, but instead the mentioned crop
was appeared in the surroundings of Bakuriani that
culture was not observed here due to depopulation of
these places. But one can observe the concentration
see, in the last century it played an important role in
the local life. We still can face the stones and special
warehouses, remained in particular villages that
(Fig. 2). The difference between the 1574 and 1923
Fig. 2.
distribution map shows us that they were mainly
concentrated in the eastern part, basically to
the east of Akhaltsikhe and their abundance is
observed at Javakheti plateau (Fig. 3) and at Niala
production became the reason that the role of the
reason of its total disappearance at the territories
of Ude, Chacharaki, Atskuri and Aspindza Nihies,
as well as in the section of Vardzia-Tmogvi
canyon is unclear.
Annals of Agrarian Science 17 (2019) 28 – 35
R. Maisuradze
The total indicator is almost 4-times bigger as far as
times. In the Akhaltsikhe hollow and Mtkvari valley
were already disappeared by the mentioned period.
Khertvisi, as well, but instead the mentioned crop
was appeared in the surroundings of Bakuriani that
culture was not observed here due to depopulation of
these places. But one can observe the concentration
see, in the last century it played an important role
in the local life. We still can face the stones and
special warehouses, remained in particular villages
seeds (Fig. 2).
Empire, which was very popular product and
it was even exported. On the topographic maps
the titles ‘Bezirkhana’ are mentioned sometimes
instead of village names, and this fact points
at the mistake made by map compiler, who
taken the term named by the resident to be an
own name of the village and, correspondingly,
plotted it on the map. However, in the Defter the
particular settlements are levied by the tax exactly
according to ‘Bezirkhanas’, which presented the

Conclusion
1. Flax was the important agricultural crop for
widely cultivated in the Samtskhe-Javakheti.
Flax seeds and oil were used as a food and
medication, for dyes and for other intended
purposes, too.
centers were emerged, which also played
important role in the trading as the enterprises
manufacturing the exported goods.
3. Flax crop was propagated throughout the
Samtskhe, while the most of ‘Bezirkhanas’
were concentrated at the Javakheti plateau
that the massive boulders necessary for
manufacturing ‘Gelazis’ and construction of
‘Bezirkhanas’, were concentrated exactly in
the volcanic landscapes of Javakheti.
shifted mostly to the Javakheti plateau and in
the beginning of the XX century its yield was
far more than in the last centuries.
5. From the very beginning of the Soviet period
this crop was oppressed and by the turn of the
XXI century it was totally disappeared.
Javakheti is related to the series of agricultural
reforms conducted in the Soviet period that
had several times the impact on Georgian
such traditional crops which became the
victims of the Soviet state-planned economy
in the middle of the XX century.
Fig. 3.
Annals of Agrarian Science 17 (2019) 28– 35
R. Maisuradze

Acknowledgements
The Shota Rustaveli National Science
Foundation of Georgia (SRNSFG) under Grant
YS-2016-44 funded this work. Project title is -
The retrospective mapping and spatial analysis
of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region based on ‘The
Great Book of the Gurjistan Vilayet’.
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