Georgia Transcaucasus and Beyond

Year 1994, , 87 - 95, 01.05.1994

Gela Charkviani

https://doi.org/10.1501/Intrel_0000000149

Abstract

Georgia Transcaucasus and Beyond

Abstract

It is common knovvledge that diversity is spice of life. No one can
deny, however, that the same diversity can and does in a way encourage the
cmergence of conflicting interests. If this is true, and I tend to believe that it
is, the Caucasus must be one of the most conflict-prone areas in the world,
since hardly anyvvhere else on the planet can one find a territory of a
comparable size as heterogeneous in terms of language, religion and culture.1
The Caucasus has över the centuries dravvn attention and attracted
unremitıing interest of majör powers. Their encroachments and incessant
meddling, that often resulted in pitting peoples, tribes and feudal lords one
against the other, added to the locally generated vvoes, and by the 17th and
18th centuries life in the area turned into a virtual nightmare. Invasions,
forccd deportations, mass killings, devastating raids by the mountain
tribesmen, abduetions, slave trade and looting became routine. 

Keywords

Georgia Transcaucasus, Beyond, The Caucasus