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ANCIENT SOURCES ON THE HISTORY OF THE PEOPLES OF
CENTRAL ASIA
Sh.S.Achilov
teacher.
S.A.Ergashev
II- stage student
(Jizzakh State Pedagogical University)
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15396965
Annotation:
In this article, the authors tried to shed light on the example of
ancient written sources on the history of the peoples of Central Asia, including
works written by Greek and Roman historians, ancient Chinese sources, ruins of
cities, temples, cemeteries, coins, ceramic objects and other monuments of
material culture found in Central Asia, in order to deeply study and analyze the
history of the peoples of Central Asia, which includes long and complex
historical processes from the most ancient times to the present day.
Keywords:
Ancient sources, Central Asia, Sakas, Massagetae, Parthians,
Khorezm, Sogd, Bactria, Hyrcania, Herodotus, Arrian.
The history of the peoples of Central Asia includes long and complex
historical processes from the most ancient times to the present day. Various
historical sources, especially ancient written sources, are of great importance in
the in-depth study, analysis and scientific reconstruction of this history
(Karimov, 1998. P.14).
In the study of the history of Central Asia, sources related to Eastern and
Western civilizations occupy a special place. These sources can be conditionally
divided into three groups: Eastern (Persian, Chinese, Indian), Western (Greco-
Roman) and local (Sogdian, Khorezmian, Bactrian inscriptions) sources.
Works written by Greek and Roman historians are especially valuable in
this regard. For example, Herodotus, recognized as the "father of history", in his
work "History" provides important information about such peoples as the Sakas,
Massagetae, Parthians, Khorezm and Sogd.
Herodotus provides historically important information about Central Asia,
including Bactria, Hyrcania, Caspian, Sogdians, Sakas, Khorezmians, and Aryans.
Of the names that require explanation, the Aryans are the peoples living in
western Afghanistan.
The Caspian governorate, whose capital at that time was the city of Balkh,
included tribes located in the southwestern part of Turkmenistan. The
Khorezmians, the Sogdians - on the banks of the Polymet (Zerafshan), the Sakas -
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on the western slopes of the Tien Shan Mountains. These peoples were spread
over the territory from the east to the Caspian Sea.
Arrian, in his work on the campaigns of Alexander the Great to the East,
describes many historical events related to the territories of Bactria and
Sogdiana.
The work describes in detail the history of Alexander the Great's conquests
in Iran, Central Asia and other countries. The work is written in the spirit of
panegyric - the author glorifies Alexander the Great and his activities.
Nevertheless, the work is considered an important and main source on the
military campaigns of Alexander the Great (Khuzhaev, 2004. P.52-61). Another
valuable aspect of this work is that it is based on many manuscript sources and
official documents.
The famous Roman historian Cursi Rufus wrote a ten-volume work
dedicated to the history of Alexander the Great.
This work was widely distributed in Persian, Arabic, Syriac, Armenian,
Coptic, Malay and other languages, and was translated into Armenian at the end
of the 5th century (Doniyorov, 2020. P.57-58). The subsequent fate of this work,
which includes ten books, is extremely sad. The first and second books of the
work have been lost. The end of the fifth book and the beginning of the sixth
books have not been preserved. Also, some pages of the tenth book of the work
have been torn out. The work has survived to the present day in its entirety,
with the exception of some lines erased from the pages of the book dedicated to
Central Asia (Boynazarov, 2006. P.46).
Strabo's "Geography" contains geographical and ethnographic descriptions
of the habitats, economic activities, and natural conditions of the peoples of
Central Asia.
Authors such as Pliny the Elder, Xenophon, Curtius Rufus, and Pompey
Trogus also left valuable information about Central Asia in their works. This
information serves as an important scientific basis for historians.
