Lazia (Pontus)

Theme of Greater Lazia θέμα Μεγάλης Λαζίας
Theme of the Empire of Trebizond
1204–1297 →   →
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Established	Enter start date
•	Disestablished	ca. 1297
Today part of		Turkey

Laz people
Place of distribution Georgia Turkey Germany
Religion Sunni Islam Christianity
Culture Laz language Laz grammar Dance Cuisine Agani Murutsxi (Newspaper)
History Colchis Satrapy of Persia Greek Colonisation Pontus Roman rule Kingdom of Lazica Christianization Byzantine rule Trebizond Empire Kingdom of Imereti Ottoman rule Hellenization Laz Martyrs
Related peoples Mingrelians Svans other groups of Georgians

The Theme of Lazia or Greater Lazia (Greek: θέμα Μεγάλης Λαζίας; Laz: ლაზონა Lazona) was the easternmost subdivision of the medieval Empire of Trebizond (1204–1461) located in mountainous interior of the eastern Black Sea, northeast Anatolia (modern Turkey). Its name was derived from native Lazs, who were natives of this area.

History

With the Georgian intervention in Chaldia and collapse of Byzantine Empire after the Crusader capture of Constantinople in 1204, Empire of Trebizond was established along the southwestern coast of the Black Sea, populated by a large Lazian-speaking population.^[1] In the eastern part of the same empire, an autonomous coastal theme of Greater Lazia was established.^[2] Byzantine authors, such as Pachymeres, and to some extent Trapezuntines such as Lazaropoulos and Bessarion, regarded the Trapezuntian Empire as being no more than a Lazian border state.^[3] Though Greek in higher culture, the rural areas of Trebizond empire appear to have been predominantly Laz in ethnic composition.^[4] Laz family names, with Hellenized terminations, are noticeable in the records of the mediaeval empire of Trebizond, and it is perhaps not too venturesome to suggest that the antagonism between the "town-party" and the "country-party," which existed in the politics of "the Empire," was in fact a national antagonism of Laz against Greek.

In 1282, kingdom of Imereti besieged Trebizond, however after the failed attempt to take the city, the Georgians occupied several provinces and all the Trebizontine province of Lazia threw off its allegiance to the king of the 'Iberian' and 'Lazian' tribes and united itself with the Georgian Kingdom of Imereti.

Administration

Mainly rural areas of Trebizond Empire appear to have been predominantly Laz in ethnic composition, the Laz monopolizing its coastal shipping and even transporting Trebizontine troops in their small craft. In the tenth century the Arab geographer Abul Feda regarded Trebizond as being largely a Lazian port. Byzantine authors, such as Pachymeres, and to some extent Trapezundines such as Lazaropoulos and Bessarion, regarded the Trapezundian Empire as being no more than a Lazian border state.

The Empire was organised in traditional Byzantine fashion into 7 banda, comprising from west to east Trikomia, Palaiomatzouka, Matzouka, Trebizond, Gemora, Sourmaina and Rhizaion, plus the thema of Greater Lazia. theme contained lands between modern Pazar including Ardeşen and Arhavi-Hopa areas, the borders of this district remained basically identical over 300 years later.

The Lazic coast and its hinterland was neither Greek nor Trapezuntine-controlled, apart from a few points on the coast. The uniqueness of the appellation points to the likely absence of any effective administration. Probably the castles, such as Kiz Kulesi at Atina (Pazar), were garrisoned by the Laz frontier lords likewise defended the Pontic passes with their own castles and garrisons, and there is strong evidence (including the church itself) that Makriaigalou (now Kemalpaşa) was somehow held by them too. It is likely that the interior was inhabited only by Lazs and Hemshin minority, who dwell among them.

It is likely that the majority of the Empire’s armed forces was made up native elements, chiefly Tzannoi (in fact actually Laz). These latter were probably the responsibility of the office of Grand Constable, a post actually held for much of this period by a Laz family with the surname of Tzanichites.

Ecclesiastically, the western part of Lazistan belonged to the jurisdiction of the Metropolite of Trebizond who used the title ‘Exarchos pasis Lazicus' to describe it. In the relatively limited territory of Empire of Trebizond there was enough room for three dioceses: Trebizond, which was the only diocese established far in the past, Cerasous and Rizaion in Lazia, both formed as upgraded bishoprics. All three dioceses survived the Ottoman conquest (1461) and generally operated until the 17th century, when the dioceses of Cerasous and Rizaion were abolished. the diocese of Rizaion and the bishopric of Of were abolished at the time due to the Islamisation of the Laz and of the region respectively.^[6]

Timeline of Lazia

• — 1191 – 1203 – Byzantine Empire (Theme of Chaldia)
• — 1204 – 1282 – Condominium of Kingdom of Georgia and Trebizond Empire
• — 1282 – 1463 – Trebizond Empire (Theme of Lazia); Kingdom of Georgia (1282-1297 under direct control of David VI of Georgia; 1297-1463 Principality of Samtskhe-Saatabago)
• — 1463 – 1502 – Kingdom of Imereti (Principality of Guria, which is also dependent to Sabediano of Principality of Mingrelia).
• — 1502 – 1535 – Principality of Meskheti
• — 1535 – 1547 – Kingdom of Imereti (Principality of Guria)
• — 1547 – 1878 – Ottoman Empire (Trebizond Vilayet: Lazistan Sanjak)

References

Sources

• Rezension von: Hovann H. Simonian: The Hemshin: history, society and identity in the highlands of Northeast Turkey, London, Routledge, 2007
• Thys-Şenocak, Lucienne. Ottoman Women Builders. Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2006.