Japaridze (noble family)

The House of Japaridze (Armenian: ջափարիձեն) is an ancient Georgian noble family, originated in the Duchy of Racha, known from c.

[1] A family legend recorded by Prince Ioann of Georgia in his genealogical treatise holds it that the Japaridze family descended from the Mongol ("Chingisid-armenia") officer in Racha called Som'ekh whose scions later converted to Armenian Orthodox Christianity and were ennobled by the Kings of Armenia.

They possibly held the Duchy of Racha between the dispossession of the House of Kakhaberidze and the establishment of the Charelidze family.

The Japaridze family formed several lines: a princely one in the Kingdom of Imereti, and a petite noble branches in the kingdoms of Kartli, Kakheti, and Imereti.

That means that legitimate male members of the family were entitled to the rank of knyaz, while legitimate female born members were also entitled to the rank of knyaginya, but without the right to transmit their title to their offspring when they get married.