Uzbeks
UZBEKS-s; pl. Nation, main population of Uzbekistan; representatives of this nation, country. Songs of the Uzbeks.
◁ Uzbek, -a; m. Uzbek, -i; pl. genus.-check, date-chkam; and. Uzbek, -aya, -oe. Wow literature. U. language. In Uzbek, adv. Speak Uzbek. Dance in Uzbek style.
Uzbeks(self-name - Uzbek), people, the main population of Uzbekistan (14,145 thousand people, 1995). They also live in Afghanistan (over 1.7 million people), Tajikistan (about 1.2 million people), Kazakhstan (332 thousand people), etc. The total number is 18.5 million people. Language Uzbek. Believers are Sunni Muslims.
UZBEKSUZBEKS, people in Central Asia, the main population of Uzbekistan (21.128 million people, 2004), also live in Afghanistan (2.566 million people), Tajikistan (937 thousand people), Kyrgyzstan (660 thousand people), Kazakhstan (370.6 thousand . people), Turkmenistan (243.1 thousand people). IN Russian Federation 122.9 thousand Uzbeks live (2002). The total number of Uzbeks in the world is about 25 million people. They speak Uzbek language. Believing Uzbeks are Sunni Muslims.
The ancient ancestors of the Uzbeks were Sogdians, Khorezmians, Bactrians, Fergana and Sako-Massaget tribes. From the turn of our era, penetration into Central Asia begins separate groups Turkic-speaking tribes. This process intensified from the second half of the 6th century, from the time Central Asia became part of Turkic Khaganate. The completion of the main stage of the ethnogenesis of the local people speaking the language dates back to the time of the Karakhanid state (11-12 centuries). Turkic language. The ethnonym “Uzbeks” appeared later, after the assimilation of the nomadic Deshtikipchak Uzbeks who came to Central Asia in the late 15th - early 16th centuries, led by Sheibani Khan.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the process of consolidation of the Uzbek nation was not completed: it consisted of three large ethnographic groups. One of them is the settled population of oases, which had no tribal division; The main occupations were irrigated agriculture, crafts and trade. Another group is the descendants of Turkic tribes who preserved a semi-nomadic life (mainly engaged in sheep breeding) and tribal traditions (Karluks, Barlas tribes). Most of them retained the self-name “Turk”. In the formation of some ethnographic groups Uzbeks (especially in the sedentary part of Khorezm) participated in the medieval Oguzes. The third group consisted of the descendants of the Deshtikipchak Uzbek tribes of the 15th and 16th centuries. Most of the nomadic Uzbek tribes called themselves after the names of peoples and tribes well known in the Middle Ages (Kipchak, Naiman, Kangly, Khitai, Kungrat, Mangyt). The transition to sedentism of nomadic Uzbek tribes, which began in the 16th and 17th centuries, was largely completed by the beginning of the 20th century. Some of them merged with the settled Turkic-speaking population, while the majority retained remnants of nomadic life and tribal traditions, as well as the peculiarities of their dialects.
The Uzbeks were engaged in agriculture, but in the foothill and steppe zones one of the main occupations remained cattle breeding with year-round keeping of livestock on pasture. In 1924, as a result of national-state delimitation, the Uzbek SSR was formed within the USSR. It was then that the name Uzbeks was established for its main population.
encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .
See what “Uzbeks” are in other dictionaries:
O zbeklar Ozbeklar ... Wikipedia
A large Tatar tribe that ruled in Bukhara, Kokan, Khiva, etc. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. UZBEKS probably named after their khan. A large Tatar tribe ruling in Bukhara, Kokand... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Modern encyclopedia
- (self-name Uzbek) people, the main population of Uzbekistan (14,145 thousand people, 1992). They also live in Afghanistan (over 1.7 million people), Tajikistan (about 1.2 million people), Kazakhstan (332 thousand people), etc. The language is Uzbek. Muslim believers... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
UZBEKS, Uzbeks, units. Uzbek, Uzbek, husband The people of the Turkic linguistic group, constituting the main population of the Uzbek SSR. Dictionary Ushakova. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
UZBEKS, ov, units. ek, ah, husband. The people who make up the main indigenous population of Uzbekistan. | wives Uzbek, and | adj. Uzbek, aya, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
- (self-name Uzbek), people. There are 126.9 thousand people in the Russian Federation. The main population of Uzbekistan. The Uzbek language is the Karluk group of Turkic languages. Sunni Muslim believers. Source: Encyclopedia Fatherland ... Russian history
Uzbeks- (Uzbeks), Turkic-speaking Mong people. origin, Sunni Muslims. Ancient U.'s ancestors were Sogdians, Khorezmians, Bactrians, Fergana and Sako Masaget tribes. The basis of the Uzbek nation was the Turkic-speaking population, which emerged in the 11th and 12th centuries... The World History
Uzbeks- Uzbeks, gen. Uzbeks (wrong Uzbek) ... Dictionary of difficulties of pronunciation and stress in modern Russian language
Uzbeks- (self-name Uzbek, Sart) people total number 18,500 thousand people, the main population of Uzbekistan (14,145 thousand people). Other countries of settlement: Tajikistan 1198 thousand people, Afghanistan 1780 thousand people, Kyrgyzstan 550 thousand people, Kazakhstan 332 thousand… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Uzbeks- representatives of the most ancient indigenous people of Central Asia living on the territory of modern Uzbekistan. The formation of the psychology of the Uzbek people took place under the influence of the integration of the ancient settled agricultural Iranian and Turkic-speaking... ... Ethnopsychological Dictionary
