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ON THE HISTORY OF MILITARY AFFAIRS IN ANCIENT PERIODS
F.E.Toshboyev
Doctor of Historical Sciences (DSc), Professor,
Y.Ashirov
IV-stage student (Jizzakh State Pedagogical University)
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15362852
Annotation:
The fighting methods of our ancestors who lived in ancient
times and raised them to the level of art. It is known from their graves that the
peoples of Central Asia who lived in this period mainly practiced their fighting
methods on horseback. In addition, in ancient times, various stone weapons
were used, including spears, bows, shields and other weapons.
Keywords:
Kiryovush, Ustrushona, Saka tribes, Gulbo, nomad, Arrian,
burial mound, saddle-gear, shield.
In the primitive community, each member of the community had to have
certain military skills to protect themselves and their community, and to be
always ready for defense. Therefore, each adult member of the clan was
required to learn archery, spear throwing, hand-to-hand combat, and
horsemanship. One of their main tasks was to protect the clan from enemy
attacks, to engage in military activities at all times, and to master the art of war
(Rajabov, 2018. P.4-5). As the importance of the military sphere in clans
increased, the prestige of the military leader also increased. This created an
opportunity to protect the place where they lived, and later their homeland,
from the enemy, and to carry out creative work.In history, the formation of an
independent state by each people takes place over thousands of years, in
complex historical conditions, based on the stages of statehood traditions. With
the emergence of states and societies, volunteer military units emerged, which
were the first manifestations of military organization, and later they developed
into a real army. This army, along with the security of the country, guarding its
borders, became an offensive force capable of invading other countries.
Weaponsimproved, new types of them appeared. The first laws and rules of
warfare emerged.
The martial arts and military skills of the peoples who lived in Central Asia,
including present-day Uzbekistan, as well as their loyal, brave and courageous
warriors are widely covered in sources. In ancient sources, it is noted that the
Syrdarya basin was one of the regions where the Saka tribal confederation was
formed, and these Saka were Yaksart Sakas - Saka-khaumavarkas, who fought
with bows and shot them accurately, and who were able to accurately target the
enemy even while galloping on horseback (Boynazarov, 2006. P. 150-152). The
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Greek writer Aeschylus, who lived in the 6th-5th centuries BC, tells about the
young men of the Scythian and Bactrian tribes who became famous for their
military prowess, fearlessness and courage in the Iranian army during the
Greco-Persian wars (at the Battle of Salamis). Thanks to the patriotism and
military skill of our ancestors, the Iranian branch of Kiryovush, who had a
powerful army of his time and subjugated many countries, was defeated and
killed in the conquest of this country.
Darius I barely escaped the brink of destruction. Alexander the Great, who
had never encountered serious, major resistance, also tasted defeat for the first
time in this country. Alexander was wounded by the defenders of Ustrushana,
the destruction of two Greek army divisions by Spitamen on the banks of the
Zarafshan River, the unexpected attacks of the Saka tribes living on the banks of
the Syrdarya River on the Greek military units, and his sudden disappearance
into the wilderness, all of which greatly shocked Alexander (History of
Uzbekistan, 2023. P. 77-82). Having correctly assessed the situation, Alexander
realized that it was dangerous to stay in this country for a long time and quickly
left it. According to the Arab geographer Abulqasim Muhammad ibn Hawqal,
who lived and worked in the 10th century, the (combat) training and weapons in
al-Shah and Fergana were such (level) that they are not comparable to any other
border country today... At the same time, they obeyed their elders. They are the
best in terms of their service, the most courteous to noble people and to each
other. The caliphs from the Banu-l-Abbas family also recognized them and
invited soldiers from the people of Maveraunnahr to serve them. Due to the
superiority of the Turkish soldiers, they led all the armies, and their farmers
were appointed as their commanders (Ibn Havqal, 2011. P.21-22). Their army is
superior to others among all nations in its determination, courage, bravery and
perseverance... Among them, the Fergana people and the Turks led the armies
and became the (trusted) protectors of the caliphs. The Turks who prevailed due
to their bravery and courage were the commanders, commanders and soldiers
of the caliphs, such as al-Afshin and Ibn Abu-s-Saj from Ushrusana, al-Ikhshod
from Samarkand and al-Marzuban ibn Turkash from As-Sogd, Ujaif ibn Anbasa
from As-Sogd, al-Bukhar-khudot and others. This information is also confirmed
by the sources in the studied archaeological monuments. Among them, the one
studied in the area of Ancient Ustrushana In some graves in the burial mounds,
such as Saganok, Gulbo and Shirinsoy, the deceased were buried “fully armed”
with swords, daggers, bows and arrows - in general, the weapons they used
during their lifetime, purified (burned) with fire and given great respect to the
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deceased. The military weapons studied in Ustrushona are divided into types for
fighting from a distance and face-to-face (close) combat. Among the weapons
intended for close combat, there are swords, daggers, knives.