Ancient Eastern sources on the history of the peoples of Central Asia are
also of great importance. Persian inscriptions from the Achaemenid period, for
example, the Behistun inscription, contain important historical evidence about
the early Persian rule in Central Asia. Chinese historical chronicles, such as
"Shiji" ("Historical Records"), "Han Shu" ("History of the Han Dynasty"), provide
important information about the economic and political relations of the peoples
of Central Asia with ancient China, trade relations along the Silk Road. These
chronicles contain direct information about such regions as Da Yuan (Fergana),
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Kangyu (Sogd), Yuezhi (Tokharistan), Davan (Andijan Valley) and the peoples
living there. Indian epic works also reflect cultural ties with the peoples of
Central Asia. Archaeological finds and local written sources found in Central Asia
- including Sogdian inscriptions, documents in Bactrian languages, and
Khorezmian inscriptions - are also important historical sources.
Inscriptions and monuments found in ancient cities such as Termez,
Samarkand, Khorezm, Panjikent and Qoratepa, in particular, allow us to study
local history as an independent source. The importance of ancient sources for in-
depth study of the history of the peoples of Central Asia is extremely great.
Through them, we have the opportunity to scientifically reconstruct the events
of ancient times, analyze the relations between peoples, and determine the
levels of cultural and economic development. Studying ancient sources and
involving them in the educational process serves not only the development of
historical science, but also the formation of the historical consciousness of the
younger generation (Qayumov, 2019. P.58).
Information about Samarkand is first found in the "History of the Wei
Dynasty" ("Weishu"), written in 550-566 by the court historian Wei Shou (506-
572), in such works as "History of the Sui Dynasty" ("Suishu"), "History of the
Northern Dynasties" ("Beishi"), "Explanation of Laws and Customs"
("Tangdian") by Du Yu (735-812), written in 766-801, and "Explanation of Du
Xuan's Seen and Heard Events" ("Du Xuan jing-shing ji") written by Du Xuan (Du
Yu's nephew, year of birth and death unknown), a participant in the famous
Battle of Talas (Zuev, 2002. P. 91).
When analyzing ancient sources, it is important to take into account factors
such as the period of their creation, the author's political or cultural views,
purpose, and geographical location. Because each source was written in a
specific historical context, from a specific socio-political perspective, sometimes
the authors expressed their views as absolute truth. For example, Herodotus's
descriptions of the Massagetae may be about their evil or cruelty, but this is only
due to the author's views and political position at that time. Therefore, it is
necessary to critically analyze any ancient source, compare it with other
archaeological finds, other written sources, and study it in a consistent historical
approach. Local sources, that is, the writings left by the peoples who lived in
Central Asia themselves, are of particular importance. Sogdian writing - official
documents, religious texts, and personal letters written in the Sogdian alphabet -
is a unique source for studying the trade, politics, religion, and everyday life of
this people. Through these inscriptions, we gain important information about
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the state of the Khorezmshahs, its social structure, religious beliefs, and
economic relations.
Ancient Chinese sources are also recognized as reliable sources for the
history of the peoples of Central Asia. Since the 2nd century BC, the Chinese
Empire established active diplomatic and trade relations with Central Asia.
Zhang Qian's embassy trips and the information provided by him were recorded
in Chinese sources and played an important role in compiling the political map
of Central Asia. For example, names such as Da Yuan (Fergana Valley), Yuezhi
(Tokharistan), Kangyu (Sogdiana), Anxi (Parthia) are widely used in modern
historiography.
Through the ruins of cities, temples, cemeteries, coins, pottery and other
monuments of material culture found in Central Asia, it is possible to confirm the
information in written sources, and sometimes make corrections to them. For
example, excavations in ancient cities such as Dalvarzintepa, Kampirtepa,
Termez, Qoratepa, Paikend, Afrosiyob, Varakhsha, Mizdakhkon show that these
regions had a high level of development. Ancient sources on the history of the
peoples of Central Asia are invaluable scientific resources not only for historians,
but also for archaeologists, philologists, anthropologists, and cultural scientists.
By comprehensively studying these sources, we will deeply understand our
history, appreciate the contribution of our ancestors to world civilization, and
instill national pride in the younger generation.