(excerpt from the new book by academician G. Khidoyatov “Turkic Civilization”)
Uzbeks. Khiva Khan Abdulgazi Khan (1642-1663), who at the same time was a poet and explorer Turkic history, argued that the name “Uzbek” came from the name of the Golden Horde khan Uzbekhan. He wrote: “After the adoption of Islam by Uzbek Khan, everyone began to call his tribe (el) Jochi the people of Uzbek and undoubtedly they will call it that way until the day of judgment.” There is, of course, some truth in this idea. The great glory of Uzbekhan as a leader and sovereign prompted the Turkic tribes to accept his name, which personified power and place in the hierarchy of tribes. But there is another opinion, whose supporters believe that the ethnonym arose as a result of combining two Turkic words “oz”, meaning “himself” and “bek”, commander, i.e. together - he is his own commander. This opinion is difficult to accept, because... There are no such words in any of the ancient Turkic dictionaries, and such a word does not appear. It seems that such an interpretation of this ethnonym requires additional study. The correct interpretation of this ethnonym is related to an entire era ethnogenesis of a modern fairly large nation of 30 million people, ethnic Uzbeks, who have their own territory, statehood and played key role in the history of Central Asia. Z.V. Togan, who is known for his sympathy for the Uzbek people and the Uzbek republic, tried to solve this problem most radically. He pointed out that all 92 Turkic tribes mentioned by ancient sources, as well as Rashid ad-Din and Abulgazi, should be called Uzbeks (toksan ikki kabila ozbak - Z.V. Togan Bugunki Turkili. Turkistan ve Yakin Tarihi. c.1.s.42 Istanbul 1981). Of course, there is some exaggeration in this concept, because... of these 92 tribes at the beginning of the 15th century. two tribes separated under the leadership of Janibek and Kirai (Girey), who united with the Kyrgyz tribes, receiving the name Kyrgyz-Kaisaks, but at the same time there is a large share of truth. And we should talk first of all about the appearance of the term itself. Z. Togan talked about ethnic side matters, the ethnonym Uzbek itself is no less important for the modern reader, and behind it lies its own complex history.
Careful study of documents and latest literature make it possible to present a more substantiated and closer to reality picture of the appearance of the ethnonym “Uzbek”. From the documents (Len-Pool, Bosworth, Tizenhausen op. cit.) it is clear that the specified term, like the proper name, appears in the capital of the Seljuk Ildegesid dynasty in Tabriz at the beginning of the 13th century.
The Seljuk Empire was a military power, the army that formed the support of the state was commanded by Turkic slaves - the Mamluks. Free people the highest military positions or the government of distant provinces could not be trusted; The Seljuks relied more on the loyalty of purchased slaves, raised at court along with the princes and heirs. Each Seljuk sultan had a retinue of Mamluks brought for the most part from Central Asia, purchased at slave markets in Khorezm and Bukhara; they occupied the highest government positions and practically the entire army was under their command. As a reward for faithful and diligent service, they were released and often became rulers of provinces and even states. When the Seljuk sultans weakened and the empire began to disintegrate, their Mamluks, who had previously fought for them, became guardians and mentors of the heirs and princes. They were called atabeks. Soon, some teachers, taking advantage of the youth of their charges, gradually took away all power, turned into sovereign rulers of their provinces, and began to enjoy all the prerogatives of power, creating their own dynasties, although they were often legally considered vassals of the previous rulers. In Damascus, for example, the Burids ruled, in Mesopotamia - the Zangids, in Mosul the Mosul dynasty, in Syria - the Syrian, in Kurdistan - the Ertuqids, in Fars - the Salganids, in Luristan - the Khazaraspids
Of all the Atabek states, the Atabeks of Azerbaijan stood out, who were called Ildegizids. They did not rule for so long - from 1136 to 1225, but they left a rather bright and deep mark on history. The founder of the dynasty was Shams et-Din Ildegiz, a Turkic slave from the Kipchak steppes, who was bought by the Seljuk Sultan Masud (1134-1152) in Khorezm. He served at the court of the Sultan and attracted attention with his devotion and good organizational skills. For his faithful service, the Sultan appointed him governor of the province of Azerbaijan, and the capital of his possessions became the city of Tabriz, whose population was completely Turkic. At the same time, he became the atabek of the sultan’s heir, the future Sultan Togrul III (1176-1194). Ildegiz enjoyed the unlimited trust of the Sultan, this allowed him to become the sovereign ruler of the country. He issued orders, distributed land in iqta to his loyal servants and army commanders, and managed the treasury. After his death in 1176. Power was seized by another atabek, Jihan Pakhlavan, also from the ildeghizid family. No one dared to object to the usurpation of power, because he had a huge army, commanded by 70 Mamluks loyal to him, which was located throughout the territory of his possessions.
