International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
39
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijhps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue05 2025
PAGE NO.
39-41
10.37547/ijhps/Volume05Issue05-10
The Settlement Processes of The Dashti Qipchoq
Population, Their Main Occupations, And Their Role in
The Formation of The Uzbek Nation
Azimova Farangis Shokirovna
PhD student at Sharof Rashidov Samarkand State University, Uzbekistan
Received:
31 March 2025;
Accepted:
29 April 2025;
Published:
31 May 2025
Abstract:
This article describes the social, political and military conditions of the people of Dashti Kipchak
mentioned in historical works. Also, a brief analysis of the main activities of Kipchaks will be given. Based on the
analysis of sources, opinions about Shayban ulus and their transition to settlement are presented.
Keywords:
Shayban, Jochi tribe, Movarounnahr, ethnic process, Uzbeks, formation of the Uzbek people, B. V.
Luninn, toponym. ``Ulug Khan'', Javangor, Turko-Mongol.
Introduction:
During the 1420s, historical sources and
research indicate that in the eastern lands of the Dasht-
i Qipchaq, where nomadic communities traditionally
lived, the state of Abulkhayr Khan (1428
–
1468), which
lasted for more than 40 years, was established. Along
with this, the state of Muhammad Shaybani Khan
(1451
–
1510), formed in Turkestan and Transoxiana,
was also referred to as the state of the nomadic Uzbeks.
Before examining these states, let us address the name
"nomadic Uzbeks" by considering three viewpoints:
Although the majority of the population in these states
engaged in livestock herding, their composition also
included tribes and clans involved in agriculture and
handicrafts in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya and
partially in the peripheries of the Khorezm oasis.
Scholar B.V. Lunin emphasized this aspect, noting: “The
Uzbeks did not consist solely of nomadic herders;
among them were also peasants who lived in the lower
Amu Darya region, settled periodically on farmlands,
and owned their own plots of land.” [1]
The primary population of these states was
geographically identified as inhabitants of the Dasht-i
Qipchaq.
The sedentary Turkic-Chagatai peoples of the interfluve
(between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers) did not
refer to them as nomads, but rather as ‘steppe people’.
This terminology is also found in early sources (for
instance: Dasht and Turkestan sipahi). [2]
For this reason, we believe that instead of the term
"nomadic Uzbeks," the term "steppe Uzbeks" is more
accurate and appropriate.
A deep understanding of the history of the Uzbek state
and legal system is impossible without examining the
socio-political structure of these historical states. Just
as the Seljuk Empire, which was once established in
Khorasan, held a significant position, these states
played a crucial role in the history of Central Asia and
Kazakhstan.
As previously discussed, at the beginning of the 14th
century, the Ulus of Jochi had already split into two
independent states
—
the Blue Horde (historically
referred to as the Golden Horde) and the White Horde.
The Kipchak population that settled in the Zarafshan
valley brought about notable administrative changes
and influenced regional toponymy. Even today, place
names in regions such as Qashqadarya, Samarkand,
and Bukhara bear traces of the Kipchak language,
preserved up to the present. These references can be
found in works such as Bahr al-Asrar, Abdullanoma, and
Tarikh-i Muqimkhani.
The White Horde, which was referred to as the "Land
of the Uzbeks," also included the Shaybanid Ulus.
According to the historian Abulg‘ozi, Shayban acquired
this ulus from Bogu Khan in 1238. [3] While the exact
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
40
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijhps
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2222)
borders are difficult to define, it is known that in
summer, they migrated to the foothills of the Ural
Mountains and the middle courses of the Tobol, Ural
(Yayiq), and Ilek rivers, while in winter they moved to
the lower Syr Darya, and the lower reaches of the Chu
and Sarisuv rivers, and overwintered in the Karakum
desert. Similar information about the Cumans is also
found in Byzantine sources.
On the eve of the formation of the Steppe Uzbek state
in the 15th century, the Shaybanid Ulus had
fragmented into several small khanates. By the 1420s,
several independent khanates existed. The Uzbeks
consisted mainly of three groups: tribal unions, tribes
included in the Shaybanid Ulus (the Shaybanids),
Kazakhs, and Manghits. There was intense political
struggle for power among them.
