ORIENTAL STUDIES / SHARQSHUNOSLIK /
ВОСТОКОВЕДЕНИЕ
2017,
№
4
19
POYONOV SHOHMALIK
Researcher, TSIOS
The study of the history of the Arab conquests
in the English historiography
Abstract.
In this article, the study of the history of the Arab conquests in the English-
language historiography in XX–XXI centuries is discussed. The data about the well-
known English orientalists and their works on the history of conquests is analyzed.
Keywords and expressions:
British orientalists, Royal Geographical Society, Arab
Caliphate, Sir William Muir, “The Arab Conquests in Central Asia”, Transoxania, Qu-
taybah b. Muslim, W. Barthold, H.N.Kennedy.
Аннотация
.
Ушбу
мақолада
XX–XXI
аср
инглиз
тарихшунослигида
араб
фатҳ
юришларининг
ўрганилиши
ҳақида
сўз
юритилади
.
Бунда
,
асосан
,
кўзга
кўринган
инглиз
шарқшунослари
ҳамда
уларнинг
асарлари
таҳлил
доирасига
тортилган
.
Таянч
сўз
ва
иборалар
:
Britaniyalik sharqshunoslar, Qirollik geografiya jamiyati,
Arab xalifaligi, “Markaziy Osiyoda arab istilolari”, Movarounnahr, Qutayba ibn Mus-
lim, V. Bartold, H.N. Kennedi.
Аннотация
.
В
этой
статье
изучаается
история
арабских
завоеваний
в
англий
-
ской
историографии
XX–XXI
веков
.
Проанализированы
работы
крупных
английских
востоковедов
.
Опорные
слова
и
выражения
:
британские
ориенталисты
,
Королевское
геогра
-
фическое
общество
,
Арабский
халифат
, «
Арабские
завоевания
в
Центральной
Азии
»,
Мавераннахр
,
Кутейба
ибн
Муслим
,
В
.
Бартольд
,
Х
.
Н
.
Кеннеди
.
The attention to the study of the nation, its history and culture in the continent
of Europe began from XVIII century, and there were organized several specific
scientific research centres. “Until the eighteenth century, there had been translated
the works by Russian, Arabian and Western European authors regarding the
Uzbeks, the Kirghiz, the Kazakhs, the Tadjiks and others pertaining to history,
ethnography and so on”
1
.
The history and issues of the conquests of the Arabs in Central Asia and sub-
duement of this region to the Arab Caliphate had paid attention by the European
orientalists. The study of this period was carried out by the British orientalists initially.
The first research works in English on the history of Central Asia were carried
out on the basis of the Russian historiography – the research works in Russian,
and there had been collected a certain amount of data in the specific scientific
English research centres (such as the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal
Society of Central Asian studies)
2
.
1
Масалиева
О
.
ХХ
аср
инглиз
-
америка
тарихшунослигида
Бухоро
,
Хива
ва
Қўқон
хонлик
-
лари
тарихи
.
Тарих
фанлари
номзоди
и
.
д
. ...
дисс
. –
Т
., 1999. 16-
б
.
2
Масалиева
О
.
ХХ
аср
инглиз
-
америка
тарихшунослигида
Бухоро
,
Хива
ва
Қўқон
хонлик
-
лари
тарихи
.
Тарих
фанлари
номзоди
и
.
д
. ...
дисс
. –
Т
., 1999. 16–17-
б
.
ORIENTAL STUDIES / SHARQSHUNOSLIK /
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2017,
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The initial study and investigation of the history of the Arabs and the Arab
Caliphate in the English historiography in the late of nineteenth century is con-
nected with the name of Scottish orientalist, Sir William Muir (1819–1905).
The book named “The Caliphate. Its rise, decline and fall”
1
by this orientalist,
which was published in Edinburgh, 1915, gives very useful data about the history
of Caliphate. This book was one of the sources to study the history of the Arab
Caliphate in Europe and published several times (in 1883, 1891, 1899 and 1915).
Sir William Muir’s book includes data about the history of Central Asia and the
advent of the Arabs to this region. Especially, the chapters LI, LII narrate about the
conquests in Central Asia, in particular, Qutaybah ibn Muslim’s military campaigns
2
.
