The current Tajik Republic hearkens back to the Samanid Empire (A.D. 875-999) that ruled what is now Tajikistan as well as territory to the south and west, as a role model and the name of their currency (Somoni). During their reign, the Samanids supported the revival of the written Persian language in the wake of the Arab Islamic conquest in the early 8th century and played an important role in preserving the culture of the pre-Islamic Persian-speaking world. They were the last Persian-speaking empire to rule Central Asia. Humans were permanently installed in Tajikistan from 4,000 BC. National anthem Surudi milli Official language Tajiki-Persian Capital Dushanbe President Emomali Rahmonov Prime Minister Okil Okilov Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water Ranked 92nd  143,100 km²  0. ... The famous Samanid mausoleum of Ismail of Samanid in Bukhara. ... Events December 29 - Charles the Bald, king of west Danes capture Lindisfarne and arrive in Cambridge. ... Events Silesia is incorporated into territory ruled by Boleslaus I of Poland Pope Silvester II succeeds Pope Gregory V Deaths December 16 - Saint Adelaide of Italy (b. ... Persian (فارسی = Fârsi . ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

After a series of attacks beginning in the 1860s during the Great Game, the Tajik people came under Russian rule. This rule waned briefly after the Russian Revolution of 1917 as the Bolsheviks consolidated their power and were embroiled in a civil war in other regions of the former Russian Empire. As the Bolsheviks attempted to regain Central Asia in the 1920s, an indigenous Central Asian resistance movement based in the Ferghana Valley, the Basmachi, attempted to resist but was eventually defeated in 1925. Tajikistan became fully established under Soviet control with the creation of Tajikistan as an autonomous Soviet socialist republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, and as one of the independent Soviet socialist republics in 1929. The Great Game is a term, usually attributed to Arthur Connolly, used to describe the rivalry and strategic conflict between the British Empire and the Tsarist Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia. ... The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. ... The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a political movement in Russia that climaxed in 1917 with the overthrow of the provisional government that had replaced the Russian Tsar system, and led to the establishment of the Soviet Union, which lasted until its collapse in 1991. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Fergana Valley (also Ferghana Valley) is a region of Central Asia spreading across Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. ... The Basmachi Revolt, or Basmachestvo as it is called in the Russian language, was an uprising against Soviet rule in Central Asia. ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Socialist republics/ Communist state Area  - Total  - % water Largest on the planet 22,402,200 km² ?% Population  - Total  - Density 3rd before collapse 293,047,571 (July...

It was the Tadzhik SSR from 1936 to 1991. State motto: Пролетарҳои ҳамаи мамлакатҳо, як шавед! Official language None. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tajikistan has experienced three changes in government and a civil war since it gained independence in 1991 when the USSR collapsed. A peace agreement among rival factions was signed in 1997, but implementation has progressed slowly. Nevertheless, a number of opposition political parties have been legalized and are participating in elections, suggesting that the country may be stabilizing politically. Russian-led peacekeeping troops are based throughout the country (apart from their officers, most of these troops are, in fact, Tajiks), and Russian-commanded border guards are stationed along the border with Afghanistan. 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ancient Tajik History

Tajik Ancestry (4000 BC-900 AD)

