ABSTRACT
COMMENTARY 44 The Kalkan or Karakalkan mountaineers (ref. Chap. 7, p. 228, n.2) Kalkan or Karakalkan: from Turkish kalkan, a shield or buckler; Genko (p. 703, n. I) remarks that 'the appellation, "black-shielded' would splendidly suit the inhabitants of the T ruso gorge, Osetians by nationality, whose carrying of a shield is particularly noted by travellers'. Reineggs/W. (Vol. I, p. 370) placed the Karakalkan (which he interprets as 'Black Settlers') north-east of Akhalgori, i.e. in Mtiuleti 'where every habitable part of the mountain is covered with their houses'. The author rather naively explains that 'they are so-called because they never wash their faces'. Brosset (HG, Vol. I, Add. et Ec.~ p. 388, n. 3) summarizing Sheref-eddin, states that in the autumn of 1393, Tamerlane penetrated the country of certain Georgians called Karakalkanlik who were fortified in castles situated in steep mountains. Brosset identifies them with the Pshavs, Khevsurs and Gudamakaris - who lie to the east of the Daryal gorge and along the route which the embassy would have been following. Baddeley (RFC, Vol. 11, p. 263) aptly translates the name as 'Black Bucklers'. In fact the Khevsurs and their neighbours carried a small leather target or handshield (for illustration see AlIen, HG P, opposite p. 203, reproduced from MAK, Vol. x). (This target is very like, in shape and studding decoration, to the targets of the Gaels of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands (cf. J oyce, Social history of ancient Ireland, Vol. I, pp. 124 £f., and Figs. 61, 62). These targets were made of yew.)
In June 1625 Giorgi Saakadze, 'the great Mo'uravi', and Zurab, Eristav of the Aragvi, captured a Georgian notable in the Persian service, Ab dui Jafar Beg (G., Andouqaphar) (Brosset, HG, Vol. II/i, pp. 493 £f., also, p. 493, n. 2, citing Iskander Munshi) - who was a member of the Amilakhori family
with his wife, a grand-daughter of Shah Abbas (ibid., pp. 5657, citing Wakhusht) and imprisoned the couple in the fortress of Arshi - which commands the easterly exit from the Truso Gorge and overlooks the southern entry to the Daryal Gorge (Wak./Brosset, Map 3 and pp. 226--7). Arshi thus guarded the valley of the Terek at its junction with the Atchkhotis-tsqali along which led the track from Sioni into Kakheti. This fortress lay in Qara-kuli-Khan, according to Iskander Munshi - which Brosset identifies as Karakalkan. It would therefore seem clear that the name Karakalkan could be applied either to the Os of the T ruso Gorge, as proposed by Genko, or to the Pshavs, Khevsurs and Gudamakaris, as indicated by Brosset. Indeed, the word Karakalkan may have derived from a defensive accoutrement characteristic of the armament of all these neighbouring tribes. It seems a term comparable to Bash-achik:t bare heads, or Kit/I-bash, red heads. For further discussion and detailed references see Genko (pp. 702 ff., and particularly p. 702, n. I) who finds that 'whatever may ultimately have been the actual content of the term Kalkan, the contemporary Ingush name for the owners of the Kazbek settlement on the Georgian Military Road, gealxie:t is probably cognate with it'.
