The Idea of National Freedom and the Crisis of National Consciousness in Georgia in the Second Half of the 19th Century

Abstract

The 19^th century in the Georgian nation’s history stands out with entirely new political, social, and psychological aspects.

The literary and social-political thought of the second half of the 19^th century was shaped by the group of “Tergdaleulebi,” who entered the public arena in the 1860s under the leadership of Ilia Chavchavadze. Their main goal was to unite the Georgian nation into a single organism, to revive the national spirit and to form national and state consciousness.

Thanks to their efforts, the new Georgian literature was able to present national and social ideals in the form of a well-defined concept and to use them as a conscious program for the fight of the Georgian people. The idea of national freedom and the ethical ideal became the central axis of literary and social-political thought in Georgia in the second half of the 19^th century.

The actualization of national history and the expansion of its role was one of the most important features of the “Tergdaleulebi” concept. The “Tergdaleulebi” sought to instill faith in national energy within the people. However, despite their efforts, nihilism remained strong within a segment of Georgian society, which led to the erosion of national consciousness. National consciousness was negatively affected by historical realities — particularly the developments beginning in the 16^th century, when Georgia fragmented into separate kingdoms and principalities. Nevertheless, the very foundations of national consciousness — linguistic unity, religious integrity and culture — were preserved.

In 19^th century Georgian thought, Akaki Bakradze points to the struggle between two currents — hope and nihilism. Among the nihilists, a crisis of national consciousness is clearly evident. The analysis of the views of Giorgi Mukhranbatoni and Ivane Jabadari clearly illustrates this phenomenon. In their works, the history and culture of Georgia are falsified.

The idea of national freedom proved so powerful in Georgia during the second half of the 19^th century that it overcame nihilism and transcended the crisis of national consciousness. Under the leadership of Ilia Chavchavadze, the “Tergdaleulebi” succeeded in restoring the Georgian people's sense of national identity, reviving the national spirit and forming national and state consciousness. The central axis of Georgia's literary and social-political thought in the second half of the 19^th century was the idea of national freedom and the ethical ideal.