Amoghavajra ( Sanskrit : अमोघवज्र Amoghavajra ; Chinese : 不空 ; pinyin : Bùkōng ; Japanese : Fukū ; Korean : 불공 ; Vietnamese : Bất Không , 705–774) was a prolific translator who became one of the most politically powerful Buddhist monks in Chinese history and is acknowledged as one of the Eight Patriarchs of the Doctrine in Shingon Buddhism .
104-539: There are differing views as to where Amoghavajra's origins were from. Zhao Qian states that Amoghavajra was born in Samarkand of an Indian merchant or Brahmin father as according to Feixis's Stele Inscription and a mother of Sogdian origin. Yan Ying referred to Amoghavajra simply as being "a person of the Western Regions ". Alternatively, Quan Deyu 's image hall stele inscription states that Amoghavajra
208-645: A republic of the Soviet Union . It declared independence as the Republic of Uzbekistan in 1991. Uzbekistan is a secular state , with a semi-presidential constitutional government. Uzbekistan comprises 12 regions (vilayats), Tashkent City, and one autonomous republic, Karakalpakstan . While non-governmental organisations have defined Uzbekistan as "an authoritarian state with limited civil rights ", significant reforms under Uzbekistan's second president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev , have been made following
312-481: A catastrophic scenario with the agricultural industry being the main contributor to the pollution and devastation of both air and water in the country. The Aral Sea was once the fourth-largest inland sea on Earth, humidifying the surrounding air and irrigating the arid land. Since the 1960s, when the overuse of the Aral Sea water began, it has shrunk to about 10% of its former area and divided into parts, with only
416-480: A centre of economic, cultural, and political power. It did not significantly revive until the 5th century. Samarkand was conquered by the Persian Sassanians c. 260 AD. Under Sassanian rule, the region became an essential site for Manichaeism and facilitated the dissemination of the religion throughout Central Asia. Between AD 350 and 375, Samarkand was conquered by the nomadic tribes of Xionites ,
520-478: A community of weavers of Chinese origin , and Samarkand and Outer Mongolia both had artisans of Chinese origin, as reported by Changchun . After Genghis Khan conquered Central Asia, foreigners were chosen as governmental administrators; Chinese and Qara-Khitays (Khitans) were appointed as co-managers of gardens and fields in Samarkand, which Muslims were not permitted to manage on their own. The khanate allowed
624-443: A dusty steppe... Samakandian Sogd... [extends] eight days travel through unbroken greenery and gardens... . The greenery of the trees and sown land extends along both sides of the river [Sogd]... and beyond these fields is pasture for flocks. Every town and settlement has a fortress... It is the most fruitful of all the countries of Allah ; in it are the best trees and fruits, in every home are gardens, cisterns and flowing water. After
728-466: A large number of astronomers and mathematicians of the Islamic world to this madrasah. Under Ulugh Beg, Samarkand became one of the world centers of medieval science. In the first half of the 15th century, a whole scientific school arose around Ulugh Beg, uniting prominent astronomers and mathematicians including Jamshid al-Kashi , Qāḍī Zāda al-Rūmī , and Ali Qushji . Ulugh Beg's main interest in science
832-624: A lesser extent Kyrgyzstan ). When the U.S. joined in a call for an independent international investigation of the bloody events at Andijan , the relationship further declined, and President Islam Karimov changed the political alignment of the country to bring it closer to Russia and China. In late July 2005, the government of Uzbekistan ordered the United States to vacate an airbase in Karshi-Kanabad (near Uzbekistan's border with Afghanistan) within 180 days. Karimov had offered use of
936-601: A low GDP per capita . Uzbekistan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), United Nations (UN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The name "Uzbegistán" appears in the 16th century Tarikh-i Rashidi . The origin of the word Uzbek remains disputed. All three have the middle syllable/phoneme being cognate with the Turkic title Beg . The name of
1040-717: A part of the Persian empire of the day. Before the arrival of the Russians, present-day Uzbekistan was divided between the Emirate of Bukhara and the khanates of Khiva and Kokand . In the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to expand and spread into Central Asia . There were 210,306 Russians living in Uzbekistan in 1912. The " Great Game " period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to
1144-486: A quarter of its military budget), the government of Uzbekistan has recently restricted American military use of the airbase at Karshi-Khanabad for air operations in neighbouring Afghanistan. Uzbekistan was an active supporter of U.S. efforts against worldwide terrorism. The relationship between Uzbekistan and the United States began to deteriorate after the so-called " colour revolutions " in Georgia and Ukraine (and to
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#17327918605611248-400: A rich Perso-Islamic culture. During his reign and the reigns of his immediate descendants, a wide range of religious and palatial construction masterpieces were undertaken in Samarkand and other population centres. Tamerlane also established an exchange of medical discoveries and patronised physicians, scientists and artists from the neighbouring regions such as India; His grandson Ulugh Beg
