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Gurgānj Dam
The Gurgānj Dam was a major water engineering project of medieval-era Central Asia. The dam was constructed on the Amu Darya (Oxus) river, near what is now called Konye-Urgench ("Old Gurgānj") in northern Turkmenistan. It was destroyed in 1221 by the troops of Genghis Khan and began to flow into Sarygamysh Lake. History The dam stood from about 985 to April 1221, when it was destroyed following the Siege of Gurganj during the Mongol invasion of Khorasan. While it stood, the wickerwork dam was located about a mile upstream from the town. The dam diverted the flow of the previously forked river entirely to the Aral Sea. Our knowledge of the dam comes from both al-Biruni and Yakut. The dam had gates that controlled the flow of water, much like other dams of the same period throughout Central Asia, such as the one on the Zarafshon river at Afrasiyab. The dam was just one part of the city's waterworks, which included irrigation canals watering expansive agricultural fields. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yaqut Al-Hamawi
Yāqūt Shihāb al-Dīn ibn-ʿAbdullāh al-Rūmī al-Ḥamawī (1179–1229) () was a Muslim scholar of Byzantine ancestry active during the late Abbasid period (12th–13th centuries). He is known for his , an influential work on geography containing valuable information pertaining to biography, history and literature as well as geography. Life ''Yāqūt'' (''ruby'' or '' hyacinth'') was the '' kunya'' of Ibn Abdullāh ("son of Abdullāh"). He was born in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, called in Arabic al-Rūm, whence his '' nisba'' "al-Rūmi". Captured in war and enslaved, Yāqūt became " mawali" to ‘Askar ibn Abī Naṣr al-Ḥamawī, a trader of Baghdad, Iraq, the seat of the Abbasid Caliphate, from whom he received the '' laqab'' "al-Hamawī". As ‘Askar's apprentice, he learned about accounting and commerce, becoming his envoy on trade missions and travelling twice or three times to Kish in the Persian Gulf. In 1194, ‘Askar stopped his salar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Khwarazmian Empire
The Khwarazmian Empire (), or simply Khwarazm, was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate, Sunni Muslim empire of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. Khwarazmians ruled large parts of present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran from 1077 to 1231; first as vassals of the Seljuk Empire and the Qara Khitai (Western Liao dynasty), and from circa 1190 as independent rulers up until the Mongol conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire, Mongol conquest in 1219–1221. The date of the founding of the state remains debatable. The dynasty that ruled the empire was founded by Anushtegin Gharchai, Anush Tigin (also known as Gharachai), initially a Turkic slave of the rulers of Gharchistan, later a Mamluk in the service of the Seljuks. However, it was Atsiz, Ala ad-Din Atsiz (r. 1127–1156), descendant of Anush Tigin, who achieved Khwarazm's independence from its neighbors. The Khwarazmian Empire eventually became the most powerful state in the lands around Persia, defeating the S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1221 Disestablishments
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sports, where it commonly denotes the first, leading, or top thing in a group. 1 is the unit of counting or measurement, a determiner for singular nouns, and a gender-neutral pronoun. Historically, the representation of 1 evolved from ancient Sumerian and Babylonian symbols to the modern Arabic numeral. In mathematics, 1 is the multiplicative identity, meaning that any number multiplied by 1 equals the same number. 1 is by convention not considered a prime number. In digital technology, 1 represents the "on" state in binary code, the foundation of computing. Philosophically, 1 symbolizes the ultimate reality or source of existence in various traditions. In mathematics The number 1 is the first natural number after 0. Each natural number, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
985 Establishments
Year 985 ( CMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Henry II (the Wrangler) is restored as duke of Bavaria by Empress Theophanu and her mother-in-law Adelaide at an ''Hoftag'' assembly in Rohr (Thuringia). King Otto III (5-years old) remains under the regency of the two empresses in the Holy Roman Empire and in the Kingdom of Italy. * Battle of Fýrisvellir: King Eric the Victorious defeats a Swedish Viking army under Styrbjörn the Strong (his nephew) near Uppsala. * July 6 – The city of Barcelona is sacked by Moorish troops under Al-Mansur, the '' de facto'' ruler of Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain). England * Lady Wulfrun, an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, is granted land by King Æthelred II (the Unready). She founds ''Heantune'' that later becomes the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. Asia * Raja Raja Chola I (considered by many as the greatest emperor of the Chola Empire) becomes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oasis Of Bukhara
Bukhara Oasis () is a fertile area in the south-eastern part of Uzbekistan formed by the Zarafshon (river), Zerafshan River. The oasis is heavily populated and Bukhara is the largest city. The oasis has been inhabited for at least two and a half millennia. After becoming a part of the Silk Road, Bukhara Oasis' influence grew over its neighbours. It was conquered by Arabs in the 9th century. As of 2019, approximately 1.2 million people live in the oasis while the area of irrigation stretches to . Geography Bukhara Oasis is located in the south-east of Uzbekistan, near the smaller Qorakoʻl, Qaraqol Oasis, on the alluvial plain formed by the meandering Zerafshan River. The Oasis emerged at the Zerafshan River delta between two larger waterways, Syr Darya and Amu Darya; it divides two cultural regions: Mediterranean-Iranian and China. The northern reach of the oasis is framed by the Kulduk-Too, Kouldouktou mountains, but the average altitudes of the oasis are low: 200 to 260 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Destruction Under The Mongol Empire
