The aristocratic societies in the Caucasus in the XVIII-XIX centuries and serfdom (on the materials of the collection of laws of the Georgian king Vakhtang VI)

The article on the basis of the legislation of the Georgian king Vakhtang VI deals with serfdom at the aristocratic societies in the Caucasus in the XVIII-XIX centuries. The article is paid attention to the process of decline of serfdom in the period after the annexation of Georgia to Russia. As the main source there was used the Collection of laws of the Georgian king Vakhtang VI, compiled in the early of XVIII century and republished in the late of XIX century, and scientific publications, which reflect the scope of the research. The methodological basis of the study were the principles of objectivity and historicism, suggesting an unbiased approach to the analysis of the considered problems, a critical attitude to the sources, the making judgments as a result of an analysis of a set of facts and the screening phenomena in the development and the context of the historical situation. The application of these methodological approaches allowed us to examine the situation in the aristocratic societies in 1800-1870-ies. In conclusion, the authors note that Vakhtangov's laws characterized by humanism in the questions of inviolability of the human personality. When comparing the criminal laws of king Vakhtang with the laws of the european states of this period, there should state that Georgian legislation was more lenient and indulgent to the human weakness. In laws there were completely ignored the legislative experience of islamic states. After the accession of Georgia to the Russian Empire there began the process of updating the aristocratic societies by reducing the number of dependent classes. Despite the opposition of the nobility to 1870, overall, this process has been completed. Copyright © 2017 by Sochi State University.