He managed to install friendly relations with the Khorezmshahs. This was an important diplomatic step that established allied relations between the atabek and the Khorezmshahs. According to these relations, the Ildegezid state recognized itself as a vassal of the Khorezmshah empire. At the same time, they meant international recognition of the dynasty. These difficult relationships allowed Pakhlavan to reach a high level international rating. He established friendly relations with Khorezmshah Tekesh (1172-1193). There was a lively correspondence and exchange of diplomats between them. All letters were written in the spirit of friendship and cooperation. This character suited both sides. Pahlavan constantly emphasized his loyalty to the Khorezmshahs, and the Khorezmshahs supported him foreign policy actions as an ally. This allowed Pakhlavan to expand the territory of his state to Asia Minor. Under him, the state of the Ildegezids turned into a powerful power, the most powerful among the states of the Atabeks.
To strengthen his position within the country, Pakhlavan used the religion of Islam. The Persian historian Juzjani drew attention to this circumstance Special attention. “He built,” he wrote, “many madrasahs and mosques” (Zubdat at Tawarikh, p. 239). The Ildegesid state became one of the most religious states in Islam. Leading theologians of Azerbaijan were trained in mosques and madrassas in Tabriz. Pakhlavan dies in 1187. and immediately after the funeral, a struggle for his legacy breaks out between his sons; fate smiled only on the fourth son, born from a concubine, whose name was Uzbek. His real name was Muzaffar et-Din, but the prefix Uzbek (ўzbak) also appeared, and under this name he went down in history and gave the name to the ethnic group of Turks, which then became known as the Uzbeks. The internecine struggle between the heirs of Pakhlavan continued until 1210, when Uzbek won final victory and became the last atabek of the Ildegizids. They captured Tabriz in 1137 and declared it their capital. Soon the entire north-west of Iran and Iraq were annexed to their possessions; in the north, their borders reached Georgia and Shirvan. The Ildegezids were ethnically associated with the confederation of Turkic tribes of the Kara Koyunly, and came from the Oghuz clan of Ive, located in Khorezm. Ethnically and spiritually they were connected with Khorezm, they had the same Turkic language and this made it easier for them to communicate. This was not surprising in Iran, where even under the Qajars the crown princes did not know Persian and spoke and studied in the Turkic language. For most of their history, the Ildegesides were vassals of the Khorezmshahs. At the same time, they were closely connected with the great Seljuks; they were the educators of the last sultan of the great Seljuks, Toghrul III (1176-1194).
The Uzbek proved himself to be an energetic warrior, a capable military leader and flexible statesman; in a few years he expanded the borders of his possessions, annexing Isfahan and Hamadan. Iraq was also conquered. As a result, big state, whose borders extended from northern India to the Caucasus. He managed to establish independent diplomatic relations with the most powerful Muslim state Egypt and become an ally of the Ismailis. Uzbek's successes alarmed the Khorezmshah Ala ut-Din, who decided to force him to be a submissive vassal. Genghis Khan's invasion of his possessions and his death prevented him.
What the father failed to do, his son Khorezmshah Jalal et-Din Manguberdi decided to accomplish. Fleeing from the Mongols, in 1221. he invades the possessions of Uzbek, deciding to create a new state of the Khorezmshahs here. Yesterday's overlord and vassal became enemies. Uzbek, his supporters and subjects desperately defended themselves, but were defeated. The Uzbek was forced to admit vassalage to the new Khorezmshah; on his orders, a khutbah with the name of Jalal et-Din was read in Tabriz, and a coin with his name began to be minted. The truce lasted almost five years, but in 1225. A new war broke out between them. Uzbek was close to victory in 1227. he besieged Tabriz, where the Khorezmshah formed his capital. In the current decisive battle The Uzbek again suffers defeat, this time definitively, and is forced to flee. He took refuge in Ganja, where he died in December 1225. All his possessions were declared subject to Jalal et-Din, who ruled them until his death in 1231. He was last ruler ildegeside states.
Relatives and supporters of Uzbek did not accept the loss of power and state and began to wage a fierce struggle to return to their homeland. As a sign of loyalty to their leader, they began to call themselves Uzbeks. In 1227 under the command of the former commander of the troops, also with the name Uzbek, they besieged Tabriz, where Jalal et-Din settled, but the war ended unsuccessfully for them. They were defeated and were forced to flee to the north of Azerbaijan. In 1228 A new uprising followed, which also ended in the defeat of the Uzbeks. In 1256 The Mongols under the leadership of Hulagu Khan invade Azerbaijan and conquer all of Iran, establishing the power of the Mongol Hulagid dynasty here.
