Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals
114
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TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
114-118
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
26 October 2024
ACCEPTED
30 December 2024
PUBLISHED
30 January 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue01 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Types of Necrotoponyms
By Origin
Yusupov San’at Shukhratovich
Teacher of the Department of Social and Humanities of Nukus State
Pedagogical Institute, Uzbekistan
Abstract:
Since the Republic of Karakalpakstan is one of
the centers of civilization, there are many ancient
fortresses and monuments dating back to ancient
times.
The
article
examines
the
types
of
necrotoponyms in the Republic of Karakalpakstan
according to their origin.
Keywords:
Toponym,
necrotoponym,
ossuary,
archaeologist.
Introduction:
The territory of Karakalpakstan is also
considered one of the oldest centers of world
civilization. Human habitation in the region spans
several millennia. According to archaeological research,
in the 7th-6th centuries BC, the peoples living in the
territory of present-day Karakalpakstan and Khorezm
developed somewhat. Prof. M. Mambetullaev and
historian U. Yusupov provide the following information:
"The remains of large canals, irrigation networks found
in Karakalpakstan and the Khorezm region, dating back
to the middle of the 7th-6th centuries BC, most of the
settlements in more than 300 villages have been
preserved in the vicinity of Khumbeztepa, Tashkirman,
and Bazarkala." Large irrigation systems that emerged
in the late 7th-6th centuries BC: canals, as well as cities
and villages, centers of agricultural culture, were built
by the centralized state and were under the care of the
country.
In the 7th-6th centuries BC, cities such as Afrasiab,
Koktepa, and Uzunkir were built in the southern
neighboring regions of Khorezm - Sogdiana. Channels
such as Bugungur and Dargom are being dug. During
this period, the Bactrian-Sogdian state was established.
Khorezm has cultural ties with these regions. The
phenomenon of urbanization in society begins at the
same time in these countries.
The emergence of Karakalpak necrotoponyms dates
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back to ancient times. Where there is a person, there is
always birth and death. According to historians,
including archaeologists, people were not buried
before the emergence of Islam. Prof. M. Mambetullaev
and O. Yusupov write: "In ancient times, the
Khorezmians carried the bodies of the deceased to
certain places, and after they were cut off, they
gathered their bones and buried them twice in
ossuaries, that is, in chests like a rectangular box (a
bowl made of alabaster or clay), sometimes in a jug, a
large jug, or other vessels. In our country, the places
where the deceased are buried are:
1. Ossuary cemetery.
2. Temporary storage of ossuaries at home.
3. Transportation of the deceased to special places
(dahmas).
4. Placement near special temples and places of
worship.
The Ossuary cemetery is often located on high ground,
at the foot of the mountain, within ruined castles, or on
the top of ancient graves. Ossuary cemeteries were
discovered and studied on Mount Sultan Uvais, Mount
Mizdahkan, Mount Kuba, Mount Kiran, Mount Buken,
Mount Miskan, Mount Tuk, and Mount Kusxana. In
some ancient courtyards, ossuaries were kept in houses
for a certain period of time, worshipping them and the
spirits of their ancestors. Chilpik, located 40 km south
of Nukus, is a known place for removing the bodies of
dead people. It is surrounded by cone-shaped paxsa
with a diameter of 70-75 m and a height of 15 meters.
A 20 m wide staircase rises to the eastern side of the
cliff. There is such a special place on the left bank of the
Amu Darya on the mountain of Kuba. The citizens of
Khorezm burned the bodies of their kings and
renowned aristocrats on top of the fortress, storing
their ashes in special ossuaries and vessels, which they
worshipped and practiced their religious beliefs. In
ancient times, there were also traditions in Khorezm for
ossuaries to burn their bodies, keep their ashes, and
bury the dead in the ground. The presence of these
customs indicates the existence of different ethnic
groups in the Southern Aral Sea region.
Linguist M. Mayorov, who studied necrotoponyms in
Russian linguistics, divides them into two types
according to their origin: 1) old toponyms and 2) new
toponyms.