1352-663: A time, Greek aesthetics heavily influenced local artisans. This Hellenistic legacy continued as the city became part of various successor states in the centuries following Alexander's death, the Seleucid Empire , Greco-Bactrian Kingdom , and Kushan Empire (even though the Kushana themselves originated in Central Asia). After the Kushan state lost control of Sogdia during the 3rd century AD, Samarkand went into decline as
1456-660: A verse praising the madrasah. Zayn ad-din Vasifi, who visited the Sheibani-khan madrasah several years later, wrote in his memoirs that the veranda, hall and courtyard of the madrassah are spacious and magnificent. Abdulatif Khan, the son of Mirzo Ulugbek's grandson Kuchkunji Khan, who ruled in Samarkand from 1540 to 1551, was considered an expert in the history of Maverannahr and the Shibanid dynasty. He patronized poets and scientists. Abdulatif Khan himself wrote poetry under
1560-434: Is divided into two parts: the old city, which includes historical monuments, shops, and old private houses; and the new city, which was developed during the days of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union and includes administrative buildings along with cultural centres and educational institutions. On 15 and 16 September 2022, the city hosted the 2022 SCO summit . Samarkand has a multicultural and plurilingual history that
1664-600: Is opposed to reintegration and withdrew from the CIS collective security arrangement in 1999. Since that time, Uzbekistan has participated in the CIS peacekeeping force in Tajikistan and in UN-organized groups to help resolve the Tajikistan and Afghanistan conflicts, both of which it sees as posing threats to its own stability. Previously close to Washington (which gave Uzbekistan half a billion dollars in aid in 2004, about
1768-738: The Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers, was conquered by the Arabs ( Qutayba ibn Muslim ), becoming a focal point soon after the Islamic Golden Age . In the ninth and tenth centuries, Transoxiana was brought into the Samanid State. In the tenth century it was gradually dominated by the Turkic-ruled Karakhanids , as well as their Seljuk (Sultan Sanjar) overseer's. The Mongol conquest under Genghis Khan during
1872-551: The Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 . A second, less intensive phase followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. At the start of the 19th century, there were some 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) separating British India and the outlying regions of Tsarist Russia . Much of the land between was unmapped. In the early 1890s, Sven Hedin passed through Uzbekistan, during his first expedition. By
1976-481: The Aral Sea . He also invaded Russia before dying during an invasion of China in 1405. Timur was also known for his extreme brutality and his conquests were accompanied by genocidal massacres in the cities he occupied. Timur initiated the last flowering of Transoxiana by gathering together numerous artisans and scholars from the vast lands he had conquered into his capital, Samarkand, thus imbuing his empire with
2080-540: The CIS countries, it is the fourth largest by area and the second largest by population. Uzbekistan lies between latitudes 37° and 46° N , and longitudes 56° and 74° E . It stretches 1,425 kilometres (885 mi) from west to east and 930 kilometres (580 mi) from north to south. Bordering Kazakhstan and the Aralkum Desert (former Aral Sea ) to the north and northwest, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to
2184-460: The December 2016 presidential election , winning 88.6% of the vote, and was sworn in on 14 December. Deputy Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov replaced him as prime minister. Mirziyoyev removed most of Karimov's officials and urged the government to employ "new, young people who love their country." After a year in office, Mirziyoyev moved away from many of his predecessor's policies. He visited all
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#17327918605612288-467: The Humane King Sutra in an elaborate ritual to counter the advance of a 200,000-strong army of Tibetan and Uyghurs which was poised to invade Chang'an . Its leader, Pugu Huai'en , dropped dead in camp and his forces dispersed. The opulent Jinge Temple on Mount Wutai was completed in 767, a pet project of Amoghavajra, one of his many efforts to promote the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī as
2392-523: The Oliy Majlis appointed Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev as interim president. Although the chairman of the Senate, Nigmatilla Yuldashev , was constitutionally designated as Karimov's successor, Yuldashev proposed that Mirziyoyev take the post of the interim president instead in light of Mirziyoyev's "many years of experience". Mirziyoyev was subsequently elected as the country's second president in
2496-746: The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). It belongs to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) (comprising the five Central Asian countries, Azerbaijan , Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). In 1999, Uzbekistan joined the GUAM alliance (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova ), which was formed in 1997 (making it GUUAM), but pulled out of
2600-555: The Outer Tantras of Vajrayana Buddhism, which became one of his most significant accomplishments. He regarded its teachings as the most effective method for attaining enlightenment yet devised, and incorporated its basic schema in a number of writings. Amoghavajra was captured during the An Lushan Rebellion but in 757 was freed by loyalist forces, whereupon he performed rites to purify the capital and consolidate