The Ancient Age of Tajik history began around 4000 BC. This period of Tajik history started with the migration of Proto-Indo-European (possibly the most distant ancestors of the Tajiks) from their native home which was possiblly to the north of Central Asia, to south Central Asia. Numerous and fascinating studies show that the Tajiks ancestors were the Scythians, Massagetae, Bactrians Sogdians, Marvians and Arians, who were living in Central Asia. At some time around 1750 BC, the Tajik ancestors emigrated to North India. Thereafter, they emigrated to the Iranian Plateau (c. 1250 BC) and to the northwest of Iran (c. 600 BC). This migration was crucial in formation of many Indo-European nations, languages, and civilizations that are currently living in Eurasia. It resulted in the settling of the Proto-Indo-European tribes in areas of Eurasia, some of whom were mentioned by Herodotus. Among them the Cimmerians who lived in steppes of the Ukraine and southern Russia around 2300 BC who eventually were replaced by Scythians from 800 BC onwards. The Scythians were probably the most widespread Indo-European ancestors in which domesticating the horse, invention of cart, and leather trousers played a great role. They were divided into many other smaller fractions who eventually became independent, thus laying foundation for many nations where they lived. Thus traces of the relations of all Indo-European nations can be found their languages. Eastern and other Scythians such as the Massagetae were amongst of the earliest Tajik ancestors who lived in Central Asia over four thousand years ago. The Massagetae are well known to history because of their conflict with the Persian Emperor Cyrus. Indeed, it was the female leader of the Massagetae, Tomyris, who killed the first and arguably greatest of the Persian kings, Cyrus the Great, in order to take revenge for the death of her son (sun?). By 100 BC the Massagetae had merged with other Eastern Scythians. The western Scythians started to be replaced by the Sarmatians and Alans in Europe around 400 BC. It needs to be noted that Sarmatian and Alans were descendants of western Scythians. Eventually, the Sarmatians and Alans were absorbed in creation of many nations in the West. In fact the Alans are the ancestors of the Ossetians who currently live in Ossetia in the Caucasus. They were all spoke dialects belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. The Eastern Scythians around 90 BC established a Kingdom in North India and around 100 AD, with the help of the Tocharians, established the Kushan Empire. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Scythia was an area in Eurasia inhabited in ancient times by an Indo-Aryans known as the Scythians. ... Massagetae were an Iranian people of antiquity. ... Bactria (Bactriana) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush (Caucasus Indicus) and the Amu Darya (Oxus), with the capital Bactra (now Balkh). ... The Sogdians were an ancient people of Central Asia, who inhabited the region known to the West as Sogdiana. ... This article is about the theological doctrine of Arius. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies Indo-European is originally a linguistic term, referring to the Indo-European language family. ... African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the landmass composed of the continents of Europe and Asia. ... Bust of Herodotus at Naples Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: Ἡροδοτος, Herodotos) was a historian who lived in the 5th century BC (484 BC-ca. ... The Cimmerians (Greek Kimmerioi) were ancient equestrian nomads who, according to Herodotus, originally inhabited the region north of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, in what is now Russia and Ukraine, in the 8th and 7th century BC. Assyrian records, however, first place them in the region of Azerbaijan in... The steppe of Western Kazakhstan in early spring In physical geography, steppe (from Slavic step) is a plain without trees (apart from those near rivers and lakes); it is similar to a prairie, although a prairie is generally reckoned as being dominated by tall grasses, while short grasses are said... The name Cyrus (or Kourosh in Persian) may refer to: [[Cyrus I of Anshan]], King of Persia around 650 BC [[Cyrus II of Persia | Cyrus the Great]], King of Persia 559 BC - 529 BC — See also Cyrus in the Judeo-Christian tradition Cyrus the Younger, brother to the Persian king... Tomyris was, according to Herodotus, a queen of the Massagetae. ... Sarmatia Europæa separated from Sarmatia Asiatica by the Tanais (the River Don), based on Greek literary sources, in a map printed in London, ca 1770. ... The Alans or Alani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of mixed backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and shared, in a broad sense, a common culture. ... The Ossetians live in the region of Ossetia, a region in the northern Caucasus Mountains. ... Map of Ossetia Ossetia is a region in the northern Caucasus Mountains, inhabited by the Ossetians. ... The Entholinguistic patchwork of the modern Caucasus - CIA map The Caucasus, a region bordering Asia Minor, is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus Mountains and surrounding lowlands. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ...

Pre-Islamic Tajikistan (600 BC-651 AD)

