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MILITARY TRAINING AND EXERCISES IN THE BUKHARA KHANATE
Samadova Gulzoda Naim qizi
Master's student, Karshi State University
Abstract.
This article explores the military training and exercises conducted in the Bukhara
Khanate based on historical sources and scholarly literature.
Keywords:
soldier, training, skill, hunting, combat, archers, Abdullah Khan, rulers, weapons,
bow and arrow, sword, mace, daggers, crescent axes, battle axes, armor, helmets, shields,
Astrakhan, commander, Genghis Khan.
During the period of the Bukhara Khanate, as in earlier times, special attention was
given to conducting military exercises through hunting (shikar). This activity held significant
value in the lives of nomadic peoples and was referred to by Genghis Khan as a "school of war"
[2]. Animal hunting served as a form of military preparedness. During hunts, soldiers were
required to march in formation and surround the game according to established rules.
Commanders and soldiers were encouraged to spend their leisure time hunting — not merely
for sport, but as a way to keep the troops in combat readiness, improve their marksmanship, and
harden them for difficult conditions. Selecting and supplying the appropriate weapons suited to
the nature of the terrain, as well as organizing the left and right wings and the central position
(the qalb), was the duty of the official holding the position of qushchi [1].
Depending on whether the hunt lasted one, two, or three months, the hunting ring was
carefully arranged. The animals were driven toward the center of the circle, and no animal was
allowed to escape [2]. Inside the ring, the Khan would hunt first, then ascend a hill to observe
the princes, emirs, and the army as they conducted the hunt. These specially organized hunting
circles were called charga [3].
The Abdullanoma recounts that Iskandar Khan (1561–1583) would, without fail, go bird
hunting every day after the morning prayer with his personal guards to a distance of one farsakh
from Bukhara [4]. Abdullah Khan also held hunting expeditions annually in the winter and
early spring in favorable regions [5], most often in Qarshi. Muhammad Shaybani and
Ubaydullah Khan also frequently used the areas of Kasbi or Qarshi [6] as winter camps or
“qishlamishiy” before their campaigns toward Khorasan and organized hunts there.
Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur emphasized the area's suitability for hunting, noting the
abundance of birds called qilquyruq, and the ability to hold regular hunts in all four seasons [3].
Bird hunting helped sharpen the skills of archers, enabling them to better aim at specific targets.
In conclusion, the army of the Bukhara Khanate was not haphazardly assembled, nor did
any passerby serve as a soldier. From the highest commander to the ordinary soldier, sapper, or
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ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
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oarsman — all underwent special military training and were kept in constant combat readiness.
Regularly organized hunts served to maintain fighting spirit and test certain types of weaponry.
Hunting served not only as a military drill to keep troops in readiness but also
functioned as a means of food supply when necessary. Rulers took the provision of their armies
seriously and considered it one of the most important military responsibilities. Any
shortcomings in supply led to a decrease in the number and effectiveness of the army.
One key aspect of military affairs is the successful conduct of various levels of battles,
skirmishes, and major wars. The types and quality of weapons, along with skillful use, played a
vital role. As in other states and dynasties of the past, the Shaybanid era gave serious attention
to the provision of arms. Victory in war often depended on the variety and quality of weaponry.
The diversity of military equipment often determined the winning side. An abundance of
weapons reflected both a strong military industry and deep knowledge of maneuvering during
combat.
The weaponry used by soldiers was an indicator of the economic, social, and cultural
development of the state and society to which they belonged. These weapons were produced
and supplied mainly by artisan workshops. In the 16th century, cities like Samarkand, Bukhara,
Tashkent, Kesh, and Qarshi were major centers of craftsmanship. Artisans made up a
significant portion of the population in these cities, and some specialized in arms production.
Samarkand, the initial capital of the Shaybanid state, saw significant growth in arms
manufacturing during the first half of the 16th century. Weapons such as swords, daggers,
crescent axes, battle axes, armor, helmets, and shields were produced for the army.
After the rise of the Shaybanids, nomadic military elements began to dominate the army
structure, as they formed its core. Cavalry forces were required to arrive armed. Chroniclers
from both the Timurid and Shaybanid sides, who described early 16th-century conflicts, did not
note significant differences in weaponry between the two armies. Both forces used bows and
arrows, swords, maces (shashpar), ox-headed maces (govsar), daggers, spears, axes, cannons,
firearms, and round shields (tora). Body protection included armor, helmets, and chainmail.
Weaponsmiths typically specialized in a particular type of weapon, and their workshops
were often located within market rows. In Bukhara and Samarkand, specialized bazaars for
armorers, fletchers, bowmakers, and other craftsmen existed.
Until the early 16th century, Samarkand was the primary center for arms manufacturing.
Swords, blades, knives, various types of bows and arrows, and spears were crafted there for sale
or custom orders. After the capital was moved to Bukhara in the second quarter of the 16th
century, weaponsmiths gathered there. The majority of the army’s weaponry was subsequently
produced in Bukhara. One source notes that, during Abdullah Khan ibn Iskandar’s campaign, a
large quantity of arms was transported from Bukhara for his army [5].
