The Myths of the Georgians, by Fuat Köprülü

In the aftermath of World War II, the Soviet Union sought to extend its territorial influence by laying claims on regions within Türkiye, a move that neither the Turkish Government nor its allies found convincing. As part of this strategy, the Soviet administration used its affiliated republics, particularly the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, to further these territorial demands. In December 1945, a letter titled 'On Our Legitimate Claims Against Turkey', written by Georgian academics Simon Dzhanasia and Nikoloz Berdzenishvili, was first published in a Tbilisi Communist newspaper and later republished in major Soviet outlets such as Pravda and Izvestiya. This letter made the USSR's expansionist aspirations towards Turkey known to the international community.

In their letter, the Georgian scholars argued that their nation's history could be traced back to 2000 BCE, claiming that the ancestors of the Georgians were connected to ancient civilisations such as the Hittites (The Hittites were an Indo-European people, and their language is the oldest known Indo-European language —Ed.) and Subarians (The Subarians, closely related to the Hurrians, appeared in northern Mesopotamia around the end of the 3rd millennium BCE, though little is known about their earlier history or migration routes —Ed.). They contended that the territories they sought from Türkiye were integral to Georgian identity, asserting that Georgians had long occupied and defended lands stretching from the Taurus Mountains to the Caucasus. The letter portrayed this as a continuous struggle over millennia to reclaim what they described as ancestral lands.

Fuat Köprülü, in his article 'Gürcülerin Efsanesi' (The Myths of the Georgians'), published in 1946, critically examines and refutes the historical claims made by the Georgian academics. Köprülü argues that their interpretation of history was driven more by political motives than by scholarly rigour, and he challenges the accuracy and validity of their assertions. His article represents a direct response to the Georgian academics’ letter, exposing its distortions and defending a more scientifically grounded approach to history.

Köprülü, F. (1946). Gürcülerin Efsanesi (The Myths of the Georgians). İstanbul, Türkiye: Jeopolitik ilmi antoloji denemesi. Gençlik Kitabevi Neşriyatı, İçtimai Eserler Serisi, No:7, 5 pages (pp. 42-46).

Author: Mehmet Fuat Köprülü (5 December 1890 – 28 June 1966), also known as Köprülüzade Mehmed Fuad, was a distinguished Turkish sociologist, turkologist, scholar, and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Türkiye. The work was written in Turkish.

The Myths of the Georgians

The information presented about Georgian history in the letter from Georgian academics resembles a legend or a tale more than it does a scientific understanding of history, at least as we comprehend it today. Historians of old could not distinguish between an actual historical event and a mythical motif or a fable. They would often resolve the most complex historical issues in a single stroke, relying on amateurish etymologies devoid of any philological foundation. However, in the 19th century, when social sciences began to develop on a positive, empirical basis, the concept of history also renewed and expanded, taking on a more scientific nature. By the 20th century, we observe that this development has intensified in various fields, with new branches of history emerging.

It seems that Georgian academics are unaware of the results achieved by historical methodology during the 19th century. Like medieval chroniclers, they appear to confuse legend and myth with positive history. Are they sincere in this, or are they manipulating history for a particular purpose? We cannot say for sure. Admittedly, even in countries where historical research is highly advanced, there are still unfortunate individuals who, knowing nothing of historical and philological criticism, write ridiculous essays and produce books of various sizes, driven by some fixed idea. However, these individuals have never entered academic circles, that is, the true sanctuaries of science.

The letter 'On Our Legitimate Claims Against Turkey' by Georgian academics was first published in a Tbilisi Communist newspaper and later in Soviet outlets like Pravda and Izvestiya.

+ Greeks and "Georgians" in ancient Colchis, by Philip L. Kohl and Gocha R. Tsetskhladze

+ The value of the past: myths, identity and politics in Transcaucasia, by Victor A. Shnirelman

+ Eric Hobsbawm on Nationalism and Distorting History: A Critical Reflection 

In recent years, we have seen exceptions to this general rule under totalitarian regimes. In these ominous regimes, which obliterate freedom of thought and human dignity, all political and social sciences, and all historical sciences, have become wretched tools in the hands of the state; ridiculous theories were given the status of official doctrine by the academic elite. Academies and universities were reduced to mere propaganda centres, responsible for disseminating these doctrines, and academic titles were granted to ignorant crowds and sycophants. It is enough, I believe, to point to the fact that during Hitler’s era, all German anthropologists declared the French to be a ‘Negroid’ race, clearly illustrating that science, when enslaved by the state, is no longer science but has become a complete disgrace. In countries where freedom does not exist, where the appointment and dismissal of professors is subject to the whims of ministers of education, there is no room left for science, truth, or enlightenment.

I do not possess any information about the scholarly credentials of the Georgian academics in question. However, we all know that, under the influence of Russian scholarship in the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries, some distinguished Georgian scholars emerged in fields such as history, philology, folklore, and archaeology. I consider it my duty to include among these my late friend, Professor [Nikolai] Marr, whose valuable memory I always hold with love and respect. Although I never subscribed to his somewhat fanciful theories, I have always acknowledged, with great respect, his vast knowledge and dynamic intellect. It is clear that the Georgian academics, whose names are known to us only through this recent letter, cannot in any way be compared to the late Professor Marr. Yet it is unacceptable to think that they are so backward and primitive as to be incapable of distinguishing between history and legend. Thus, the conclusion we must reach is this: these two academics, driven purely by political motives, have deliberately distorted historical truths and attempted to deceive the world’s public with lies. The fact that scholars, who are above all and before anything else tasked with "seeking only the truth," would engage in such distortions is an action utterly incompatible with the dignity of science.