Achaemenid empire at its greatest extent

Sogdiana, Bactria, Merv and Khorezm were the four principal divisions of Ancient Central Asia inhabited by the ancestors of the present-day Tajiks. Tajiks are now found only in historic Bactria and Sogdiana. Merv is inhabited by the Turkoman and Khorezm by Karakalpaks, Uzbeks and Kazakhs. The Sogdians were famous for being tall, massive, and of a fair colour, possibly resembling the Scythians. Among them Bactria and Khorezm were kingdoms during different period of history unlike Sogdiana and Merv which were geographical locations and vassals of different kingdoms. Sogdiana was made up of the Zeravshan and Kashka-Darya river valleys. Currently, One of the surviving peoples of Sogdiana who speak a dialect of the Sogdian language are the Yaghnobis who live in Yaghnob area in the current Northern region of Tajikistan around the Zeravshan valley. Bactria was located in northern Afghanistan (present-day Afghan Turkestan) between the mountain range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya (Oxus) River and some areas of current south Tajikistan. During different periods Bactria was a center of various Kingdoms or Empires, and is probably where Zoroastrianism originated. The "Avesta" the holy book of Zoroastrianism was written in the old-Bactrian dialect, also it is thought that Zoroaster was most likely born in Bactria. Khorezm was a powerful Kingdom during some periods of its history, and is located south-east of the Aral Sea in what archeological discoveries indicated used to be a very fertile area. Merv is located in the Amu-Darya basin south of Khorezm. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1314x635, 133 KB)Persian Empire - Used by permission of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1314x635, 133 KB)Persian Empire - Used by permission of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin. ... Sogdiana (Sug`ud,Sug`diyona -Uzbek, Sughd - Tajik, Sugdiane, Old Persian Sughuda, Persian:سغد, Chinese: Kang-Kü) ancient civilization of Iranian peoples, then was a province of the Achaemenian Empire, the eighteenth in the list in the Behistun Inscription of Darius the Great (i. ... Bactria (Bactriana) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush (Caucasus Indicus) and the Amu Darya (Oxus); its capital, Bactra (now Balkh), was located in what is now Afghanistan. ... Merv (Persian name: مرو), in current-day Turkmenistan, was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near todays Mary. ... Khiva (alternative names include Khorasam, Khoresm, Khwarezm, Khwarizm, Khwarazm, Chiwa and Chorezm) is a city in present day Uzbekistan, in the Province of Khorezm. ... There are several meanings to Turkmen: Related to the country Turkmenistan Turkmen language Turkmen people A breed of horse called the Turkoman This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Karakalpak (also Kara Kalpak; Qara-Qalpaq; and other variants. ... The Kazakhs (also spelled Kazak or Qazaq), (in Kazakh: Қазақ [qÉ‘zÉ‘q]; in Russian: Казах; English term is the transliteration from Russian) are a Turkic-Mongol people of the northern parts of Central Asia (largely Kazakhstan, but also found in parts of Russia and China). ... The Zeravshan or Zarafshan river, whilst smaller and less well-known than the two great rivers of Central Asia, the Oxus or Amu-Darya and the Jaxartes or Syr-Darya, is if anything more valuable as a source of irrigation in the region. ... The Zeravshan or Zarafshan river, whilst smaller and less well-known than the two great rivers of Central Asia, the Oxus or Amu-Darya and the Jaxartes or Syr-Darya, is if anything more valuable as a source of irrigation in the region. ... Afghan Turkestan is the northern part of Afghanistan, on the border with the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. ... The Hindu Kush or Hindukush (هندوکش in Persian) is a mountain range in Afghanistan as well as in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... The Amu Darya (Darya means river) rises in the Pamirs and flows mainly north-west through the Hindu Kush, Uzbekistan to join the Aral Sea in a large delta. ... The Amu Darya (in Persian آمودریا; Darya means river in Persian) rises in the Pamirs and flows mainly north-west through the Hindu Kush, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to join the Aral Sea in a large river delta. ... Faravahar (or Ferohar), the depiction of the human soul before birth and after death. ... See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ...

Greek Tajikistan (329 BC-90 BC)

Map of Alexander's empire.

After the Persian Empire was defeated by Alexander the Great Bactria, Sogdiana and Merv being part of Persian Empire had to defend themselves from new invaders. In fact the Greeks faced very stiff resistance under the leadership of Sogdian ruler Spitamenes. Alexander the Macedonian managed to marry Roxanne, the daughter of a local ruler, and inherited the land(?). After the collapse of the Macedonian Empire Greek generals continued to rule for another 200 hundred years in what are known as the Graeco-Bactrian Kingdoms. During this time, from 90 BC to 30 BC, the Eastern Scythians destroyed the last Greek successor states and, together with the Tocharians, (to whom they were closely related) created a Kushan Empire around 30 AD. Download high resolution version (935x611, 97 KB)Map of empire of Alexander the Great From A History of the Ancient World by George Willis Botsford, Ph. ... Download high resolution version (935x611, 97 KB)Map of empire of Alexander the Great From A History of the Ancient World by George Willis Botsford, Ph. ... Alexander the Great fighting Persian king Darius (not in frame) (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... Spitamenes (in old Persian Spitamaneh; killed 328 BC) was a Persian courtier who betrayed in 329 BC his self-proclaimed sovereign Artaxerexes V, handing him over to Ptolemy, Alexander the Greats general, with the hope of appeasing the latter. ... Approximate extent of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom circa 220 BCE. The Greco-Bactrians were a dynasty of Greek kings who controlled Bactria and Sogdiana, an area comprising todays northern Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia, the easternmost area of the Hellenistic world, from 250 to 125 BCE. Their expansion... The succession of states theory asserts that all possessions and territory held by a state are automatically transferred to the successor state, the state which succeeds it. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ...