As mentioned above, as the Republic of Karakalpakstan
is one of the centers of civilization, there are many
ancient fortresses and artifacts belonging to ancient
periods of human life. Therefore, we believe it is
advisable to study the emergence of necrotoponyms in
the region, dividing them into four periods:
Period 1. The period from the 7th-6th centuries BC to
the Arab conquest.
Period 2. The period from the 8th-10th centuries AD to
the 19th century.
Period 3. The period from the 19th century to the
second half of the 20th century.
Period 4. The period from the second half of the 20th
century to the present.
The peculiarity of the first period is that during this
period, as mentioned above, after the death of people,
their bodies were moved to certain places and buried
only after their bones were left, or else their bodies
were burned and their ashes were placed in special
ossuaries and buried. Such necrotoponyms are also
found in several places in the territory of
Karakalpakstan. For example, Mount Sultan Uvais. This
oronym (names of mountains and hills) was not named
as such in the early period. We think that this name was
probably given in the second period. Because the
necrotoponym "Sultan Uvais Bobo" is located on the
territory of the "Dustlik" village in the Beruniy district.
Hazrat Uvais Karanī was born in the village of Karan in
the country of Yemen during the reign of the Prophet
Muhammad, whose real names were Suhail ibn Amir
ibn Rumman. The dates of birth of this breed are not
clearly indicated in the sources. However, it is known
that they lived at the same time as our Prophet
Muhammad Mustafa. According to the legends, when
the Prophet went out on his journey and asked Allah for
a friend of the Day of Judgment, Allah gave him a friend
of the Day of Judgment. By divine wisdom, the meeting
of these people is also postponed to the Day of
Judgment. It is said that his tombs existed in several
places. One of them is in the territory of
Karakalpakstan. Both the mountain range in the area
and the necrotoponym located on it are named after
Sultan Uvais.
Mizdahkan is located in the area of present-day Khojeli
district.
Kuba Mountain is currently located in the Tashkhauz
region of the Republic of Turkmenistan. This
necrotoponym is not part of our study.
Kiran Mountain. This mountain is located in the Bozatau
district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.
Buken Mountain. It is located in the Kazakh-populated
village of the present-day Turtkul district. The village of
Buken is probably also Kazakh.
The mountain of Miskan. It is located near the Chilpik
fortress in the Amu Darya district. On the left bank of
the river, on the border with Turkmenistan, the
necrotoponym
Miskin
is
also
located.
But
archaeologists have shown that this mountain is now in
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the middle of the river, and the water flows on both
sides of it. Ossuaries were found in this part.
Dark mountain. It is located in Nukus district. There are
various legends about this oronym, located 5-6 km
northwest of the city of Akmangyt. In some, the stones
of this mountain were brought by giants and poured
out. That's why it is called Tuk mountain, or Tuk's
mountain, but some say that the people who lived in
this place were very prosperous and well-off, so it is not
called tuk, but tuk. Some researchers place the ancient
Raboti Oghuz fortress here. Its ruler was a man named
Nasiriddin Tukhbuga. Rabguzi wrote the book "Kisasi
Rabguzi" or "Kissas-ul anbiyo" here. He presented it to
the governor of the fortress, Nasir al-Din al-Tukbuga. It
is said that the castle was named in honor of this man,
the castle of Toq, or Toq Qala.
Birdhouse mountains. It is located near the Amu Darya
in the city of Nukus. Even today, people are buried here.
It turns out that even in earlier times, people lived
mainly along the banks of rivers, lakes, and other
waterways. The oldest necrotoponyms mentioned
above are also located on mountains and hills adjacent
to water structures.
The characteristic of the second period is that during
this period, Islam penetrated all parts of Central Asia.
During this period, people who died were left in special
places after their death, their bodies were separated
from their bones, and their bones were buried in
ossuaries. They were washed after death, covered with
a shroud, and buried in special places. Thus,
necrotoponyms arose. They were named after people
who were famous in the area. Such ancient
necrotoponyms exist in the territory of Karakalpakstan.
