HISTORY OF THE SOCIO – POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHOCH OASIS IN THE 6TH-8TH CENTURIES

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HISTORY OF THE SOCIO – POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHOCH OASIS

IN THE 6TH-8TH CENTURIES

Tursunov Asror Allanazarovich

Associate Professor at the University of Information Technology and Management

Cho‘liyeva Maftuna Sobir kizi

1st-year Master's Student at the University of Information Technology and Management

Annotation:

This article explores the socio – political development processes of the Choch oasis

in the 6th-8th centuries. As a result of the choch Oasis being part of the Turkish Khaganate,

political and economic life developed rapidly in the area. Trade and craft centers expanded in the

cities and irrigation systems were improved. Cultural ties between Sughd traders and the local

population were strengthened. However, as a result of the Arab Caliphate's raiding campaigns in

the first half of the 8th century, the Oasis faces an economic crisis and most of the cities are

destroyed. The study analyzes the political life, cities, defense system and influence of arab

invasions of the choch Oasis based on historical and archaeological sources.

Keywords:

Choch Oasis, socio-political processes, Turkish Khaganate, Sugd culture, urban

culture, trade and crafts, arab invasions, defense system, irrigation system, Choch cities.

It is impossible to fully understand the roots and formation of urban culture in the

Tashkent oasis without studying the socio-political processes that took place there in the early

Middle Ages. Therefore, let us first examine the impact of socio-political processes in the 6th–

8th centuries on the economic and cultural life of the oasis.

Unlike other regions of Central Asia, the territories between the Amu Darya and Syr

Darya rivers were distinguished by their suitability for irrigated agriculture and a sedentary

economy. As a result, urban planning and culture developed significantly in this region from

ancient times. Additionally, this oasis was one of the areas where the interaction and symbiosis

between the agricultural and pastoral populations were particularly intense. By the early Middle

Ages, these processes had become even more active.

It is known that during the early Middle Ages, the regions between the Amu Darya and

Syr Darya rivers included historical and cultural provinces such as Chach, Fergana, Ustrushana,

Sogd, Bukhara, Tokharistan, and Khwarazm. Each of these was an independent political-

administrative entity, ruled by separate dynasties, with its own governance system, capital,

military force, defined territorial boundaries, and coinage system.

In the 5th–6th centuries, the Chach oasis became part of the Hephthalite state. According

to Chinese sources, during this period, the oasis flourished, and urban culture advanced due to

the development of mining and trade relations. Written sources do not provide precise

information about the ruling dynasties of Chach during this time. However, according to "Xin

Tang Shu," the oasis was governed by a dynasty belonging to the Chjaovu family. This source

also provides details about the geographical location of the Chach oasis and its neighboring

states: "The Shi state borders the Western Turks to the northeast and the Bola (Farab) state to the

northwest. Two hundred li to the south lies Szyuchjan (Khujand), and 500 li to the southwest is

the Kan (Samarkand) state. This country (Chach) is about 1,000 li in width, with its right side

bordering the Suyye River. The ruler’s family name is Shi, and the administrative center is the

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city of Chje-chje. The Shi state is located where the ancient Kangju state's xiao-wang (minor

ruler) resided in the city of Yuni. To the southwest flows the Yosha (Syr Darya) River."

In 552, the Ashina Turks overthrew the Rouran Khaganate in the southern foothills of the

Altai Mountains and established the Turkic Khaganate. Soon after, the Turks launched a

campaign westward, first capturing the Chach oasis. The first confrontation between the Turkic

Khaganate and the Hephthalites took place in Chach. In 555, the armies of the Khaganate, led by

Istemi Yabgu, reached the Syr Darya (Injukuz). In the ensuing battle between the Turks and the

Hephthalites, the latter suffered a severe defeat. However, it was in subsequent battles around

563 and 567 near Bukhara that the Hephthalites were finally crushed.

The westward expansion of the Turks triggered a large-scale migration of Turkic tribes.

