The Rise and Influence of the Early Uzbeks Shaped Central Asia

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britannica.com

The rise and influence of the early Uzbeks have left an indelible mark on the history and culture of Central Asia. This journey begins with the Turkic-Mongol tribes from northwestern Siberia, who adopted the ethnonym Uzbek. They drew this name from the renowned Muslim ruler of the Golden Horde, Öz Beg, also known as Uzbek Khan, who reigned from thirteen twelve to thirteen forty-one. A pivotal moment in Uzbek history occurred in fourteen twenty-eight when Abūʾl-Khayr Khan ascended to leadership at the age of seventeen. During his forty-year reign, he played a significant role in consolidating the Uzbek tribes. His leadership saw these tribes move southeastward towards the north bank of the Syr Darya. However, internal strife led to a split, with some tribes breaking away to form what would become known as the Kazakhs. Despite this fragmentation, Abūʾl-Khayr continued to lead until his death in fourteen sixty-eight during a conflict with the Dzungars. The Uzbeks quickly recovered and, by fourteen ninety-four, began their conquest of Transoxania. The grandson of Abūʾl-Khayr, Muḥammad Shaybānī Khan, played a crucial role in this expansion. By fifteen hundred, he had expelled the last Timurid rulers from key cities such as Samarkand and Herat. This marked the establishment of the Shaybānid dynasty, which ruled from Bukhara for a century. Muḥammad Shaybānī was not only a military leader but also a patron of the arts and a poet. His reign saw the construction of significant architectural works, including seminaries, mosques, and other major buildings in Bukhara. The greatest Shaybānid ruler, ʿAbd Allāh Khan the Second, expanded the dynasty's influence even further. His reign, from fifteen fifty-seven to fifteen ninety-eight, saw Uzbek authority extend to regions such as Balkh, Samarkand, Tashkent, and Fergana, as well as eastward to Badakhstān and East Turkistan, and westward to Khorāsān and Khwārezm. Following the Shaybānids, the Ashtarkhanid dynasty took over in fifteen ninety-nine. However, under their rule, the Uzbek influence began to decline. By the mid-seventeen hundreds, the once-powerful Uzbek hegemony had weakened significantly. This decline was accelerated by Nādir Shāh of Iran, whose conquest in seventeen forty dealt a severe blow to the Ashtarkhanids, leading to their eventual extinction in seventeen eighty-five. In the wake of the Ashtarkhanid decline, power shifted to three prominent khanates: Bukhara, Khiva, and Kokand. Bukhara emerged as a dominant force under the leadership of Emir Maʿsum, also known as Shah Murād, who revived its fortunes in the late eighteenth century. Khiva, under the Qonghirat tribe, became known for its architectural and cultural heritage. Meanwhile, the Kokand khanate, founded by the Uzbek Ming tribe, gained a reputation for high culture and expansionist ambitions during the reigns of ʿUmar Khan and Muḥammad ʿAlī Khan. The early Uzbeks left a profound cultural and architectural legacy, particularly during the Shaybānid period. Their contributions to the arts, literature, and monumental architecture continue to be celebrated in the cities of Bukhara, Samarkand, and beyond.