Islam is recognized as the official religion in Tajikistan. However, believing Muslims are divided into different religious movements.
Basically, it is Sunnism and Shiism. Here's how it happened historically...
Before the Arab conquests at the beginning of the 7th century AD. The main religious cults practiced by the peoples on the territory of Tajikistan were Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as Nestorian Christianity and Judaism.
The Arab invasion brought with it the complete "Islamization" of the territory, which was completely completed by the middle of the 11th century.
Scientist: who are the Tajiks and where do they come from
However, earlier, back in the 7th century AD, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, several trends arose in Islam, the main of which were Sunnism and Shiism.
The followers of Shiism - the Shiites recognize as the legitimate successor of the Prophet Muhammad only the fourth caliph Ali - the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as his descendants.
In turn, the Shiites are also divided into several areas.
For example, the Ismailis live mainly in Gorno-Badakhshan. It got its name from the name of Ismail, the son of the sixth imam, the head of the Shiite community, Jafar al-Sadiq. The current head of the Ismaili community is Prince Karim Aga Khan IV (born 1936 in Geneva; permanently resident in France).
Unlike the Shiites, the Sunnis do not recognize the possibility of mediation between God and people after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, they deny the idea of the special nature of Ali and the right of his descendants to the imamate.
Sufism is another direction of Islam, as many say - mystical-ascetic.
Already in the 11th-12th centuries, Sufi brotherhoods or orders began to emerge, headed by pirs and ishans. Some of these orders exist and are still active today. The most famous Sufi orders are Nakshbandiya, Kubravia, Qadiriya, Yasawiya.
On October 14, 1924, the second session of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, after the division of the Turkestan ASSR and the Bukhara SSR, approved a resolution on the national-territorial delimitation of Central Asia and the formation of the Turkmen SSR, the Uzbek SSR, the Tajik ASSR as part of the Uzbek SSR, the Kazakh ASSR, the Kara-Kyrgyz and Kara-Kalpak Autonomous regions within the RSFSR. And on October 16, 1929, the Tajik ASSR was transformed into the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, which voluntarily became part of the USSR.
Postage stamp of the USSR in 1957 / photo source: wikipedia.org
The Republic was henceforth proclaimed a home for all Tajiks, its official language the northern dialect of the Tajik-Persian language was declared, henceforth called Tajik (zabon-i tojik), on which Soviet-style literature was created.
In the 1930s, Tajik, along with other languages of the region, was first translated from Arabic into Latin and then into Cyrillic.
"Arabs"
According to the most common and almost generally accepted version, the word "Tajik" is derived from the Middle Persian tāzīk ("Arab", New Persian tāzi) or another related Iranian word (for example, Sogdian).
When the Muslim armies invaded Maverannahr in the 8th century, in addition to the Arabs, they included a large number of Iranian-speaking representatives who recently converted to Islam. During the conquest of this region, Muslims often came into conflict with the Karluk Turks. Therefore, the Turkic population of Central Asia adopted a variant of the Iranian word täžik to designate their Muslim opponents.
The Karakhanid Turks used this term to refer to Iranian-speaking Muslims living in the Amu Darya region and in Khorasan.
Maverannahr, or Transoxania, Khorasan and Khorezm on the map / photo source: wikipedia.org
As the historian Beykhaki reports, for example, the word "Tajik" was adopted as an ethnonym (the name of a nation or people) - according to him, the expression "we Tajiks" (mā tāzikān) was used at court.
The division into Turks and Tajiks from that time became to some extent an expression of the conflict between nomads and settled, military power and civil bureaucracy.
bureaucrats
The flag of Tajikistan uses the same colors as the flag of Iran, but in a different order / photo source: pixabay.com
In the literature of the Ilkhanid and Timurid eras (this is also characteristic of the Safavid period), this term was usually used to refer to the entire Persian-speaking population.
