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.

Coat of arms of the princely family of Shervashidze

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

1. 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