The Georgian academics start the myth they fabricated 4,000 years ago. According to them, the ancestors of the Georgians were the Sumerians and Hittites, who played a prominent role in Asia Minor around 2000 BCE. However, no serious historian has ever considered beginning Georgian history with the Hittites. It was Professor [Bedřich] Hrozný, who first established that the Hittite language was an Indo-European language and, after long debates, convinced the academic world of this fact. Yet, none of the renowned scholars who have critically studied the Hittites or proposed various theories have ever made such a claim. The idea of attributing Hittite civilisation to the Georgians and suddenly claiming a 4,000-year history is one that scholars would merely respond to with a smile.

In order to continue this tale, which they begin 4,000 years ago, at a chronologically consistent pace, the academics resort to another method: they classify the Laz people, whose language shows similarities to Georgian, as Georgians. Then, they present several well-known references to the Laz found in Greek and Byzantine historians. According to a widely accepted theory, the Laz language is closely related to Mingrelian, a “sister language” to Georgian. However, one of the leading experts on this issue, the renowned Georgian scholar Marr, did not share this view. He regarded Laz as a completely separate and independent language from Mingrelian. It is evident, therefore, that the academics’ claim of categorising the Laz as Georgians based on linguistic kinship is entirely contrary to the opinion of Marr, the most authoritative Georgian scholar on the matter.

After these myths, which bear no relation to actual history, the academics briefly mention the historical activities and roles of the Roman, Byzantine, and Persian empires in the region. Finally, they transition from the legendary period to the historical one. The section related to this is now on a historical basis. However, unfortunately, they describe this historical period, beginning in the 9th century, not according to historical truth but according to their own desires and ambitions. Observe how:

Although the Arab invasion in the 9th and 10th centuries hindered Georgian development in the northern regions, it did not stop the expansion movement in southern Georgia. From the 11th century to the 13th century, a brilliant Georgian civilisation emerged in this area. Poets like Rustaveli, along with other poets, writers, and artists, are representatives of this civilisation. We can excuse the academics for making very exaggerated statements about this civilisation due to their natural affection for their national culture. However, to remain faithful to historical truth, we must immediately add that this small civilisation, which remained entirely local in nature, was formed under the influence of Iranian, Byzantine, and Islamic civilisations. To some extent, it was also a mixture, blended with local elements and Turkish and Armenian influences, and it never displayed a clear originality.

According to the academics, who admit that this civilisation went through a two-century period of stagnation due to the Mongol invasion, “Russia in the north and Georgia in the south formed a barrier, a bulwark against the invasion of nomadic fascists, and the Western world is forever indebted to remember this service with gratitude.” The claim that the Georgians, devastated by the heavy blows they suffered from Jalal ad-Din Khwarazmshah shortly before the Mongol invasion, defended the West against the Mongols is so absurd that no rational mind can accept how such a ridiculous assertion could be put forward.

The academics then move on to their main purpose, which is to describe the misfortunes they claim to have suffered at the hands of the Ottoman Turks since the 15th century. According to them, among the nations that conquered Georgia, the greatest oppressors were the Ottomans! They allegedly destroyed industry and agriculture, eradicated Georgian laws and customs, forcibly converted Georgians to Islam, made them forget their language, uprooted the population from their homeland and relocated them elsewhere, and much more. In response to all these hardships, the Georgians supposedly only relied on the help of the Tsars and joined them in all wars against the Turks. Now, they demand that Ardahan, Olti, Tortum, İspir, Bayburt, Gümüşhane, eastern Lazistan, and the Trabzon region be taken from the Turks and handed over to them!

Since our newspapers, along with the world press, have already given the necessary responses to these ridiculous demands, I will refrain from commenting on them here. However, I must categorically state that the opinions regarding the policy of the Ottoman Empire towards the Georgians are entirely fabricated. There was never a strong Georgian state that the Ottoman Empire had to contend with; Georgian princes alternately sided with the Persians or the Russians. The Ottoman Empire never pursued a policy of forced Islamisation against any nation, nor did it attempt to make any people forget their language. It always acted with respect towards the laws, customs, and religions of Christians. Anyone who reads the famous work of the great British orientalist W. Arnold, The Preaching of Islam, which has been translated into Turkish as İntişar-ı İslâm Tarihi, will see how strongly this eminent scholar defends this truth.

In the preceding paragraphs, we have briefly summarised and criticised the letter from the Georgian academics, which contains baseless claims, distortions, and lies that hold no serious merit and contradict historical facts in an attempt to mislead global opinion. In our subsequent writing, we will present information on Georgian history from the world’s most authoritative specialists to reveal the true nature of this issue to our readers. We see no need to spend time elaborating on the personal results of our research into certain matters in this letter, which is of so little value that it does not deserve serious criticism. After all, we are not dealing with sincere scholars acting with a scientific purpose but with political propagandists who deliberately distort the truth. The most effective and easiest way to refute their claims is to rely on the clear, definitive, and entirely impartial opinions of the most authoritative Western scholars.