Kushan Empire (30 BC-410 AD)

For another 400 hundred years till 410 AD the Kushan Empire would be a major power in the regionalong with Roman, Parthian (Iranian) Empire and Han Empire (China). At the end of the Kushan period the Empire became much smaller and will have to defend itself from powerful Sassanian Empire that replaced the Parthian Empire. The famous Kushan Shah Kanishka promoted Buddhism and during this time Buddhism was exported from Central Asia to China. Reproduction of a Parthian warrior as depicted on Trajans Column The Parthian Empire was the dominating force on the Iranian plateau beginning in the late 3rd century BCE, and intermittently controlled Mesopotamia between ca 190 BCE and 224 CE. Origins Bust of Parthian soldier, Esgh-abad Museum, Turkmenia. ... // Han in China Han Chinese, the dominant majority ethnic group of mainland China The Chinese written language (漢文) The Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE) of China The state of Han, a state during the Chinese Warring States Period Han, one of the Chinese Sixteen Kingdoms, founded by the Liu family. ... Head of king Shapur II (Sasanian dynasty A.D. 4th century). ... Shah is a Persian language word for king, adopted in many languages, either actually used as a princely style or to render originals. ...

Here Come the Hephthalites (410 AD-565 AD)

who are considered to be another Scythian-related tribe although there is controversy about their name (which means 'White Hun') which normally refers to Mongolian-Turkish invaders. As later archeologists discovered many factor that proved that Hephthalites were a branch of Scythian. The Hephthalites were destroyed in 565 AD by a combination of Sassanid and Kök-Turk forces. The Hephthalites, also known as White Huns, were a nomadic people who lived across northern China, Central Asia, and northern India in the fourth through sixth centuries. ... The Hephthalites, also known as White Huns, were a nomadic people who lived across northern China, Central Asia, and northern India in the fourth through sixth centuries. ... Sassanid Empire at its greatest extent The Sassanid dynasty (also Sassanian) was the name given to the kings of Persia during the era of the second Persian Empire, from 224 until 651, when the last Sassanid shah, Yazdegerd III, lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the Umayyad Caliphate... The Gokturks or Kokturks (Gök-Turks or Kök-Turks, with the meaning Celestial Turks), known as Tujue (突厥 tu2 jue2) in medieval Chinese sources, established the first known Turkic state around 552, after the Huns, under the leadership of Bumin/Tuman Khan/Khaghan (died 552) and his sons, and...

Western Turkish Rule (565 AD-710 AD)

The origin of the Kök-Turks is uncertain, but it seems likely that they had lived to the South of the Altai Mountains until the year 542 AD. Chinese sources suggest that they were descended from the Huns and located to the North of them .(The Huns being another proto-Turkish tribe?).

Arab Caliphate (710 AD-867 AD)

