Volume 02 Issue 07-2022
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International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
(ISSN
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VOLUME
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ABSTRACT
This article tries to focus on the cultural life of Indian citizens living in Turkestan in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. In covering the case, an attempt was made to use the documents of the court of the Governor-General of
Turkestan and the relevant information of historians. The periodic boundaries of the case can be traced back to the
end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Most of this information is now stored in the funds of the
Central State Archive of the Republic of Uzbekistan. An attempt was also made in the coverage of the case to briefly
dwell on the arrival of Indian citizens and the appearance of their first settlements. The main part of the work pays
special attention to the cultural activities and religious ceremonies of Indian citizens living in Turkestan during this
period.
KEYWORDS
Indian Elder, Governor-General of Turkestan, Archive Funds, History of Muqimkhani, Indian Quarters, Indian
Caravanserais
INTRODUCTION
Turkestan is an ancient cultural center and a region
where many peoples work. The social composition of
the Indian citizens living in the region consisted of
representatives of various elements. Among them
Research Article
THE SECOND HALF OF THE XIX CENTURY THE HISTORY OF RELIGIOUS
CEREMONIES AND TRADITIONS OF INDIAN CITIZENS IN TURKESTAN IN
THE EARLY XX CENTURY
Submission Date:
July 05, 2022,
Accepted Date:
July 10, 2022,
Published Date:
July 14, 2022
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ijhps/Volume02Issue07-01
Yarmatov Oybek Shaymanovich
An Independent Researcher Of The Department Of History And Source Studies Of Samsu, Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ijhps
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 02 Issue 07-2022
2
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2222)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
07
Pages:
01-05
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
)
(2022:
5.
705
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
METADATA
IF
–
5.458
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
were Indians, Muslims, Sikhs, Gibras and other social
strata. Although there is no exact data on the amount
of social strata of Indians in Turkestan, we can know
that in Bukhara, mainly Indian Muslims, there were
more representatives of other social strata in the rest
of the region.(12) Tourists and researchers have
distinguished the diversity of the caste composition of
Indian citizens in Turkestan by the pictograms on their
foreheads and ears.(4) The Indians of the other
stratum differed from the natives of Turkestan in their
appearance, while the European tourists distinguished
themselves by the clothes the Indians wore. The
Indians shaved their hair, but grew their hair on the
back of their heads, always drawing a red line between
their eyes. They wore a shirt and skinny pants, a hat on
their head, and a hat that always covered the back of
their head. The costume worn by the Indians in
Turkestan and the red stripe on their foreheads set
them apart from the locals. (7)Hindus differed from the
indigenous people not only nationally and religiously
but also classically, i.e., they were richer than the
majority of the indigenous people. Realizing this, the
Indians elected military men called elders to their
communities for the purpose of class protection.
Indian communities led by such elders existed in all
areas inhabited by Indians in Turkestan. These
communities were led by elected elders. The duties of
the elders were mainly to maintain official relations
with the ruling circles of the Emirate of Bukhara and
the Russian Empire. The elders used the experience of
the Bukhara emirate's administration's relations with
Indian citizens to resolve property inheritance issues
with the consent of all members of the Indian
community living in the area. (17)
MAIN PART
Most of the Indian citizens in Turkestan lived in special
caravanserais, which were usually considered
economic trade centers. Because most of the Indians
returned to their homeland after some time.
Caravanserais were considered to be the residences of
Indian citizens, cultural centers, temples. Since Muslim
Indians in Central Asia were forbidden to build temples,
they tried to hold religious ceremonies in
caravanserais. According to surviving data, Indians
living in Tashkent, Bukhara and Kokand used
caravanserais for worship. According to this
information, there was a small altar in the
caravanserais used by the Indians for worship, in which
many stone statues were kept. In addition to idols,
special lockers were kept in the temples of the
caravanserais in Kokand. Skyler, who visited Tashkent
in 1875, gave such information. “A small room in the
corner of the caravanserai has been turned into a
temple, where small stone statues and many small
objects are placed.(1)There were pictures of Vishnu.
Muslim Indians had church and religious libraries in
Central Asia. This information is also confirmed by the
information in the report on the collection of Juzya in
Bukhara in 1307 AH, in 1889 AD, that there were 3
priests in charge of the caravanserai library in Karshi.
(15)
In the 80s of the XIX century, there were many books
in the Indian temples (caravanserais) in the cities of
Kokand, and in the caravanserais in Kokand there was
a separate room for books. In the temple in the
caravanserai, books decorated with necklaces were
kept near the altar. Perhaps these books were a
collection of religious hymns. (6)
The temples are referred to in court documents as
“Molebennye doma Moleni”.(Дмитриев Г.Д. Из
истории индийских колоний в Средней Азии (вторая
половина ХИХ- начало ХХ в.). Страны и народы
Вастока. Вып. XII. Москва 1972.с.234.)