Ancient sources are considered direct or indirect sources of evidence in
historiography. Direct sources are works written by people who lived in that
historical period and witnessed events, while indirect sources are information
written by other authors in later periods about the previous period. The works
of Greco-Roman historians on the history of the peoples of Central Asia are
mainly indirect sources, but they are very important from a scientific point of
view, as they contain valuable descriptive, geographical and political details.
These sources are one of the cornerstones of today's historical
reconstructions. One of the unique features of Greco-Roman sources is that they
were written from the outside looking in on Central Asia (Abdukarimov, 2021.
B-24).
Ancient coins, which provide information about the history of the peoples
of Central Asia, are also a unique written source. Numismatic research identifies
inscriptions, images, names of rulers, and religious symbols on coins. For
example, the names of the Kushan kings - Kanishka, Vima Kadfiz, Huvishka -
appear on coins in Greek script, and later in Bactrian and Brahmi scripts. This
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makes it possible to identify writing and language changes, intercultural
contacts, and religious reforms in historical processes.
Another type of local writing is the Greek script used during the Bactrian
(Greco-Bactrian) and Kushan states. These writings indicate that the peoples of
Central Asia were literate in ancient times, and that a written administrative
system was used in state affairs. It is important that through these writings one
can obtain clear evidence about the social structure of the early states of Central
Asia, interreligious relations, foreign policy, and cultural exchanges. Another
important type of source for ancient Central Asia is toponymic and onomastic
information. That is, through place names and personal names, it is possible to
study the language, ethnic origin, and historical migration processes of ancient
peoples (Ibragimov, 2018. P.26).
For example, although the names of territories such as Sogdiana, Bactria,
Khorezm, Margiana, Parthia are mentioned in various forms in Greek, Persian
and other sources, their role and significance are very important in restoring
historical maps.
Today, modern scientific and technical achievements are widely used in the
study of ancient sources, in particular, advanced methods such as digitization
technologies, epigraphic scanning, text analysis using artificial intelligence, and
restoration of ancient maps through GIS technologies. This creates the
opportunity not only to read or translate ancient sources, but also to analyze
them in a multifaceted, systematic and in-depth way.
Ancient sources on the history of the peoples of Central Asia have come
down to us in various forms - written, material, visual, in the form of coins,
maps, frescoes and inscriptions. Studying them in a comprehensive manner and
drawing historical conclusions based on comparative analysis not only enriches
the science of history, but also forms a historical consciousness and thinking in
the younger generation. These sources are an important foundation for
understanding the past of the people, finding their identity, and preserving their
historical heritage.
In conclusion, we can say that the history of the peoples of Central Asia is
one of the important parts of human civilization. This region has long had great
empires, powerful cultures, and developed economic systems. Written sources
are important in obtaining accurate, reliable, and valuable information about the
ancient history of the peoples of Central Asia. In particular, works written by
Greco-Roman historians serve as the main sources in this regard. The works of
such famous historians as Herodotus, Strabo, Arrian, Xenophon, and Pliny the
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Elder provide detailed information about the life of the peoples of ancient
Central Asia, their customs, political system, military campaigns, and cultural
achievements.
These sources serve, in particular, to form a scientific idea about such states
as the ancient Sakas, Massagetae, Bactria, Sogdia, Khorezm, and Parthia. The
study, analysis and effective use of these historical sources in the educational
process is one of the most urgent issues today.
After all, only the younger generation that has thoroughly studied its
history will be able to actively participate in the development of its country in
the future.
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1. Karimov I.A. “There is no future without historical memory”. T., “Sharq”, 1998.
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2. Khuzhaev A. Some information about the Sogdians in Chinese sources //
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3. Doniyorov A. Kh. Historiography of the peoples of Central Asia / Textbook.
Tashkent: NIF MSH, 2020.
4. Boynazarov F. History of the ancient world / Textbook. Tashkent:
“ECONOMICS-FINERY”, 2006
5. Qayumov M. Ancient sources of Central Asian history. Tashkent Akademnashr,
2019.
6. Zuev Yu.A. Early Turks: Essays on history and ideology. Almaty: Dayk-press,
2002.
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