The Uzbek tribe is again forced to retreat. The creation of the Golden Horde provided them with the opportunity to finally find refuge in their native ethnic element. They go to the Golden Horde and join the military formations of Batu Khan, who transfers them to his brother Sheibani as the basis of his own troops. From now on, the tribe began to be called the Uzbeks-Shaybanids. From now on, according to Persian historian Rozbekhana in Dashti Kipchak three ethnic groups are formed - Uzbeks-Sheybanids, Uzbeks-Cossacks and Uzbeks-Timurids. The Uzbek Cossacks (in the future Kazakhs) decided to maintain their former nomadic way of life and retired to the steppe. They formed the basis of the future ethnic formation - the Kyrgyz-Kaisaks, from which in the 15th century. Kirghiz and Kazakhs were formed. Of these three groups of Uzbek tribes, only the Shaybanids settled, they occupied large territory from Ural mountains to the Volga, forming at the end of the 13th century. Siberian cities of Tyumen, Tura, Tobol. After Timur's death in 1405. a massive organized resettlement of Sheybanid Uzbeks began in Central Asia, which was accompanied by a fierce war that lasted more than a hundred years and ended in their victory. The assimilation of the two branches of the Uzbek people took place painlessly - a common language, a common religion, a common way of life and moral values turned out to be stronger than the political ambitions and selfish interests of the rulers. American researcher of the history of the Uzbek people, professor at Columbia University E. Allworth noted the amazing similarity in the public consciousness of these groups of the Uzbek people based on the study of the Alpamysh dostan, which was equally popular among both. It reveals the spiritual kinship of those Uzbeks who lived in Central Asia with those who lived in the far north (E. Allworth op.cit. pp..21,37).
Golden Horde was a huge ethnic cauldron, where a variety of tribes and peoples lived side by side, where various ethnic groups mixed, new ones were created, which acquired various names. The state was becoming cramped, the climate did not allow expansion living space and some left the Horde and moved to new territories located to the south. Integration processes began to appear in the Golden Horde itself, which led to the consolidation of the Uzbek tribes. It is noted that the Golden Horde already at the beginning of the 14th century. began to be called the “country of the Uzbeks” or the “Uzbek ulus” both in literature and in official documents. This name appears after the adoption of Islam by Uzbek Khan in 1325. Instead of the previous name “Ulus Jochi”, the name “Ulus Uzbek” appears, which is how the country began to be called in official documents. The family name of Uzbek Khan was Sultan Muhammad, but after becoming a khan, he began to be called Uzbek Khan. Undoubtedly, this name reflected the desire ruling class to be the leader of a certain leading ethnic group. They were Uzbeks from Tabriz.
The Uzbeks arrived in the Golden Horde around the end of the forties of XIII, i.e. V last years Khanate of Batu Khan. Khan sent them to his brother Sheiban, who, in the place where the city of Tyumen is now located, created an urban settlement, which was intended for his personal military unit, which his brother was supposed to allocate to him. There is a legend about Sheiban’s meeting with his new army. When asked about the name, one of the arrivals answered - Uzbek. Another also answered - Uzbek, the third - the same. Their military leader also answered - Uzbek and to the question - that’s what everyone is called Uzbeks, he simply answered - yes, we are all Uzbeks. Then Sheiban said that in this case he too would become an Uzbek. And since then, the ethnonym Uzbeks appears in the Golden Horde with the definition of Uzbeks-Sheibanids.
The newly arrived Uzbeks were received favorably in the Golden Horde. They already knew about them. Their fame and history preceded them. They were pious, Sunnis, religiously observing all the requirements of the Koran. They had priests who were educated in Khorezm and their own theologians, who played a significant role in the spread of Islam in the Golden Horde.
The Uzbek population grew rapidly, the territory of their residence expanded, and their importance in political and social life countries. New tribes appeared, which were called Uzbeks, although they had different names. By the middle of the 14th century. there were already 21 of them and they became the leading ethnic and political force. They lived in compact formations with strong integration tendencies. Islam, common language, spiritual life, way of life, historical traditions united them. The Golden Horde began to be called the “country of the Uzbeks” or the “Uzbek ulus”. This name has migrated to scientific and political literature. The historian H. Shami in his work Zafar-name called the Golden Horde “the region of the Uzbeks”, and called Khan Tuktakiya (1375) nothing more than “the son of King Urus, the Uzbek Khan”
The influence of the Uzbek tribes grew rapidly, and at the same time the influence of the Uzbek tribal elite also grew. Annual congresses of representatives of tribal leaders began to be held, which began to be called “kurultai of the Uzbek sultans.” In that motley ethnic kaleidoscope of the Golden Horde, the Uzbeks stood out for their unity, culture and religion. They were good artisans, cattle breeders, plowmen, distinguished by their hard work and high professionalism. Their spiritual life was inspired by the ideas of Islam. For the Golden Horde khans, Islam became the main means of ideological and political unity of the people of the Golden Horde. The Golden Horde also included part of the Dashti Kipchak with its nomadic freemen, whose behavior was difficult to predict. Only religion could transform them into loyal defenders of the state.
