The Travels Of Rafail Danibegashvili In India, Burma And Other Asian Countries 1795-1827

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APPENDIX

A. Georgian Documents

DEED GRANTED BY KING GEORGI XIII SENDING RAFAIL DANIBEGASHVILI TO INDIA

By the Grace of God, We, descendant of lessei-David-Solomon-Bagrat, son of King Irakli II, Sovereign of Kartalinia, Kakhetia and other lands, King Georgi XIII, Our consort Queen Mariam, daughter of Prince Tsitsishvili, Our first-born and beloved son Lieutenant-General David, sons loann, Bagrat, Teimuraz, Djibrail, Ilya, Okropir and Irakli, and grandson Grigol, have granted this eternal and final deed to you, hereditary faithful servant and son of our devoted and zealous servant, the nobleman Danibegashvili, son of the quincenturion Osef, to your brother Josif and to your future descendants. Since olden days you have enjoyed the royal favour and have had deeds granted to you;

Our beloved grandfather King Teimuraz granted a deed bestowing the title of dagbash (decurion) on your grandfather, and Our blessed father. King Irakli, granted your father Osef a deed bestowing on him the title of khutasis-taui (quincenturion) with the corresponding salary. And your father Osef, too, died in the service of Our father and Our service. In commemoration of your father's services We have bestowed on you, Rafail, your father's title of khutasis-tavi, as your father bore it, with his salary, which shall be paid to you from our treasury by Our servants. We have granted this Our favour to you, your brother and your descendants. Your family has been granted deeds from Shahs and Kings, including the deed granted by Our beloved grandfather and the said title-deed from Our father, the blessed King Irakli, to which Our seal has also been affixed, and also purchase charters, the deed for the purchase of serfs, the deed for mortgaged property, the deed for the purchase of houses in Tbilisi as well as for the purchase from Lurdj-Monastery of an orchard and the ploughland above it—from there down to the ditch at the flood land, purchased from Gabashvili, with its stream; all these purchases were confirmed by the blessed Sovereign Our father King Irakli, but when Aga-Mahmed-khan, son of the Mahmed Hasan-khan of Asterabad, came with a countless horde to reduce both Georgias, took most of the inhabitants of Tbilisi to captivity and set fire to Tbilisi, you were deprived of all the said deeds and charters; and now by this deed We have restored all that you have had, confirmed and granted to you, Rafail, to your brother losif and the future members of your family.

And now We are sending you, Rafail, to India to the son of Shamir-aga. Inasmuch as your father, being in the service of Our blessed father, was sent to India several times, We are sending you to India on the same mission.

Have and happily bear this title We have bestowed on you, and use it in devoted service to Us; no future kings nor princes shall dispossess you of the property, estates and serfs belonging to you and no one shall dare to question your right to them.

And now We desire the Ministers of Our Court likewise to confirm the deed We have granted to you and the contents thereof, and to abide by it and facilitate and help in its execution.

Done at the city of Tbilisi by the hand of the Secretary of Our Court Egnate Tumanishvili, 14th day of September of the year 1799.

Note: The original bore the seals

of Georgi, Mariam, David, loann, Bagrat, Teimuraz, the Minister of Court (sakhltkhutsesi) Mukhranbatoni loann and the Secretary Tumanishvili Egnate

Postscript: The original of this deed, written by my own hand, was fixed with the seals of the king, queen, princes and the minister of court. After the day on which the deed was drawn up, the said khutasis-taui Rafail was sent on business to India by the blessed King Georgi. This khutasis-tavi Rafail gave his deed to me for safe-keeping because he set out for India, and I was to hand it back to him upon his return.

Inasmuch as the original deed was in my safe-keeping, the mother of this khutasis tavi Rafail, Rosa, desired me to give her a copy. I made the copy and gave it to her.

Shortly afterwards, when all the inhabitants of Tbilisi quitted the city because of the plague, I, too, went, to my village of Kareli. In my haste to leave I lost the deed placed in my safe-keeping. I looked everywhere but was unable to find it. I rewrote the above deed from the copy which I gave to Rosa, mother of Rafail. Before God I swear that this is the truth.

Collegiate Councillor Prince Egnate Tumanov

I know for certain that the late King Georgi granted to this Rafail the title of khutasis-tavi and sent him on a mission to India, granting him such a deed.

March 13, 1808

General-Major and Gubernia Marshal Prince

loann Orbeliani

We have likewise seen the deed rewritten by Prince Egnato Tumanov. Correct and true.

Baratov Zaal