2704-524: The Republic of Uzbekistan , is a doubly landlocked country located in Central Asia . It is surrounded by five countries: Kazakhstan to the north , Kyrgyzstan to the northeast , Tajikistan to the southeast , Afghanistan to the south , and Turkmenistan to the southwest , making it one of only two doubly landlocked countries on Earth, the other being Liechtenstein . Uzbekistan is part of
2808-684: The Samanids (875–999), though the Samanids were still nominal vassals of the Caliph during their control of Samarkand. Under Samanid rule the city became a capital of the Samanid dynasty and an even more important node of numerous trade routes. The Samanids were overthrown by the Karakhanids around 999. Over the next 200 years, Samarkand would be ruled by a succession of Turkic tribes, including
2912-577: The Seljuqs and the Khwarazmshahs . The 10th-century Persian author Istakhri , who travelled in Transoxiana , provides a vivid description of the natural riches of the region he calls "Smarkandian Sogd": I know no place in it or in Samarkand itself where if one ascends some elevated ground one does not see greenery and a pleasant place, and nowhere near it are mountains lacking in trees or
3016-720: The Silk Road between China , Persia and Europe , at times Samarkand was one of the largest cities in Central Asia , and was an important city of the empires of Greater Iran . By the time of the Persian Achaemenid Empire , it was the capital of the Sogdian satrapy . The city was conquered by Alexander the Great in 329 BC, when it was known as Markanda, which was rendered in Greek as Μαράκανδα . The city
3120-613: The Silk Road , and became a center of the Islamic Golden Age . The local Khwarazmian dynasty was destroyed by the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, leading to a dominance by Mongol peoples. Timur (Tamerlane) in the 14th century established the Timurid Empire . Its capital was Samarkand , which became a centre of science under the rule of Ulugh Beg , giving birth to the Timurid Renaissance . The territories of
3224-594: The Soviet Union in 1991, an election was held, and Islam Karimov was elected as the first President of Uzbekistan on 29 December 1991. The elections of the Oliy Majlis (Parliament or Supreme Assembly) were held under a resolution adopted by the 16th Supreme Soviet in 1994. In that year, the Supreme Soviet was replaced by the Oliy Majlis. The third elections for the bicameral 150-member Oliy Majlis,
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3328-600: The Soviet Union , a number of Samarkand's citizens were sent to Smolensk to fight the enemy . Many were taken captive or killed by the Nazis . Additionally, thousands of refugees from the occupied western regions of the USSR fled to the city, and it served as one of the main hubs for the fleeing civilians in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic and the Soviet Union as a whole. European study of
3432-604: The Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra at length. He returned to China in 746 with some five hundred volumes gathered from Sri Lanka. In 750, he left the court to join the military governorship of General Geshu Han of the Tang dynasty , for whom he conducted large-scale tantric initiations at his field headquarters. In 754, he translated the first portion of the Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra texts ( Taishō Tripiṭaka . 865), central to
3536-419: The Timurid Empire , made Samarkand his capital. Timur used various tools for legitimisation, including urban planning in his capital, Samarkand. Over the next 35 years, he rebuilt most of the city and populated it with great artisans and craftsmen from across the empire. Timur gained a reputation as a patron of the arts, and Samarkand grew to become the centre of the region of Transoxiana . Timur's commitment to
3640-601: The Timurid dynasty were conquered by Kipchak Shaybanids in the 16th century. Conquests by Emperor Babur towards the east led to the foundation of the Mughal Empire in India. Most of Central Asia was gradually incorporated into the Russian Empire during the 19th century, with Tashkent becoming the political center of Russian Turkestan . In 1924, national delimitation created the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic as
3744-674: The Turkic world, as well as a member of the Organization of Turkic States . Uzbek , spoken by the Uzbek people , is the official language and spoken by the majority of its inhabitants, while Russian and Tajik are significant minority languages. Islam is the predominant religion, and most Uzbeks are Sunni Muslims . The first recorded settlers in the land of what is modern Uzbekistan were Eastern Iranian nomads , known as Scythians , who founded kingdoms in Khwarazm , Bactria , and Sogdia in
3848-738: The failed coup attempt in Moscow. 1 September was proclaimed National Independence Day. The Soviet Union was dissolved on 26 December of that year. Islam Karimov , previously first secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan since 1989, was elected president of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic in 1990. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, he was elected president of independent Uzbekistan. An authoritarian ruler, Karimov died in September 2016. He
3952-432: The urban-type settlements Kimyogarlar , Farhod and Khishrav . With 551,700 inhabitants (2021), it is the third-largest city in Uzbekistan . There is evidence of human activity in the area of the city dating from the late Paleolithic Era. Though there is no direct evidence of when Samarkand was founded, several theories propose that it was founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Prospering from its location on