In 1312 Uzbek Khan becomes Khan of the Golden Horde. His real name was Giyas et-Din Muhammad, but his spiritual father blessed him on the khan’s throne with the name Uzbek Khan and under this name he went down in history. This remarkable fact, showing his desire to declare himself simultaneously with the khan title and the right of leader of the Uzbek tribes. The Uzbeks became his main support and pillar of the state. By accepting Islam and carrying out the Islamization of the country, Uzbek Khan had in mind primarily political interests. His personal qualities provided him with high authority among the broad masses. And naturally, among the leaders of the Uzbek aura. Uzbeks stood out among other ethnic groups for their culture, lifestyle, way of thinking and social consciousness. Their devotion to Islam was fanatical, they strictly adhered to all the injunctions of the Koran. The rite of circumcision was obligatory and was carried out festively and solemnly, and the entire ummah was aware of it. Men always had a clean-shaven head. Everyone observed prayer times. The dead were buried strictly according to Muslim regulations; graves were dug only by Muslims in accordance with Muslim rules. The kharaj was paid regularly without any coercion, and the imam of the mosque loudly announced the contribution of each member of the ummah. Everyone gave alms to the dervishes and wanderers and all Quranic holidays were observed. Cattle were slaughtered only in accordance with the requirements of Islamic traditions. All religious holidays were celebrated with special celebration and scope. The most popular of them were Kurban Hayit and Nowruz. On such holidays, the rich and noble organized ulag (goat fighting) with expensive bonuses, and the winners were glorified as bahadurs.
The Shaybanid Uzbeks had their own famous theologians, clergymen and Koran readers. They were taken from house to house, from yurt to yurt, many became members of families in which they taught children. Rich people hosted in their homes free schools for the children of your own and neighboring villages. The majority of teachers were brought from Khorezm. They were hired for two or three years and during this time of year they managed to teach children to read the Koran fluently, to know by heart several chapters of this sacred Muslim scripture, to read and write Arabic script, to know and interpret its most important chapters. Thousands of young men who received education at home primary education went to Khorezm to complete their studies at the local madrassas and maktabs. They returned to the Golden Horde to educate their fellow citizens and tribesmen. Together with their teachers, they were missionaries of the Turkic civilization.
This cultural and educational Uzbek Khan and his son and heir Jani Bek (1341-1357) actively contributed to the process. With their support, hundreds of mosques were built in the Golden Horde, educational institutions, khanaka, temples, refuges for wandering Sufis, grants were distributed for cultural figures who arrived from Khorezm and other cultural Islamic center of Kazan. And it is no coincidence that both were glorified by historians and sung by poets and musicians. The Golden Horde was the brainchild of the Turkic civilization, which transformed the country and its people from a steppe horde into a civilized state.
Over time, the number of tribes living in the territory allocated for the Shaibanids grew. The reforms of Uzbek Khan served as an impetus for integration processes; they created spiritual bonds that contributed to the unity of various tribes into a single ethnic community. The next issue of the day was the creation of a confederation of tribes with a single elected khan. History itself soon provided such an opportunity. In 1395 Timur defeated Khan Tokhtamysh and completely destroyed Sarai Barak and Sarai Batu, practically destroying the Golden Horde as a state. In the territory former Horde Riots, inter-tribal conflicts began, and anarchy swept the steppe. Only the Uzbek tribes maintained unity and cohesion. Among them, the winning idea is to create an elected government that would develop unified general rules tribal coexistence. The guarantor of the implementation of such rules, which were called laws (konun), would be khans elected for a certain period at general congresses of tribes (kurultays). Death of Timur in 1405 gave additional impetus to integration processes Uzbek tribes. After long negotiations and meetings of tribal leaders, they agreed on the election of such a khan.
In March 1428 At the kurultai of the Uzbek sultans in Chimga Tura (now Tyumen), the creation of the Uzbek confederation and the election of a representative of the Sheibanid house Abulkhayir, who was only 16 years old that year, as its khan, were announced. He became the khan of the powerful Uzbek confederation, which already included 25 tribes that declared themselves Uzbeks. Although the very name of the Uzbek state appears in official sources only in 1527. – Uzbekistan, the creation of the Uzbek confederation would rightly be considered the first step towards its creation. Let future researchers figure out what should be considered the beginning of the Uzbek state - 1428, when the creation of the Uzbek confederation was announced, or 1527, when the name of the state - Uzbekistan - appears in the world's international documents.
The confederation had a common territory, a common language, culture, common rules of conduct, and a sovereign with powers, who was called Abulkhayir Khan. He married the daughter of the leader of one of the leading tribes - the Burgut, this guaranteed him power, his support was also from three powerful Uzbek tribes - the Mangyts, Mingis and Kongrats, whose support ensured him absolute power in the confederation. These tribes in the future were the creators of three Uzbek states - the Bukhara Emirate - Mangyty, Kokand Khanate- mingi and Khanate of Khiva- congrats that existed until 1921, before the establishment Soviet power. Their exodus to Central Asia was reminiscent of the invasion of others ten centuries before them northern peoples to Europe - the Vikings.[
Source - CentralAsia
www.centrasia.ru
Probably, not every resident of our country can show off their knowledge in the field. Today we know this country mainly by the migrants who come to us, who are ready to work in the lowest paid positions.
