56-564: Eastern Iran includes the provinces North Khorasan , Razavi Khorasan , South Khorasan and Sistan and Baluchestan some of which share a border with Afghanistan and Pakistan . Some references also count Kerman Province to this region. Dominated by deserts, this region is characterised by an arid or hyper-arid climate. The major cities are Mashhad , Zahedan , Sabzevar , Bojnurd , Birjand , Zabol , Chabahar and Neyshabur and sometimes Kerman . North Khorasan North Khorasan province ( Persian : استان خراسان شمالی )
112-621: A Caucasus component (~35–40%), and a (Northern) European component (~5–20%), the Uzbeks eastern ancestry includes an Eastern Asian component (~35%), and a (Central and East) Siberian component (~5–20%). The best proxy for their western ancestry are modern day Abkhaz people , while the best proxy for their eastern ancestry are Yakuts (or alternatively, Tuvans ). A study on modern Central Asians comparing them to ancient historical samples found that Uzbeks can be modeled as 48.8–65.1% Iron Age Indo-Iranians , and 34.9–51.2% Eastern Steppe Xiongnu , from
168-574: A Turkic ruler were discovered. The dominance of Ghazna was curtailed, however, when the Seljuks led themselves into the western part of the region, conquering the Ghaznavid territory of Khorazm (also spelled Khorezm and Khwarazm). The Seljuks also defeated the Qarakhanids, but did not annex their territories outright. Instead they made the Qarakhanids a vassal state. The Seljuks dominated
224-604: A Turkic ruling group in the region, other Turkic tribes began to migrate to Transoxiana. The first of the Turkic states in the region was the Persianate Ghaznavid Empire , established in the last years of the 10th century. The Ghaznavid state, which captured Samanid domains south of the Amu Darya , was able to conquer large areas of Iran, Afghanistan , and northern India apart from Central Asia, during
280-484: A majority of Uzbeks belong to West Eurasian maternal haplogroups, while considerably fewer belong to East Eurasian and South Asian haplogroups. In the southern part of Central Asia , there was a Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex, which has recently been dated to c. 2250–1700 BC. That name is the modern archaeological designation for a Bronze Age civilization of Central Asia, previously dated to c. 2400–1900 BC by Sandro Salvatori. Iranian nomads arrived from
336-545: A small minority of Sunnis who generally are Turkmen. There used to be a sizeable population of Lurs inhabiting this province, however, most returned to their native area in western Iran as there are no signs of them in the province today. Previously, there was a sizable community of Arabs who settled in the area during the Arab invasion of Iran. However, by 1875 they had intermarried so extensively with Persians and Turks that they were indistinguishable, having largely abandoned
392-483: A wide area from Asia Minor to the western sections of Transoxiana in the 11th century. The Seljuk Empire then split into states ruled by various local Turkic and Iranian rulers. The culture and intellectual life of the region continued unaffected by such political changes, however. Turkic tribes from the north continued to migrate into the region during this period. The power of the Seljuks however became diminished when
448-406: Is one of the 31 provinces of Iran , located in the northeast of the country. Its capital is the city of Bojnord . North Khorasan is one of the three provinces that were created after the division of Khorasan in 2004. Khorasan was the largest province of Iran until it was divided into three provinces on September 29, 2004. The provinces approved by the parliament of Iran (on May 18, 2004) and
504-579: The Abbasid Caliphate , which ruled the Arab world for five centuries beginning in 750, was established thanks in great part to assistance from Central Asian supporters in their struggle against the then-ruling Umayyad Caliphate . During the height of the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th and 9th centuries, Central Asia and Mawarannahr experienced a truly golden age. Bukhara became one of the leading centers of learning, culture, and art in
560-571: The Council of Guardians (on May 29, 2004) were Razavi Khorasan , North Khorasan, and South Khorasan . In 2014 it was placed in Region 5 . Greater Khorasan has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties and governments in its territory throughout history. Various tribes of Persians , Arabs , Turks , Kurds and Turkmens have brought change to the region time and time again. Ancient geographers of Iran divided Iran into eight segments, of which
616-771: The House of Mihrān , one of the Seven Great Houses of Iran . In governing their territory, the Samanids modeled their state organization after the Abbasids , mirroring the caliph 's court and organization. They were rewarded for supporting the Abbasids in Transoxania and Khorasan , and with their established capitals located in Bukhara , Balkh , Samarkand , and Herat , they carved their kingdom after defeating