4056-484: The 13th century brought change to the region. The invasions of Bukhara, Samarkand, Urgench and others resulted in mass murders and unprecedented destruction, which saw parts of Khwarezmia being completely razed. Following the death of Genghis Khan in 1227, his empire was divided among his four sons and his family members. Despite the potential for serious fragmentation, there was an orderly succession for several generations, and control of most of Transoxiana stayed in
4160-505: The 22nd Congress of the Communist Party). However, in 2023, two mountaineers successfully summited the neighboring Alpomish peak, which they measured to be 4,668 metres (15,315 ft), 25 m higher than Khazret Sultan. The climate in Uzbekistan is continental, with little precipitation expected annually (100–200 millimetres, or 3.9–7.9 inches). The average summer high temperature tends to be 40 °C (104 °F) , while
4264-567: The 7th–5th centuries BC (early Iron Age ). From its earliest days, Samarkand was one of the main centres of Sogdian civilization. By the time of the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia, the city had become the capital of the Sogdian satrapy . Alexander the Great conquered Samarkand in 329 BC. The city was known as Maracanda (Μαράκανδα) by the Greeks. Written sources offer small clues as to
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4368-655: The 8th–6th centuries BC, as well as Fergana and Margiana in the 3rd century BC – 6th century AD. The area was incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire and, after a period of Greco-Bactrian rule and later by the Sasanian Empire , until the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century. The early Muslim conquests and the subsequent Samanid Empire converted most of the people into adherents of Islam . During this period, cities began to grow rich from
4472-517: The Aral Sea. The bulk of the nation's water resources is used for farming, which accounts for nearly 84% of the water use and contributes to high soil salinity . Heavy use of pesticides and fertilisers for cotton growing further aggravates soil contamination . According to the UNDP (United Nations Development Program), climate risk management in Uzbekistan should consider its ecological safety. Numerous oil and gas deposits have been discovered in
4576-464: The Chinese canons. Samarkand Samarkand or Samarqand ( / ˈ s æ m ər k æ n d / SAM -ər-kand ; Uzbek and Tajik : Самарқанд / Samarqand, IPA: [samarˈqand, -ant] ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia . Samarkand is the capital of Samarqand Region and a district-level city, that includes
4680-597: The German side . As many as 263,005 Uzbek soldiers died in the battlefields of the Eastern Front , and 32,670 went missing in action. During the Soviet-Afghan War , a number of Uzbek troops fought in neighbouring Afghanistan . At least 1,500 lost their lives and thousands more paralysed. On 20 June 1990, Uzbekistan declared its state sovereignty. On 31 August 1991, Uzbekistan declared independence after
4784-667: The Great conquered the Persian Empire provinces of Sogdiana and Bactria, which contained the territories of modern Uzbekistan. Popular resistance to the conquest was fierce, causing Alexander's army to be bogged down in the region that became the northern part of the Macedonian Greco-Bactrian Kingdom . The kingdom was replaced with the Yuezhi-dominated Kushan Empire in the first century BC. For many centuries thereafter
4888-473: The Legislative Chamber, and the 100-member Senate for five-year terms, were held on 27 December 2009. The second elections were held from December 2004 to January 2005. The Oliy Majlis was unicameral up to 2004. Its size increased from 69 deputies (members) in 1994 to 120 in 2004–05 and currently stands at 150. Karimov's first presidential term was extended to 2000 via a referendum , and he was re-elected in 2000 , 2007 , and 2015, each time receiving over 90% of
4992-423: The Sassanid Persians, won it at the Battle of Bukhara , c. 560 AD. In the middle of the 6th century, a Turkic state was formed in Altai, founded by the Ashina dynasty. The new state formation was named the Turkic Khaganate after the people of the Turks, which were headed by the ruler – the Khagan. From 557 to 561, the Hephthalites empire was defeated by the joint actions of the Turks and Sassanids, which led to
5096-418: The Shaybani Khan madrasah dates back to 1504 (it was completely destroyed during the years of Soviet power). Muhammad Salikh wrote that Sheibani Khan built a madrasah in Samarkand to perpetuate the memory of his brother Mahmud Sultan. Fazlallah ibn Ruzbihan in "Mikhmon-namei Bukhara" expresses his admiration for the majestic building of the madrasah, its gilded roof, high hujras, spacious courtyard and quotes
5200-429: The Soviet era, is considered one of the world's worst environmental disasters. The rest is the vast Kyzylkum Desert and mountains. According to a 1981 Soviet study, the highest point in Uzbekistan is Khazret Sultan at 4,643 metres (15,233 ft) above sea level, in the southern part of the Gissar Range in the Surxondaryo Region on the border with Tajikistan, just northwest of Dushanbe (formerly called Peak of
5304-438: The Uzbek regions and big cities to get acquainted with the implementation of the projects and reforms which he ordered. Many analysts and Western media compared his rule with Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping or Soviet Communist Party general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev . His rule has been quoted as being an "Uzbek Spring". Uzbekistan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991. However, it
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#17327918605615408-413: The arts is evident in how, in contrast with the ruthlessness he showed his enemies, he demonstrated mercy toward those with special artistic abilities. The lives of artists, craftsmen, and architects were spared so that they could improve and beautify Timur's capital. Timur was also directly involved in construction projects, and his visions often exceeded the technical abilities of his workers. The city
