Melikov

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Melikov (Russian: Меликов) was a noble family of Armenian origin in the Kingdom of Georgia, and later in the Russian Empire. A branch of the family came to be known as Loris-Melikov (Лорис-Меликов).

Tomb of Prince Ivan Aleksandrovich Melikov inside the Holy Virgin church of Akhtala monastery.
Tomb of Prince Ivan Aleksandrovich Melikov inside the Holy Virgin church of Akhtala monastery.

The family descended from an Armenian nobleman Melik-Nazar who converted to Islam and was enfeoffed with the melikdom of Lori by the Persian shah Abbas I in 1602. Later, the family returned to Christianity and were confirmed as Princes Melikishvili (Georgian: მელიქიშვილი) and dukes of Somkhiti under the Georgian crown. After the Russian annexation of Georgia, the family was received among the princely nobility (knyaz) of the Russian Empire, and was made famous by General Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov (1825-88) who was bestowed with the dignity of count in 1878.[1][2][3][4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bagrationi, Ioane (1768-1830). Melikis-shvili. The Brief Description of the Georgian Noble Houses. Retrieved on January 23, 2008.
  2. ^ (Russian) Лорис-Меликовы (Loris-Melikov). Russian Biographic Lexicon. Retrieved on January 23, 2008.
  3. ^ (Russian) Федорченко В.И. (2003), Дворянские роды, прославившие Отечество. Энциклопедия дворянских родов, c. . Olma Media Group, ISBN 5786700569.
  4. ^ Долгоруков П.В., кн. (1856) Российская родословная книга, издаваемая князем Петром Долгоруковым Ч.3, c. 474 - СПб. (Google Books).