Early Medieval History and Historical Geography of Central Asia

This is the second edition of the book originally published in 2005, by the 'Gutenberg" Publ. House, Sofia. It deals with the so-called 'Inside' and 'Outside' Others in the histories of Bulgars, Khazars, Ancient Turk, and Uighurs and covers the period between the 6th and the 9/10th centuries.

This chapter explores the Islamic archaeology of Central Asia. Central Asian medieval cities were investigated by Russian researchers since the last quarter of the 19th century but the results of these excavations remain little known in the west. The predominance of historical survey studies, extensive excavations, and an impressive number of publica­tions provides a basis for understanding the organization and distribution of the Islamic Central Asian cities. Their interactions within this vast territory and with the Middle East emerge in contemporary debates. Trade plays a major role in these contacts, and the sedentary-nomadic interface stimulated the economy. Nevertheless, few studies bring to­ gether the work carried out over the long term and enable an understanding of the varia­
tion and evolution of Islamic trade and urbanism in Central Asia. Outlines of the medieval societies are known, but the details remain unclear. This chapter follows the main river
basins (Amu Darya and Syr Daria) and steppic and desert interfaces to understand the ba­sis and extent of Russian archeology in Central Asia from the Tsarist period (c. 1850–1917) until today. The construction of a field of Central Asian Islamic archaeology and the main challenges confronting researchers in the five Central Asian republics are also con­sidered.

The present article argues that the earliest attestation of the city of Paykand in Bukhārān Soghd is to be found in the memoirs of the ‘Western regions’ of the Beishi and the extant Weishu (both going back to the now lost original ‘Xiyu zhuan’ of the Weishu). This identification has so far been overlooked due to a scribal error. This earliest mentioning of Paykand goes in all likelihood back to information gathered by the Northern Wei embassy of the years 436-437, which visited the various countries of the ‘Western regions’ up to Chāch.
Although the passage in question is relatively short, it nonetheless provides us with important details regarding the urbanization process in Paykand, the mercantile atmosphere already at this early stage of the development of the city, and the earliest attestation of rice in Sogdiana. It is quite possible that these details were provided to the Chinese emissaries by an informant from Bukhārān Sogd.

Keywords
Paykand, Sogdiana, Weishu, rice.

В монографии "Государство Кирпанд - империи в Срединной Азии" впервые в истории отечественной науки проведено комплексное исследование империи Кирпанд с привлечением новейших археологических данных, письменных источников и изобразительных материалов. Государство Кирпанд – первая империя в Центральной Азии. В монографии исследуются локализация государства, хронологические рамки существования Кирпанда, эволюция государства на протяжении более 600 лет, анализируется политическая история и история дипломатии государства, а также особый акцент делается на анализе роли Кирпанда в синтезе культур Центральной Азии и развитии трансконтинентальной трассы – Великого Шелкового пути.
The Monograph Kirpand, an Empire in Central Asia, is first in its kind in Tajik Historical Studies that conducts a complex study of Kirpand Empire using the recent archeological data, written sources and visual materials. Kirpand was the first Empire in Central Asia. The monograph examines the location of the state, the chronological frame of Kirpand existence, the evolution of the state over more than 600 years. It analyzes the political history and the history of diplomacy of Kirpand, as well as making a special focus on Kirpand importance in the synthesis of Central Asian cultures and the development of transcontinental track – the Great Silk Route.

It is the first article about history of Yakuts (Ыaлha) published in scientific press.  It is dedicated to the description of the place where the core of the Yakut people - Bargudzhin-Tokum, was formed, its initial history and the peoples who took part in the ethnogenesis of the Sakha.

В данной статье выдвинуты новые подходы относительно отождествления Эльтегина Бухары с Ve­le­te­le Кашмира и Гандхара и идентичности Элтегин / Ye-li t’e-le / Ve-li-te-le. Отождествление Эльтегина Бухары с Ve­le­te­le Кашмира и Гандхара и идентичность Элтегин /Ye-li t’e-le / Ve-li-te-le требует комплексного исследования. В источниках нет точных сведений о том, что в изучаемый период территории Бухары, Гандхара и Кашмира подчинялись одному правителю. Под термином Эльтегин более верно подразумевать не личное имя, а титул. Считать несколько царевичей каганата, имевших титул el-tegin, одной и той же личностью, может быть неверным.

Aultepe is one of the well-studied monuments of the early middle ages of Central Asia. The
excavation author S. K. Kabanov, based on the data obtained suggested that it was the ruins of
a castle of a local landowner. Many Central Asian architecture experts supported the author’s
findings on the purpose of the monument. After these studies, for many years Aultepe was
considered a reference monument of the early middle ages, with which newly discovered
monuments were compared. But large-scale archaeological excavations conducted in recent
years in Central Asia have provided new materials on the architecture of the region. These
data allowed us to turn again to the conclusions of the author. Until today, many scholars of
the history of architecture, the emergence of caravanserais, ribat or rebates associated precisely
with the spread of Islam in Central Asia. New studies of the materials of the monument to
Aultepe made it possible to put forward the assumption that the construction of caravanserais,
discounts or ribates dates back to an earlier time. Most likely, the origins of the discounts and
caravanserais, who played an important role in the development of trade in the middle ages,
reflect the increased role of the Great Silk Road. The article also raises the question of the
origins of the tradition of building discounts in Central Asia, which played an important role
in the development of trade on the Great Silk Road.

В данной статье рассмотрен вопрос управления тюрков в тохаристанских оазисных владениях в раннем средневековье. Использованы сведения из источников на разных языках по управление тюрков в тохаристанских оазисных владениях, которые просуществовали более одного века на этой территории.

В статье речь идёт о том, кем в действительности являлось одно из тюркских племен (халаджи или карлуки), проживавшее в VII-VIII вв. на территории Тохаристана. На основании сведений письменных источников автор пришел к выводу, что в это время на данной территории проживали не карлуки, а халаджи.

Memorial and religious buildings are a specific type of building in architecture dating back to
very specific types that have been continuously developing for a long time. By the period of the early
Middle Ages in Sogd and its adjacent territories (Tokharistan, Ustrushana, Chach), certain types of cult
architecture developed. Nowadays, in many cities of early medieval Sogd, religious buildings were studied.
But it should be noted that in addition to large cities and their districts, religious buildings were also
built in rural settlements and the most important trading points. This article is devoted to the scientific
analysis of one of such monuments of South Sogd - Khantepa.