Volume 02 Issue 06-2022
16
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
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2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
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Pages:
16-22
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ABSTRACT
This article discusses the historical topography of Kesh-Shahrisabz. The migration of administrative centers from one
region to another is typical of different historical periods, which were associated with natural - geographical, political
and socio-economic reasons. Archaeological evidence suggests that most medieval cities in Kesh had an advanced
defense system and arches. However, there are also fortified cities with fortifications (Choshtepa, Oltintepa).
KEYWORDS
Historical topography, Kesh-Shahrisabz, Arab geographers, information, Ibn Hawqal’s description, inner fortress,
shahristan, rabod.
INTRODUCTION
The ancient cities of Uzbekistan have long attracted
the attention of orientalists, archeologists and
ethnographers. Some of them are now preserved in
the form of ruined city ruins - archeological
monuments (hills), under which are the remains of
ancient dwellings, temples, palaces. The second part
tells the story of a long past, which has gone through
periods of development and depression in its
development, and has preserved the immortal works
of architects.
Kesh-Shahrisabz is one of them. His study history,
written sources, and commentary on numismatic data
were published by V.V. Bartold, M. E. Masson, P.A.
Research Article
HISTORICAL TOPOGRAPHY OF KESH-SHAHRISABZ
Submission Date:
May 28, 2022,
Accepted Date:
June 08, 2022,
Published Date:
June 19, 2022
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ajsshr/Volume02Issue06-04
Shokir Parmanov
Senior Lecturer, Department of Archeology, National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ajsshr
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 02 Issue 06-2022
17
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
06
Pages:
16-22
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Pugachenkova, O.I. Smirnova, S.K. Kabanov, Z.I.
Usmanova are sufficiently reflected in their works.
According to researchers, the first medieval Kesh was
formed on the right bank of the Aksu, on the site of the
present Kitab.
THE MAIN FINDINGS AND RESULTS
In the early Middle Ages, central city life shifted west
from Kalandartepa. During this period, the residence of
the rulers of Kesh was located in the fortress known as
“Kurgan”. The remains of this castle are now available
[2.474].
According to I. Markwart, the first medieval Keshi
appeared in the VI century [3.29], that is, from the VI to
the VII centuries, the city came to be known as Kesh
[4.15].
The heyday of the city, especially in the first half of the
VII century, during which Kesh became the capital of
Soghd (Kashkadarya and Zarafshan valleys). This
information is also found in the data of al-Yaqub in the
IX century [4.17]. Written sources and numismatic
sources provide information about the three rulers
who ruled Kesh during this period - Dichje, Shishpir,
Ahurpat [5.50].
From 776, Kesh and its environs became the center of
a revolt led by Muqanna. In the process of suppressing
this revolt, the city was destroyed and by the IX century
was in a state of disrepair. Here (instead of the Kitab)
city life was disrupted until the XVIII century. These
events were reported by M.E. Masson and N.I.
Krasheninnikova connect with the early medieval
Keshi.
As early as 1942, M.E. Masson and P.A. Pugachenkova
suggested that in the early Middle Ages, a new city was
formed south of Kesh, on the site of the present-day
Shahrisabz, and that it was also called Kesh. But, in
their opinion, the city here was formed only after the
XII century. S.K. Kabanov believes that the formation
of the city in place of Shahrisabz dates back to the IX-X
centuries. According to the researcher M.E. Masson,
the addresses at the site of Shakhrisabz did not exist
before the XIII century [3.21].
The center of trade and handicrafts, formed on the site
of Shahrisabz, developed very rapidly and by the
twelfth century will have a much larger volume. One of
the main reasons for this was that the address was
located on the caravan route from Chaghaniyan to
Samarkand.
However, after the first medieval Keshi depression, the
settlement of the same name, formed in the
Shahrisabz region, remained without its own arch and
fortified wall for almost five centuries. Z.I.Usmanova’s
researches show that the city walls were formed here
only in the second half of the XIV century.
Studies have shown that a number of cities and large
villages in Kesh region developed rapidly in the XI-XII
centuries.
By the end of the VIII century, the Arab authors did not
dwell on the reasons for the sharp decline of the Kesh
(Kitab), which could be explained primarily by an
attempt not to mention the Muqanna revolt. In 751, al-
Ikhrid, the ruler of Kesh, was executed by order of Abu
Muslim, the viceroy of Khurasan, and al-Tabari testified
that at this time the Arabs were capturing large
quantities of booty in Kesh. The policy pursued by the
caliphate’s deputies in Soghd and aimed at certain
goals was aimed at radically eroding the socio-
economic importance of Kesh, which was once strong,
thereby destroying the rebel city and its strong
Volume 02 Issue 06-2022
18
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
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2771-2141)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
06
Pages:
16-22
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I
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FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
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Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
defenses. This is probably why the village of
Shakhrisabz, described by Ibn Hawqal as an “outer
city”, was left without long-term defensive walls.
