Kingdom of Abkhazia

The Kingdom of Abkhazia ( Abkhaz аҳра Аҧсуа; Georgian აფხაზეთის სამეფო ), also Egrisi - Abkhazia, was a medieval feudal kingdom. The kingdom covered the area of present-day Abkhazia, however, included in the larger areas of the north today Russia's Krasnodar region and the southern and eastern parts of present-day Georgia also significant to the Kingdom of Abkhazia. It existed as an independent state from about 780 in 1008 and went on in the course of a dynastic union in the Kingdom of Georgia.

History

The Kingdom Lasika (Georgian also called " Egrisi ") was Christianized in the 6th century, but fell apart in the 7/8 Century into several small principalities. One of the successor states was the Principality of Abkhazia, which by the expansion of the tribal alliance of the Abkhazians (from Georgia: " apchasi ", also " Abasgen " from Greek " Abasgoi " ) was created under Byzantine protection. The Abkhazian rulers were subordinate as Archon Byzantium. After attacks by the Arabs from the middle of the 8th century reached Leon II ( Levan II ) eventually with the help of the Khazars the complete independence of the country.

Under Levan II was built around 780, the Kingdom ( Egrisi ) Abkhazia of a dynastic link between his principality of Abkhazia and the younger Egrisi (about the Samegrelo region ), a remnant of the old Lasikas, which he inherited from his wife. Levan II conquered more territories in the east and south, and moved the capital Anacopia to Kutaisi. In the following years expanded the kingdom, in the 860 - years Inner Kartli was busy, but the one at the end of the century lost again. Middle of the 10th century had occupied parts of the Javakheti region and the northern influence grew, so did the Alans Abkhazia.

From the second half of the 10th century there was in the country to riots and disturbances, in particular, under Theodosius III. escalated. Had the leading role in the region must therefore largely cede the kingdom. Theodosius died childless in the year 978

After internal disputes about the succession was finally Theodosius ' nephew Bagrat III. from the house of the Georgian Bagratides in the same year the new king of Abkhazia. Bagrat was already since 975 ruler of Tao Klardschetien. In 1008, the two kingdoms were finally on one another, through the dynastic union thus arose the Kingdom of Georgia.

The Kingdom of Abkhazia is now recognized by both Abkhazians and Georgians for themselves. There were several tribes in the region whose linguistic association is controversial, the written language was handed down since that time due to the membership of the Georgian Church, the Georgian language.