A Scottish orientalist, Sir Hamilton Alexander Roskeen Gibb (1895–1971)
also studied the history of the Caliphate and Muslim world. His research work
named “The Arab Conquests in Central Asia”
3
is one of the essential scientific
literatures to study the history of the invasions carried out by the Arab vicegerents
in the region of Khurasan and Transoxania.
“The Arab Conquests in Central Asia” was Gibb’s thesis written for Master of
Arts, gained in 1922. The first draft of this work was presented to the University
of London in 1921 under the title of “The Arab conquests in Transoxania” as a
thesis and approved by the Senate in 1922, for publication as such
4
.
H.A.R. Gibb emphasized that the scientific works and lectures of Russian academic
W. Barthold such as “Turkestan” (“Turkestan Dawn to the Mongol Invasion”) and
“The Nomads of Central Asia” were one of the most important and valuable for his
thesis
5
. This work is valuable for studying the military expansions of the Arabs, due to
the fact that the monography gives important information and scientific conclusions
about the political condition in the region on the eve and during the invasions. The
contents of the book consist of five parts. The early history, political divisions in Cen-
tral Asia, moreover, the early Arab raids, conquests of Qutaybah ibn Muslim, Turkish
counterstroke with the Arabs, and the reconquest of Transoxania are narrated in it.
H.A.R. Gibb explains the reasons and factors of success of the Arabs to conquer the
region
6
, and interprets the events of military campaigns carried out by Muslim Arabs.
He focused on the campaigns of Qutaybah ibn Muslim more, as these campaigns of this
Khurasan vicegerent were the most intensive and carried out on a large scale. So, the
author divides Qutaybah’s military campaigns into four stages:
1
Muir W. The Caliphate. Its Rise, Decline and Fall. From original sources. A new and revised
edition by T.H. Weir. – Edinburgh: John Grant, 1915.
2
The same book. – P. 346–369.
3
Gibb H.A.R. The Arab Conquests in Central Asia. James G. Forlong Fund. Vol. II. – London:
The Royal Asiatic Society, 1923.
4
The same book. – P. 7.
5
Gibb H.A.R. The Arab Conquests in Central Asia. James G. Forlong Fund. Vol. II. – London:
The Royal Asiatic Society, 1923. – P. 7–8.
6
Gibb H.A.R. The Arab Conquests in Central Asia. James G. Forlong Fund. Vol. II. – London:
The Royal Asiatic Society, 1923. – P. 5–10.
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1. 86/705: The recovery of Lower Tukharistan;
2. From 87/706 to 90/709: The conquest of Bukhara;
3. From 91/710 to 93/712: Consolidation of the Arab authority in the Oxus
valley and its extension into Sughd;
4. From 94/713 to 96/715: Expeditions into the Jaxartes provinces
1
.
In the further years, several scholars studied the history of conquests too. One of
them, John Bagot Glubb (1897–1986), a British commander and scholar, studied the
history of the Muslim world. His scientific opinions about Arab Caliphate and
conquests in his “The Great Arab Conquests”
2
and “The Empire of the Arabs”
3
.
Clifford Edmund Bosworth (1928–2015) investigated the history of the Arab
Caliphate and the Arab conquests in his scientific research works
4
. In particular,
his book “The Islamic dynasties, a chronological and genealogical handbook” is
one of the essential books to study the history of caliphs and Caliphate
5
. Another
book by this orientalist “Historic Cities of the Islamic World” narrates about the
cities of Muslim world and gives enough information about the history
6
.
The history of the Arab conquests is being investigated in the modern English
historiography. There have been published several literatures and carried out a
considerable number of research works regarding this theme.
Hugh Nigel Kennedy, one of the well-known British orientalists, studied the
conquests of the Arabs in a large-scale. His book named “The Great Arab Con-
quests. How Islam Changed the World We Live In”
7
is one of the literatures to
study the conquests implemented by the Arabs in the VII–IX centuries not only in
Central Asia but also the other regions. The seventh and eighth chapters of this
book give detailed information about the conquests implemented in Central Asia.
For example, the seventh chapter “Crossing the Oxus” discusses the initial raids
of the Arabs to the region, and the early incursions to Transoxania till the begin-
ning of the eighth century
8
. Qutaybah ibn Muslim’s military campaigns (705–
1
The same book. – P. 31.
2
Glubb J.B. The Great Arab conquests. – New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 1967.
3
The same book. – London, 1963.
