Khwarezm

Choresmien or Khorezm (Persian / Arabic خوارزم; DMG Ḫvārazm or Ḫwārizm; Uzbek Xorazm ) is a (historical ) landscape in western Central Asia. There is a now partly to Uzbekistan, partly belonging to Turkmenistan United oasis in the lower reaches and the estuary of Amudarjas ( the ancient Oxus '), on the one hand ( in the north) by the Aral Sea, on the other hand, and from the deserts of Karakum and Kyzyl Kum the Ustyurt plateau is limited. Neighboring provinces were in Khorasan and Transoxiana Islamic period.

Capital was long (after Kath and before Khiva ) Time Gurgandsch, today Köneürgenç ("old Urgench " ) in the extreme north of Turkmenistan. The city is not to be confused with the resulting only in the second half of the 19th century city of Urgench in the modern Uzbekistan.

Until the (complete) ethnic and linguistic Turkification Khorezm, which was completed in the late Middle Ages, the Iranian Choresmier formed the main population of the region.

History

Prehistory

Finds from the Neolithic Age, the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age show activity in the area.

Antiquity

The most fruitful and with the help of irrigation canals intensively managed large oasis of Khorezm was early to the centers of human civilization and formed from the 6th century BC, the nucleus of an independent Khwarazmian kingdom, whose ruler bore the title of Khorezm Shah latest. The remote country that just as an early center of the Zoroastrian religion is true ( mentioned in Avesta, Zoroaster is said to have 588 BC proselytized the Khwarazmian King Vischtaspa ), has probably already been incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire of Cyrus II and then formed ( Herodotus ) under Darius I, together with Parthia, Sogdiana and the Aria XVI. Satrapy. The rule of the Persians did not last long: Khorezm soon won back its independence and they could also claim against Alexander the Great, which (according to Arrian ) the Khwarazmian King Pharasmanes ( Farasman ) in the year 328 BC even confidently offered an alliance. Since the fourth century BC, then the Khwarazmian language is written with its own Aramaic related writing.

In the second century BC the country probably had to deal with the incident nomads, but could recover back to the birth of Christ, which can be seen, among others, at the beginning of its own coinage, which is initially marked contrast from Parthian and Bactrian models and corrupt Greek legends shows. But appear little later inscriptions in choresmischer language, from which the names of some rulers are known. In the first and second century AD Khorezm seems to have belonged to the kingdom of Kushan, but this is controversial. It is believed that King Vasamar the country finally liberated from the ruling (according to al -Biruni ) since 305 Afrighiden dynasty of the Kuschanherrschaft. So begins in the third century, the heyday of the pre-Islamic Khorezm, which then could be subjected to neither of the Sassanids, nor of the Hephthalites or Gok - Turks apparently. Excavations of Soviet archaeologists ( such as SP Tolstov ) have evidence of a highly developed culture Khwarazmian provided, with particular the performing arts ( monumental painting ) of craftsmanship and originality testifies. The basis for the prosperity of the Choresmier irrigated agriculture. Were primarily grown vegetables, fruits, grains, wine and cotton.

Middle Ages

712 Khorezm fell to the Arabs, after which it was gradually Islamized as border province of the Caliphate. From the 10th century, the country then successively by the Samanids, Mamuniden ( independent Khorezm - shah ), Ghaznavids, Altuntaschiden ( independent Khorezm - shah ), Oghuz and Großseldschuken was dominated until it once again gained its independence during the 12th century, and the Khorezm Shah of the dynasty of Anuschteginiden even the prosperous center of a powerful, under Shah Ala ad-Din Muhammad (1200-1220) throughout Iran, Transoxiana and is now Afghanistan extensive empire was. Simultaneously, the Persian culture experienced a new climax, which however lasted only a short time, since 1220, the Mongols, including its thriving capital devastated under Genghis Khan of Khorezm and their empire incorporated.

End of the 14th century Timur began his conquests with a war against Khorezm. Five campaigns were needed before he could conquer the country in 1388 final. The now rebuilt capital Gurgandsch was there again completely destroyed what they are (in favor of Khiva ) should never completely recover.

Modern Times

1511 was the Khanate of Khiva. Its center was the existed since the 6th century city of Khiva, since the beginning of the 17th century capital of the country. Old Urgench had to be abandoned at this time, as the Amu Darya had changed its course.

The population was composed of Uzbeks, Turkmens, Karakalpaks and other peoples, living mainly on livestock, agriculture and industry. Since the late 16th century developed from the old tribal nobility, the extensive lands possessed great feudal lords.

By Feudalfehden inside and raids of the Turkmens, Kazakhs and Kalmyks weakened, the state gradually fell into disrepair. Late 18th and early 19th century, the Khanate of Khiva experienced particularly under Muhammad Khan Rehim ( 1804-1826 ) an upswing and subjugated some neighboring peoples.

After Russian troops had taken the city of Khiva in 1873, the Khanate of Khiva implied by the peace of Gendemian on August 24, 1873 Russian sovereignty.

Famous personalities from Khorezm (apart from rulers )

• Muhammad b. Musa al - Khwarizmi ( mathematician, astronomer and geographer )
• Abu Bakr Muhammad b. al - Abbas al - Khwarizmi ( Poet)
• Abu Raihan al -Biruni ( a polymath )
• Abu Abd Allah Muhammad b. Ahmad al - Khwarizmi (writer and official)
• Abu al - Qasim Mahmud b. Umar as- Samachschari ( philologist and theologian )

Major cities in Khorezm

• Khiva ( Khiva )
• Urgench
• Köneürgenç (the old Gurgandsch )
• Beruniy (the old Kath )
• Hazorasp
• Nukus
• Dasoguz
• Tortkol

Sources and Literature

• Wilhelm Barthold: Turkestan down to the Mongol invasion ( = EJW Gibb Memorial Series NS Vol 5, ZDB - ID 420576-5. ). 2nd edition. Luzac and Others, London 1928.
• Clifford Edmund Bosworth: Article " Khwarazm " and " Khwarazm - Shah ". In: Encyclopaedia of Islam. New Edition. (ed. by P. J. Bearman et al ), Leiden 1960-2004.
• Yuri Aleksandrovich Rapoport: Article " Chorasmia i Archeology and pre - Islamic history" (15 December 1991). In: Encyclopaedia Iranica, Online Edition.
• Sergei Pavlovich Tolstov: On the trail of altchoresmischen culture ( = Soviet Science Supplement 14, ZDB - ID 204636-2. ). Publisher culture and progress, Berlin 1953.