Hakim Ota is Suleiman Bakirgani. Suleiman Bakirgani
was born in 1122 and died in 1186. He was educated at
the Khoja Ahmad Yasawi school in Turkestan. Khoja
Ahmad Yasawi tested him many times and was
impressed by his knowledge. In his tazkira, Alisher
Navoi mentions that Hakim Ata's work gained fame
among the Turks. In his wise words, Suleiman Bakirgani
used the pseudonyms Qul Sulaymon, Suleiman, Hakim,
Qul Hakim, and Hakim Suleiman. In addition to writing
lyrical poems, Suleyman Bakirgani also wrote epic
works. For example, the epics "Deidiyo," "Merojnoma,"
"Bibi Maryam," and "Sobit's Story" are among them.
Currently, large-scale construction work is underway at
the Hakim Ota shrine in Muynak.
The necrotoponym Norinjon Baba is an architectural
monument in Karakalpakstan (Ellikkala district) (10th-
14th centuries). The complex was built around the
burial center of the ancient fortress - the mausoleum of
Narindzhan Bobo - at different times, including a shrine,
an eastern mausoleum (14th century), a khanaqah
ayvan, a qalandarkhana (18th century), and other
additional rooms. No accurate information about
Narinjon Bobo has been preserved. To the tombstone
in the mausoleum: "This is the grave of Muhammad ibn
Musa ibn Dawud Abu Abdullah al-Narinjani, a wise,
memorable, constant faster in the way of Allah, who
shows the miracles of Allah on earth. May Allah have
mercy on him and his friends, 712 AH." The girih
patterns on it are similar to the tombstone in the
mausoleum of Termez. Initially, a mausoleum without
a portico with a murabba was built (10th century), the
roofs of the shrine and the cemetery adjacent to it
(14th century) were combined into domes and a
portico and a chillahana were made in front.
A khanaqah and ayvan were built from the east, and an
altar was built instead of the eastern door of the
mausoleum. A small tower was built in the eastern
corner of the entrance, and a qalandarkhana was built
next to it. It was scientifically studied in 1981-83. It was
restored after independence. According to this
information, in the 10th-14th centuries, there was a
huge fortress named Norinjon in the area. This region
was home to a powerful religious figure, namely
Muhammad ibn Musa ibn Dawud Abu Abdullah an-
Norinjani. Later, as a result of scientific research, the
name Norinjon bobo was given based on the name of
Norinjoni.
The necrotoponym "Buvrahon ota" is located in the
"Kipschak" mahalla of the Kungrad district. Born in
1111, his real name was Ibrahim binni Suleiman. This
man was actually born in Arabia. He came to these
places with a caravan and gave religious education
here. The local people called this man Buvrahan Ota.
The cemetery where this man was buried after his
death was called the "Burahan Ota" cemetery.
The necrotoponym "Shibiliy Ota" is located in the
village of Kumshungul in the Kegeyli district. According
to historical sources, Abu Bakr al-Shibili was born in 858
AD. There is no information about the place of birth of
the sheikh. According to orientalists, Sheikh Shibili was
one of the three renowned sheikhs in Baghdad in 912
and was also mentioned as a renowned scholar who
served at the court of the Baghdad Caliph alongside his
father. Mansur Khalladj was sentenced to death in 922
by Al Muqtadir, the Caliph of Baghdad, for saying "Ana
al-Haq" (that is, I am God). Many of his supporters,
scholars and murids, said, "We did not understand what
he was saying," and did not consent to the killing of
Mansur Khalladj. Despite resistance, Mansur Khalladj
was hanged by order of the caliph, and his supporters
were persecuted. At that time, Sheikh Shibli was forced
to leave Baghdad among the suspects.
According to other sources, Shibli arrived on the coast
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of the South Island (Ancient Khwarazm) in the first half
of the 10th century through trade with the aim of
spreading Sufi teachings. It is believed that at this time,
Sheikh Shibli was in his 60s and arrived in the territory
of today's Karakalpakstan (ancient Khorezm), where he
served the local population and gained authority
among them. Sheikh Shibli died in 945 at the age of 87
(ancient Khwarazm) in the territory of the present-day
Kegeyli district and was buried there. It was the
cemetery where Abu Bakr al-Shibili was buried that the
locals gave his name to.
