Description of Fergana Cities in Medieval Historical
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NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONS JournalNX- A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal ISSN No: 2581 - 4230 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, June -2020 DESCRIPTION OF FERGANA CITIES IN MEDIEVAL HISTORICAL SOURCES BAROTJON IBRAKHIMOV, A teacher of National Ideology, Bases of Spirituality and Legal Education Department Namangan State University ABSTRACT: learned through the works of at-Tabari, al- This article discusses the works on Muqaddasi, Yakut al-Hamavi, ibn Havqal, ibn the history of medieval cities of Fergana Hordadbeh, Abu Zayd Ahmad ibn Sahl al-Balhi, Valley, mainly focusing on Ahsikent, Koson, Istahri, Sayyid Muhammad Tahir ibn Abdul Uzgen, Osh, Quva and other cities. Qasim, Muhammad binni Najib al-Baqran, KEY WORDS: City, shahristan, rabat, ark, Abdurazzaq Samarkandi, Muhammad Salih, defensive wall, source, area, work, Hafiz Tanish Bukhari, Abul Fazl Allami, administrative building, baked brick, Mirkhand, Abul Fazl Bayhaqi, al-Fasih Havafi, Karakhanids, Samanids, capital, culture, Khandamir, Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, architecture, mausoleum. Mirza Muhammad Haydar, Mahmud ibn Vali. Four major cities, namely Kasan, Akhsikat, INTRODUCTION: Osh and Khojand, in Fergana Valley on the eve There are plenty of written sources on the of the introduction of Islam, were mentioned in history of Central Asian cities. These sources those works. The city of Khojand was provide information about emergence, surrounded by a strong defensive wall in the structure, and socio-cultural life of the cities of 10th century, and the structure of the city was our country. Arabic and Persian sources play a divided into arches, shahristan, and rabat. The leading role in this regard. The first work in the city of Kuva had a similar appearance. Middle Ages written on the history of our 10th century geographers listed 39 cities £Øµ≤ °≥ ò4®• (©≥¥Ø≤ ض "µ´®°≤°ó Abu in Fergana. Bakr Mohammad ibn Jafar an-Narshahi [9. Well-known scientists A.M.Belinitsky, P.84]. the works of Arab historians and I.B.Bentovich, O.G.Bolshakov noted in their geographers are also an important source in book "Srednevekoviy gorod Sredney Azii" that the study of the history of our cities today. The many cities of Fergana were not studied works, which were considered geographical archeologically. According to the authors they works in their time, of such scholars as al- could add almost nothing to what Academician Istahri, al-Balzuri, al-Maqdisi, and Ibn Havqal V.V.Barthold described earlier. Only in the are especially valuable. cases of Ahsikent, Quva, Khojand and Uzgen, In his work, the Arab historian al-Balazuri some clarifications were made. [4. P.201]. provides information about the life of cities on The authors wrote about Ahsikent city, the eve of the arrival of Islam in our country. [1. the capital of Fergana, which consisted of P.120] we also use Arabic, Persian and Turkish kohandiz, medina, and rabat with strong language sources to write about the history of defensive walls. They wrote that according to our cities after the introduction of Islam, i.e. the al-Muqaddasi the total size (length or Middle Ages. diameter) of the city is 1/3 farsakh, 1.5 times larger than the Palestinian city of Ramli, while MATERIAL METHOD a square-shaped citadel (arch) has been The geographical location of Central Asian preserved in the southwest of the city, which cities, and their social political life can also be had an area of 27 hectares in the inner city. 180 | P a g e NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONS JournalNX- A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal ISSN No: 2581 - 4230 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, June -2020 !££Ø≤§©Æ ¥Ø ≤•≥•°≤£®•≤≥ï µ≤°Æ consisted of a walled kohandiz, medina, and measurement data, al-Muqaddasi had the rabat. following comparison: #®°ßïØÆ©πØÆ ©≥ •±µ°¨ ¥Ø Uzgen was smaller than Osh 1.3 times. Its Ramli and bigger than Termiz, and Ahsikent is importance is marked by its location on the 1.5 times bigger than Ramla, which means that border with the Turks and its large-scale trade. Ahsikent is much bigger than Termiz. [4. Uzgen consisted of four parts that were P.202]. separated from each other and was not big According to al-Istahri, Quva (Kubo) was enough if compared with Ahsikent. That is to close in size to Ahsikent (slightly larger than is say, its area was a lot smaller than Ahsikent. as stated by al-Muqaddasi). However, the Uzgen rose during the Karakhanid period shahristan of Quva was not so big, it was close to be the capital of one of the largest to 9 ha. The city began to grow from this area administrative units (udel). Magnificent in the 7th and 8th centuries. It follows that Quva mausoleums and towers of this period have was also larger than Ahsikent with its densely been preserved. [4. P.204]. built