Ivane Javakhishvili facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ivane Javakhishvili
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| ივანე ჯავახიშვილი | |
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| Born | 23 April 1876 |
| Died | 18 November 1940 (aged 64) Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union
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| Resting place | Park of Tbilisi State University |
| Nationality | Georgian |
| Citizenship |  Russian Empire→ Democratic Republic of Georgia→ Soviet Union |
| Occupation | Writer, historian, publisher, linguist |
| Known for | Founder of Tbilisi State University |
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Ivane Javakhishvili (Georgian: ივანე ჯავახიშვილი; 23 April 1876 – 18 November 1940) was a famous Georgian historian and linguist. He wrote many important books that changed how people studied Georgia's history and culture. He also helped start Tbilisi State University in 1918 and was its leader (called a rector) from 1919 to 1926.
Contents
Life and Early Studies
Ivane Javakhishvili was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1876. At that time, Georgia was part of the Russian Empire. His father, Alexander Javakhishvili, was a teacher.
University Education
Ivane studied at Saint Petersburg State University and finished in 1899. After that, he taught Armenian and Georgian languages at the same university. From 1901 to 1902, he also studied for a short time at the Humboldt University of Berlin in Germany.
Research and Discoveries
In 1902, Ivane went with his teacher, Nikolai Marr, to Mount Sinai. There, they studied old Georgian manuscripts, which are handwritten books from long ago. Between 1908 and 1914, Ivane started publishing his huge work, A History of the Georgian Nation. This book quickly made him a top expert on Georgian and Caucasian history, law, old writings, music, and more.
Founding Tbilisi State University
In early 1918, Ivane Javakhishvili played a key role in creating Georgia's first modern university in Tbilisi. This was a dream that many Georgian thinkers had for a long time, but the Russian rulers had always stopped it.
Leading the University
The Tbilisi University (now called I. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, or TSU, named after him) quickly became very important for education in Georgia. Ivane became a professor and led the history department there.
He first offered the role of university head to Petre Melikishvili. But after Melikishvili stepped down in 1919, Ivane Javakhishvili became the second leader (Rector) of the University. He held this position until June 1926.
Challenges and Later Years
After 1926, it became harder for thinkers who didn't fully agree with the Soviet government. In 1936, Ivane faced more difficulties. He was forced to step down from TSU in 1938. However, he was soon made the director of the history department at the Georgian National Museum. He led this department until he passed away in Tbilisi in 1940. He was buried at Tbilisi State University.
Legacy and Important Works
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Javakhishvili on a 1976 Soviet stamp
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Javakhishvili on a 2016 stamp of Georgia. Artist; G. Kartvelishvili
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Javakhishvili on a Georgian 5 lari 2002 banknote
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Javakhishvili on a new edition 5 Lari banknote (2017)
Ivane Javakhishvili wrote more than 170 books and articles. These works covered many different parts of Georgia's history, including its politics, culture, society, and economy.
His most important work is A History of the Georgian Nation, which was published between 1908 and 1949. This book is still one of the most complete and well-written accounts of Georgia's history before modern times. Sadly, it has not been translated into other languages. Many of his important writings have been reprinted in a twelve-volume collection of his works, published between 1977 and 1998.