The Age of the Caliphs

The Transoxiana principalities never formed a viable confederacy. Beginning in 651 AD, the Arabs organized periodic marauding raids deep into the territory of Transoxania, but it was not until the appointment of Ibn Qutaiba as Governor of Khorasan in 705 AD, during the reign of Walid I, that the Caliphate adopted the policy of annexing the lands beyond the Oxus. In 715 AD the task of annexation was accomplished. The entire region thus came under the control of the Caliph and of Islam, but the Arabs continued to rule through local Soghdian Kings and dihqans. The ascension of the Abbasids to rule the Caliphate (750 - 1258) opened a new era in the history of Central Asia. While their predecessors the Umayyads (661 - 750) were little more than leaders of a loose confederation of Arab tribes, the Abbasids set out to build a huge multi-ethnic centralized state that would emulate and perfect the Sassanian government machine. They gave the Near East and Transoxiana a unity, which they had been lacking since the time of Alexander the Great. The Arabs (Arabic: عرب Ê»arab) are a large and heterogenous ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph (  listen?) is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Image File history File links Age_of_Caliphs. ... Image File history File links Age_of_Caliphs. ... Khorasan (also spelled Khurasan and Khorassan; Xorasan or Xurasan in Kurdish; خراسان in Persian) is an area, located in eastern and northeastern Iran. ... Caliph is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Abbasid provinces during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid Abbasid was the dynastic name generally given to the caliphs of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Muslim empire. ... The Umayyad Dynasty (Arabic الأمويون / بنو أمية umawiyy; in Turkish, Emevi) was the first dynasty of caliphs of the Prophet Muhammad who were not closely related to Muhammad himself, though they were of the same Meccan tribe, the Quraish. ...

Modern History 900 AD - Present Time

Samanid Empire (900 AD-999 AD)

For many years before the Arab invasion Central Asia was divided into many different regions such as the Kingdom of Merv, Sogdiana, Bactria, Khorezm, Badakhshan: the only exception was Kushan Empire that was now reduced to parts of eastern Iran. Islam spread rapidly in Transoxiana. The new religion was received mostly by popular acclaim, for it promised greater social mobility and created favourable conditions for trade. With Islam there came Arabic that became the language of Abbasid court. It must also have stimulated the emergence of the Modern Persian language (Dari), in which the share of loan-words from Arabic fluctuated from 10 percent in the vocabulary of Rudaki (9th to 10th centuries) to 40 percent in the writings of Baihaqi (11th century). All in all, "the volume of Arabic lexicon, its share in the vocabulary of the Dari language remained exceptionally high until the first quarter of the nineteenth century." The Samanid dynasty, that ruled (819–1005) in Khorasan (Eastern Iran) and Transoxiana, was founded by Saman-Khuda . The Samanids were one of the first purely indigenous dynasties to rule in Persia following the Muslim Arab conquest. Not until the reign (892–907) of Saman-Khuda's great-grandson, Ismail I,. did Samanid power become extensive. In 900, Ismail defeated Saffarids in Khorasan (area of current Northwest Afghanistan and northeastern Iran), while his brother was the governor of Transoxiana. Thus, Samanid rule was acclaimed over the combined regions. The cities of Bukhara (the Samanid capital) and Samarkand became centres of art, science, and literature; industries included pottery making and bronze casting. After 950, Samanid power weakened, but was briefly revitalized under Nuh II, who ruled from 976 to 997. However, with the oncoming encroachment of Muslim Turks into the Abbasid Empire, the Samanids were effectively defeated; in 999, Bukhara fell under a combined force of Ghaznavids and Qarakhanids. Ismail II,d. 1005, the last ruler of the dynasty, briefly fought (1000–1005) to retain Samanid territory, until he was assassinated. Although short during this period art and science of the Tajiks flourished, and many scholars of this period are still very highly regarded, notably Ibn Sina (Avicenna). The modern state of Tajikistan considers that the Tajik name and identity, although in existence for thousands of years in this area, began its formation during the Samanid period. The attack of the Qarakhanid Turks ended the Samanids' reign and Samanid era civilization in 999 and dominance in Transoxiana passed on to Turkic rulers for nine centuries to come. The famous Samanid mausoleum of Ismail of Samanid in Bukhara. ... Badakhshan is a region comprising parts of northeastern Afghanistan and of Tajikistan. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The term Dari derives from Fârsi-e Darbâri which means Persian of the (royal) courts. It developed at the royal courts of the Samanids (980 AD) in Central Asia and became the major language of Persia. ... Rudaki depicted as a blind poet, here on this Iranian stamp. ... The Ghaznavid Empire was a state in the region of todays Afghanistan that existed from 977 to 1186. ... The Muslim, Turkic Kara-Khanid Khanate is not to be confused with the Sinitic, Khitan Kara-Khitan Khanate. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Ghaznavids (999-1218)

After the collapse of Samanid Dynasty Central Asia became the battleground of many Asian invaders who came from the north-east. (Seems a trifle inadequate, but I suppose we are dealing with the Tajiks here). The Ghaznavid Empire was a state in the region of todays Afghanistan that existed from 963 to 1187. ...

