ცნობები საქართველოში მონათვაჭრობის დასრულების შესახებ

Abstract

The local historiography credited Russian Empire for suppression and ending of slave trade in Georgia. The article argues, that alongside with Russian efforts, the Ottomans and its allies Britain and France have also played important role in this process. It considers the important insides into the end of Georgian slave trade studied by Ehud Toledano and Hakan Erdem and examines published and archival sources on the matter. A recently published Ottoman documents from mid-19th century show, that Ottoman provincial government was instructed to abolish the sale of Georgian and Circassian slaves and punish those involved in kidnapping or a trade. Article also examines the correspondence of British diplomats from 1855, deployed in the Ottoman provinces bordering Georgia. These demonstrate active involvement of British diplomats in enactment of abolitionist policies of the Ottoman government with regards to Georgian and Caucasian slave trade. As a result, some Georgian slaves were manumitted and repatriated to Georgia. Unpublished Russian report from Georgian National Archives provides a list of 129 Georgians that were kidnapped from Guria district in the Western Georgia during 1853-1855. The same document also lists names and residences of kidnappers and criminals involved in the slave trade within the region. These lists were likely made for organizing return of kidnapped and enslaved residents, as well as punishment of criminals potentially involved in kidnapping and slave trade. The article shows that Ottoman efforts, coupled with insistence and encouragement from its British and French allies, were important factors for ending large scale slave trade in Georgia.