Old necrotoponyms. The 3rd period is the period from
the 19th century to the second half of the 20th century.
The peculiarity of this period is that in the 1870s, Russia
conquered Central Asia. In 1924, he conquered all three
khanates on the territory of Uzbekistan and annexed
them to the Union. The Soviet system was established
everywhere, and the Russian language was declared
the language of interethnic communication. Many
toponyms and hydronyms were considered obsolete,
and they were replaced by terms related to the Soviet
system. However, even under such circumstances, our
people preserved the names of necrotoponyms
without changing them. In this system, religion was
promoted as an opium for the people, and even people
were banned from participating in funerals, but the
people's love for great ancestors, great scholars, and
the necrotoponyms named after them remained. For
example:
The necrotoponym "Dovut Ota" is located in the
"Adabiyot" mahalla of Kungrad district. The reason for
the creation of this cemetery was not a prophet, but a
simple man like us. David lived between 1787 and 1874.
In fact, the place of birth and upbringing was the
Aktobe region of Kazakhstan. David was the son of
Esau, and Esau was the son of Barak. In reality, David
was a brave warrior, a mare of his village. During the
Russian invasion of Kazakhstan, 420 families arrived on
the banks of the Amu Darya River. This information is
presented in the work of Mirzan Zhetpisbaev from
Kazakhstan, "Dav-atovli Dovud." When David died, he
was buried in this cemetery, and the cemetery was
named after David. Mirzatayev Mayram Ziynellaevich,
the inspector of the David ota cemetery, also
mentioned this information.
The necrotoponym Musa Eshon Baba is located in the
"Sarabiy" mahalla of the Ellikkala district. The cemetery
of Musa Eshon is highly valued and visited by the
Sarabian people. Musa eshan-bobo moved from
Karmana in the 1800s, became a religious figure, and
taught the Islamic religion to the population. In the
middle of the cemetery there is a large hill of earth. It is
said that Musa eshan Baba was buried on this hill. There
is no information about when he was buried. There is
only such information in the local language, and this
cemetery has been leveled six times so far. When the
tombs disappeared and were neglected, the Ishans,
who had a strong religious knowledge, allowed them to
smooth out the religious scriptures, and then smooth
out and reburied them. The modern tombs are the
tombs of the seventh generation. Musa eshan Baba was
so named because he was buried.
The necrotoponym "One and a Half Martyrs" is located
in the "Buston" neighborhood of the Amu Darya
district. The history of the "One and a Half Thousand
Martyrs" cemetery is as follows.In March-May 1873,
the army of Tsarist Russia invaded Khorezm with an
army. As a result, after the cities of Kungrad, Khojeli,
Mangit, the cities of Khazarasp and Khiva were
mercilessly occupied by the Russians. The historian
Muhammad Yusuf Bayani writes about this invasion in
his work "Shajarai Khorezm Shahi":..." Veryovkin came
to a large village near Mangit. The general ordered. The
Russian troops attacked him and slaughtered all the
inhabitants, male and female, young and old. After that,
they burned him and destroyed him. Not satisfied with
this, he attacked the fortress of Mangit and slaughtered
men and women, young and old, women and children
lying in cradles. Dogs, donkeys, and turkeys were
always shooting. They killed him without leaving him
alive. Then they set fire to the town and went out."This
is only an excerpt from the bloody events of May 28,
1873. In the memoirs of Sodiqboy Muhammad Murad,
the father of the poet-ulanic poet Karima Sodiq Kizi
from the village of "Chaykul" near the Mangit fortress,
who was a living witness to this bloody conflict, it is
noted: "Sacred books wrapped in felt and buried in
sacks in the mosque chapel built by Muhammad
Sultanboy the shepherd survived the fire." The crowd
of mourners gathered the bodies of those who had died
in the gun battle near the mosque that had been built
by Muhammad Sultanbay and burnt to ashes. Under
the surviving north-eastern wall of Mangit fortress, the
martyrs were laid in a row and buried with their faces
buried with the wall of the fortress. According to
historical sources, 1,500 people were buried in this
area. That is why this cemetery is called the "One
Thousand and a Half Martyrs" cemetery.
