Aslan-Bey Sharvashidze

Aslan-Bey Chachba, or Nikoloz Sharvashidze from the House of Sharvashidze, was a prince of the Principality of Abkhazia from 1808 to 1810. He was the second son of Prince Kelesh Ahmed-Bey Sharvashidze. Aslan-Bey was christened in his childhood as Nikoloz Sharvashidze, but he was taken captive by the Ottomans at the age of 6 years old and his new name became Aslan, meaning lion in Turkic.

Naturally, Aslan-Bey was associated with pro-western and pro-Turkish elements of the region and was responsible for rebelling against and later killing his father in order to ascend the throne of the Principality. According to George Hewitt, this a Russian fabrication and the assassination was organised by Aslan-Bey's brother, Sefer-bey, Nino Dadiani and the Russian military administration.

Aslan-bey turned the town of Sukhumi into his royal residence, which at the time, was guarded by a Turkish military regiment. Aslan-Bey actively fought together with King Solomon II of Imereti against Tsarist Russian forces.

In 1810, after several decisive Russian military victories, the House of Sharvashidze was driven out of Sukhumi together with the Turkish regiment that was protecting him and fled to Turkey. After Aslan-Bey’s expulsion from Abkhazia, the Tsarist Russian leadership established Aslan-Bey’s brother, Sefer Ali-Bey, as the new ruler of Abkhazia.

In an interview with Nikoloz (Nicolas) Sharvashidze, a descendent of Aslan-Bey, it was mentioned that the elder descendants of the Aslan-Bey branch of the Sharvashidze family currently preside in Georgia, while the junior branch is said to have gone extinct in Turkey.

References

• Georgian State (Soviet) Encyclopedia. 1983. Book 10. p. 688.
• Sinop Etnografya Museum/Aslan Torun Mansion