5512-480: The average winter low temperature is around −23 °C (−9 °F) . Uzbekistan is home to six terrestrial ecoregions: Alai-Western Tian Shan steppe , Gissaro-Alai open woodlands , Badghyz and Karabil semi-desert , Central Asian northern desert , Central Asian riparian woodlands , and Central Asian southern desert . Uzbekistan has a rich and diverse natural environment. However, decades of Soviet policies in pursuit of greater cotton production have resulted in
5616-413: The base to the U.S. shortly after 9/11 . It is also believed by some Uzbeks that the protests in Andijan were brought about by the UK and U.S. influences in the area of Andijan. This is another reason for the hostility between Uzbekistan and the West. Uzbekistan is a member of the United Nations (UN) (since 2 March 1992), the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), Partnership for Peace (PfP), and
5720-423: The beginning of 1920, Central Asia was firmly in the hands of Russia and, despite some early resistance to the Bolsheviks , Uzbekistan and the rest of Central Asia became a part of the Soviet Union . On 27 October 1924 the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic was created. From 1941 to 1945, during World War II , 1,433,230 people from Uzbekistan fought in the Red Army against Nazi Germany . A number also fought on
5824-401: The center of Samarkand, built by Shaibani Khan at the beginning of the 16th century. After an assault by the Afshar Shahanshah Nader Shah , the city was abandoned in the early 1720s. From 1599 to 1756, Samarkand was ruled by the Ashtrakhanid branch of the Khanate of Bukhara . From 1756 to 1868, it was ruled by the Manghud Emirs of Bukhara . The revival of the city began during
5928-412: The city limits (Syob and midtown) as well as suburban areas (Hojamazgil, Sazag'on) unearthed 40,000-year-old evidence of human activity, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic . A group of Mesolithic (12th–7th millennia BC) archaeological sites were discovered in the suburbs of Sazag'on-1, Zamichatosh, and Okhalik. The Syob and Darg'om canals , supplying the city and its suburbs with water, appeared around
6032-410: The city was built after this point, largely west of the old city. In 1886, the city became the capital of the newly formed Samarkand Oblast of Russian Turkestan and regained even more importance when the Trans-Caspian railway reached it in 1888. Samarkand was the capital of the Uzbek SSR from 1925 to 1930, before being replaced by Tashkent . During World War II , after Nazi Germany invaded
6136-463: The city's leaders at or about this time. In 1501, Samarkand was finally taken by Muhammad Shaybani from the Uzbek dynasty of Shaybanids , and the city became part of the newly formed “Bukhara Khanate”. Samarkand was chosen as the capital of this state, in which Muhammad Shaybani Khan was crowned. In Samarkand, Muhammad Shaybani Khan ordered to build a large madrasah, where he later took part in scientific and religious disputes. The first dated news about
6240-437: The city's most notable landmarks. Samarkand's Registan square was the city's ancient centre and is bounded by three monumental religious buildings. The city has carefully preserved the traditions of ancient crafts: embroidery, goldwork, silk weaving, copper engraving, ceramics, wood carving, and wood painting. In 2001, UNESCO added the city to its World Heritage List as Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures . Modern Samarkand
6344-405: The country was often spelled as " Ўзбекистон " in Uzbek Cyrillic or " Узбекистан " in Russian during Soviet rule. The region currently known as the country of Uzbekistan has been referred to by many names over the millennia. The name, Uzbekistan first appears in 16th century literature. Other names for the region include: Transoxiana , Sogdia , and the Khanate of Bukhara . In the 14th century
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#17327918605616448-556: The country's currency became fully convertible at market rates. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of cotton . With the gigantic power-generation facilities from the Soviet era and an ample supply of natural gas , Uzbekistan has become the largest electricity producer in Central Asia. From 2018 to 2021, the republic received a BB− sovereign credit rating by both Standard and Poor (S&P) and Fitch Ratings . The Brookings Institution described Uzbekistan as having large liquid assets, high economic growth, low public debt , and
6552-436: The death of Timur. The chronic internal fighting of the Timurids attracted the attention of the Uzbek nomadic tribes living to the north of the Aral Sea. In 1501, the Uzbek forces began a wholesale invasion of Transoxiana. The slave trade in the Emirate of Bukhara became prominent and was firmly established at this time. The Khanate of Bukhara was eventually invaded by the foreign government of Persia in 1510, and then became
6656-465: The death of the first president, Islam Karimov . Owing to these reforms, relations with the neighbouring countries of Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , and Afghanistan have drastically improved. A United Nations report of 2020 found much progress toward achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals . The Uzbek economy is in a gradual transition to the market economy , with foreign trade policy being based on import substitution . In September 2017,
6760-401: The development of culture in the region. During his reign, a public hospital (bemoristan) and a madrasah were established in Samarkand, where medicine was also taught. The memorial complex Shah-i-Zinda was founded by the rulers of the Karakhanid dynasty in the 11th century. The most striking monument of the Qarakhanid era in Samarkand was the palace of Ibrahim ibn Hussein (1178–1202), which
