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Pardaev Komil Karimovich, candidate, of Historical Sciences, associate professor, of "History of Uzbekistan" of the Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov, E-mail: [email protected].
MIANKAL OAZIS IN THE WORKS OF RUSSIAN AND EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS
Abstract: The analyses in this article is bases on historical information presented in works of Russian and European researchers, concerning Miankal oasis which is located between the branches of the Zarafshan river, the Akdarya river, and the Karadarya river at the central part of Zarafshan valley.
Keywords: Central Asia, Bukhara khanate, Zarafshan valley, Zarafshan river, Samarkand, Miankal oasis, Akdarya, Karadarya.
From a geographical point ofview, the island is located between sleeve Miankal Zarafshan River Akdarya and Karadarya, in the middle of the Zarafshan valley. This area has long had a kind of political, social, economic and cultural importance. In Historical sources Zarafshan Valley was characterized as the most flourishing area, characterized by its fertile soil, a highly developed culture, farming and agriculture.
Zarafshan River near the dam, located near Mount Chupanata in the northeastern part of Samarkand, is divided into two streams. Branch on the north side called Akdarya and south - Karadarya. Akdarya length is 130 km, Karadarya -127 km. The widest part of the island, located between them, is 15 km away. These two streams are combined as tributaries in the area of present Khatirchi Navai Vilayat between them is the island Miankal. The island length is 100 km, width 15 km, an area of 1200 square meters. km. [1, p. 200].
If you pay attention to the pages of history, Miankal in some studies, along with a variety of relationships, not counting the random coincidences and counter thoughts, the past of the territory, especially its history in later middle ages to the present time by the historians are particularly studied.
It is known that in the coming Middle Ages, that is, before the Turkestan was conquered by the Russian Empire, through Russia from Western countries these places visited by many tourists, historians and Orientalists. Among them are the ones who were in Miankal Zarafshan Valley - These are Kh-anykov N. V., A. Vamberi, E. K. Meyendorf [2]. Their works has valuable information about Miankal. This information is of great importance for research and analysis in the study of the multiple facets of the history of Miankal.
Orientals N. V. Khanykov, who visited Bukhara Khanate in the 40-ies. XIX century. Gives interesting information on irrigated agriculture. According to his observations, in this area, along with many other cotton grown crops and from them to obtain high yields [3, p. 142-143].
In the diary entries A. Vamberi who traveled to Central Asia also found information about the area in which is located Miankal, and living there ethnic groups. He writes: "Leaving behind Karasu terrain, we reached Dovul. Our route passes through hilly steppe. Here could be seen the immense reeds and wood. They went halfway to Bukhara, served as shelter to Uzbek tribes khitay-kipchak, who often come into conflict with the emir" [4, p. 103].
E. K. Meyendorff writes about Miankal's ethnic processes, about the settlement of Kalmyks before the second half of the XVIII century: "The Kalmyks, who in 1771 left bank of the Volga, and a families settled in the territory of Bukhara khanate, almost completely forgotten their language and speak to each other in Uzbek: they can be found only in the face. They are distinguished by their courage, accepted uzbek traditions and live among them in special settlements in Miankal and other areas of Bukhara khanate" [5, p. 104].
Russian traveler Philip Yefremovich, who traveled in the 70 years of XVIII centuries in Central Asia, remarked: "The local air is very clean, average-weather. And the ground, despite the fact that it is white, red or sandy shade, very fruitful. Also here is grown grapes in large quantities, also growing fruit trees, wheat corn, cotton, barley and oats" [6, p. 127].
In 1825, in the "Asian Journal", published in St. Petersburg, gives the following information about the areas belonging Miankal: "In Miankal has a Yangikurgan fortress, which provides needs of the chief to artillery (Tupchibashi). In most of the local villages inhabited by Uzbeks" [7, p. 237].
After Turkestan became part of Russia, there were invited many Orientalists and naturalists. Most of them visited the Zarafshan valley and conducted research there. Starting with the 60-70-ies. Of XIX century in articles of Russian authors such as A. P. Fedchenko, L. N. Sobolev, V. V. Rad-lov collected valuable information about the political and economic life of Miankal in the second half of XVIII-XIX
Section 6. History
centuries. On the concept they were written more about the Russian colonization in Central Asia and the assimilation of the natural resources of the region. They have valuable information to help to develop historical knowledge about Miankal. Especially has great importance of critical studying the works of Russian Orientalists and geographers, invited to explore the edges in the initial stage of colonization. These authors have left a lot of information on the socio-economic and political life of Miankal. However, these works until now have not been used in the study of Miankal's history. In the history of the Soviet era this information was taken partly, only for monographic studies of Samarkand region and other areas of the Zarafshan Valley.