Meanwhile, this country with its ancient history and culture. Of course, there is also a main religion here, Uzbekistan is a Muslim country, although representatives of other faiths can also be found here.
Current state
Today, according to statistics, about 88% of the country's population are indigenous people of Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of Turkic-speaking peoples. Uzbeks are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi persuasion (it should be noted that there are much more Sunnis in the Muslim world than Shiites, moreover, these two directions are waging a fierce struggle among themselves).
Therefore, to the question of what religion predominates in Uzbekistan today, we can give a confident answer: it is Sunni Islam.
Other denominations
The remaining denominations here are as follows: Orthodox Christians, represented by Russians who never left this country after the collapse of the USSR, Poles who profess Catholicism (Polish families were exiled to Central Asia in the last century, so they stayed here). There are also Bukharan Jews here who profess Judaism, like their distant ancestors. Adherents of modern Protestant movements are also represented: Baptists, Lutherans, Adventists, etc.
Thus, everyone in this country has their own religion; Uzbekistan, according to the Constitution, reserves the right to freedom of religion for its citizens.
History of the Christian religion in Uzbekistan
Traditionally, people lived on the territory of modern Uzbekistan different peoples. They practiced their pagan cults. Since the 5th century AD, Christianity, known as Sogdiana, came to this land. However, it was almost completely destroyed in the Middle Ages, when Islam began to assert itself.
Only in the 19th century, when Russian empire, trying to prevent the seizure of these lands by the British and the closure of English expansion at their borders, conquered these lands, they began to open up in Uzbekistan Orthodox churches. They were intended for Russians and for those local people who want to convert to Christianity. However, there were very few of them. And the Russian government, by its tradition, did not captivate its new subjects. As a result, there were very few conversions from Islam to Christianity.
That is why the Christian religion is so little represented here today. Uzbekistan is a state whose people were at first pagans, and then, obeying the will of the khan, adopted Mohammedanism.
Why was Islam adopted here?
We must not forget that the most powerful state of the Middle Ages, the Golden Horde, partially occupied the territory of modern Uzbekistan.
That is why the Muslim religion was adopted here; Uzbekistan as a state would not have arisen if the great Horde khans had not thought about how they could spiritually strengthen their country.
A spiritual revolution was carried out by a khan named Uzbek. It was he who abandoned the ancestral pagan religion, according to which there are many gods who need to be worshiped, becoming the first Muslim in his country.
By the way, there is a legend that our noble prince Alexander Nevsky, knowing that the enemies who attacked Rus' were pagans, tried to persuade the Khan of the Horde to accept Christianity. However, the khan's retinue, having learned about the intentions of the Russian prince and not accepting Christianity for his overly merciful attitude towards people, poisoned the great Russian commander and diplomat.
Who knows, if Alexander Nevsky had managed to accomplish his plan, would there now be such a country on the world map called Uzbekistan, whose religion is now unchanged?
History of Uzbekistan
So, Uzbek Khan, who later took the Islamic title Sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Muhammad, lived at the beginning of the 14th century. He was the most famous khan of the Golden Horde, who significantly strengthened the power of the state.
The religion of Uzbekistan before Islam was a mixture of tribal beliefs and traditional cults that hindered the development of the Golden Horde. Something had to be done urgently. And he realized that he had to make a serious choice in his life.
The fact is that Uzbek was not a direct recipient of the Horde throne. He seized power by killing the legitimate heirs to the throne.
Khan was helped by those who dreamed of the Islamization of this region. A fierce struggle began for the religious future of the country, in which it was not the supporters of the ancestral religion who won, but the supporters of the Muslimization of the Horde. By the way, Islam has always won with fire and sword, since its very appearance in the 6th century AD (even Muhammad was a good commander, and there is no need to talk about 4 great viziers). Uzbekistan accepted Islam in 1320.
The resistance to his decision among the Tatar-Mongol elite was enormous. So, he had to execute about 120 of his direct relatives from the Genghisid clan in order to establish a new faith.
The desire to make his subjects faithful was dictated by the pragmatic interests of the khan. He sought to strengthen his power at all costs. Who knows, did he think that after many centuries the country of Uzbekistan, whose religion would be so close to him, would be named after him?
Islam today
Today it is a zone of tension. This is due to the fact that bloody events are taking place next to it, heavily implicated in heretical teachings that claim to be true Islam. This teaching is called Wahhabism. It is practiced by members of the sect better known as ISIS. Members of this sect strive to conquer all nations, retraining them in their own way. Central Asia is a tasty morsel for them. Therefore, the problem, consisting of three components: “Uzbekistan - religion - Islam” in currently more relevant than ever.