6864-470: The documents. The armies of the Umayyad Caliphate under Qutayba ibn Muslim captured the city from the Tang dynasty c. 710 CE. During this period, Samarkand was a diverse religious community and was home to a number of religions, including Zoroastrianism , Buddhism , Hinduism , Manichaeism , Judaism , and Nestorian Christianity , with most of the population following Zoroastrianism. Qutayba generally did not settle Arabs in Central Asia; he forced
6968-399: The end of the 740s, a movement of those dissatisfied with the power of the Umayyads emerged in the Arab Caliphate, led by the Abbasid commander Abu Muslim , who, after the victory of the uprising, became the governor of Khorasan and Maverannahr (750–755). He chose Samarkand as his residence. His name is associated with the construction of a multi-kilometer defensive wall around the city and
7072-403: The establishment of Christian bishoprics (see below). Ibn Battuta , who visited in 1333, called Samarkand "one of the greatest and finest of cities, and most perfect of them in beauty." He also noted that the orchards were supplied water via norias . In 1365, a revolt against Chagatai Mongol control occurred in Samarkand. In 1370, the conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), the founder and ruler of
7176-427: The establishment of a common border between the two empires. In the early Middle Ages, Samarkand was surrounded by four rows of defensive walls and had four gates. An ancient Turkic burial with a horse was investigated on the territory of Samarkand. It dates back to the 6th century. During the period of the ruler of the Western Turkic Kaganate, Tong Yabghu Qaghan (618–630), family relations were established with
7280-450: The fall of the Samanids state in 999, it was replaced by the Qarakhanid State, where the Turkic Qarakhanid dynasty ruled. After the state of the Qarakhanids split into two parts, Samarkand became a part of the West Karakhanid Kaganate and from 1040 to 1212 was its capital. The founder of the Western Qarakhanid Kaganate was Ibrahim Tamgach Khan (1040–1068). For the first time, he built a madrasah in Samarkand with state funds and supported
7384-411: The hands of the direct descendants of Chagatai Khan , the second son of Genghis Khan. Orderly succession, prosperity, and internal peace prevailed in the Chaghatai lands, and the Mongol Empire as a whole remained a strong and united kingdom, the Golden Horde . In the early 14th century, however, as the Persian empire began to break up into its constituent parts, the Chaghatai territory was disrupted as
7488-557: The history of Samarkand began after the conquest of Samarkand by the Russian Empire in 1868. The first studies of the history of Samarkand belong to N. Veselovsky, V. Bartold and V. Vyatkin. In the Soviet period, the generalization of materials on the history of Samarkand was reflected in the two-volume History of Samarqand edited by the academician of Uzbekistan Ibrohim Moʻminov . Uzbekistan Uzbekistan , officially
7592-552: The literary pseudonym Khush. During the reign of the Ashtarkhanid Imam Quli Khan (1611–1642) famous architectural masterpieces were built in Samarkand. In 1612–1656, the governor of Samarkand, Yalangtush Bahadur, built a cathedral mosque, Tillya-Kari madrasah and Sherdor madrasah. Zarafshan Water Bridge is a brick bridge built on the left bank of the Zarafshan River , 7–8 km northeast of
7696-434: The local rulers to pay him tribute but largely left them to their own devices. Samarkand was the major exception to this policy: Qutayba established an Arab garrison and Arab governmental administration in the city, its Zoroastrian fire temples were razed, and a mosque was built. Much of the city's population converted to Islam. As a long-term result, Samarkand developed into a center of Islamic and Arabic learning. At
7800-626: The mosque, pillaged the city completely, and conscripted 30,000 young men along with 30,000 craftsmen. Samarkand suffered at least one other Mongol sack by Khan Baraq to get treasure he needed to pay an army. It remained part of the Chagatai Khanate (one of four Mongol successor realms) until 1370. The Travels of Marco Polo , where Polo records his journey along the Silk Road in the late 13th century, describes Samarkand as "a very large and splendid city..." The Yenisei area had
7904-653: The origin of which remains controversial. The resettlement of nomadic groups to Samarkand confirms archaeological material from the 4th century. The culture of nomads from the Middle Syrdarya basin is spreading in the region. Between 457 and 509, Samarkand was part of the Kidarite state. After the Hephtalites ("White Huns") conquered Samarkand, they controlled it until the Göktürks , in an alliance with
8008-464: The palace. Legend has it that during Abbasid rule, the secret of papermaking was obtained from two Chinese prisoners from the Battle of Talas in 751, which led to the foundation of the first paper mill in the Islamic world at Samarkand. The invention then spread to the rest of the Islamic world and thence to Europe. Abbasid control of Samarkand soon dissipated and was replaced with that of
8112-545: The princes of various tribal groups competed for influence. One tribal chieftain, Timur (Tamerlane), emerged from these struggles in the 1380s as the dominant force in Transoxiana. Although he was not a descendant of Genghis Khan, Timur became the de facto ruler of Transoxiana and proceeded to conquer all of western Central Asia, Iran , the Caucasus , Mesopotamia , Asia Minor , and the southern steppe region north of
