ეთნიკურობის აღქმა შუა საუკუნეების საქართველოში ქართული ჰაგიოგრაფიული წყაროების მიხედვით

Ethnicity is a universal phenomenon although ethnic characteristics change over time. Not only the intensity of manifestation of ethnic markers are variable but frequency. The objective of the dissertation is to observe the development process of ethnic perception in Georgian reality during the pre-modern era.
The Georgian original hagiography is used as the main source of the research, as well as in certain cases for the completeness of the context, some examples are taken from the Georgian medieval historical writings.
The chronology of the research covers the XI-XVIII centuries. In the history of Georgia this period is related to substantial cultural and social changes. The formation of ethnicity is observed by means of pre-selected indicators. The identification of the indicators is based on phenomenon of ethnicity proposed by modern theories of prominent Western scholars.
Both, the problem set forth this way and the research methodology are novelty in Georgian historiography: hagiographic monuments as a whole (except few successful studies) have neither been the object in terms of research historical representation of social phenomenon nor the problem of a multifaceted study of the ethnic perception of the premodern era.
As a result of this study, it is possible to restore a detailed picture of the perception of ethnicity in pre-modern Georgian reality. In particular, the understanding of Eri and Natesavi was investigated, whose variable content expresses the depths of internal coherence, the research shows the dynamics of the development of Georgians self-name; It has become evident how we/others group is identified in the mentioned sources and by which criteria determined a membership in the Georgian unity. The study reflects on language and religious markers, the frequency and the emphases of which were associated with a number of political and social changes. The conceptualization of the past, borders and sacred objects is underlined, and, as the research shows, this process is especially active in the texts of the mentioned period. Through observing these ethnic features in the Georgian hagiographic monuments consecutively reveals the development process of self-awareness of the Georgian unity.
Besides basic research findings, the dissertation laid the foundation for other conclusions as well, namely, the importance of Georgian hagiography as a historical source, an idea already existing in Georgian historiography has been strengthened with new evidence. It has been proven that the source-study value of Georgian hagiographic monuments is significant it terms of acquiring not only direct information but also indirect information.