The Mongol conquests resulted in widespread and well-documented death and destruction throughout Eurasia, as the Mongol army invaded hundreds of cities and killed millions of people. As such, the Mongol Empire, which remains the largest contiguous polity to ever have existed, is regarded as having perpetrated some of the deadliest acts of mass killing in human history. More recently, the Mongol Empire's conquests have been classified as genocidal. For example, British historian John Joseph Saunders described Mongol troops as "the most notorious practitioners of genocide". Strategy Genghis Khan and his generals preferred to offer their enemies a chance to surrender without resistance. These enemies would then become vassals by sending tribute, accepting Mongol residents, and/or contributing troops. In return, the Khan would guarantee their protection, but only if those who submitted to Mongol rule were obedient. Those who agreed to pay the Mongols tribute were spared invasio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Afrasiyab (Samarkand)
Afrasiyab (),( ''afrāsiyāb'') is an ancient site in Northern Samarkand, present day Uzbekistan, that was occupied from c. 500 BC to 1220 AD prior to the Mongol invasion in the 13th century (see Siege of Samarkand (1220)).Archaeological Research in Central Asia of the Muslim Period', World Archaeology Vol. 14, No. 3, Islamic Archaeology (Feb., 1983), pp. 393–405 (13 pages) The oldest layers date from the middle of the first millennium BC. Today, it is a hilly grass mound located near the Bibi Khanaum Mosque. Excavations uncovered the now famous Afrasiab frescoes exposed in the Afrasiab Museum of Samarkand, located next to the archaeological site. Overview Afrasiyab is the oldest part and the ruined site of the ancient and medieval city of Samarkand. It was located on high ground for defensive reasons, south of a river valley and north of a large fertile area which has now become part of the city of Samarkand. The habitation of the territories of Afrasiyab began in the 7th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zarafshon (river)
The Zarafshon is a river in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. Its name, "spreader of gold" in Persian, refers to the presence of gold-bearing sands in the upper reaches of the river. To the ancient Greeks it was known as the ''Polytimetus''. It was also formerly known as ''Sughd River''. The river is long and has a basin area of . Geographic position It rises at the Zeravshan Glacier, close to where the Turkestan Range and the Zeravshan Range of the Pamir-Alay mountains meet, in Tajikistan. In its upper course, upstream from its confluence with the Fan Darya, it is also called ''Matcha''. It flows due west for some , passing Panjakent before entering Uzbekistan at , where it turns west-to-north-west, flowing past the legendary city of Samarkand, where it feeds the Dargom Canal, which is entirely dependent on the oasis thus created, until it bends left again to the west north of Navoiy and further to the south-west, passing Bukhara before it is lost in the desert ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al-Biruni
Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni (; ; 973after 1050), known as al-Biruni, was a Khwarazmian Iranian scholar and polymath during the Islamic Golden Age. He has been called variously "Father of Comparative Religion", "Father of modern geodesy", Founder of Indology and the first anthropologist. Al-Biruni was well versed in physics, mathematics, astronomy, and natural sciences, and also distinguished himself as a historian, chronologist, and linguist. He studied almost all the sciences of his day and was rewarded abundantly for his tireless research in many fields of knowledge. Royalty and other powerful elements in society funded al-Biruni's research and sought him out with specific projects in mind. Influential in his own right, al-Biruni was himself influenced by the scholars of other nations, such as the Greeks, from whom he took inspiration when he turned to the study of philosophy. A gifted linguist, he was conversant in Khwarezmian, Persian, Arabic, and Sanskri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Asia
Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Persian suffix "-stan" (meaning ) in both respective native languages and most other languages. The region is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the southwest, European Russia to the northwest, China and Mongolia to the east, Afghanistan and Iran to the south, and Siberia to the north. Together, the five Central Asian countries have a total population of around million. In the pre-Islamic and early Islamic eras ( and earlier) Central Asia was inhabited predominantly by Iranian peoples, populated by Eastern Iranian-speaking Bactrians, Sogdians, Khwarezmian language, Chorasmians, and the semi-nomadic Scythians and Dahae. As the result of Turkic migration, Central Asia also became the homeland for the Kazakhs, Kyrgyzs, Volga Tatars, Tatars, Turkmens, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aral Sea
The Aral Sea () was an endorheic lake lying between Kazakhstan to its north and Uzbekistan to its south, which began shrinking in the 1960s and had largely dried up into desert by the 2010s. It was in the Aktobe and Kyzylorda regions of Kazakhstan and the Karakalpakstan autonomous region of Uzbekistan. The name roughly translates from Mongolic and Turkic languages to "Sea of Islands", a reference to the large number of islands (over 1,100) that once dotted its waters. The Aral Sea drainage basin encompasses Uzbekistan and parts of Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Formerly the third-largest lake in the world with an area of , the Aral Sea began shrinking in the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet irrigation projects. By 2007, it had declined to 10% of its original size, splitting into four lakes: the North Aral Sea, the eastern and western basins of the once far larger South Aral Sea, and the smaller intermediate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