Mongol Empire (1218-1370)

Mongols swept through Central Asia invaded Khorezm and sacked the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand, looting and massacring people everywhere. (Equally, Much more needed) Mongol Empires largest extent outlined in red; Timur-i-Lenks empire is shaded The Mongol Empire (1206–1368) was the largest contiguous land empire in world history ruling 35 million km² (13. ...

Timurid Empire (1370-1506)

Timur was born 8th April 1336 in Kesh near Samarkand. A Member of the Turkicized Barlas tribe, a Mongol subgroup that had settled in Transoxiana after taking part in Genghis Khan's son Chagatai's campaigns in that region. Timur began his life as a bandit leader. During this period, he received an arrow-wound in the leg, as a result of which he was nicknamed Timur-e Lang (in Dari) or Timur the Lame, corrupted in the West to Tamerlane. Although the last Timurid ruler of Herat, Badi az Zaman finally fell to the armies of the Uzbek Muhammad Shaibani Khan in 1506, the Timurid ruler of Ferghana, Zahir-ud-Din Babur, survived the collapse of dynasty and re-established the Timurid dynasty in India in 1526, where they became known as the Mughals. Flag of the Timurid Empire according to the Catalan Atlas c. ... Shahrisabz or Shahr-e Sabz (from the Persian meaning green city), also known as Kesh, is a city in Uzbekistan approximately 50 mi. ... Map showing modern Transoxiana. ... â–¶ (help· info) (c. ... Chagatai can refer to different things: Chagatai Khanate Chagatai Khan Chagatai language This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Zahir-ud-din Mohammad Babur , Zahiriddin Muhammad Bobur (February 14, 1483 - December 26, 1530) (also spelled Baber or Babar), emperor (1526–30) and founder of the Mughal dynasty of India, a descendant of the Mongol conqueror Timur (Tamerlane). ... Timurids Map The Timurids were a mixed Turkic-Mongol and Persian (Turco-Persian) dynasty of Central Asia established by Timur (Tamerlane). ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

Shaibanid Empire(1506-1598)

The Shaibanid state was divided into appanages between all male members (sultans) of the dynasty, who would designate the supreme ruler (Khan), the oldest member of clan. The seat of Khan was first Samarkand, the capital of the Timurids, but some of the Khans preferred to remain in their former appanages. Thus Bukhara became the seat of the khan for the first time under Ubaid Allah Khan (r.1533-1539). The system of appanage has greatly influenced the territorial construction of France and explains the flag of many provinces of France. ...

The Astrakhanid (Janid) dynasty (1598-1740)

The period of political expansion and economical prosperity was short-lived. Soon after the death of Abd Allah Khan the Shaibanid dynasty died out, to be replaced by the Janid or Astrakhanid (Ashtarkhanid) dynasty, another branch of the descendants of Jöchi whose founder was related through marriage to Abd Allah Khan. Jochi (also spelled Jöchi) (c. ...

Persia (1740-1756)

In 1740 the Janids' khanate was conquered by Nadir Shah, the ruler of Iran. The Janid khan Abu al Faiz retained his throne, becoming Nadir's vassal. Tomb of Nadir Shah, a popular tourist attraction in Mashhad Nadir Shah (Nadir Qoli Beg, also Tahmasp-Qoli Khan) (October 22, 1688 - June, 1747) ruled as shah of Iran (1736–47) and was the founder of the short-lived Afsharid dynasty. ...

Manghit Dynasty (1756 AD-1920 AD)

After the death of Nadir Shah in 1747, the chief of the Manghit tribe, Muhammad Rahim Biy Azaliq, overcame his rivals from other tribes with the support of the urban population, consolidated his rule in the khanate, and was proclaimed khan in 1756. His successor, however, ruled in the name of puppet khans of Janid origin. The third Manghit ruler, Shah Murad (r.1785-1800), finally deposed the Janids and acceded to the throne himself. He did not assume the title of khan, preferring the title Amir, as did subsequent Manghit rulers, because they were not of Chingissid descent. The Bukharan khanate was smaller under the Manghits than under their predecessors; it lost important provinces to the south of Amu Darya and the Syr Darya basin, and Merv, conquered by Shah Murad in 1785 -1789, was lost in 1823. Under the Manghits the administration of the country was more centralized.