Who is older: Uzbeks or Tajiks
The name "Tajik" served to distinguish Persian subjects (state functionaries, merchants, artisans or peasants) from the ruling Turkic or Mongol elite. Thus, in the work of the Ilkhanid court historian Rashid al-Din, there are expressions bitikčiān-e tāzik (“Persian secretaries”) raʿiyat-e tāzik (“Persian peasants”). This word has also been found quite often in literature since the 13th century - by Sadi or Shah Nematullah Vali.
By the middle of the Safavid period, the term tājīk had become part of a clichéd formula describing the confrontation between the "people of the pen" (bureaucracy) and the "people of the sword" (military elite).
It should be noted that this confrontation was somewhat far-fetched - there were examples in history when representatives of the bureaucratic classes made a successful military career.
From profession to people
In Central Asia and Afghanistan, since about the 1400s, this word has been recorded as the name of all the Persian-speaking inhabitants of these regions.
Ruy González de Clavijo, an envoy of the Castilian king Enrique III to Timur, writes that the people living in this territory are called tangiquis (it seems that the Castilian emissary took the word tājīk in this way) and speak Persian, which is somewhat different from the Persian that is used "in Persia". The remarks of Gonzalez de Clavijo are confirmed by the writings of Uzbek authors of the 17th century.
Interestingly, already at the beginning of the 20th century, the word tājīk was recorded to refer to non-standard Persian dialects in the province of Fars in order to distinguish them from the urban Persian-speaking population and nomadic Lurs.
Khan's Palace in Kokand (modern Uzbekistan) / photo source: wikipedia.org
When in 1868 Russian troops conquered Samarkand and Bukhara, the Persian-speaking population of these cities used the term tājīk as a self-name.
The same situation was recorded in the Kokand Khanate and the Ferghana Valley. And only the Soviet government in 1924, when creating the Tajik Autonomous Republic, officially approved the word "Tajik" as the nationality of all people living in this territory.
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Tajikistan is a mountainous country. 93% of its territory is surrounded by mountains and faces the highest mountain systems of Central Asia: Tien Shan and Pamir. Almost half of the territory of Tajikistan is located at an altitude of more than 3000 m. Huge mountains with numerous gorges and canyons, through the base of which mountain rivers flow. It should also be noted that the mountains of Tajikistan arose in different eras. 
The mountain chain of the Kuraminsky Range and the Mogoltau Mountains are located far to the north of the Republic, they are part of the structural mountain structure of the western Tien Shan.
The length of the Kuraminsky Range is almost 170 km. The highest peak (Babai-ob, 3768 m) is located in the north-eastern part of the mountain range. A small isolated Mogoltau ridge rises in the south-west of the Kuraminsky mountain range, its height reaches 1623 m. Mogoltau is isolated by the Mirzarabat pass, extending along the Syrdarya River for 40 km. The Kumenyan mountain range and the Mogoltau mountains have a height of 320 - 500 m; the left bank part - between the river and the foot of the Turkestan mountain range, rises gradually to the south to 1000 m
Then follows the Ferghana Valley.
The valley is located between the Chatkal mountain range and the Kuraminsky ridge, and the Mogoltau mountains, from the northwest between the Turkestan and Alai ridges. The height of the Ferghana Valley varies from 320 m on the islands and rivers of the Syrdarya, and up to 800-1000 m.
in the foothills surrounding the valley. To the west of the Ferghana Valley, there is the Hungry Steppe Plain, the largest area of which is located in Tajikistan. Its absolute height is 250-300 m.
The Gissar mountain ranges occupy a central place in the territory of Tajikistan and face the south of the Tien Shan, including Turkestan, Zarafshan, Gissar, Karategin and Alai mountain ranges.
They are surrounded by the Ferghana Valley from the north, Gissar, Surkhobob and the Alai River from the south. The total length of the mountain ranges of this system from west to north is approximately 900 km.