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#1732773276249672-583: The Mongolian Plateau . Based on the research of several studies, the paternal lineages of Uzbeks have been described: According to a 2010 study, slightly more than 50% of Uzbeks from Tashkent belong to East Eurasian and South Asian maternal haplogroups , while nearly 50% belong to West Eurasian haplogroups. A majority of Uzbeks from Ferghana belong to East Eurasian and South Asian maternal haplogroups, while considerably fewer belong to West Eurasian haplogroups. In Khorzem and Qashkadarya,
728-696: The Parthian and Sassanid Empires. In the first centuries, the northern territories of modern Uzbekistan were part of the Kangju nomad state. With the arrival of the Greeks, writing based on the Greek alphabet began to spread on the territory of Bactria and Sogdiana. As a result of archaeological research on the territory of Sogdiana and Bactria, fragments of pottery with Greek inscriptions have been found. In 2nd century BC China began to develop its silk trade with
784-584: The Saffarids . The Samanid Empire was the first native Persian dynasty to arise after the Muslim Arab conquest. The four grandsons of the dynasty's founder, Saman Khuda , had been rewarded with provinces for their faithful service to the Abbasid caliph al-Mamun : Nuh obtained Samarkand ; Ahmad, Fergana ; Yahya, Shash; and Elyas, Herat . Ahmad's son Nasr became governor of Transoxania in 875, but it
840-596: The Shaybanid Uzbek Khaqanate that finally shaped the Turkic language and identity of modern Uzbeks, while the unique grammatical and phonetical features of the Uzbek language as well as the modern Uzbek culture reflect the more ancient Iranian roots of the Uzbek people. Uzbeks share a large portion of their ancestry with nearby Turkic populations, including Kyrgyz people , Uyghurs , Kazakhs and Bashkirs . The western ancestry of Uzbeks includes
896-749: The 7th–8th centuries: kagan, tapaglig eltabir, tarkhan, tudun, the names Kutlug Tapaglig Bilga savuk, Kara-tongi, Tongaspar, Turkic ethnic names: halach, Turk. During the excavations of the Sogdian Penjikent, a fragment of a draft letter in the Sogdian language was discovered, in the text of which there is a Turkic name Turkash The Turkic population of the Fergana Valley had their own runic writing. The Turkic rulers of Ferghana, Tokharistan , Bukhara and Chach issued their own coins. The Turkic population of certain regions of Central Asia in
952-808: The Afghan Empire was split between the Durranis and Barakzais . The Persians sieged the city in 1837 , but the British assisted the Afghans in repelling them. In 1856, the Persians launched another invasion, and briefly managed to recapture the city; it led directly to the Anglo-Persian War . In 1857 hostilities between the Persians and the British ended after the Treaty of Paris was signed, and
1008-496: The Arab language and culture in favour of the local one. At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 791,930 in 198,626 households. The following census in 2011 counted 867,727 people in 240,885 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 863,092 in 254,747 households. [REDACTED] The population history and structural changes of North Khorasan province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in
1064-606: The Central Asian interfluve has been increasing. At this time, a military system was created, in which the influence of the Turkic military was strong. In the 9th century, the continued influx of nomads from the northern steppes brought a new group of people into Central Asia. These people were the Turks who lived in the great grasslands stretching from Mongolia to the Caspian Sea . Introduced mainly as slave soldiers to
1120-513: The Khorazm shah Kutbeddin Muhammad and his son, Muhammad II , Transoxiana continued to be prosperous and rich while maintaining the region's Perso-Islamic identity. However, a new incursion of nomads from the north soon changed this situation. This time the invader was Genghis Khan with his Mongol armies. The Mongol invasion of Central Asia is one of the turning points in the history of
1176-614: The Kidarites, made in the 5th century in Samarkand , has a Bactrian inscription containing the title of the ruler: "Oglar Khun", of Turkic origin. Since the entry of Central Asia into the Turkic Khaganate (6th century), the process of Turkicization has intensified. In subsequent centuries, the main ethnocultural process that took place on the territory of the Central Asian interfluve was the convergence and partial merging of
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#17327732762491232-530: The Muslim world, its magnificence rivaling contemporaneous cultural centers such as Baghdad , Cairo , and Cordoba . Some of the greatest historians, scientists, and geographers in the history of Islamic culture were natives of the region. As the Abbasid Caliphate began to weaken and local Islamic Iranian states emerged as the rulers of Iran and Central Asia, the Persian language continued its preeminent role in
