Aslan-Bey Shervashidze
Aslan-Bey Shervashidze was a prince of the Principality of Abkhazia in 1808–10. He was the second son of Kelesh Ahmed-Bey Shervashidze. Aslan-Bey was associated with pro-Turkish elements of the region, and was responsible for rebelling against and later killing his father[1] in order to ascend the thrown of the Principality. Shervashidze turned the town of Sukhumi into his royal residence, which at the time, was guarded by a Turkish military regiment. Aslan-Bey actively fought together with King Solomon II of Imereti against Tsarist Russian forces.
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In 1810, after several decisive Russian military victories, Shervashidze was driven out of Sukhumi together with the Turkish regiment that was protecting him and fled to Turkey. After Aslan-Bey’s expulsion from Abkhazia, the Tsarist Russian leadership established Aslan-Bey’s brother, Sefer Ali-Bey Shervashidze, as the new ruler of Abkhazia.
Descendants in Turkey
During his exile, Aslan-Bey had a son named Ahmed-Bey. When Ahmed-Bey was in his fifties, Aslan-Bey died of old age. Ahmed-Bey, who also led his life in the outer skirts of Georgia had a son named Uzun-Burhan. When Uzun-Burhan was old enough, Ahmed-Bey sold all their property and fled to Turkey along with his son, buying villages in Sinop. Uzun-Burhan had two sons, Aslan, named after his great grandfather Aslan-Bey, and Ahmet-Bey, named after his father.
Once the surname law was established in the year 1934, Aslan-bey honored his great-grandfather, by getting the surname Torun, which means grandson as in the grandsons of Aslan-Bey. He was thereby known as Aslan Torun. Aslan Torun had three children, Şükran Torun-Serdaroğlu, Rasim Torun, Cahit Torun. Aslan Torun had 7 grandchildren: Müge, Ayşegül, İsmet, Nilgün, Selma, Jale and Gizem. Ahmet-Bey had a daughter called Meliha, and 2 grandchildren called Gülüm and Süleyman.
References
- Georgian State (Soviet) Encyclopedia. 1983. Book 10. p. 688.
- Sinop Etnografya Museum/Aslan Torun Mansion
- ↑ George Hewitt, The Abkhazians, 1998, page 71, calls this a Russian fabrication. He presents Aslan-Bey as a popular ruler and Sefer-Bey as a foreign-backed usurper
Aslan-Bey Shervashidze House of Shervashidze/Chachba | ||
Regnal titles | ||
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Preceded by Kelesh Ahmed-Bey |
Prince of Abkhazia 1808–1810 |
Succeeded by Sefer Ali-Bey |