X century Arab geographers cited some information
about the historical topography of Kesh at that time.
According to Ibn Hawqal’s description, Kesh consisted
of kohandiz (inner fortress), hisn (shahristan) and
rabod. There was also another town near Rabod. The
inner city where Kohandiz is located was destroyed in
the X century, while the outside was prosperous.
There are four gates on the inner city wall, which are
called Bob al-Hadid (Iron Gate), Bob Ubaydullah
(Ubaydullah Gate), Bob al-Kassorin (Cleaners Gate),
Bob al-Madina ad-dohila (inner city gate). There are
two gates on the outer city wall, which are called Bob
al-Madina ad-dohila and Bob Barknon (Barknon Gate).
The next gate is named after the village of Barknon,
near Kesh.
Thus, in the X century, the city of Kesh was made up of
four adjacent and interconnected parts [4.18-19].
The ruined inner city and the corridor are clearly
located in Kalandartepada and in place of the ancient
city in the Kitab Region. When the other two parts of
the medieval Kesh came to Rabad and the outer city,
there are differences of opinion among scholars as to
their location. For example, V.V. Barthold considers the
two-gate rabod to be an “outer city” [7.188]. S.K.
Kabanov speculates that the outer city of Kesh was on
the site of present-day Shakhrisabz [8.188]. The
opinion of some other researchers is the same [9.56].
Ibn Hawqal, referring to the destruction of the fortress
of Kesh and its interior and the settlement of people in
the outer Medina, emphasizes that “the residence of
the ruler of Kesh is located outside Medina and Rabad,
in a place known as al-Musalla”. Thus in the tenth
century the arch and the residence of the ruler of Kesh
were located outside the Kitab Shahristan (inner city of
Kesh) and Shahrisabz (outer city). In this case, it can be
concluded that the administrative center of Kesh
province is also located in the same place as the
residence of the ruler, ie in “al-Musalla”.
Under the direction of V. V. Barthold, the city arch and
the county were in ruins in the tenth century.
According to the scholar, the new city was created
instead of Kitab and was called “Al-Musalla”, where
the administration is located [6.21].
Sources do not know the whereabouts of “Al-
Musalla”. The question here is whether only the
fortress of the ruler of Kesh was located, or whether
the city, which was the center of the entire Kesh
province before the Mongol invasion, was formed or
not.
The migration of administrative centers from one
region to another is typical of different historical
periods, which were associated with natural -
geographical, political and socio-economic reasons.
For Kesh in the VIII and IX centuries, this situation was
due to the purposeful activities of the Arab deputies,
who, according to the rebellious city of Kitab, its
defenses and all the previous rulers of Kesh, in
particular O.I. Smirnova, Shishpir and Ahurpat, who
struck a coin with the inscription “Ruler of Kesh”, did
not want to restore the arch where the residence was
located. New coins of the Shishpir and Akhurpat period
were found in 1982 by the author of these lines, and the
inscriptions on them were read by E.V.Rtveladze.
Where is the central city of Kesh in the IX-XII centuries?
Archaeologist N.I. Krasheninnikova's research shows
that there are no large urban settlements of the IX-XII
centuries in the Kitab area, these types of settlements
Volume 02 Issue 06-2022
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
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VOLUME
02
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Pages:
16-22
SJIF
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FACTOR
(2021:
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)
(2022:
6.
015
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
were more prevalent in the Shahrisabz and Yakkabag
areas.
Archaeological
excavations
at
the
Oltintepa
monument were carried out by S.B. Lunina, in which a
clear strategy of medieval archeological complexes
was obtained, the production of handicrafts, building
materials and techniques were studied.
Until 1975, there was the first information about five
more medieval cities of the region - Khojabuzrugtepa,
Oliktepa,
Qamaytepa,
Gishatepa,
Kishmishtepa
(information about the first three of them was
published by M.E. Masson). Until recently, our
knowledge of the cities of Kesh Province was limited to
these monuments.
As archaeological materials accumulated, they were
generalized by researchers. However, the defensive
structures and internal architecture of the cities of
Kesh before the Mongol invasion, and their interaction
with the villages, have not been sufficiently studied.
Remains of more than a dozen medieval cities have
survived from the eastern part of Kashkadarya, which,
in our opinion, was the center of the Kesh rustaks.