1288-575: The Persian troops withdrew from Herat. Afghanistan reconquered Herat in 1863 under Dost Muhammad Khan , two weeks before his death. North Khorasan province is one of the most diverse territories in Iran today, largely reflecting the ethnic make-up of Iran. Most people in North Khorasan are Shia Muslims, who are often Khorasani Kurds , Persians, Khorasani Turks and so on, although there is also
1344-587: The Samanid amir, Ismail Samani , a letter urging him to fight Amr-i Laith and the Saffarids whom the caliph considered usurpers. According to the letter, the caliph stated that he prayed for Ismail who the caliph considered as the rightful ruler of Khorasan . The letter had a profound effect on Ismail, as he was determined to oppose the Saffarids. Since the 9th century, the Turkization of the population of
1400-411: The Samanid dynasty, these Turks served in the armies of all the states of the region, including the Abbasid army. In the late 10th century, as the Samanids began to lose control of Transoxiana (Mawarannahr) and northeastern Iran, some of these soldiers came to positions of power in the government of the region, and eventually established their own states, albeit highly Persianized . With the emergence of
1456-654: The Seljuk Sultan Ahmed Sanjar was defeated by the Kara-Khitans at the Battle of Qatwan in 1141. Turkic words and terms characteristic of the literature of the 11th century are used in the modern Bukhara dialect of the Uzbeks. In the late 12th century, a Turkic leader of Khorazm, which is the region south of the Aral Sea, united Khorazm, Transoxiana, and Iran under his rule. Under the rule of
1512-557: The West. Because of this trade on what became known as the Silk Route , Bukhara and Samarkand eventually became extremely wealthy cities, and at times Mawarannahr (Transoxiana) was one of the most influential and powerful Persian provinces of antiquity. In 350–375 AD, Sogdiana and Tashkent oasis were captured by the nomadic Xionite tribes who arrived from the steppe regions of Central Asia. The First Turkic Khaganate and migration of
1568-623: The armies of Genghis Khan were led by Mongols, they were made up mostly of Turkic tribes that had been incorporated into the Mongol armies as the tribes were encountered in the Mongols' southward sweep. As these armies settled in Mawarannahr, they intermixed with the local populations which did not flee. Another effect of the Mongol conquest was the large-scale damage the soldiers inflicted on cities such as Bukhara and on regions such as Khorazm. As
1624-522: The campaigns of the Mongols, after the beginning of the Chingizid rule, bilingualism became more common. It is generally believed that these ancient Indo-European-speaking peoples were linguistically assimilated by smaller but dominant Turkic-speaking groups while the sedentary population finally adopted the Persian language , the traditional lingua franca of the eastern Islamic lands. The language-shift from Middle Iranian to Turkic and New Persian
1680-603: The cultural development of the Turkic culture. In the late 10th–early 11th century for the first time in the history of the Turkic peoples, Tafsir (commentary on the Koran) was translated into the Turkic language. The founder of the Western Karakhanid Kaganate, Ibrahim Tamgach Khan (1040–1068), for the first time erected a madrasah in Samarkand with state funds and supported the development of culture in
1736-500: The desire to spread their new faith, Islam , the official beginning of which was in AD 622. Because of these factors, the population of Mawarannahr was easily subdued. The new religion brought by the Arabs spread gradually into the region. The native religious identities, which in some respects were already being displaced by Persian influences before the Arabs arrived, were further displaced in
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1792-536: The early Middle Ages had their own urban culture and used the proper Turkic terms, for example, baliq, which meant city. The Turks had a great influence in the development of the armament of the Sogdians. The Turks are depicted in the wall paintings of ancient Samarkand. The conquest of Central Asia by Muslim Arabs , which was completed in the 8th century AD, brought to the region a new religion that continues to be dominant. The Arabs first invaded Mawarannahr in
1848-650: The ensuing centuries. Nevertheless, the destiny of Central Asia as an Islamic region was firmly established by the Arab victory over the Chinese armies in 750 in a battle at the Talas River . Despite brief Arab rule, Central Asia successfully retained much of its Iranian characteristic, remaining an important center of culture and trade for centuries after the adoption of the new religion. Mawarannahr continued to be an important political player in regional affairs, as it had been under various Persian dynasties. In fact,
