The Impact of European Conceptions on the Idea of a Nation in Georgia between 1893 and 1917

Abstract Because Georgia was a part of Russia’s Tsarist Empire in 1893–1917, this political phase of the modern Georgian nation’s development was accompanied not only by socioeconomic but also by independence issues. It is worth noting that, to achieve independence, a portion of Georgia’s political elite chose European-oriented policies. They used well-known concepts of the nation created by European authors as a theoretical foundation. In response to current debates about Georgia’s European identity, this study demonstrates the contribution of European nation theories to the formation of the modern Georgian nation, as well as the historical link with European values. The purpose of this article is to assess the impact of foreign national theories, specifically European national theories, on Georgian political debates between 1893 and 1917. The study’s research methodology included secondary research and qualitative data analysis. Within the context of nationalism studies, the article adheres to the modernist approach.