Volume 02 Issue 07-2022
3
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
(ISSN
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2771-2222)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
07
Pages:
01-05
SJIF
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MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
705
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(2022:
5.
705
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1121105677
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IF
–
5.458
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
The temples in the caravanserais have special
representatives of Indian immigrants, who are named
Pirzoda in Russian and Bukhara documents. They came
to Turkestan to serve as priests. In 1907, Tulsamal
Sabraj, an Indian, came to Namangan and told the
Russians that he had come to serve as a Sufi in Indian
temples. There was also a muezzin servant in charge of
the cleanliness of the temple in Indian temples.
In the 80s of the XIX century in the old Margilan the
scaffolding position also appeared in Indian
communities. The scaffolding was chosen from the
poor Indians and made a living from the charity given
by other Indians.(16) In Fergana, Baba Nachaldasov
was appointed priest of the Indian community instead
of Ibkumalya Hirrarama. (14)There is also a temple in
one of the caravanserais in Tashkent, the interior of
which is decorated with colorful paintings and an idol
of the goddess Kali. All the "molennyas" in the temples
had their priests as "princes" and they, like their
compatriots, exchanged. (13)All this leads to the
conclusion that there were professional Indian priests
among the Indians in Central Asia. Hindus worshiped
fire while living in caravanserais. That is why he kept
idols and idols in caravanserais. The Indians also
considered the Ganges River sacred and worshiped it.
Even when they came to Turkestan, they tried to
believe in the Ganges, that is, they built a bridge over
the canal and lit a lantern over it, which was compared
to the Ganges.( 11)
A German traveler Albiriht, who visited Indian
caravanserais in Bukhara in the 1990s, said that the
walls of Indian caravanserais were whitewashed and
various paintings were painted on the walls. In
addition, the walls of the living quarters of the
caravanserais are also decorated with colorful
patterns. From these facts we can learn that the
Indians tried to preserve nationalism in the interiors of
their homes. The caravanserais consisted of small
rooms that could accommodate 2-3 people. (8)In
addition to distinguishing the Indians from the locals by
their appearance, they also differ in their
anthropological appearance and dress. A rectangular
black hat and low-heeled leather shoes set them apart
from the locals. According to the written information,
no large buildings were built by Indian citizens, and
Indian households were no different from the houses
of the locals at that time.
The following information on the ethnography of the
Indians in Turkestan is also of interest. Written sources
report on the relations of Indian citizens with the local
population, which can be divided into two parts; the
first: the Indians had very good, trusting relations with
the inhabitants of the region in which they lived, and
took part in the festivities. They performed their rituals
- for example, washing every morning by pouring water
on them ("omoveniya" in Russian sources), regardless
of the weather. In the 80s of the XIX century in the
caravanserai of Sufi-Ralesu from Andijan there was
such a purification room, which in Russian sources is
called "kupalnya". (10)
The second, a peculiar mystical aspect of the
ethnography of the Indians in Turkestan, was that,
according to their tradition, the cremation of a dead
man. Due to the different assessments by the locals,
the governor-general's official held the ceremony at
night under special police surveillance, which was
considered a mystery by the locals.
Some of the information about the festivities held by
those who tracked the Indians in the country can be
pointed out. The judge of the district court of Kokand
informed about the holiday in honor of the goddess
Krishnu on February 25 (March 9) 1879, as well as the
holiday held in Karshi by the Bukhara mirshabi and,
according to experts, in honor of "Lakshmi".
Volume 02 Issue 07-2022
4
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2222)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
07
Pages:
01-05
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MPACT
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(2021:
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(2022:
5.
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5.458
Publisher:
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(16)According to a person who attended the Devali
festival in honor of Lakshmi of the Indians, which was
held in the caravanserai in Karshi, the interior of the
caravanserai was filled with many lamps. A similar
celebration was held among Indian immigrants in
October. Hundreds of paraffin lamps were lit in the
caravanserais during the ceremony. Religious-themed
songs were performed by the singers. No alcohol was
consumed on this holiday. (15)They ate meat and
vegetable dishes. Russian researcher N.M. Lykoshin
wrote about the celebration of the "devali" holiday in
Tashkent. The rituals and ceremonies of Indian
immigrants were known to a wide range of Central
Asian peoples.
E.Eversman reports that in the 1980s, sacred cows
were kept in Bukhara, just like in India. The Indians in
Turkestan considered beef sacred, so they did not eat
beef. He even mixed cow's urine with red paint and
rubbed it on his forehead. (11)On the eve of the holiday,
Indians from Bukhara brought cigars to Indian
caravanserais. The Hindus prayed by sprinkling dry red
paint. Likoshin noted that during one of the Indian
festivals, local people also came to the Indian
caravanserais to watch the festival and reported that
they mingled with the Indians.(5)
There were also pictograms in Indian temples.