Weapons manufactured in Transoxiana cities or imported from abroad were often
known by their place of origin. For example, Zahiriddin Babur mentions a “Qalmaq” (Kalmyk)
armor [3]. Other sources refer to Derbend weaponry, Mongol shields and armor, saddles made
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from yellow shagreen, Indian spears and swords, Circassian swords, and cube-shaped
explosives [4]. The 1661 order by the Russian Tsar to find “the best Circassian armorers” in
Astrakhan and the mention of Khorasani swords among gifts to the Khan of Bukhara [8]
support these references. According to a list preserved in the State Museum of the History of
Uzbekistan, weapons were the third most exported item from Russia to Central Asia in the 16th
century (after leather and furs), and the fourth most imported item (after textiles, fabrics, and
dyes) [9].
Swords played a crucial role in warfare. Babur considered them superior to all other
weapons of his time and described them as follows: “The shashpar, club, kestan, battle axe
(tabarzin), and regular axe strike only one spot; but a sword, when it strikes, cuts from head to
toe” [3]. According to Fazlullah ibn Ruzbihan, Babur always carried a sword and shield [10].
Nearly all of the Bukhara army was equipped with swords and daggers. The swords were
curved and their length matched the height of the wielder’s waist [3]. Hafiz Tanish Bukhari
notes that most of Abdullah Khan ibn Iskandar’s soldiers were armed with Yemeni swords [4].
Battle axes were also widely used in close combat. The Tarikh-i Guzida-yi Nusrat-nama
records that Shaybani Khan ordered his son, Muhammad Timur, to take a battle axe and fight
the enemy [11]. These axes were also used during sieges to break castle gates [5]. Known as
tabarzin, battle axes differed from regular ones in their longer handles.
Spears were another essential weapon in the army. Over time, their shapes evolved and
improved. They were primarily used in face-to-face combat on open terrain. These spears were
taller than a man, with shafts made from birchwood and tips (sinon) made from iron or steel. In
the Bukhara army, a type called Khatti spear was widespread. These were long, straight-shafted
spears, named after the Khatti region of the Arabian Peninsula, where they originated [5].
Archery weapons — namely bows and arrows — are frequently mentioned in written
sources as the primary weapons of the time. These bows had wooden bases with outer layers of
sinew and inner layers of polished horn. Sometimes, the handle’s center and ends were covered
with bone [8]. These composite weapons, known as hard bows [5], could shoot arrows over
long distances. Babur described one of Sultan Husayn’s amirs, Muhammad Sayyid Urus, as
having a “hard bow and long arrows” [3].
Various types of bows were used for hunting and combat. Some sources distinguish
between the arrows used for each purpose [5]. Archery remained a central method of distance
combat in Central Asia even after the introduction of firearms.
Bows and arrows continued to play a significant role in military confrontations even
after the widespread adoption of muskets (tufang). For mounted warriors, they remained
practical and effective weapons up until the 18th century — and in some cases, even into the
19th century.
In conclusion analyzing the military art of the Shaybanid period enables a deeper
understanding of the changing military-political environment in the khanate. It also sheds light
on the role and status of administrative-military officials in state governance and military
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ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
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development, the structure and management of the army, its equipment, supply systems,
deployment, and military tactics and strategies. The findings of this research are expected to
contribute to the development of educational literature. Further studies within this field will
allow for broader exploration of the Shaybanid dynasty’s role in the history of Uzbek statehood
and the region as a whole.
List of References:
1. Muhammad Yar ibn Arab Qataghan. Musakhkhir al-Bilad. – Tashkent: Yangi Asr Avlodi,
2009. – pp. 28, 385.
2. Alauddin Atamalik Juvayni. Tarikh-i Jahan-Gusha / Translated from Turkic by Nazarbek
Rahim. – Tashkent: Mumtoz So‘z, 2015. – p. 99.
3. Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur. Baburnama. – pp. 155, 58, 89, 69, 79, 87, 127, 136.
4. Hafiz Tanish al-Bukhari. Abdullanoma. Vol. 2. – pp. 129, 119, 158, 116.
5. Hafiz Tanish al-Bukhari. Abdullanoma. Vol. 1 – pp. 198, 297; Vol. 2 – pp. 222, 329, 278,
102, 163, 306, 198, 201, 105.
6. Muhammad Haydar Mirza. Tarikh-i Rashidi. – p. 359.
7. Baykova N.B. From the History of Economic Relations Between Russia and the East. –
Tashkent: Fan Publishing, 1964. – p. 66.
8. Mukminova R., A’zamova. The Bukhara Khanate (Amirate). // Essays on the History of
Statehood in Uzbekistan. Collective monograph. – Tashkent: Sharq NMAK, – p. 122.
9. Ismailova J.H., Levteeva L.G. History of the Military Art of Uzbekistan. – Tashkent:
Uzbekistan NMIU, 2013. – p. 157.
10. Fazlullah ibn Ruzbihan Isfahani. Mihman-name-yi Bukhara. – p. 101.
11. Tarikh-i Guzida-yi Nusrat-nama. – p. 39.
12. Babur Encyclopedia. – Tashkent: Sharq NMAK, 2014. – p. 457.