Russian Vassals (1868 AD - 1917 AD)

Conflict with Russia started in 1865, shortly after Russian conquest of Tashkent. Being more technologically advanced the Russians had little difficulty in conquering the regions inhabited by Tajiks, meeting fierce resistance only at Djizak, Ura-Tyube, and when their garrison at Samarkand was besieged in 1868 by forces from Shahr-e Sabz and the inhabitants of the city. The army of Bukhara was utterly defeated in three battles, and on 18 June 1868 Amir Muzaffar al Din (r.1860-1885) signed a peace treaty with the Governor-general of Russian Turkestan, Konstantin Petrovich Von Kaufman. Samarkand and the Upper Zeravshan were annexed by Russia and the country was opened to Russian merchants. The Amir retained his throne as a vassal of Russia and made up his territorial losses by establishing, with Russian help, control over Shahr-e Sabz, and the mountainous regions in the upper Zeravshan Valley in 1870 and by annexing the principalities of the western Pamir in 1895. At the end of August 1920 the last Amir, Sayyid Alim Khan, was overthrown as a result of the invasion of the khanate by Soviet troops, and on 6 October the Emirate was abolished and Bukharan People's Soviet Republic proclaimed. Jizzakh (also spelt Jizzax, Djizak and Джизак) is a city (pop est 130,000) and the capital of Jizzakh Province in central Uzbekistan, northwest of Samarkand. ... Ura-Tyube (also transliterated Ura-tiube or Ura-tube) is a city in Tajikistan. ... A minaret in Samarkand. ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Shahrisabz or Shahr-e Sabz (from the Persian meaning green city), also known as Kesh, is a city in Uzbekistan approximately 50 mi. ... Bukhara (Buxoro or Бухоро in Uzbek (the Cyrillic alphabet was officially phased out for Uzbek after independence); بُخارا /Bukhârâ/ in Persian, Buhe/Puhe Tang Chinese, Бухара in Russian; also Boxara in Tatar) is one of... Governor-General (or Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. ... Russian Turkestan (Russian: Ру́сский Туркеста́н), also known as Turkestansky Krai (Туркеста́нский край), was a subdivision (Krai or Governor-Generalship) of Imperial Russia, comprising the oasis region to the South of the Kazakh steppes, but not the Protectorates of Bukhara and Khiva. ... Konstantin Petrovich Von Kaufman, first Governor-General of Russian Turkestan Konstantin Petrovich Von Kaufman (Константин Петрович фон-Кауфман in Russian) Konstantin Petrovich Von Kaufman (1818 - 1882) was the first Governor-General of Russian Turkestan. ... The Zeravshan or Zarafshan river, whilst smaller and less well-known than the two great rivers of Central Asia, the Oxus or Amu-Darya and the Jaxartes or Syr-Darya, is if anything more valuable as a source of irrigation in the region. ... Emir (also sometimes rendered as Amir or Ameer, Arabic commander) is a title of nobility historically used in Islamic nations of the Middle East and North Africa. ... Shahrisabz or Shahr-e Sabz (from the Persian meaning green city), also known as Kesh, is a city in Uzbekistan approximately 50 mi. ... Generally speaking, an emirate (Arabic imarah, plural imarat) is a territory that is administered by an emir, although in Arabic the term can be generalized to mean any province of a country that is administered by a member of the ruling class. ... Bukharan Peoples republic flag of 1921-1923 The Bukharan Peoples Soviet Republic (Russian: Бухарская Народная Советская Республика) was a short-lived Soviet state which governed the former Emirate of Bukhara during the period immediately following the Russian Revolution from 1920-1924. ...

Soviet Republic (1917 - 1991)

Tajiks in this period underwent the greatest catastrophe in their history. The Tajiks' lack of concern, especially their cosmopolitanism during this period, cost them dearly. They were deprived of the use of their language, of achieving an independent republic, and of their historical and cultural centers. The national-administrative divisions placed the ancient Tajik cities, Bukhara and Samarkand, outside the Tajikistan SSR when the borders were drawn in 1928. As citizens of the Uzbek SSR many Tajiks came under pressure to conform to their newly-ascribed 'Uzbek' identity, and under threat of exile or worse for nonconformity, many were forced to change their identity. Tajik schools were closed and, Tajiks were not appointed to leadership positions simply because of their ethnicity. State motto: Бутун дунё пролетарлари, бирлашингиз! (transliteration: Butun Dunyo Proletarlari, Burlashingiz! (Uzbek: Workers of the world, unite!) Official language None. ...