8216-498: The protector of China. Amoghavajra continued to perform rites to avert disaster at the request of Emperor Daizong of Tang . On his death in 774, three days of mourning were officially declared, and he posthumously received various exalted titles. The Chinese monks Huilang , Huiguo and Huilin were among his most prominent successors. Seventy-seven texts were translated by Amoghavajra according to his own account, though many more, including original compositions, are ascribed to him in
8320-430: The province of Transoxiana , and further east in what is today Xinjiang , the Sogdian intermediaries became the wealthiest of these merchants. As a result of this trade on what became known as the Silk Road , Bukhara and Samarkand eventually became extremely wealthy cities, and at times Transoxiana (Mawarannahr) was one of the most influential and powerful provinces of antiquity. In 327 BC, Macedonian ruler Alexander
8424-586: The region of Uzbekistan was ruled by the Hephthalites and Sassanid Empires, as well as by other empires, for example, those formed by the Turkic Gokturk peoples. The Muslim conquests from the seventh century onward saw the Arabs bring Islam to Uzbekistan. In the same period, Islam began to take root among the nomadic Turkic peoples . In the eighth century, Transoxiana, the territory between
8528-549: The region served as the birthplace, home, and capital of Tamerlane . Under Tamerlane, the region was a part of the Timurid Empire which extended from the Black Sea to the Arabian Sea , and to just outside of Delhi, India The first people known to have inhabited Central Asia were Scythians who came from the northern grasslands of what is now Uzbekistan, sometime in the first millennium BC; when these nomads settled in
8632-531: The region they built an extensive irrigation system along the rivers. At this time, cities such as Bukhoro ( Bukhara ) and Samarqand ( Samarkand ) emerged as centres of government and high culture. By the fifth century BC, the Bactrian , Sogdian , and Tokharian states dominated the region. As East Asia began to develop its silk trade with the West, Using an extensive network of cities and rural settlements in
8736-632: The reign of the founder of the Uzbek dynasty, the Mangyts, Muhammad Rakhim (1756–1758), who became famous for his strong-willed qualities and military art. Muhammad Rakhimbiy made some attempts to revive Samarkand. The city came under imperial Russian rule after the citadel had been taken by a force under Colonel Konstantin Petrovich von Kaufman in 1868. Shortly thereafter the small Russian garrison of 500 men were themselves besieged . The assault, which
8840-408: The ruler of Samarkand – Tong Yabghu Qaghan gave him his daughter. Some parts of Samarkand have been Christian since the 4th century. In the 5th century, a Nestorian chair was established in Samarkand. At the beginning of the 8th century, it was transformed into a Nestorian metropolitanate. Discussions and polemics arose between the Sogdian followers of Christianity and Manichaeism , reflected in
8944-566: The same meaning as the name of the Uzbek capital Tashkent , with tash- being the Turkic term for "stone" and -kent the Turkic analogue of kand borrowed from Iranian languages. According to 11th-century scholar Mahmud al-Kashghari , the city was known in Karakhanid as Sämizkänd ( سَمِزْکَنْدْ ), meaning "fat city." 16th-century Mughal emperor Babur also mentioned the city under this name, and 15th-century Castillian traveler Ruy González de Clavijo stated that Samarkand
9048-547: The security of the Tang state. Two years later, he initiated the emperor Emperor Suzong of Tang as a chakravartin . Amoghavajra assisted the Tang dynasty state against the An Lushan rebellion. He carried out Vajrayana rituals which were ostensibly effective in supernaturally attacking and destroying An Lushan's army including the death of one of An Lushan's generals, Zhou Zhiguang. In 765, Amoghavajra used his new rendition of
9152-531: The south of the country. Uzbekistan has also been home to seismic activity, as evidenced by the 1902 Andijan earthquake , 2011 Fergana Valley earthquake , and 1966 Tashkent earthquake . A dam collapse at Sardoba Reservoir in May 2020 flooded 35,000 hectares of land. Six people died and 111,000 evacuated with recovery estimates over 1.5 trillion som. The devastation extended into areas inside neighbouring Kazakhstan . After Uzbekistan declared independence from
9256-547: The southern part of the narrow western lobe of the South Aral Sea remaining permanently in Uzbekistan. Much of the water was and continues to be used for the irrigation of cotton fields , a crop requiring a large amount of water to grow. Due to the Aral Sea loss, high salinity and contamination of the soil with heavy elements are especially widespread in Karakalpakstan , the region of Uzbekistan adjacent to
9360-408: The southwest, Tajikistan to the southeast, and Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Uzbekistan is one of the largest Central Asian states and the only Central Asian state to border all the other four. Uzbekistan also shares a short border (less than 150 km or 93 mi) with Afghanistan to the south. Uzbekistan is a hot, dry, landlocked country . It is one of two doubly landlocked countries in
9464-540: The subsequent system of government. They mention one Orepius who became ruler "not from ancestors, but as a gift of Alexander." While Samarkand suffered significant damage during Alexander's initial conquest, the city recovered rapidly and flourished under the new Hellenic influence. There were also major new construction techniques. Oblong bricks were replaced with square ones and superior methods of masonry and plastering were introduced. Alexander's conquests introduced classical Greek culture into Central Asia and for