From time immemorial, every nation has strived to know the history of its origin, its genealogy in seven generations. But for most ethnic groups, this knowledge is not scientific, but is mainly of a mythological nature. Thus, famous medieval historians of Central Asia begin the genealogy of their peoples with Adam and Eve, whose descendants are Christian and Muslim prophets. The most characteristic in this sense is legend about the origin of the Uzbeks, recorded in the 19th century. talented ethnographer A. Divaev. This legend was passed down from generation to generation and became part of many historical works Eastern authors, especially the 18th-19th centuries. Thus, the remarkable Khiva historian Abulgazi almost completely conveys the Divaev version of this legend, connecting it with the history of the Khorezm khans.
Published in the Turkestan Gazette (No. 97 for 1900), this legend, entitled “The Legend of the Origin of the Uzbeks,” was translated from the manuscript of Mullah Kubey from the Kangli clan in late XIX V. The main content of this unique legend boils down to the following: “Uzbeks descended from the first prophets.” The Messenger of Allah Muhammad came from the line of the Prophet Ismail. However, it follows from the rivoyat that the Uzbeks allegedly came from a tribe that does not understand either Arabic or Persian. According to Abubakr, these were Turks who had just arrived from Turkestan, and this tribe was related to Kahofa, Abubakr’s father. Thus, according to legend, genealogy of Uzbeks goes back to the Muslim prophets.
Further, the legend notes that the ancestors of the Turks were ninety-two people, and all of them were the sons of one father, namely Kakhofa. Then the children of the ninety-two representatives of the Turkic people mentioned in the legend are listed. At this time they owned a large number of livestock, on which tamgas were placed by the name of each clan (tribe). Each clan had its own saints, descended from ninety-two Uzbek clan branches, indicating who had a feast with whom and from which clan they came. Tamgas (and clans) began to bear the names of such historically famous tribes as Ming, Juz, Kyrk, Jalair, Kungrad, Algyn, Kipchak, Kenegez, Kyat, Khitai, Kangly, Katagan, Oguz, Arlay, Burkut, Mangyt, Mavgviy, Alaut , Mysk-Merket, Kyrgyz, Kazak, Arab, Kadai, Turkmen, Durmen, Miten, Tatar, Jambay, Uyghur, Sauran, etc. And further it is given long list pirs - patrons of each clan (tribe). So, for example, Azret-Sheikh-Maslyakhitdin-Khojentsky comes from the Jalair clan, Kuleim-Sheikh - from the Durmen clan, Ak-Buri-ata - Kangly, Bakshanish-Ata - Kipchak, Azret-Bagauddin - Kereyt, Maubey-Sheikh - Kungrad, Djilki-Ata - Naiman, Jamaletdin-Sheikh - Argyn, etc. The ancestor of the Uzbeks, according to legend, originates from the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). The prophets who came from this tribe first spoke Arabic, then, when their representatives became sultans, the Uzbeks spoke the “Ajam” language, and after they began to speak the Turkic language, they began to be called not Uzbeks, but Turks.
At the conclusion of this one-of-a-kind legend that has come down to us from our ancestors, it is said: “When 92 people appeared to the prophet, peace be upon him, he said “uzi keldi,” i.e. “they came themselves” (voluntarily), and therefore the prophet called them “Uzbek”, in other words: “his own master.”
There is not a single nation or nationality in the world that, during its history, has not mixed with other ethnic groups or ethnic groups. Each ethnic group is formed over centuries, being in constant communication with other ethnic groups, often moving from one territory to another, consolidating with other ethnic groups, sometimes entering it as part of a given community. As is known, for many centuries after the emergence of the state as an instrument of violence, various wars. Strong rulers defeated the weak and dominated them, as a result of which a mixture of different ethnic groups also occurred. Over the course of its long history, it suffered such a fate. Uzbek people, repeatedly subjected to invasion by foreigners, who found themselves under alien ethnocultural influence, but at the same time retained their ethnic identity and pride.
Modern ethnology, based on latest achievements sciences in the field of history, archeology, linguistics, oriental studies and related sciences, especially on materials of historical and ethnographic sciences, allows us to objectively reveal the ethnogenetic origins and stages ethnic history peoples of Central Asia, including Uzbeks. This historical process represents, as already mentioned, a very complex picture, from primitive times to our time. It originates in ancient period and passes through the entire Middle Ages against the backdrop of grandiose migration mixtures of different ethnic groups on huge territory Eurasia, especially in the boundless steppes of Central Asia.
As studies of the last century have shown, over the course of several millennia, certain territorial boundaries appeared in the region, constantly changing their ethnic associations and historical and cultural types. According to scientists, these ethnocultural associations are as follows: 1) semi-sedentary fishermen on the banks of rivers and lakes; 2) semi-sedentary population engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture; 3) farms of irrigated and rainfed agriculture and cattle breeding; 4) nomadic and semi-nomadic ethnic groups, partially engaged in agriculture in dry and semi-desert areas.
The origin of the peoples of Central Asia is directly related to the history of the above-mentioned economic and cultural types that determined them ethnic characteristics. It should be noted that these types of economy appeared here in the primitive era, during the Neolithic period (4-3 thousand BC) and then spread throughout the region. Especially many Neolithic sites were discovered (Kalgaminar culture in Khorezm, Chinkeldi in Zarafshan, Central Fergana and Ustyurt, Dzheitun culture, etc.), inhabited by various interconnected tribal groups. So, for example, the Kaltaminari people, by the nature of their culture, had much in common with their distant and close neighbors, which indicates their mutual connections. In the north they had connections with the Urals, in the south - with the Dzheituns and through them - with the tribes of the Caspian Sea and Iran, as convincingly evidenced archaeological finds.