Of the weapons intended for fighting from a distance, only iron bows and
arrows have been preserved. Unfortunately, no part of the bow (bow,
bowstring) or ropes has been preserved. Of the military clothing, the buckle of
the belt that could hold heavy weapons and one piece of plate from the
deceased’s armor have been preserved.The main reason why types of military
weapons other than metal (bone, wood, textile materials, etc.) have not been
preserved . The deceased were burned during the funeral ceremony. The more
military weapons were placed next to the div in the burial mound, the more
intensely it was burned. To confirm our idea, there are no military weapons next
to the deceased in the Gulbo 1 burial mound. Perhaps due to this, there are no
traces of fire either in the grave or on the div. So, the ancient Ust-Ukrainian
burial customs did not include the custom of purifying everyone with fire before
burying them. As we understand it, this custom was more common for warriors
(and great people) who showed heroism during their lifetime. The cremation of
the deceased during the funeral ceremony was primarily associated with
religious ideas such as the purification of the soul and div when sending the
div to the land of the dead, the worship of the souls of the deceased and the
sun, and the creation of a fiery barrier between this world and the next
(Tashboyev, 2010. P.33). From the material sources studied in the monuments,
it is noticeable that social relations developed in antiquity, in Ustrushona, and
the military had a special position in it. From the archaeological monuments
studied in other regions of Central Asia, military weapons, objects with images
of warriors, and armor were also studied in large numbers. Strabo noted that in
the world of nomads, the main occupation of men was military work. With all its
features and layers, it corresponded to a professional mercenary army. They
were ready at any time to organize raids to plunder nearby cities and villages or
to obtain compensation. According to Strabo, a similar way of life was observed
among the Sakas “in their battles against the Cimmerians and the Thracians”; in
one of these battles they captured a part of Bactria and Armenia and gave it their
name Saksena (Mitchiner, 1976. P.100). The image of the knights who went from
Central Asia to India is reflected on the coins of Vanon, Aza, Aziles and other
kings.The burial of the bodies in the form of a rider (posa vsadnika), a
horseman-warrior or a half-horseman, found in the Gulbo burial mounds, is, in
our opinion, connected with their professions during their lifetime and with the
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horsemanship is also related. The burial in the form of a “riding horse” is known
from the Bronze Age and its distribution area is quite wide, and many comments
have been made about it (Olkhovsky 1991, P. 217; Kushayev, 1978. P.70-78). In
the territories of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, graves of this type are widely
spread from the Sakas to the beginning of the AD (Kushayev, 1978. P.80-82;
Baypakov, 1989).
According to O.V. Obelchenko, this is an ancient custom of nomads who
have switched to a sedentary or semi-sedentary lifestyle, and it is associated
with the occupation of the deceased during his lifetime. Also, these customs are a
symbolic representation of burial with a horse or horse equipment (Obelchenko,
1956. P.226). In the imagination of people of that time, there was a concept that
horses would accompany people in the afterlife. Because the position of the
deceased in the Gulba graves resembles a horseman riding a horse, slightly bent.
