Gugars

The Gugars were a people of Caucasian Iberia, settling near the Debeda river, mentioned by Strabo.

Map of Ancient Georgian states c. 600 - 150 BC. Places inhabited by Gugars in a pale shade brown(right).

They were presumably an early Georgian (Kartvelian) people (Georgian: გუგარები, gugarebi).

The toponym Gogarene, an integral part of Caucasian Iberia, is derived from their name. The region is first mentioned by Strabo who records it as a province of Iberia. Later it was renamed Gugark, after the conquests of Arshakid Armenian rulers in the 2nd century BC.

Gogarene, integral part of Iberia, at times annexed by Armenia

References

1. Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, vol. 3, pg. 289, Tb., 1978
2. Iv. Javakhishvili, Introduction to the History of the Georgian Nation, Book 1 — Ethnological and historical problems of Georgia, Caucasus and the Middle East, Tb., 1950;
3. D. Muskhelishvili,Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pg. 196, Tbilisi., 1978