From the ruins of medieval cities studied
Chandaroqtepa,
Chimkurgantepa,
Gishatepa,
Qamaytepa, Kishmishtepa, Saritepa, Gishliktepa,
Sariqtepa, Arslontepa and Choshtepa may be the
centers of rustaks.
The
largest
medieval
cities
of
Kesh
are
Chimkurgantepa and Chandaroqtepa, the first of which
is located 22 km south of Shakhrisabz, the second 24
km west, along the ancient caravan routes.
Chimkurgantepa is located on an important caravan
route from Samarkand to Chaghaniyon through the
Tashkurgan and Oqrabot crossings. The city was
surrounded by wide and deep ditches. A small but
strong arch is located in the northern part of the city,
facing the Kizildarya. In the plan of Chimkurgantepa
traces of ancient buildings, gates, streets, defensive
walls are clearly visible.
Among the medieval towns around Shahrisabz, the
monuments of Arslontepa, Cheshtepa and Sariqtepa,
which have arches and intricate plans, attract
attention. Choshtepa is located on the south-western
edge of Shahrisabz. Once upon a time, in a large
settlement with an area of 10 hectares, there was a
fortress (125X100 meters, height 10 meters)
surrounded by a wide rectangular trench. In our
opinion, Choshtepa represents a type of construction
consisting of a fort and an uninhabited residential part.
Archaeological evidence suggests that most medieval
cities in Kesh had an advanced defense system and
arches. However, there are also fortified cities with
fortifications (Choshtepa, Oltintepa).
The data obtained from the first observations in recent
years allow us to speak of two more types of medieval
cities specific to Kesh:
1.
It consists of three parts (ark, shahristan, rabod),
cities with an area of about 40 - 50 hectares. The
structure of Shahristan is rectangular.
1.
The arch is located in the northern or southern
part of the county. If we look at Rabod Square,
Chimkurgantepa and Chandaroqtepa, it is several
times larger than the walled Shahristan Square.
The monuments of Oliktepa, Qamaytepa and
Arslontepa also belong to this type. Monuments
such as Sariqtepa and Gishtepa are a specific part
of the above type of construction and have not yet
been sufficiently studied.
2.
Cities consisting of two parts with an area of 10-15
hectares. The arch is located in one of the corners
Volume 02 Issue 06-2022
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VOLUME
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OCLC
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IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
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of the county or outside it. The main residential
part is not fortified with a defensive wall. This type
includes Oltinboshtepa, Turtkultepa, Saritepa
monuments.
This structure is the result of preliminary archeological
research, as there is still insufficient archaeological (as
well as written) information about the structure of
cities - the centers of the Kesh rustaks.
All this suggests that over time the remains of the two
capitals of the medieval Kesh province have been
preserved. The first of these was located on the site of
the Kitab and existed until the IX century. IX - XII
centuries Kesh Residence is located in a place called
“Al-Musalla”, near the present-day Shahrisabz. Keshi
of the XIII-XV centuries was developed in the territory
of Shahrisabz, this process is first of all connected with
the name of Amir Temur.
Subsequent
archeological
excavations
in
the
Shahrisabz region may provide sufficient clarity to the
question of determining the settlement of Kesh in the
IX-XII centuries, which, according to our scientists, is
located on the site of Choshtepa. However, it should
be borne in mind that in the IX-XII centuries Keshi may
have been a relatively medium-sized city consisting of
two parts - an arch and an un fortified shahristan. Along
with Choshtepa, this type also includes the Sariqtepa
monument, located west of present-day Shakhrisabz
[1.25-29].
Preliminary observations of the study of medieval
settlements around Shahrisabz confirm that Kesh was
a relatively medium-sized city in the IX-XII centuries,
and that Kesh was larger than most of its rustic centers.
The city, interpreted by X century Arab geographers as
the “outer city” of Kesh, developed on the site of
Shahrisabz. Its residence is located in the monuments
of Choshtepa and Sariqtepa types, and the place of
trade and handicrafts of IX-XII centuries was the outer
fortress of Shahrisabz [10.25].
There is very little information about the history of the
city of Kesh in the IX - XII centuries. Material sources
related to this period (pottery, glassware, beads) and
the remains of cotton house walls were found and
examined in the central part of Shakhrisabz.
Balandtepa (Zindontepa) is one of the ancient
monuments located in the Shahrisabz region.
According to legend, in the XIV-XV centuries there was
a city dungeon on the site of the hill, so it was called
Zindontepa. According to M.E. Masson, in the VI-VIII
centuries there was a house with a high foundation.
Even today, the height of the ruins is 15-20 meters.