1904-647: The following table. According to the 2016 census, 484,346 people (over 56% of the population of North Khorasan province) live in the following cities: This province contains many historical and natural attractions, such as mineral water springs, small lakes, recreational areas, caves, and protected regions, and various hiking areas. Most of the historical relics are from the Qajar era, as earthquakes continue to ravage older relics. The Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran lists 1,179 sites of historical and cultural significance in all three provinces of Khorasan. Some of
1960-712: The four parts of the province. In the year 651, the army of Islamic Arabs invaded Khorasan. The territory remained in the hands of the Abbasid clan until 820, followed by the rule of the Iranian Taherid clan in the year 896 and the Samanid dynasty in 900. Khorasan was divided into four parts during the Muslim conquest of Persia , each section being named after the four largest cities; Nishapur, Merv, Herat , and Balkh . Mahmud of Ghazni conquered Khorasan in 994 and in
2016-602: The largest was the territory of Greater Khorasan . Esfarayen , among other cities of the province, was one of the focal points for settlement by Aryan tribes entering Iran. The Parthian empire was based near Merv in Khorasan for many years. In Parthian times, Esfarayen was one of the important villages of Nishapur . During the Sassanid dynasty, the province was governed by a Spahbod (Lieutenant General) called "Padgoosban" and four margraves, each commander of one of
2072-612: The last representative of the Oghuz dynasty of Ildegizids who ruled in Tabriz was Uzbek Muzaffar 1210–1225. The name Uzbek seems to have become widely adopted as an ethnonym under the rule of Ozbeg Khan , who converted the Golden Horde to Islam. Before the 5th century, what is today's Uzbekistan was part of Sogdia , Khwarazm , Bactria mainly inhabited by Sogdians , Bactrians , and Khwarazmians , all Indo-Iranian peoples . It
2128-497: The middle of the 7th century through sporadic raids during their conquest of Persia. Available sources on the Arab conquest suggest that the Soghdians and other Iranian peoples of Central Asia were unable to defend their land against the Arabs because of internal divisions and the lack of strong indigenous leadership. The Arabs, on the other hand, were led by a brilliant general, Qutaybah ibn Muslim , and were also highly motivated by
2184-551: The northern grasslands of what is now Uzbekistan sometime in the first millennium BC. These nomads, who spoke Iranian dialects, settled in Central Asia and began to build an extensive irrigation system along the rivers of the region. At this time, cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand began to appear as centers of government and culture. By the 5th century BC, the Bactrian , Khwarazm , Soghdian , and Tokharian states dominated
2240-832: The popular attractions of North Khorasan are: [REDACTED] Iran portal Uzbeks The Uzbeks ( Uzbek : Oʻzbek , Ўзбек , اۉزبېک , plural: Oʻzbeklar , Ўзбеклар , اۉزبېکلر ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia , being among the largest Turkic ethnic groups in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan , next to Kazakh and Karakalpak minorities, and also form minority groups in Afghanistan , Tajikistan , Kyrgyzstan , Kazakhstan , Turkmenistan , Russia , and China . Uzbek diaspora communities also exist in Turkey , Saudi Arabia , United States , Ukraine , Pakistan , and other countries. The origin of
2296-645: The population played a large role in the formation of a sedentary Turkic population in the territory of the oases of Central Asia in the 6th–8th centuries. In the Western Turkic Khaganate, in addition to various Turkic tribes, there were Iranian nomadic elements, which were gradually assimilated by the Turks. The urban population of Sogd, Khwarazm, Bactria was in close contact with the Turks. Turkic names and titles are found in Bactrian documents of
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2352-564: The region as the language of literature and government. The rulers of the eastern section of Iran and of Mawarannahr were Persians. Under the Samanids and the Buyids , the rich Perso-Islamic culture of Mawarannahr continued to flourish. The Samanids were a Persian state that reigned for 180 years, encompassing a vast territoriy stretching from Central Asia to West Asia. The Samanids were descendants of Bahram Chobin , and thus descended from
2408-488: The region. Alexander the Great conquered Sogdiana and Bactria in 329 BC, marrying Roxana , daughter of a local Bactrian chieftain. The conquest was supposedly of little help to Alexander as popular resistance was fierce, causing Alexander's army to be bogged down in the region that became the northern part of Hellenistic Greco-Bactrian Kingdom . For many centuries the region of Uzbekistan was ruled by Persian empires, including
2464-465: The region. One of the famous scholars was the historian Majid ad-din al-Surkhakati, who in Samarkand wrote the "History of Turkestan", which outlined the history of the Karakhanid dynasty. The most striking monument of the Karakhanid era in Samarkand was the palace of Ibrahim ibn Hussein (1178–1202), which was built in the citadel in the 12th century, where fragments of monumental painting depicting