9568-551: The vote. Most international observers refused to participate in the process and did not recognise the results, dismissing them as not meeting basic standards. The 2002 referendum also included a plan for a bicameral parliament consisting of a lower house (the Oliy Majlis) and an upper house (Senate). Members of the lower house are to be "full-time" legislators. Elections for the new bicameral parliament took place on 26 December. Following Islam Karimov's death on 2 September 2016,
9672-445: The world - that is, a landlocked country completely surrounded by other landlocked countries. The second doubly landlocked country is Liechtenstein . In addition, due to its location within a series of endorheic basins , none of its rivers lead to the sea. Less than 10% of its territory is intensively cultivated irrigated land in river valleys and oases. The Aral Sea , which has been largely desiccated by cotton production established in
9776-460: Was astronomy, and he constructed an observatory in 1428. Its main instrument was the wall quadrant , which was unique in the world. It was known as the "Fakhri Sextant" and had a radius of 40 meters. Seen in the image on the left, the arc was finely constructed with a staircase on either side to provide access for the assistants who performed the measurements. In 1500, nomadic Uzbek warriors took control of Samarkand. The Shaybanids emerged as
9880-415: Was built in the citadel in the 12th century. During the excavations, fragments of monumental painting were discovered. On the eastern wall, a Turkic warrior was depicted, dressed in a yellow caftan and holding a bow. Horses, hunting dogs, birds and periodlike women were also depicted here. The Mongols conquered Samarkand in 1220. Juvayni writes that Genghis killed all who took refuge in the citadel and
9984-494: Was from Sri Lanka . Yuanzhao also repeats the claim that Amoghavajra was from Sri Lanka. Amoghavajra went to China at the age of ten after his father's death. In 719, he was ordained into the sangha by Vajrabodhi and became his disciple. After all foreign monks were expelled from China in 741, he and some associates went on a pilgrimage to gather texts, visiting Sri Lanka , Indochina and India . During this voyage, he apparently met Nagabodhi , Vajrabodhi's master, and studied
10088-458: Was in a state of constant construction, and Timur would often order buildings to be done and redone quickly if he was unsatisfied with the results. By his orders, Samarkand could be reached only by roads; deep ditches were dug, and walls 8 km (5 mi) in circumference separated the city from its surrounding neighbors. At this time, the city had a population of about 150,000. Henry III of Castile 's ambassador Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo , who
10192-598: Was led by Abdul Malik Tura, the rebellious elder son of the Bukharan Emir , as well as Baba Beg of Shahrisabz and Jura Beg of Kitab , was repelled with heavy losses. General Alexander Konstantinovich Abramov became the first Governor of the Military Okrug , which the Russians established along the course of the Zeravshan River with Samarkand as the administrative centre. The Russian section of
10296-619: Was one of the world's first great astronomers. It was during the Timurid dynasty that Turkic, in the form of the Chaghatai dialect, became a literary language in its own right in Transoxiana, although the Timurids were Persianate in culture. The greatest Chaghataid writer, Ali-Shir Nava'i , was active in the city of Herat (now in northwestern Afghanistan) in the second half of the 15th century. The Timurid state quickly split in half after
10400-408: Was replaced by his long-time Prime Minister , Shavkat Mirziyoyev , on 14 December of the same year. On 6 November 2021, Mirziyoyev was sworn into his second term in office, after gaining a landslide victory in presidential election. Uzbekistan has an area of 448,978 square kilometres (173,351 sq mi). It is the 56th largest country in the world by area and the 40th by population. Among
10504-590: Was ruled by a succession of Iranian and Turkic rulers until it was conquered by the Mongols under Genghis Khan in 1220. The city is noted as a centre of Islamic scholarly study and the birthplace of the Timurid Renaissance . In the 14th century, Timur made it the capital of his empire and the site of his mausoleum, the Gur-e Amir . The Bibi-Khanym Mosque , rebuilt during the Soviet era, remains one of
10608-633: Was significantly modified by the process of national delimitation in Central Asia . Many inhabitants of the city are native or bilingual speakers of the Tajik language , whereas Uzbek is the official language and Russian is also widely used in the public sphere, as per Uzbekistan's language policy . The name comes from the Iranian languages Persian and Sogdian samar "stone, rock" and kand "fort, town." In this respect, Samarkand shares
10712-469: Was simply a distorted form of it. Along with Bukhara , Samarkand is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Central Asia , prospering from its location on the trade route between China and Europe. There is no direct evidence of when it was founded. Researchers at the Institute of Archaeology of Samarkand date the city's founding to the 8th–7th centuries BC. Archaeological excavations conducted within
10816-407: Was stationed at Samarkand between 1403 and 1406, attested to the never-ending construction that went on in the city. "The Mosque which Timur had built seemed to us the noblest of all those we visited in the city of Samarkand." Between 1417 to 1420, Timur's grandson Ulugh Beg built a madrasah in Samarkand, which became the first building in the architectural ensemble of Registan. Ulugh Beg invited
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