Oriental Studies in Georgia
Oriental studies, Orientalism, is a science that comprehensively studies the history, economy, literature, languages, ethnography, religion, philosophy, monuments of material and spiritual culture of the East (Asia and partly Africa, mainly North Africa). In the process of the development of oriental studies, separate regional branches were formed: Egyptology, Assyriology, Semitology, Arabic studies, Iranian studies, Turkology and others.
The basis for the development of Georgian Oriental studies was formed by the centuries-old relations of Georgia with Eastern countries. As a result, rich material was accumulated. The teaching of oriental languages started at Tbilisi State University (TSU) since its foundation. Arabic, Turkish (A. Shanidze), Persian (I. Abuladze), Sanskrit (G. Akhvlediani) were taught. Oriental studies, as an independent branch of science, was founded in the 1930s. In 1936, the Department of Oriental Studies (G. Tsereteli) was established at the Institute of Language, History and Material Culture, and in 1945, the Faculty of Oriental Studies with departments of history and philology was established at TSU. Scientific and pedagogical work at the faculty was led by the Departments of History of Eastern Countries (V. Gabashvili, D. Katsitadze), Semitology (G. Tsereteli, A. Lekiashvili, K. Tsereteli, A. Silagadze), Iranian Philology (I. Abuladze, D. Kobidze, K. Paghava, A. Gvakharia), Turkology (S. Jikia, N. Janashia), Hebrew-Aramaic Philology (K. Tsereteli), Assyriology (G. Giorgadze), Armenology (L. Melikset-Begi, Iv. Shilakadze, Z. Aleksidze). As a result the Institute of Oriental Studies was founded within the Georgian Academy of Sciences (1960) (since 1973 — the G. Tsereteli Institute of Oriental Studies), which was led by G. Tsereteli. Work in the field of Oriental studies is conducted at the Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology, the Korneli Kekelidze Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts, Kutaisi and Batumi State Universities and others.
Semitology is one of the main branches of Georgian Oriental studies, which was founded by G. Tsereteli in Georgia. Important results have been obtained while studying Arabic literary language and the research of Arabic dialect (G. Tsereteli, A. Lekiashvili, V. Akhvlediani, N. Kiladze), in the study of Arabic linguistic theories (V. Akhvlediani). The research of the epigraphic monuments found in Armaziskhevi (G. Tsereteli), near Mtskheta, gave impetus to the research of Aramaic language in Georgia. In Georgia, intensive work took place in various fields of Aramaic studies — Armazian Aramaic, Middle Aramaic, issues of the classical Syriac language and modern Aramaic dialects (K. Tsereteli). Specialists also studied ancient and modern Hebrew (K. Tsereteli, N. Babalikashvili). Due attention was given to the study of the Semitic languages of Ethiopia. Original points of view about the nature of Semitic languages, cardinal problems of their comparative grammar have been developed (G. Tsereteli, A. Lekiashvili). Important results have been achieved in the research of ancient oriental languages, important problems of Urartian language (G. Tsereteli, G. Melikishvili, V. Gvakharia), Hurrian language, Hittite language (T. Gamkrelidze).
Research was conducted in the field of Indo-Iranian languages. Phonology and grammatical structure of Sanskrit (G. Akhvlediani, G. Nakhutsrishvili, T. Chavchavadze), Old and Middle Persian (G. Akhvlediani, M. Andronikashvili, T. Chkheidze), New Persian (J. Giunashvili, T. Chkheidze, T. Chavchavadze), Dari language (K. Gadilia), Kurdish (Sh. Kotetishvili) have been studied.
The traditional issue of Georgian Iranologists is the Ossetian language and the Ossetian-Georgian linguistic relationship. The phonetic-phonological and grammatical structure of the Ossetian language and issues of the Georgian-Ossetian lexical relationship are researched (G. Akhvlediani, O. Tedeevi).
A lot of work has been done for studying Turkic languages. The issues of the structure of the Turkish literary language and the Georgian-Turkish linguistic relationship (S. Jikia, N. Janashia, M. Jikia), the issues of the vocabulary of modern Turkish have been analyzed. The subject of the research was the problems of Old Turkic, the structure of the Uzbek language (A. Tsalkalamanidze). Various aspects of Turkish-Azerbaijani dialectology (S. Jikia) and others were investigated.
The traditional field of Georgian orientalists is the literature of the Eastern peoples and the problems of its relationship with Georgian literature. Ancient Mesopotamian epic monuments have been researched; scientific translations of the Babylonian epos have been created (Z. Kiknadze). In the field of Arabic literature, the studies of the pre-Islamic and classical Arabic poetry, the study of the issues of Arabic poetry (N. Purtseladze, A. Silagadze), the issues of the history of Christian Arabic literature, the issues of Arabic-Georgian literary relations (R. Gvaramia) are worth noting. The study of relations between Persian classical literature and Persian-Georgian literature has a long history in Georgia. The legacy of representatives of Persian-Tajik literature has been studied by I. Abuladze, D. Kobidze, A. Gvakharia, M. Todua, M. Mamatsashvili, a short course on the history of Persian literature was written in Georgian (D. Kobidze), Persian folk rhymes and their Georgian versions were studied (A. Gvakharia), intensive work was done to research old Georgian translations of Persian-Tajik poetry, Georgian versions of Shahnameh (I. Abuladze, A. Baramidze, A. Shanidze, K. Kekelidze, P. Ingorokva, D. Kobidze), Vis o Rāmin (A. Gvakharia, M. Todua), Kalīla wa-Dimna (M. Todua) and others were published. The classical Persian verse is investigated (V. Kotetishvili). Due attention is paid to the problems of new and recent Persian literature (K. Faghava, L. Giunashvili).