As a result, vast mountainous and steppe regions in northern East Turkestan and eastern Central

Asia became settled by Turkic peoples. The local Turkic-speaking tribes in these areas were also

incorporated into the military-administrative system established by the Turks.

Chach became a vassal territory under Istemi Yabgu's authority, and after the division of

the Khaganate in 603, it was incorporated into the Western Turkic Khaganate. At that time, the

Chach oasis encompassed territories bordering Otrar and Isfijab (Sayram) to the north, the Ilak

(Ohangaron) Valley to the east, the middle reaches of the Syr Darya to the south, and Ustrushana

to the southwest.

After the establishment of Turkic rule in Chach, the proportion of Turkic-speaking

peoples in the region's ethnic composition increased. This was because the local Turkic-speaking

population began to identify themselves as "Turks," just like the Khaganate’s representatives.

The Turkic-speaking population in Chach, Ilak, and Fergana is believed to have been indigenous

to these regions. Archaeological materials also confirm that Turkic-speaking peoples constituted

the majority of the oasis population during the early Middle Ages. Notably, a badge depicting

Tengri, the chief deity of the ancient Turks, was discovered among the ruins of the city of Kanka,

along with fragments of pottery from the 5th–6th centuries bearing the inscription "Chach" in

ancient Turkic runic script

5

.

According to Chinese chronicles, in 605, the local dynasty ruler of Chach, Nyye (Nieh),

was killed by Sheguy (610–618), and Dele Tyanchji (Tegin Tyanchji) was appointed as the new

governor of the region. The Chinese transcription of the name Nyye (Nieh) has been

reconstructed as Inal. Thus, the rule of the Chach Tegins (605–750), who were part of the Ashina

dynasty of the Khaganate and held the status of the main ruling dynasty in the region until the

mid-7th century, was established in the oasis. From the mid-7th to the mid-8th century, Chach

was governed by Khaganate deputies, including Tegin Tyanchji (605–620), Gantutun –

Khontudun (640–660), Moxedu-tutun – Bahodir Tudun (713–740), and Inay Tudun or Gule-Inay

Tudun (741)

2

.

Chinese sources indicate that the rulers of this Turkic dynasty in Chach held the title

tutun/tudun. Arab-Persian sources also provide information that the rulers of this region bore the

title tudun. For example, in Tabari's work, the phrase "tudun malik ash-Shosh" is mentioned.

Similarly, in the Sogdian document A-14, the title of the rulers of Shosh is recorded as tδwn

(tudun)

5

. Moreover, on ancient Chach coins from the 7th century, the Sogdian inscription tδwn

c’cynk (Chach Tudun) is inscribed. On the reverse side of the coin, the ruler is depicted with

5

Буряков Ю.Ф. К истории раннесредневекового Чача ... С. 11.

2

Бабаяров Г. Древнетюркские монеты Чачского оазиса ... С. 46-49.

5

Согдийские документы с горы Муг. Вып. 2. Юридические документы и письма. М., 1962. С. 82-84.

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page 397

distinctly Turkic facial features, further proving that the Chach Tuduns were of Turkic origin. In

fact, the title tudun was one of the administrative ranks within the Khaganate's governance

system. It referred to an official responsible for organizing tax collection in subjugated territories

and overseeing local rulers, essentially serving as a viceroy

7

.

Dele Tyanchji (Tegin Tyanchji) relocated his headquarters to the northern part of the

oasis, leading to the formation of new cities in the region. During this period, five cities emerged

in the northern territories: No‘g‘oyqo‘rg‘on, Xonobod, To‘g‘aytepa, Oqota, and the largest

among them, the ruins of Mingo‘rik. Researchers believe that the ruins of Mingo‘rik, referred to

in Arab sources as Madinat al-Shash/Chach, served as the administrative center of the Turkic

Khagan’s deputy

1

.

In 618, Tun Yabgu Khagan ascended to the throne of the Western Turkic Khaganate. In

order to strengthen his control over the territories under his rule, he relocated his headquarters to

Mingbuloq (Chinese: Syan-syuan), near Chach. During his reign, he implemented a series of

reforms and sent his representatives, such as tudun and eltabar, to the vassal regions. By sending

tudun to the vassal territories, he was able to exert direct control over them

1

.