2520-427: The region. The Mongols had such a lasting impact because they established the tradition that the legitimate ruler of any Central Asian state could only be a blood descendant of Genghis Khan. The Mongol conquest of Central Asia , which took place from 1219 to 1225, led to a wholesale change in the population of Mawarannahr. The conquest quickened the process of Turkification in some parts of the region because, although
2576-641: The reign of Sultan Mahmud . The Ghaznavids were closely followed by the Turkic Qarakhanids , who took the Samanid capital Bukhara in 999 AD, and ruled Transoxiana for the next two centuries. Samarkand was made the capital of the Western Qarakhanid state. According to Peter Golden, the Karakhanid state was one of the first Turkic-Islamic states. The Islamization of the Karakhanids and their Turkic subjects played an important role in
2632-531: The settled, Iranian-speaking and Turkic-speaking, with the nomadic, mainly Turkic-speaking population. Turkic and Chinese migration into Central Asia occurred during the Chinese Tang dynasty , and Chinese armies commanded by Turkic generals stationed in large parts of Central Asia. But Chinese influence ended with the An Lushan Rebellion . During the ninth and tenth centuries, Transoxiana
2688-403: The word Uzbek is disputed. One view holds that it is eponymously named after Oghuz Khagan , also known as Oghuz Beg , became the word Uzbeg or Uzbek . Another theory states that the name means independent , genuine man , or the lord himself , from Öz (self) and the Turkic title bek/bey/beg . A third theory holds that the variant Uz , of the word uğuz , earlier oğuz , united with
2744-403: The word bek to form Uğuz-bek > Uz-bek , meaning "leader of an oğuz". The personal name "Uzbek" is found in Arabic and Persian historical writings. Historian Usama ibn Munqidh (d. 1188), describing the events in Iran under the Seljuk Empire , notes that one of the leaders of Bursuk's troops in 1115–1116 was the "emir of the troops" Uzbek, the ruler of Mosul. According to Rashid ad-din,
2800-403: The year 1037 Tuğrul Beg , the first of the Seljuq empire rulers , conquered Nishapur. Mahmud Qaznavi retaliated against the invaders several times, and finally, the Qaznavi Turks defeated Sultan Sanjar . But there was more to come, as in 1157 Khorasan was conquered by the Khwarazmids . In 1220 was annexed by the Mongols of Genghis Khan . When in 1226 the great conqueror finally died, Khorasan
2856-414: Was conquered by the Qara Khitai (Western Liao), a sinicized Khitan dynasty, they brought to Central Asia the Chinese system of government. In the 13th century, Kara-Khanid Khanate was destroyed by the Turkic Anushtegin dynasty , a former vassal of the Qara Khitai. Although Turko-Mongol infiltration into Central Asia had started early, and the influence of the Turkic tribes was felt in Khwarazm before
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#17327732762492912-440: Was his brother and successor, Ismail Samani who overthrew the Saffarids and the Zaydites of Tabaristan, thus establishing a semiautonomous rule over Transoxania and Khorasan, with Bukhara as his capital. Samanid rule in Bukhara was not formally recognized by the caliph until the early 10th century when the Saffarid ruler 'Amr-i Laith had asked the caliph for the investiture of Transoxiana. The caliph, Al-Mu'tadid however sent
2968-464: Was inherited by his son Tolui and then by Tolui's son Hulegu, the first emperor of the Mongolic Ilkhanate of Persia. In the 14th century, a flag of independence was hoisted by the Sarbedaran movement in Sabzevar , and in 1368, Khorasan came into the hands of Tamerlane . In 1507, Khorasan was occupied by Uzbek tribes. After the death of Nader Shah in 1747, it was occupied by the Afghans. In 1824, Herat became independent for several years when
3024-412: Was part of the Achaemenid Empire in the sixth to fourth centuries BC and, by the 3rd century CE, part of Sasanian Empire . From the fifth to sixth century, what is today's Uzbekistan was part of the Hephthalite Empire . From 6th to 8th century, what is today's Uzbekistan was under the rule of First Turkic Khaganate . The Turkic component was part of the Kidarites in the fifth century. The seal of
3080-401: Was predominantly the result of an elite dominance process. Peter B. Golden listed three basic ethnic elements contributing to the Uzbeks' ethnogenesis: The modern Uzbek language is largely derived from the Chagatai language which gained prominence in the Timurid Empire . The position of Chagatai (and later Uzbek) was further strengthened after the fall of the Timurids and the rise of
3136-422: Was ruled by the Persian Samanid Empire . From the 11th century on, Transoxiana was under the rule of the Turkic Kara-Khanid Khanate , their arrival in Transoxiana signalled a definitive shift from Iranian to Turkic predominance in Central Asia. The Kara-Khanid ruler Sultan Satuq Bughra Khan was the first Turkic ruler to convert to Islam, most people of Central Asia soon followed. In the 12th century, Transoxiana
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