The branches of the Armenian nobility of Northern Lori (Somkhety)
Sergey K. Zavirev, Sonya S. Mirzoyan
The Zavaryan-Zavriev family originated from the nobility-aznavurs of Northern Lori (Somkhety). During different administrative systems it was mentioned under the names Zavarashvili, Zavarishvili, Zavrashvili, Zavrov, Zavarov, Ab-Zavaradze, Abrozavrov etc. In spite of the Georgian and later Russian endings of the family name, they, unlike Georgian nobles,were the nobles of the “Armenian law”, i.e. the Armenians belonging to the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Beginning from 1655, the time of the King of Kartl, Rostom, the rights of the Zavarashvili-Zavarishvili over urban settlement Gilaghdagh or Giligdak (Gaili gyaduk) and surrounding villages were repeatedly recognized by the rulers of Georgia.
The Zavarashvilis were recognized as a noble family of the Russian Empire by the Georgievsk Tractate (1783), too. They were mentioned under No 48th in the list of noble families of the Tractate.Before that, starting from the 1730s, during the devastating invasions of the Lezgins,thisfamilyofaznavursofnorthernLoribegantoleavetheirnativelandgradually,consequentlyitbranchedout.ThisArmenianfamilywasdividedintothebranchesof Malorosi or Ukrainian, Kakhetian or Sghnakh, Tbilssian and a little while later – Odzun Aigehatianor Armenia’s.
The Tbilssian Abo-Zavradze-Zavriev-Zavriyans branch of the family gave several political, military, cultural and scientific figures to the Armenian people. One of the founders of the ARF (Dashnaktsutyun) Simon Zavaryan was a representative of the fourth generation of the Odzun Aigehatianor Armenia’s Zavarov-Zavaryans branch rooted deeply in the native land.