According to the imagination of people of that time, special horses should serve
the dead in the afterlife. That is why the deceased were buried without horses,
but in the form of riding horses.In the 2nd burial mound of the Gulba monument,
the deceased horseman, who was buried with all his weapons next to his div,
was buried in a crouching “half-horseman” position (sitting on a horse leaning to
one side, “sitting like a Kazakh” – F.T. ), which indicates that he spent most of his
life on horseback. At the same time, such a sitting position is also very
convenient for shooting from a bow at the enemy pursuing him from behind.
The lying position of the bodies in the form of warrior-riders on horseback
testifies to the fact that they suddenly attacked the enemy, used bows and ropes
in battle depending on the situation (Abdullayev, 2012. P.74) and, when
necessary, quickly disappeared and attacked again. Sources testify that at one
time the horseman, who was engaged in cattle breeding, was not only skilled and
brave, At the same time, their horses were also extremely combative. Every
young man had a faithful horse with him day and night. Horses were trained
from a young age to understand the situation of their owner in any situation. A
horse was a young man's true wing in the steppe (Tashboyev, 2008. P. 26).
The horse of a very agile, agile, and unerring horseman-warrior was as agile
and combative as his owner. They knew well that before each battle, the spirit of
confidence in victory gives strength to the will. They were skilled horsemen,
archers from ancient times. If they were not sure of victory, they would not
engage in hand-to-hand combat. They knew how to rush into an attack together,
disperse immediately after the enemy's attack, and regroup again to attack in
time. This method quickly exhausted the enemy and led to tactical confusion
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(Gumilev, 2007. P.87). It was not easy to endanger the enemy before entering
the battle, to arouse fear in his div, to occupy the enemy with the concern for
survival at the first attack. This was half a victory. The concept that “the fate of
the battle is decided not by the army, but by the grace of God” was actually a
deified result of showing unparalleled courage during the battle, influencing the
enemy spiritually.
It is known that nomads, depending on the existing natural conditions, were
also engaged in agriculture where possible. However, in the conditions of the
arid steppe, this type of economy could not provide the opportunity to survive at
a time when the needs of the population were increasing. In the vast steppes of
Eurasia, it was possible to conduct an economy mainly in the form of nomadic
cattle breeding. The nomads, by the will of fate, faced many battles. It was not
easy to settle in new pastures for a living. And pastures rich in grass were of
interest to everyone. Most young men came of age in battles in connection with
this. It was an honor to be a skilled warrior, to show heroism and die in battle.
The cenotaphs found in most of the burial mounds in Ustrushona are those who
died during the struggle for pastures or made in a symbolic sense for their
comrades and ancestors who remained in another region. Analysis of the crafts
and material goods of the nomads of antiquity based on the information
provided in written monuments indicates a high level of development of their
applied arts. All clothing, headdresses and woven household items of the
nomads were made from the wool and skins of livestock. Arrian emphasizes that
for the Scythians, priceless skins and various products made from them were
valued at the level of gold and silver, that soft fur of animals was used to make
tents that could withstand even the harshest winters, and even bulletproof
shields and saddle harnesses were made from animal skins (Arrian, 1962.
P.133).
The weapons of war found in the Ustrushona burial mounds were made
with extremely high quality and high taste. Despite the passage of more than two
thousand years, these weapons of war have retained their quality and original
condition to a certain extent. This indicates that in ancient times the
metalworking industry in Ustrushona was also highly developed. Since the
weapons were made very convenient for fighting alongside the dead, it can be
understood that the owners of these weapons were hardened in battles, and
they were skilled warriors who thoroughly mastered the secrets of military art.
Thus, our ancestors have long been famous for their glorious army. During the
years of independence, our national army was formed. Uzbekistan acquired its
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own modern military forces. The high assessment of the skills of Uzbek boys in
military exercises conducted in cooperation with advanced countries of the
world is also due to the traditions of their ancestors flowing in their veins. The
fundamental reforms taking place in the military sphere, the conditions created
by our government for them, the formation of a professional army are of great
importance for the further improvement of our army, which has ancient
traditions.In order to further develop this sphere, it is necessary to study the
history of the military art of our ancestors learning is also important.
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