According to a correspondent for the Tashkent-based
Ma'rifat newspaper, the icon of the goddess Kalli was
kept in Tashkent, and it is unknown how it was brought
to Turkestan from Banaras. It is mounted on a thick tin
on a painted board with an arshin height keng arshin
height and nailed to a sturdy wooden frame. The front
is protected by thick glass for safety.(9)The burial of
the Indians was also of interest to the European part of
Turkestan. There was no complete information about
their burials among the Central Asian population. From
the 90s of the XIX century, the local people began to
participate in the ceremonies. According to Likoshin,
representatives of the European part and the local
population also attended the funeral of the Indians in
Tashkent in 1894 under the supervision of Russian
officials.(5) From the above it can be said that the
Indians in Turkestan tried to preserve their nationality.
Therefore, different segments of the Central Asian
population had the opportunity to get acquainted with
them. But the natives could not have a complete
knowledge of Indian culture and their way of life, as
direct contact with low-literate Indians was the only
source of information about India. The Indians were
mainly engaged in trade, selling scarves, muslin, and
cloth. There were also a small number of Indian gypsies
living in Tashkent, who spoke Persian, and whose
wives were engaged in net-making and witchcraft. (11)
Vambre, who came to Turkestan in the 1860s,
also noted that Indians lived here. Vambre noted that
Jews, Afghans, and Indians lived in Central Asia along
with other nations.(3)Vambre called the Indians
moltoni and said that they were distinguished from
other peoples by the line on their foreheads. In
addition, Indian gypsies living in Turkestan also called
themselves Indians. They were mainly engaged in pet
training and small trade, their women selling local
cosmetics, soaps, rides, and medicine, they walked
with an open face.(3) The Indians in Turkestan were
very afraid of imprisonment. The reason is that
according to the religious laws of the Hindus, he did
not eat food prepared by someone’s hand. He did not
drink tea or water from anyone's cup. In prison,
however, the Hindus, who were not given such an
opportunity, were harsh on their religious views.(2)
Moreover, imprisoned Indian citizens were not allowed
to be released on bail.
CONCLUSION
Volume 02 Issue 07-2022
5
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
(ISSN
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2771-2222)
VOLUME
02
I
SSUE
07
Pages:
01-05
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FACTOR
(2021:
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705
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(2022:
5.
705
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OCLC
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1121105677
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5.458
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
To date, research has not sufficiently studied the
religious rites and customs of Indian citizens in
Turkestan. An analysis of the literature and sources
concluded that the Hindus living in Central Asia tried to
preserve their traditions and nationality, even though
they were far from their homeland. The lack of study of
the customs and culture of the Indians in the country,
i.e. their inner life, was due to the absence of strangers
in the Indian caravanserais, and the closedness of their
inner life. There were also cases when some of the
Indians living in Turkestan clashed with the local
people in the process of performing their rituals. For
example, at the funeral of the Hindus, they burned the
div, which caused the displeasure of the local people.
For this reason, their funerals were held under police
surveillance at night.
Although there is no exact information on the amount
of social strata of Indian citizens in Turkestan, sources
confirm that there are several social strata of Indians in
the region. The fact that Indian citizens returned to
their homeland after a period of activity in Central Asia,
or the barriers imposed on them by the colonial
administration to buy private property in the country,
also encouraged Indians to live in caravanserais.
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1.
Borns A. Journey to Bukhara. M.1848. part 2.-P.406
2.
Geyer.I.I. "All Russian Turkestan". Printing houses.
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3.
Wambre. A. Traveling in Central Asia Editions. A.I.
Mamantova.M.1874.-P.149
4.
Kostenka L. Trip to Samarkand. "Voice" 1869. No.
88
5.
Lykoshin N M. Turkestanskiye Vedomosti 1894 No.
9
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Lansdel H. Russian Central Asia. London.1885.
100.p.
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Masalsky V.I. Turkestan region. St. Petersburg.
1913. T. 19.–S. 414-523
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Mikhailov M. Notes on trade duties. Turkistaniy
Vedomosti. No. 47.1880
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Petrov-Baturich S. V. Meeting with the nephew of
Nana-Saib in St. Petersburg - Russian Bulletin 1879
No. 6
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Ergashev B. E, T. Ahmedov. Life and lifestyle of
Indian citizens in Turkestan / Uzbekistan
Archiyalogyand
journals.
No.
2
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Samarkand.2017.-P.55-60 p.
11.
Xoroshxin A.P.Narody Sredney Azii.Materials for
statistics of the Turkestan region.Vep.3.-SPb.1874.-
P.117-118
12.
CSARU, Fund I , list 31, work 297, p 13.
13.
CSARU, Fund I , list 32, work 261, p 26.
14.
CSARU, Fund I , list 32, work 261, p 26.
15.
CSARU, Fund I26 , list 1, work 93
16.
CSARU, Fund 510 , list 1, work 25, p 15.
17.
CSARU, Fund 2866 , list 1, work 10, p 46.