The necrotoponym "Azizler bobo" is located in the
"Samanbay" APJ of the Nukus district. It is located on
the territory of Akmangyt village, on the east side of
Tuk-Kala. In the middle of the 18th century, the people
living in the Shortanbay region were led by the imam of
Allaberdi. Allaberdi cemetery is shown on the map of
Labachevsky, who was a spiritual leader of the
Karakalpaks. The animal is found in the written sources
of the Khiva khans about the fact that Azizler
grandfather owned 300 tanob lands around the
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fortress. As a result of the demolition of the old
mausoleum above Baba's grave, in 1979, his
descendants restored a new dome and erected a
memorial stone on it. The names of Allaberdi Azizler,
his descendants Rahmankuli, Subkhonkuli, and others
are inscribed on the stone. The cemetery where
Allaberdi Azizler was buried after his father's death was
named after him. Over time, the name of Azizler father
changed to Aziler father.
The necrotoponym "Pirman eshon" is located in the
"Kushjop" APJ of the Kanlikul district. There is no
information about when this man, whose real name
was Pirmuhammad, was born. One day the people built
a mosque and there was not enough poplars to cover
the roof of the mosque. At that moment, Pirman eshon
pulls the poplar with his hand, and the poplar stretches.
After this event, the people recognized him as having
divine power and earned respect. Before he died, he
made a will to put his div in a cart with two bulls and
bury it where the bulls stopped. He died in 1811 and his
children executed his will. The place where Pirman
eshan was buried became a cemetery and became
known as Pirman eshan cemetery. This information was
recorded from the Improvement Supervisor at the
"Pirman Eshon" cemetery, Sagiyev Rapaddin.
Period 4. The period from the second half of the 20th
century to the present. New necrotoponyms.
The peculiarity of this period is that the population of
the Republic of Karakalpakstan is rapidly growing. The
population of the republic, which had a population of
about one million in the 1970s, now exceeds two
million. In recent years, three new districts have been
created in the region - Ellikkala, Bozatau, and
Takhiatash districts. Thousands of hectares of new
lands have been opened. Cemeteries were established
to bury people who had died in the areas where the
population had moved. Since these people were also
famous among the residents of that village, the
cemetery was named after them. For example:
The "Shavten Khoja" cemetery is located in the
"Kyzylkum" mahalla of the Ellikkala district. Shavten
Khoja cemetery is a cemetery where people of Kazakh
nationality are buried. Shafton Khoja was a doctor who
knew the Islamic religion well and was engaged in
animal husbandry. After Shavten Khoja died, this
cemetery was named after him.
The necrotoponym "Sharofat Bobo" is located in the
SRA "Sarabiy" of the Ellikkala district. In 1995, people
began to be buried in the Sharofat Bobo cemetery. The
locals called this cemetery in the sense that it should be
honorable and harmless to no one.
The necronym "Eshon bobo" is located in the "Ulli bog"
mahalla of the Turtkul district. The Eshon Bobo
cemetery is a cemetery that has been preserved since
ancient times. The old name of this cemetery has not
been preserved until now. In 2001, Pirim was
landscaped by a man named Makhsim, named after
Eshon Bobo, and burials began.
The necrotoponym "Tajibike" is located in the "Berdaq"
neighborhood of the Kungrad district. Tajibiyke was
originally a nickname, and her real name was a woman
named Damitken. It is unknown when he was born, only
there is information that he died in 1976. This man was
engaged in medicine. According to local people, she
was a very tall woman. The cemetery where Dadimken
Momo was buried after her death was given her
nickname, that is, the name Tajibiyke.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the study of the history of
Karakalpakstan, the origin, ethnic characteristics,
national culture, and linguistic features of the peoples
who lived in it, provides great opportunities for science.
An in-depth study of necrotoponyms, which are an
integral part of the history of peoples, is also an urgent
issue.
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