King Levan of Kakheti (1520-1574) apparently granted the Bats official ownership of the lands in the Alvani Valley in exchange for their military service.
Regarding the relationship between the Nakh (Tsova) and Georgian (Chaghma) Tushians, the "Red Book", states the following: For centuries there have been two communities next to each other in Tusheti, one speaking the Nakh language, the other Old Georgian.