Important results have been obtained in the study of Turkish literature, especially in the ancient Turkish literature (E. Javelidze); The issues of the history of the new Turkish literature, the folklore of the Turkic peoples was studied as well as issues of Azerbaijani literature and its relationship with Georgian literature (G. Shakulashvili).
The monographic studies on the history and culture of Urartu (G. Melikishvili), Hittites, Mushki and other peoples of the ancient East (G. Giorgadze, E. Menabde, N. Khazaradze), the economic geography of the Eastern countries (N. Nachkebia, A. Rondeli, R. Gachechiladze) deserve special attention.
Important works on the problems of establishment and development of feudal cities of the Eastern peoples (V. Gabashvili, O. Tskitishvili, K. Kutsia, M. Gabashvili) as well as on the fundamental issues of the socio-economic and political history of the Eastern countries were published.
Studies are carried out in the field of Oriental source studies. In this regard, special attention is paid to the sources on the history of Georgia and the Caucasus. Important studies have been published by G. Tsereteli, S. Jikia, G. Puturidze, R. Kiknadze, K. Tabatadze, V. Chochiev and others. Turkish and Persian documents were published with translations and comments, which are of great importance for the study of Eastern diplomacy and the history of Georgia. Dagestan documents in Arabic (G. Tsereteli), Arabic epigraphic monuments found on the territory of Georgia (Ts. Kakhiani) were also studied.
Monographs were written on the problems of the new history of Turkey and the ideology of Turkism (O. Gigineishvili), on the issues of the history of Iran in the 18th and 19th centuries (Z. Sharashenidze), on the struggle for the independence of Iraq in the 18th century (B. Silagadze), on the issues of the history of Syrian cities (M. Tikadze) and on the creation of an independent state of Afghanistan (L. Baazova). Important studies were devoted to the national liberation and revolutionary movements of the peoples of the East, issues of agrarian relations and the peasant movement. The results of the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and its subsequent development (Sh. Kurdgelashvili, O. Kajaia), as well as the peculiarities of the Iraqi Kurdish movement (A. Menteshashvili), the specifics of agrarian reforms in Iran (G. Chipashvili) and others have been researched.
From 1990, new educational and research centers of Oriental studies were established in Akaki Tsereteli State University, and in 1991, Asia and Africa Institute of Tbilisi was established on the initiative of G. Chikovani. Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indian departments were opened in the institute, the foundation was laid for university courses in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi languages for the first time in Georgia. Internship programs in the Middle and Far East countries were launched. Relations with the countries to be studied were established and friendly relations with foreign universities and foundations were established.
In 2008, the Asia and Africa Institute of Tbilisi merged into Free university of Tbilisi.
The Center for the Study of Arab Countries and the Islamic World of the Free University was founded in 2016 (led by Professor G. Chikovani). The Center studies problems of the Arab and Islamic world, the relations of Georgia and Eastern countries, international relations, issues of the history and culture of the Caucasus and the Middle East. The Center holds international conferences, symposiums and publishes the scientific journal “Free University Journal of Asian Studies”.
Oriental languages have been taught at Akaki Tsereteli State University since 1990. In 1991, the Department of Oriental Languages was opened at the university, which was soon divided into Arabic, Persian and Turkish departments.
Literature: კრ.: ახლო აღმოსავლეთი და საქართველო, ტ. 5–12, თბ., 2008–12; ალექსიძე მ., სპარსელები და სპარსული კულტურა XIX ს-ის საქართველოში, თბ., 2009; მისივე, საქართველო ყაჯართა პერიოდის სპარსულ მემუარულ ლიტერატურაში თბ., 2013; გიუნაშვილი ჯ., ორმოცდაათი წლის მონაგარი (სამეცნიერო სტატიების კრებული სპარსულ ენაზე, თბ., 2012; ლომოური ნ., ქრისტიანობის გავრცელება და დამკვიდრება საქართველოში, თბ., 2009; მესხი თ., სინა-საქართველო, ახალი ფურცლები მრავალსაუკუნოვანი ისტორიისათის, თბ., 2013; მისივე, ოქონის ხატის რაობისა და ისტორიისათვის, თბ., 2015; სანიკიძე გ., გელოვანი ნ., ალასანია გ., ახლო აღმოსავლეთის ისტორია და მისი ურთიერთობები სამხრეთ კავკასიასთან (XIX–XXI სს-ის დასაწყისი), თბ., 2011; წერეთელი გ., ჯიქია ს., აღმოსავლეთმცოდნეობა საქართველოში, იქვე, 1959, ტ. 73; Комахидзе Н. В., Востоковедение в Грузии за пятьдесят лет, «Народы Азии и Африки», 1968, № 1–2.
V. Akhvlediani
G. Chikovani