G.B. Boboyorov suggests that the reason Tun Yabgu Khagan moved his headquarters

from Yettisuv to Chach was likely due to the strategic importance of the region. Chach, with its

geographical location, served as a bridge for political, cultural, and trade connections between

the nomadic herders in the northeast and the sedentary farmers in the southwest of the region. In

particular, after Chach became part of the Khaganate, the flourishing of trade in the region would

have undoubtedly drawn the attention of the Khagans. Thus, the relocation of the capital was not

only a political move but also aimed at addressing economic issues, including trade control along

the Silk Road and the revitalization of commerce. Even before Tun Yabgu Khagan, earlier

Khagans such as Chulo Khagan (603–610) and Ishbara Khagan (Ashina Xelu) (651–657), the

last independent ruler of the Ashina dynasty, had chosen Mingbuloq as their headquarters. This

information shows that the Chach oasis always held strategic significance for the Western Turkic

Khaganate

2

.

In the 6th and 7th centuries, there is evidence of the presence of Turkic Khaganate

headquarters and military fortresses in Chach. Specifically, in works written in Arabic and

Persian, it is mentioned that the capital of Shash (Chach) was located two farsakh (12-13 km)

away from Binkat, in a city named Jabg‘ukat. The fact that Jabg‘ukat was established during the

6th and 7th centuries, along with its name, which contains a title associated with the ancient

Turks—Jabg‘u city, meaning "City of the Ruler"—provides a direct link to the Turkic

Khaganate's influence in the region. The location of this city has been identified as near the

current city of Tashkent, almost 4 km away from the Oq-ota archaeological site, located near the

village of Do‘rmon

3

.

Furthermore, the information in the works of Arab geographers stating that "Jabg‘ukat

was once the military headquarters of the rulers of Shosh" indicates the purpose behind the

establishment of this city. It is also significant that the city of Xotunkat, located almost adjacent

7

Толстов С.П. К истории древнетюркской социальной терминологии // ВДИ, № 1-2. М., 1938. С. 72-81.

1

Буряков Ю.Ф. Средневековый Чач в системе торгово-экономических связей Мавераннахра // Ташкент:

вчера и сегодня. Т., 2007. С. 35.

1

Бичурин Н.Я. Собрание сведений о народах... Т. 1. С. 283.

2

Бобоёров Ғ.Б. Чоч – Ғарбий Турк хоқонлигининг бошқарув марказларидан бири сифатида // Ўзбекистон

пойтахти Тошкент 2200 ёшда. Халқаро илмий конференция маърузалари. Т., 2009. Б. 121.

3

Буряков Ю.Ф. Историческая топография ... С. 74-75.

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to Jabg‘ukat, is mentioned in these sources. The location of this city corresponds to the site of the

Tog‘aytepa monument, located 4 km south of the village of Do‘rmon, northeast of the city of

Tashkent, near the Oq-ota ruins

4

.

In fact, the city named Xotunkat is mentioned in Chinese annals in the 640s, when one of

the Western Turkic Khagans, El-Bilga Tulu Khagan (Ibi Dulu kexan; 638–642), fled to Choch

and sought refuge in the city of Koxotun-chen (which means "Xotun city"). It should be noted

that the Russian sinologist N.Y. Bichurin, due to translating the name of the city as "gorod

Xansha" instead of its original form, did not allow most researchers to draw a connection

between this city and Xotunkat. According to researchers, the name of the city is related to the

ancient Turkic title "khatun." Additionally, the fact that Xotunkat is located adjacent to the city

of Jabg‘ukat suggests that it was founded in connection with the Khaganate. Other Turkic-based

cities from the Khaganate period further confirm that the Turks established their administrative

centers in this region. In particular, many researchers consider the majority of the city names in

the Choch region, such as Sobliq, Qalas (Keles), Chatqal, Nahri Turk, Olmaliq, Arpalig‘,

Ardlanket, Namudlig‘, Itliq, Neqaliq, Barsket, and Tukket, to be Turkic in origin

2

.