In the 3rd millennium BC. On the vast territory of Central Asia, in the boundless steppes of Eurasia, there lived many nomadic tribes and sedentary populations who spoke Indo-European languages. It has been proven that the population of this vast territory from the Ural Mountains to the Indus River had commonality not only in language, but also in economic activity, ethnocultural traditions and genetic similarity. Ethnic groups, who called themselves Aryans (people descended from the same family), constituting the ethnogenetic part of the mentioned ethnic groups, played a huge role in the history of the peoples neighboring them. The “Aryans” who lived on the banks of the rivers were engaged in farming, manufacturing various products from copper, bronze and stone, and the nomadic groups were engaged in cattle breeding.
By the end of the 2nd millennium, during the Bronze Age, known under the names of the Scythians-Sarmatians and Saks-Massagets and the above-mentioned nomadic and semi-sedentary Indo-Iranian tribes partially migrated and settled in Kazakhstan, in northern regions Central Asia, where they create a unique high culture. The tribal associations of the Sakas and Massagets, who settled in Sogdiana, and then in Khorezm, Merv and Bactria, were closely connected with the local peoples speaking ancient languages and terrified the peoples of the Near and Middle East.
These Saka-Massaget tribes knew how to make various metal products, tools and weapons - axes, daggers, spears, arrowheads, various artistic decorations, heavy carts with huge wheels, harnessed by three to four horses, and light war chariots. They bred new hardy breeds of horses. Familiar with advanced military tactics and wielding war chariots, the warriors represented a special social group. The many burial grounds of Scythian-Saka leaders, rich warriors and generals discovered in the endless steppes of Eurasia testify to their high culture and military power. In the famous French epic “The Song of Roland,” it is hardly by chance that mention is made of the invasion of warlike tribes from the country of Osiana, from the banks of the ancient Oxus, wearing iron helmets, on fleet-footed horses and war chariots. In the mentioned burial grounds, along with the buried, various military armor and weapons, richly decorated horse harnesses and saddles, military chariots, precious stone and metal jewelry and sculptural images, and various pottery were found.
It is also noteworthy that the wall and sculptural images of harnessed chariots, camels, sheep, snakes and other mythical images found in Scythian-Sogdian burial grounds are in many ways similar to finds from the famous Amu Darya treasure, discovered at the end of the 19th century. in Southern Tajikistan, as well as with monuments from the Achaemenid era, Alexander the Great and the Kushan state. Fragmentary information about the Scythian-Saka tribes is contained in the works of Herodotus and ancient authors, in the wonderful epic of Ferdowsi “Shahname” and other eastern sources.
If we also recall the rock paintings of primitive ancestors discovered in Southern Kazakhstan and in many regions of Uzbekistan, depicting carts drawn by horses or camels, various animals - a camel, a black goat, rams and some unknown animals, and compare them with the mentioned finds in the steppe mounds, we We can conclude how deep the common origins of the ancient culture and worldview of the peoples of Central Asia are. Opened in recent decades in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and southern regions In Tajikistan, the wonderful monuments of the Dzheitun culture Karatepe, Altyntepe, Airtam, Dalverzintepe, Fayazgepe, Khalchayan, Namazgokhtepe, Yalangachtepe, the recently discovered Akhsikhent and others also confirm our conclusions.
It should be especially noted that the archaeological finds discovered in the mentioned monuments, in particular colorful mythological images in rich objects and decorations, terracotta images of deities and various ceremonies, make it possible to recreate religious ideas, rituals and customs, and the way of life of our ancestors. Almost all objects contain images not only of various birds and animals, but also of some mythical winged rams and goats, half-man, half-ram, tamga and seals also with images of mythical images, which is undoubtedly associated with totemistic, animistic and other religious beliefs. They represent the worldviews of early farmers, reminiscent of beliefs common in ancient Mesopotamia, Elam and Iran.
According to historical data, by the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. in economic, military and cultural life The Indo-European population of the Eurasian steppes underwent significant changes. Under the influence of climate change ( global cooling) and other reasons at this time countless tribes began to move. As noted above, the so-called Indo-European community of “Aryans” is divided into two groups, a significant part of which, through Caucasus mountains moved to Western Asia. Here they are, sharing their experience in raising horses and military art, in turn, assimilating with the local population, disappear from the historical arena. The second part of them, living in the north of Central Asia, in the second half of the 2nd millennium, having overcome the mountain ranges, settled in northwestern India, Gumala, Swat and Gandhara. On the path of this great migration, there are still ancient Scythian-Saka cemeteries, burials with horses, rock carvings of war chariots, etc. Undoubtedly, these tribal associations developed organizations reminiscent of peculiar forms statehood, which is of great historical significance.