One of the most serious problems in archeology and
historiography today is the question of when Kesh
moved to the area where the present city of Shahrisabz
is located. Therefore, all scholars dealing with the
history of cities have taken this issue seriously and
expressed their views. According to M.E. Masson and
G.A. Pugachenkova, the city on the site of Shakhrisabz
appeared here after the XIII century [6.21]. According
to another scholar, the defensive walls of Shakhrisabz
were built by Amir Temur [11.47].
It is true that the process of expansion of Kesh-
Shahrisabz into a city began in the X century, i.e at the
end of the Samanid period, mainly during the
Karakhanid period. Archaeological excavations around
the Blue Dome Mosque, built by Mirzo Ulugbek in the
city of Shakhrisabz, have revealed that the mosque
was built in the twelfth century on the ruins of a
majestic building made of baked bricks and later
demolished [12.44-45]. This majestic building, built of
baked bricks in the XII century, may have been the ruins
Volume 02 Issue 06-2022
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SJIF
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(2021:
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OCLC
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IF
–
5.968
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
of a mosque built by the Karakhanids or the
Khorezmshahs in the early XIII century and destroyed
during the Mongol rule. It is logical that a majestic
mosque built of baked bricks should be a mosque, and
such large mosques certainly operate in large villages
or central cities. At this point, it is necessary to pay
attention to a very important aspect, which is still
neglected by researchers - the method of construction
of the defensive walls of the city of Kesh-Shahrisabz.
One of the most striking features of the city walls is
that they are made of layered tape.
The constant encounter of Samanid-era bricks with the
layers of the Karakhanid period indicates the formation
of a large village in the city of Shakhrisabz, which has
occupied a large area since the Samanid dynasty, as
there are no Samanid-era bricks on the defensive walls
of Shakhrisabz. But the defensive walls of the Samanid-
era village were not found in the area, as the village
may not have been surrounded by a defensive wall.
CONCLUSION
Based on these data, we can conclude that in the XI-XII
centuries, when the ancient Kesh instead of the city of
Kitab began to face a crisis, the large village of Barknon
developed rapidly from the time of the Samanids (IX-X
centuries) and Karakhanids (XI-XII centuries) started,
by the time of the Khorezmshahs, it was surrounded by
majestic defensive walls, during which time a mosque
was built in the area of the Kok Dome, and it now has
the status of a full-fledged central city. The city walls,
mentioned by Hafiz Abra, which were neglected and
ruined during the years of Mongol rule, were
completely rebuilt by the time of Amir Temur..
REFERENCES
1.
Parmanov, Sh. E. (2017). ARCHAEOLOGICAL
STUDY OF MEDIEVAL MONUMENTS IN THE
KESH OASIS. Interscience, (10-4), 25-29.
2.
Krasheninnikova N.I. Works in Kitab. // АО 1982
– Мoscow:, 1984, P. 474.
3.
Masson M.E. Works of the Kesh archaeological
and topographic expedition of the Tashkent
State University (KATE) for the study of the
eastern half of the Kashkadarya region of the
Uzbek SSR 1966.// Scientific works of the
Tashkent State University №533, Тashkent:,
1977, P. 29;21
4.
Kamoliddinov Sh.S. Historical geography of
Southern Soghd and Tokharistan according to
Arabic sources of the IX - XIII centuries.
Tashkent: Uzbekistan, 1996, P.14 -15; 17;18-19.
5.
Rtveladze E.V. Legends about the founding of
Central Asian cities and archaeological reality. //
Culture of the south of Uzbekistan in antiquity
and the Middle Ages. Тashkent: 1987, P. 50.
6.
Masson M.E., Pugachenkova G.A. Shakhrisabz
under Temur and Ulugbek. // Proceedings of
SAGU, issue 49 () 61 , Тashkent:, 1953, P. 21.
7.
Barthold V.V. Turkestan in the era of the
Mongol invasion. Tashkent: 1, Nauka, 1963, P.
188.
8.
Kabanov S.K. Archaeological exploration in the
Shakhrisabz oasis.// Proceedings of the
Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, 1951, №6,
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9.
Lunina S.B. Cities of Southern Soghd in the VIII
- XII centuries. Tashkent:, Science, 1984, P. 26;
Rtveladze E.V., Sagdullaev A.S. Monuments of
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Shahrisabz is a 2700 thousand year old
heritage. Album, Tashkent, West, 2002, P. 25.
11.
Smirnova O.I. To the chronology of the Central
Asian dynasts of the VII-VIII centuries. //
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IF
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Publisher:
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Countries and peoples of the East. Issue. 2.
Moscow:1961. P. 47
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Dresvyanskaya G.Ya., Lunina S.B., Sultanov
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