People of Tajik
The Turkestan Range stretches for 200 km. between the Fergana and Zarafshan valleys. Reaching a high altitude in the eastern part (Pyramidal Peak, 5621 m), gradually falls in the north and ends with the Nuratau mountain range in Uzbekistan. The southern and northern slopes of Turkestan are very different: the southern one is almost snowless (8-14 km); the northern slope is longer and its snow levels reach 3500-4000 m.
Glaciers are located only in the eastern part of the mountain range.
The most significant of them is Rama (20 km). The roads connecting the Zarafshan and Fergana valleys pass through the Turkestan mountain ranges, many of which are up to 4000 m or more in height.
The most important among them is the Shakhristan pass (3351 m).
Part of the ridge between the Fandarya and Kshtut rivers was called the "Fan Mountains", which are distinguished by their complexity and colossal height (Chimtarga 5495 m).
The Gissar Range is separated from the Zarafshan Range, forming a watershed between the Amu Darya and Zarafshan basins. Its highest point is in the eastern and middle parts (peak, has the name of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party Soviet Union(KPSS) - 4688 km, peak Kaznok-4491 m). The Gissar mountain range has many passes, the most significant of which is the Anzob pass (3372 m). The Gissar Valley (which is about 100 km long.
and a width of 1.5 km. up to 24 km.) is expanded at the foot. The Vakhsh valley is located in the South - 110 km., width 7 - 25 km.
The Pamir Mountains occupy the eastern part of the Pamir mountain system, where two regions stand out: the Western Pamir and the Eastern Pamir. The border between these regions connects the Zulumart mountain range with the Usoy dam and Lake Yashilkul.
The short and meridional ridge of the Academy of Sciences is considered the main component of the Pamir Mountains, the average height of which is 5757 m.
The lowest pass of Kachal-Ayak (4340 m) is almost at the level of Mont Blanc, the highest peak of the Alps. The highest peak of this ridge, Ismoil Samoni Peak (former Communism Peak), reaches 7495 m. Several glaciers flow down the slopes of the peak, merging with the Garmo glacier. In the northern part of the mountain range, there is the peak of E. Korzhenevskaya (7105 m). The Western Pamirs are characterized by the diversity of their surface and the contrast of their heights.
The foot of the mountain ranges is located at an altitude of 1700 - 1800 m above sea level, and rises to 6000 m and above. From the north, the Pamirs are surrounded by the Zaalai Range (which is 95 km long). The highest Pamir highway, connecting the city of Osh with the center of GBAO-Khorog, passes through the Kizylart pass -4280 m. state border with China.
Details about the Pamir Mountains
Ak-Su. Approximately 120 km south of the city of Khujand, there is a wonderful mountainous area Ak-Su, famous for the beauty of untouched nature and extraordinary mountains. The tops of some mountains "go off scale" for 5000 meters. These are Ak-Su (5355 m), Blok (5239 m), Iskander (5120 m) and others. These mountains are made of dense granite with small ledges and cracks. It seems almost impossible to climb them, but climbers easily climb the rocky surface, conquering new peaks.
The beautiful, easily accessible gorges and passes of the area create ideal conditions for trekking and horseback riding.
Source of the Tajik people
Tajikistan: Notable Locals
Here are many famous people Tajikistan, who were born, regardless of whether they lived most of their lives in this country.