4
Bosworth C.E. The Islamic dynasties, a chronological and genealogical handbook. – Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press, 1967, revised edition in 1980; the History of Al-Tabari. Vol. XXXII.
The reunification of the Abbasid caliphate. The caliphate of Al-Ma’mun A.D. 812–833 /
A. H. 198–213. – Albany: SUNY Press, 1989. Qutayba b. Muslim. The Encyclopedia of Islam,
New Edition, Volume V: Khe–Mahi. – Leiden and New York: Brill, 1986. – P. 541–542; Nasr bin
Sayy
ā
r. The Encyclopedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume VII: Mif–Naz. – Leiden and New York:
Brill, 1993. – P. 1015–1016.
5
Bosworth C.E. The Islamic dynasties, a chronological and genealogical handbook. – Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press, 1967, revised edition in 1980.
6
Historic Cities of the Islamic World. Edited by C.E. Bosworth. – Leiden–Boston: Brill, 2007.
7
Kennedy H.N. The Great Arab Conquests. How Islam Changed the World We Live In. –
Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2007.
8
Kennedy H.N. The Great Arab Conquests. How Islam Changed the World We Live In. Chapter
7. Crossing the Oxus. – Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2007. – P. 207-229.
ORIENTAL STUDIES / SHARQSHUNOSLIK /
ВОСТОКОВЕДЕНИЕ
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715), his achievement in conquering the local sovereigns of Transoxania, further
political events – the Turkish counterstroke in 715–737, as well as the military
activities of the next Khurasan vicegerents
1
are narrated thoroughly in the book.
To conclude, we can say that the medieval history of Central Asia, in particu-
lar, the Arab conquests implemented by the Arabs and subordination of the region
by the Arab Caliphate was studied and investigated thoroughly in the English
historiography. The works carried out by the English orientalists play an essential
role to study the Arab conquests in Central Asia as the most of the research works
and literatures were written and published by them.
NARIMANOV QAHRAMON
Researcher, TSIOS
Scientific heritage of the great thinker Abu Raykhan Beruniy
Abstract.
The article is dedicated to scientific heritage of the great encyclopedial
scientist Abu Raykhan Beruni. There given information about his role in world's science
and books written by him. As well as, there given analysis of Berunis scientific activity
and common points in works of another scientists of his time.
Keywords and expressions:
genius, thinker, heritage, science, scientific works,
practice, mind, criticize, nature, theory of knowledge, manuscript.
Аннотация
.
Бу
мақола
улуғ
қомусий
аллома
Абу
Райҳон
Берунийнинг
илмий
ме
-
роси
ҳақида
.
Мақолада
Абу
Райҳон
Берунийнинг
дунё
илм
-
фанига
қўшган
ҳиссаси
ва
аллома
яратган
асарлар
ҳақида
маълумот
берилган
.
Шунингдек
,
Берунийнинг
ил
-
мий
фаолияти
ва
унинг
фан
соҳасидагибошқа
мутафаккирларнинг
илмий
фаолияти
билан
уйғун
жиҳатлари
таҳлил
этилди
.
Таянч
сўз
ва
иборалар
:
аллома
,
мутафаккир
,
мерос
,
илм
-
фан
,
илмий
ишлар
,
тажриба
,
билим
,
танқид
,
табиат
,
билиш
назарияси
,
қўлёзма
.
Аннотация
.
Эта
статья
о
научном
наследии
великого
энциклопедиста
мысли
-
теля
Абу
Райхана
Беруни
.
В
статье
отмечен
вклад
ученого
в
мировую
науку
.
А
также
,
проведен
сравнительный
анализ
научной
деятельности
ученого
.
Опорные
слова
и
выражения
:
учёный
,
мыслитель
,
наследие
,
наука
,
научная
дея
-
тельность
,
опыт
,
знание
,
критика
,
природа
,
теория
познания
,
рукопись
.
It is difficult to mark the great inventions which were created with scientific
value by the great encyclopedia scientist Abu Raykhan Beruni. Only 31 works
have been kept to us, in spite of having 150 scientific works of Beruni and his
manuscripts which have been kept to us testifies that he left us great heritage.
1
Kennedy H.N. The Great Arab Conquests. How Islam Changed the World We Live In / Chapter
8. The Road to Samarqand. – Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2007. – P. 230-261.