A. P. Fedchenko, who was in Miankal in 1869 and collected topographic information about Dahbed, that located on its territory, wrote so: "Dahbed is about 13 miles from the north of Samarkand, and has a marvelous bazaar. This bazaar is located on the left bank of Akdarya and is open twice a week. For sale to this bazaar comes and visits his people from 5 boroughs. Annual cash flow of the bazaar more than the Samarkand bazaar" [8, p. 221].
L. F. Kostenko who Traveled in 1870, as part of the Russian mission with a detailed route between Tashkent and Bukhara remarked: "The Road from Samarkand at a distance of 20 miles are gardens to the Zarafshan valley. But it rises all the way to Kattakurgan, is on the outskirts of the sublime shore, below which the solid, verdant gardens tape stretches famous Miankal. Miankal has an elongated island, formed by the bifurcation of the Zarafshan River. Near Samarkand Zarafshan is divided into two branches. These sleeves are joined in Bukhara city Khatirchi, lying 100 miles from Samarkand. This island is completely populated" [9, p. 34-35].
Researcher N. A. Maev, who was in Zarafshan valley and held there research in the 70s. XIX century., said: "Zarafshan has the great importance of the cultural life Central Asia, has irrigated Miankal rich valley and the city: Samarkand and Bukhara. This area is fertile and tillage and dense indigenous population. This is - a gold mine in Central Asia. Zarafshan River forms its sleeves island occupied areas Afarinkent and Payshanba. It is the most populous and richest part of the valley. Soil fertility and abundance of water are responsible for extraordinary yields the island. There is no piece of land that would be lost in vain: all handled very carefully. Fields of cotton, wheat, rice, barley, millet, alfalfa, lined boundary strips trees here and there villages with their surrounding gardens -this is a common landscape of the island, which is also called Miankalat or Miankals Valley" [10, p. 107].
One of russian researchers, A. Grebenkin about Miankal write so: "In Zarafshan District has interfluves space - an
island formed by Ak and Karadarya. This island is famous for its fertility and relatively high culture that is known about him, even in remote areas of the Zarafshan District Turkestan region; this is the famous Miankal valley. All the space between the two rivers Ak and Karadarya is a bit lofty island. This island is the most populated part of the fertile district of wealth which, no doubt, are its fields, orchards and groves. This island is completely covered cropland that can be measured, numbered, subjected to rigorous mathematical definition, and one founded number will remain unchanged for all subsequent times. Island abundantly supplied with water drawn from Akdarya and Karadarya. The network of irrigation canals so well distributed that the whole island and not an inch of water interfuse land and, therefore, no land, not sown. This island - the breadbasket of the whole region, and its rice supplies even Bukhara" [11, p. 2].
Russian researchers L. N. Sobolev and I. I. Geyer in his works pischut that Zarafshan River is divided into two streams in 8 miles from Samarkand, the length Akdarya 105 miles, and Karadarya 100 miles these two streams are combined again in Khatirchi situated on the territory Bukhara Khanate. Its width is 13 miles' that it forms a large island. In this area a very large number of ditches and densely populated, this island called Miankal and is considered as the richest area of the valley Zarafshan [12, p. 220-221].
According to the observations of L. N. Sobolev, Miankal considered one of the most flourishing areas of Central Asia. The local population and the population on the outskirts call this territory, located between two rivers, Miankal. The total number of rural areas that used water from the river Zarafshan, 13. Among them are such areas as Afarinkent, Yangikurgan, Payshanba and most fruitful places, based in Kattakurgan District, located between two rivers and are considered the most fruitful countryside Zarafshan valley [13, p. 226].
In the 70-ies. XIX century Russian researcher V. V. Radlov, that conducted research in the valley of Zarafshan, gathered ethnic information about that in the middle of the Zarafshan Valley inhabited mainly kipchaks in the vicinity of Yangikurgan between Samarkand and Kattakurgan. Therefore Yangikurgan called "Kipchak-Yangikurgan" [14, p. 60-61].
In general, the information given in the works, diaries, authors articles, helps to solve various problems related to the history Miankal including - to improve historical knowledge in this area.
Summarizing it can be noted that the information given above authors, characterize Miankal as a place populous, geographically convenient, with fertile soil and highly developed agriculture. Miankal - a rich oasis not only in Zarafshan valley, but also in the Bukhara khanate.
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