rabat. Its walls have been preserved only There are several settlements-cities 300 meters to the north and northwest of the location of which need to be clarified. For shahristan. If it passed approximately the same example, identifying the location of Haylom, distance from the rest parts, the rabat area Shikit, Vonkas, Nasrabad and other similar must have been more than 80 ha. In the tenth cities, which are described as located in the century, shahristan did not play a significant Miyan ravzan (between the two rivers), is also role in the life of Quva. All the markets, the a topical issue. administrative buildings and dungeons were In ancient Khojand, a large kohandiz built located in rabat section. Excavations were in the period up to the 7th century has been carried out in Quva for several decades, with preserved utr¤trr . It can be assumed the emphasis on the pre-Muslim period. Brick from this size that its shahristan had a large kilns and glass workshops were found in the size. In the tenth century the whole city Medieval period, and little is known about the stretched across the farsakh, that is, it was development of the city in the 8th-12th twice as large as in the ninth century [4. P.205]. centuries. [4. P.203]. Al-)≥¥°®≤©ï≥ Ø∞©Æ©ØÆ ò •≤°Æ° ®°≥ ÆØ £ity ©¥®Øµ¥ Ø®°Æ§©∫ °Æ§ ≥ب©§ ≠•§©Æ°ó, which MAIN PART: means that nearly all cities had solid Ahsikat had a special attention in the fortification, is vital in understanding the works of medieval historians. In these works, history of development of Fergana cities in 7th ¥®• £©¥ï≥ ®©≥¥Ø≤á ≤©ß©Æá ¨Ø£°¥©ØÆá ≥¥≤µ£¥µ≤•á and 8th centuries. [2. P.312]. role in the region, the socio-cultural life were Some changes occurred in the described in detail. Particularly, the book, significance of certain cities in 11th and 12th ò(µ§µ§ µ¨ ب°≠óá the author of which is centuries: Kuva slowly began to fade, Rishtan unknown, has the following statement: lost its importance, but Marginon rose. It is ò!®≥©´°¥ ©≥ the main city of Fergana, the place difficult to give a definite idea about the of Emirs and respected peopleó. [10. P.15-16] development and change in the number of Ibn Havqal, who lived during this period, also other cities. named the city as Akhsikat. [6. P.79] While during the Samanid period, According to medieval authors, the third Fergana undoubtedly found its place in the largest city in Fergana was Osh, which also history of Central Asia, it became an important 181 | P a g e NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONS JournalNX- A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal ISSN No: 2581 - 4230 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, June -2020 political center during the Karakhanid period. The economy and culture of Fergana It took this position after Turks settled in formed in the 10th century changed only a little Fergana. Turks were long considered the in the later Karakhanid period. Some cities that military and political force of Fergana. Uzgan expanded during this period were of particular was under the control of Turkish Hakans in the importance. The Uzgen Tower was built during 9th century. During the Qarakhanid period, the this period. Turks regained power in Fergana and chose The ark and shahristan of Uzgen were ancient Uzgen as their capital for the first time. surrounded by a wall and the population was However, the economic potential of Fergana, densely populated. Many archeological findings which was obtained during Samanids, was - pottery and coins gives evidence to a busy maintained during the Karakhanid period. At life. that time, the Samanids used the fulus-coins of Nasr II and Nuh ibn Mansur minted in CONCLUSION: Ahsikent, along with the coins minted in Uzgen. In short, in the early middle Ages, the The relatively ancient coins of Ahsikent date cities of Fergana rose in all respects. Socio- back to 861-862, and the later dates back to political and cultural life was revived in the 1067-1068. It follows that Ahsikent retained its cities. Many cultural and administrative political position even during the Karakhanid facilities were built. period. However, it should be noted that a Scientists from the cities of Fergana made smaller number of Kasan (1037-1038) and a significant contribution to the development of Margilan coins were also used. According to the science in the region which was reflected in the coins, the Karakhanids occupied Fergana in works of medieval scholars. 1002-1003 [5. P.35]. According to sources, after the conquest REFERENCES: of Bukhara and Movarounnahr march, Nasr ibn 1) Ahmad bin Yahya ibn Jabir al-Balazuri. The Ali returned to Uzgen and as the ruler of the conquest of Khorasan (Extract from the Mavorounnahr province, he chose Uzgen as the £Ø≠Ø≥©¥©ØÆ ò µ¥µ® °¨-"µ¨§°Æó).- provincial capital. Not only in the 9th century, Dushanbe: Donish, 1987.) but also in the 12th century, Uzgen maintains 2) !µ )≥ï®Ø± )≤Ø®©≠ )≥¥°®≤©ä -°≥ب©´ ° and strengthens its position as the capital of mamalik.