Tajikistan 1991-Present day

In short, Tajik identity has been once again challenged with the out-break of Civil War. There are different factors that caused the Civil War to break out but mentioned below are four factors that are generally accepted:

1. Tajikistan's lack of educational and economic base

2. Soviet Distribution of land during 1920's

3. The restriction of Regional and Religious self-expression during the Soviet period.

4. External Influences, especially from Afghanistan

Fortunately, the Tajiks have survived this blow of the history too and finally reached a much-needed stage of self-examination and relative prosperity. Nevertheless severe political problems remain, not least the fact that, having been run by Leninabaders (Khujandis) throughout the Soviet period, Tajikistan is now almost entirely controlled by Kulyabis, from the home region of President Rakhmonov. Khujand (Хужант also transliterated as Khojand, Khudjand, Khudzhand, and Khodjend), formerly Leninabad is a city on the Syr-Darya at the mouth of the Fergana Valley, and also gives its name to the northernmost region of the Republic of Tajikistan. ...

Conclusion

In this article we found that the distant Arian ancestors of the Tajiks in the ancient world were spread throughout EurAsia and partculalarly in the heart of Central Asia along the Amu-darya, Syr-Darya, Zeravshan and Murghab rivers. The current Tajiks are the descendants of Central Asian proto-Indo-European tribes, namely the Sogdians, Khorezmians, Bactrians, Scythians, Massagetae and Hephtalites. And finally we find that Tajiks are now enjoying a precarious independence, and gradually becoming more aware of new realities in the world around them. They are in the process of reviving their culture, art and science, history and of course to join other Indo-European nations in building a multinational, democratic and progressive world.

Sources & Further Reading

Asimov, M.S. "Tadzhikskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika" (The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic). (Dushanbe: Akademiya Nauk Tadzhikskoy SSR 1974.)

Barthold, V.V. V.V. Barthold "Turkestan Down to the Mongol Invasion." (London: 1967) Vasily Vladimirovich Bartold, also known as Wilhelm Barthold (1869-1930) was a Russian anthropologist who succeeded Wilhelm Radloff as the greatest authority in the field of Turcology. ...

Becker, Seymour. "Russia’s Protectorates in Central Asia: Bukhara and Khiva, 1865-1924." (Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 1968)

Burton, Audrey. "The Bukharans: A Dynastic, Diplomatic and Commercial History, 1550-1702." (New York: St. Martin’s Press. New York. 1997)

Carrère D’Encausse, Hélène. "Islam and the Russian Empire: Reform and Revolution in Central Asia." (Berkeley: University of California Press. 1988)

Christian, David. "A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia." (Oxford: 1998)

Hiro, Dilip. "Between Marx and Muhammad, HarperCollins." (London: 1995).

Kapur, Harish. "Soviet Russia and Asia, 1917-1927, a study of Soviet policy towards Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan." (London: Joseph for the Geneva Graduate Institute of International Studies. 1966)

Luknitsky, Pavel. "Soviet Tajikistan." (Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House 1954)

Masov, Rahim. "The History of a National Catastrophe." (Minneapolis) 1996. Available on-line at: [1]

Pipes, Richard. "The Formation of the Soviet Union, Communism and Nationalism 1917-1923." (Cambridge: Harvard University Press: 1964)

Rashid, Ahmed. "Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia." (Hyderabad: Orient Longman. 2002)

Rawlinson, H. G. "Bactria : The History of a Forgotten Empire." (New Delhi: Asian Educational Services, 2002)

Wheeler, Geoffrey. "The Modern History of Soviet Central Asia." (London: Weidenfelf and Nicolson 1964)

Soucek, Svat. "A History of Inner Asia." (Cambridge: 2000)

Zenkovsky, Serge A. "Pan-Turkism & Islam in Russia." (Harvard University Press. 1960)

В.В. Бартольд "Работы по Исторической Географии" (Москва) 2002 Vasily Vladimirovich Bartold, also known as Wilhelm Barthold (1869-1930) was a Russian anthropologist who came to be recognized as one of the founding fathers of Turcology. ...