Isfana

, image_skyline = One of the Streets of Isfana.JPG
, imagesize = 250px
, image_caption = One of the Streets of Isfana.JPG
, image_flag =
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, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Kyrgyzstan
, pushpin_label_position = bottom
, pushpin_mapsize = 250
, pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kyrgyzstan
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_type1 = Region
, subdivision_type2 = District
, subdivision_name = Kyrgyzstan
, subdivision_name1 = Batken
, subdivision_name2 = Leylek
, established_title = City status
, established_date = 2001
, government_type =
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Chyngyz Rysov
, area_magnitude =
, area_total_km2 = 41.35
, area_total_sq_mi = 107
, area_land_km2 =
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, population_as_of = 2021
, population_footnotes =
, population_total = 34219
, population_urban = 23038
, population_metro =
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = KGT
, utc_offset = +6
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, elevation_footnotes =
, elevation_m = 1320
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 720400
, area_code = +996 3656
, website
isfana.kg
, footnotes =

Razzaqov ( ky, Раззаков, Razzaqov), formerly known as Isfana, is a small town in the extreme western end of Batken Region in southern Kyrgyzstan. The town is located in the southern part of the Fergana Valley, in a region surrounded on three sides by Tajikistan. It was renamed by President Sadyr Japarov in honour of Iskhak Razzakov on March 18, 2022.

Razzaqov has been inhabited since at least the 9th century. It underwent significant changes during the Soviet period. The selsoviet (rural council) of Isfana was established in 1937. The selsoviet was transformed into a village administration in 1996. In 2001, Askar Akayev issued a presidential decree to make Isfana into a town.

Razzaqov is the administrative center of Leylek District. The villages Myrza-Patcha, Samat, Chimgen, Taylan, Ak-Bulak, and Golbo are also governed by the Razzaqov Mayor's Office. As of 2021, the population of Razzaqov and the subordinated villages is 34,219. The population of Razzaqov itself is 23,038.

Names and etymology

The word "isfana" is believed to have come from the Sogdian word ''asbanikat'', ''asbanikent'' or ''aspanakent'' which means "the land of horses". According to historian Numon Negmatov, from the first to the ninth centuries Isfana was known as ''Asbanikat''. From the 10th to the 12th centuries it was called ''Aspanikent''. Starting from the 12th or 13th century the town's name gradually changed to ''Asbani'', ''Aspana'', ''Asvona'', ''Isvona'' and, finally, to ''Isfana''.

Since ''Isfana'' is not a Kyrgyz word, Kyrgyz nationalists called for renaming the town in honor of Iskhak Razzakov who served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Kyrgyz SSR. In December 2021, President Sadyr Japarov announced that he had made the decision to rename the town after Razzakov in the context of border tensions with neighboring Tajikistan. Later Japarov signed the Law "On renaming the city of Isfana, Leilek District, Batken Region, into the city of Razzakov", which was adopted by the Supreme Council on March 16, 2022.

History

Early history

The history of Razzaqov dates back to the 9-16th centuries. In 1957, archeologist Y. A. Zadneprovskiy found items dating back to the 14-16th centuries in the territory of the town. According to Numon Negmatov, Isfana corresponds to the medieval town of Asbanikat. The town was first part of Osrushana and was later conquered by the Samanids. In 1221, Isfana was sieged and conquered by the Mongol Empire. The northwestern part of Razzaqov through which the Mongols invaded is still known as "conquered by the Mongols" ( ky, Моңол Баскан; uz, Moʻgʻul Bosgan / Мўғул Босган).

The medieval town of Isfana was in the central part of modern Razzqov. It was home to a large fortress which was built in the 12th century. The last remaining walls of the Isfana Fortress were demolished in the 1970s.

18-19th centuries

Throughout history, Razzaqov was part of states that reigned the area that more or less corresponds to present-day Uzbekistan. From 1709 until 1876, Isfana was part of the Uzbek Khanate of Kokand. In mid-19th century, the Russian Empire began occupying the area of present-day Central Asia. By the late 19th century, imperial Russia had conquered all of the three states that dominated the territory roughly corresponding to present-day Uzbekistan. The Khanate of Khiva was conquered in 1873 and the Emirate of Bukhara fell in 1868. The Kokand Khanate formally became part of the Russian Empire in 1876.

