Did the conflicts in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region have ethnodemographic underpinnings?
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Date
2021-06
Authors
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Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi state university, Faculty of social and political sciences
Abstract
Recently, there have been frequent attempts to falsify the real picture of the demographic development of Abkhazians and Ossetians in Georgia. This is mainly related to the attempt to find justification in the eyes of the world community for occupation of twenty percent of Georgian territory. Unfortunately, even at the highest official levels, falsifications of reality are no longer avoided. Historical facts and important specific statistical material easily expose political cynical lies. Moreover, real information about the ethnogenesis and development of the population on the territory of Abkhazia, a historically organic and integral part of Georgia, can be found in both Georgian and many foreign sources.
Both ancient and modern Georgian, and most importantly, foreign historical or literary sources, clearly prove that the territory of present-day Abkhazia is an ancient part and it is still rich in human settlements of the Paleolithic period. Prior to antiquity and the Adriatic era, the territory of historic Abkhazia was part of the Colchian or Georgian cultural area.
Herodotus, Strabo and other authors point out that all the ancient tribes living here are Kartvelian tribes. Already from the Middle Ages, in Abkhazia, as well as in other parts of Georgia, the national culture was the common Georgian culture with the Georgian language, Georgian writing, Georgian Christianity and Georgian feudal relations. Both old and new official historical documents confirm that the modern territory of Abkhazia has never been a single and separate state organism, it has always been an organic part of Georgia, and in its composition, the indigenous, aboriginal Georgians have always predominated significantly. Abkhazia, has also always been recognized as part of Georgia, by the Russian Empire. This was the case during the existence of Tsarist Russia, as well as throughout the existence of the Soviet Union. The existence of Abkhazia within Georgia before 2008, ie before the occupation, was also recognized by independent Russia. Throughout the existence of Abkhazia, there has never been an attempt to artificially change the demographics of the population, especially
since there have been no artificial mechanical migration processes. At the same time, there have always been equally favorable conditions for the development of the population of Georgians, Abkhazians and other nationalities. Based on the abundant official data, it can be boldly concluded that the conflict in Abkhazia has never had an ethno-demographic basis.
Similar gross falsifications are taking place regarding the demographic development of Ossetians in Georgia. Historically, there has never been Neither "Ossetia" nor the so-called "South Osetia" on Georgian territory. The deliberately coined term "South Ossetia" is used as a tool in the occupation process. The former territory of so-called "South Ossetia" has historically always been Georgian territory and only Georgians lived there. Historical, demographic, economic, social and political facts, official statistics, various sources clearly show that, similar to Abkhazia, the conflict in Ossetia also has no ethno-demographic basis. Rather it is politically and militarily organized for imperial purposes.
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Keywords
Demographic development, ethnogenesis, historical territory, population and nationality, political insinuation, occupation, political and military conflict