Recent research has revealed that the ruling system of the Western Turkic Khaganate was

headed by rulers with the title "Jabgu-Khagan." The discovery of inscriptions on several coins

with words such as "Tardu Khagan," "Jabgu Khagan's money," and "Tun Yabgu-Khagan's

money" confirms that the Western Turkic Khagans minted coins bearing their own names. The

inscriptions found on coins from the ruined cities in the Tashkent region, such as Qanqa,

Quloqtepa, Oqtepa, Khonobod, Qavardon, and Kindiktepa, have been corroborated by written

sources. The reading and scholarly analysis of the numerous coins discovered in the Choch

region have clarified several controversial issues in the early medieval social, political, and

ethnocultural history of the area.

In particular, numismatists’ research has shown that some of the coins from the Choch

region were minted by the Western Turkic Khagans, while others were issued by the Turkic

dynasties that ruled Choch in the 7th-8th centuries, namely the Tegin and Tudun dynasties, as

well as by representatives of the local dynasty. The region's strategic and economic importance

provided the Western Turkic Khagan rulers with the basis to mint their coins specifically in the

Choch region. Based on this and other factors, several researchers have concluded that the Choch

region was one of the administrative centers of the Turkic Khaganate

2

.

On the eve of the Arab invasion, the Choch, Fergana, and Sogdian rulers united under the

leadership of the Turk Khaganate and formed a military alliance to fight the Arabs. The ruler of

Choch, together with the ruler of Fergana, sent military forces to assist the Sogdian rulers in their

fight against the Arabs. In the frescoes of Afrasiab, among the Chinese and Chaganiyan envoys

who visited the Sogdian ruler Varakhman (650/655-675), there is also an envoy from Choch

depicted. This embassy was possibly sent by the ruler of Choch, Khontudun (640-660), to his

ally, the Sogdian ruler. During the Arab conquest, Choch was ruled by its local ruler, c’cyk

xwb/chachinak xvabu, and the Turkic tudun. Specifically, the relations of Moxedu tutun

(Bahodir tudun; 713-740) with Sogdiana are reflected in the A-14 document of the Mug

archives

4

.

4

Буряков Ю.Ф. Историческая топография ... С. 73-74.

2

Буряков Ю. К истории раннесредневекового Чача ... С. 16; Бобоёров Ғ.Б. Илк ўрта асрларда Чоч ... Б.113;

Камолиддин Ш.С. Древнетюркская топонимия ... С. 81-84.

2

Бобоёров Ғ.Б. Чоч – Ғарбий Турк хоқонлигининг ... Б. 118-125.

4

Согдийские документы с горы Муг ... С. 77.

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In the years 723-724, during the battle near the Syr Darya, an alliance of the Choch,

Fergana, and Nasaf armies inflicted a heavy defeat on the Arabs. Despite several such battles,

Choch was eventually conquered by the Arabs and a governor was appointed. Thus, after the fall

of the Turk Khaganate, Choch came under the control of the Arab Caliphate

6

.

Thus, during the 6th to 8th centuries, three ruling dynasties governed the Choch region in

connection with the Turk Khaganate. The first dynasty was the Turkish Tegins (605-750), who

were considered the supreme rulers. The second dynasty consisted of the Tuduns (640-750), who

were secondary rulers subordinated to the Tegins. The third dynasty was made up of local

Sogdian rulers, who did not have Turkish titles. The coins of these rulers bear the inscription

"chachinak xvabu" – "Ruler of Choch" in Sogdian script, indicating that they did not hold

Turkish titles. Based on this, it can be concluded that there were no co-rulerships in Choch, but

rather, the governance system was formed in connection with the administrative system of the

Turk Khaganate. Several Turk Khagans establishing their headquarters in the Choch region

further proves its strategic importance for the Khaganate. During this period, urbanization in

Choch flourished, with numerous new cities and settlements bearing Turkish and Sogdian names.

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