Russian linguist Mirsalikh Bekchurin wrote that in 1866 there were about 500 households in Isfana. However, Uzbek historian Temirboy Yoqubov disputed this claim, saying that the residents of Isfana had historically paid taxes for 1,000 households. Bekchurin wrote that Isfana was protected by a 200-men garrison whose members were armed "only with lances and sabers".

Soviet and contemporary history

Even though Razzaqov was historically an Uzbek settlement, it became part of present-day Kyrgyzstan. When Russians split the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic into autonomous oblasts, Isfana became part of the Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast, which was later reorganized into the Kirghiz ASSR and later into the Kirghiz SSR. After the dissolution of the USSR, the Kirghiz SSR became Kyrgyzstan. Thus, despite being a majority-Uzbek settlement, Isfana became part of Kyrgyzstan.

Some sources hold that the Soviets drew borders inconsistent with the traditional locations of ethnic populations so that people with historical claims to land would be dependent on the central power, that is Moscow, making them easier to control. According to these sources, the creation of individual republics was meant to reduce the threat of pan-Turkic or pan-Islamic movements in Central Asia. This strategy has been referred to as Joseph Stalin's "divide and rule" policy. Currently, there are many traditionally Uzbek settlements in Kyrgyzstan. Many people in Central Asia believe that they should more appropriately be part of another country. However, some scholars claim that since during the Soviet demarcation of Central Asia many places in Central Asia were ethnically mixed, it was impossible to clearly define ethnic and territorial boundaries.

Razzaqov underwent significant changes during the Soviet period. Under the Soviet rule, Isfana was transformed from an underdeveloped Muslim settlement into a typical Soviet village. The selsoviet (rural council) of Isfana was established in 1937. During World War II, 571 residents of the village were sent to the front line, 385 of whom died fighting.

The Isfana selsoviet was transformed into a village administration in 1996. In 2001, Askar Akayev issued a presidential decree to make Isfana into a town. The town was renamed Razzaqov on 16 March 2022.

Geography

Razzaqov is in the western part of Batken Region at an altitude of 1,320 meters above sea level. The town is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The mountains are within a few kilometers from the city. The highest of these are the mountains of the Turkestan Range, which is a northern extension of the Pamir-Alay system of mountain ranges.

Area

The area of Razzaqov is 41.35 square kilometers (107 square miles).

Climate

Razzaqov has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification ''BSk'') with sharp continental influences. The city has hot summers and cold winters. The spring and fall see significant rainfall, while the summers are hot and dry. There are many dryland wheat and barley fields in the Isfana area that depend on winter snow and spring rain to produce good crops.

Summers are long in Razzaqov, usually lasting from May to September. Razzaqov can be extremely hot during the summer months. The town also sees very little precipitation during the summer, particularly from June through September.

Demographics

As of 2021, the total population of Razzaqov and the subordinated villages is estimated to be 34,219 people. The population of the town of Razzaqov itself is 23,038.

According to the 2009 Population and Housing Census of Kyrgyzstan, at that time the population of Razzaqov itself was 18,244 and the population of Razzaqov and the subordinated villages was 27,965. The 1999 census had put the number of people living in the then village of Isfana at 15,910. As of 2021, the populations of Razzaqov and the subordinated villages are as follows:

A large number of the residents of Razzaqov are migrant workers in Russia. There are no official data on the number of Razzaqovites who work abroad.

Representatives of many ethnic groups can be found in the town. Uzbeks are the largest ethnic group in Razzaqov. However, if the populations of the six subordinated villages are included, the Kyrgyz become the largest ethnic group. According to data from 2005, the ethnic make-up of Razzaqov and the six subordinated villages is as follows: 50.2 percent are Kyrgyz, 48.6 percent are Uzbek, 0.3 percent are Tatar

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