Soviet historian A. Yakubovsky, noting the distinct
characteristics of Uzbek nobles compared to Iranian
aristocrats, wrote:
"Certainly, he had achieved a number of
accomplishments, he loved military affairs, fine horses,
falconry, pigeon racing, goat and rooster fighting, quail
breeding, and the like. Nevertheless, by the second half
of the 15th century, he was not culturally more
backward or savage than the Iranian nobility above
him." [4]
The struggle for power initially erupted within the
Manghit Ulus, between the Ural and Emba Rivers,
where they engaged in conflict against the Jumaduq
Khan Ulus (located between the northern Aral Sea,
Sarisuv, and Emba Rivers). In this confrontation, the
Manghits defeated a 17,000-strong army at a place
called Joytor-Jolqin. These events were described by
historian B. Akhmedov based on primary Arabic and
Persian sources. During this battle, Abulkhayr Khan,
who commanded the army’s left wing (Javongari), was
captured. Later, due to his descent from the Shaybanid
lineage, he was released.
In the following year, over 200 tribal leaders from the
Turkic-Mongol tribes of the Dasht-i Qipchaq declared
Abulkhayr Khan the “Great Khan.” As early as 1428–
1429, the Steppe Uzbeks under his leadership seized
the city of Tura in Western Siberia, which remained the
capital of their state until 1446.
In a short span of time, Abulkhayr Khan succeeded in
uniting a large portion of the fragmented Shaybanid
Ulus and proclaimed his state independent from the
Golden Horde. In 1431
–
1432, he conquered Khorezm
and assumed the title "Great Khan." However, due to
the outbreak of plague, they could not hold the
territory for long and were forced to abandon it.
In 1446, he defeated his powerful rival Mustafakhan.
That same year, he captured the cities of Sighnaq,
Oqqorgon, Arqoq, and Ozgan
—
located along the
middle course of the Syr Darya and previously under
Timurid control. The capital of the Steppe Uzbeks was
moved from Tura to Sighnaq. This state came to
encompass large parts of modern Kazakhstan,
southwestern Siberia, and western-southern Khorezm.
From that point forward, the nomadic Uzbeks became
neighbors to the Timurid state and began actively
interfering in its political life by supporting different
sides in the struggle for the Timurid throne.
In 1557, Khwaja Islam supported Abdullah Khan II in
capturing Bukhara. As a result, the Juybari sheikhs
became major landowners under the Shaybanids. For
instance, Khwaja Islam possessed lands equivalent to
300 pairs of oxen’s plowing capacity (according to P.P.
Ivanov, one pair of oxen could plow 50 tanab, making
the total around 15,000 tanab), along with 10,000
sheep, 700 horses, 500 camels, 7,000 gold ashrafis, 104
shops, workshops, and 7 mills.
The documents in this collection offer detailed insight
into the legal formalization of immovable and movable
property transactions of that era
—
sales, gifts, and their
legal documentation. The collection includes decrees
from Abdullah Khan II granting land, irrigation rights,
houses, and gardens to Khwaja Islam’s son, Khwaja
Sa’d, along with “tax exemption” decrees (yarlik)
concerning these properties. These sources provide
valuable information on the tax system of the time,
which included over 13 different taxes and levies. All
gifted properties were declared exempt from these
obligations.
“Let it be known that these lands are granted by legal
authority and based on customary agreement, free
from all taxes and obligations. Therefore, any
encroachment or infringement upon them is strictly
forbidden.” [6]
These documents offer valuable insights into the legal
relations of that period, the methods and means of
their regulation, and the structure and legal
sophistication of these normative acts.
Academic K. Shoniyozov argued that the formation of
the Uzbek people as a distinct nation occurred during
the 13th
–14th centuries. He stated that: “Due to ethnic
processes in the 13th
–
14th centuries, various Mongol
and Turkic tribes living in the Dasht-i Qipchaq
—
primarily nomadic
—
began to interact closely. This led
to a cultural and social synthesis, resulting in a Turkic-
speaking ethno-cultural amalgam that would be
identified under the collective name ‘Uzbek.’” [7]
Based on Shoniyozov’s perspective, it appears the
Uzbek ethnogenesis occurred in two stages or regions:
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
41
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijhps
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2222)
In the 13th
–
14th centuries, a group of Uzbeks emerged
from a Turkic-Mongol blend in the Dasht-i Qipchaq;
An earlier theory traces the origins to Iranian-speaking
peoples of the Kang state who, through gradual
integration with Turkic-speaking populations in
Yettisuv, Eastern Turkestan, and the middle Syr Darya
region, contributed to the formation of the proto-
Uzbek ethnic identity
—
ultimately evolving into a new
Turkic-speaking ethnos.
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Abulg`oziy Bahodirxon. Shajarayi turk. T-Cho`lpon. 112.
Якубовский А.Ю. Oбшсственно культуркой жизни
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Аҳмедов Б. Ўэбекларни келиб чиқиш тариxи. Ўэбек
улуси.
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Т Фан. 1992
Иваков П.П Хоэяйство Джуйбарских шейхов... стр
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K.Shoniyozov. O`zbek xalqining shakllanish jarayoni.
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