- politician Abdumalik Abdullayanov, former prime minister
- artist Abdullaev Abdullaev, artistic director, cinematographer
- Yusup Abdusalamov, Olympic medalist, wrestler
- Andrey Khakimovich Abduvalev, Olympic medalist, percussion hammers
- singer Sharomi Abubakr
- singer Firuza Alifova
- poet Shihabuddin Am'ak
- chess grandmaster Farrukh Amonatov
- politician Kadriddin Aslonov
- Ambassador Sirodzhidin Mukhridinovich Aslov
- Sadriddin Aini, poet, writer
- politician Yakhior Nuridinovich Azimov, former prime minister
- poet Abdumalik Bahori,
- Maulana Jalal al-Din Muhammadi, writer, poet "Rumi" lawyer, theologian, mystic
- singer Nargis Bandishoeva
- Hassan Baroev, Olympic medalist, wrestler
- Football coach Yuri Mikhailovich Baturenko
- artist Murivat Bekhnazarov
- Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, scientist, scientist
- Rasul Bokiev, Olympic champion, judoka
- poet Kiram Bukharay
- Ambassador Abdulmayid Salimovich Dostoev
- boxer Sherali Dostiev
- Andrey Dragin, Alpine skier
- Oleg Fezov, musician, composer
- actress Rena Galibova, Opera singer
- Bobojon Gafurov, historian, author, academic
- singer Artur Olegovich Gladyshev
- Odbojkas Angelina Grun
- politician Asadullo Gulomov
- artist Zuhur Khabibullaev
- poet Inoyat Khoyveev "Farzona"
- Scientist Mamadsho Ilolov
- politician Akbarsho Iskandarov, Former incumbent president
- musician Barno Iskhakov
- swimmer Katerina Izmailova
- mathematician Abdukhamid Yuraev
- dancer Malika Kalontereva
- archer Albina Kamaletdinova
- politician Jamshed Khilolovich Karimov, former prime minister
- poet Gulnazar Keldi, lyricist of the national anthem
- politician Safarali Kenyaev
- Football coach Mahmedion Khabibulloev
- boxer Abdusal Gasanov
- the reporter Iskandar Khatloni
- Davlatman Kholov, singer, musician
- Bakhitar Khudoinazarov, director, producer, screenwriter
- Davlat Khudonazarov, Active human rights activist
- Kamal Kuyandi, poet
- mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, astronomer, geographer
- politician Georgy Koshlakov
- Alisher Kudratov, Alpine skier
- poet Abulqasim Ahmedzadeh Lahuti, political activist
- Vyacheslav Lampiv, Olympic medalist, hockey player
- deceiver Vladimir Landsman
- the reporter Otahon Latifi, policies
- Yuri Lobanov, Olympic medalist
- Kahr Mahkamov, First President
- Rakhmul Khudoinazarovich Malakhbekov Olympic champion, boxer
- athlete Vladimir Eduardovich Malyavin, jumper length
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Add famous citizens of Tajikistan
Origin of Tajiks
Tajiks are one of the ancient peoples of Central Asia. Tajiks make up the bulk of the population of Tajikistan, and quite a large part of the population of Afghanistan.
A large Tajik diaspora has also developed in Russia and Pakistan. Tajiks refer to their origin as "Aryans".
According to historical research, the ancestors of the Tajiks are sedentary and nomadic Iranian-speaking peoples (Scythians / Sakas and Sarmatians), who spread in the expanses of Central Asia at the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 1st millennium BC.
Initially, under the word “Tajik” (from “Tazi, Tozi”), Eastern Iranians (Bactrians, Sogdians, Khorezmians) meant Western Iranians (Persians) converted to Islam, who, along with Arabs and other peoples, made early raids on their lands.
At present, some eastern Iranians of Afghanistan and Central Asia continue to call themselves Tajiks.
How Tajiks appeared in the Iranian world
Over time, the term "Tajik" acquired a "collective" meaning for all Eastern Iranian peoples, therefore, along with the Persians of Western Iran, they are full heirs of the history, culture and literature of the entire Iranian world.
Appearance and religion of Tajiks
In the external physiognomic features of the Tajiks, the main features of the Iranian type are clearly seen: they are usually of medium height, with wide, strong bones; their face is longer than that of the Turks, but from the wide forehead, thick cheekbones, thick nose and large mouth, one can conclude a significant admixture of Turanian blood.
Tajiks have a high forehead, expressive eyes, black eyelashes, thick dark blond hair, and a thick beard.
Most Tajiks profess the Mohammedan religion of the Shiite persuasion, but still retain traces of the veneration of fire and the sun. In terms of spiritual qualities, the Tajiks are much higher than their Tatar conquerors - the Uzbeks: Bukhara became the center of Central Asian civilization only because there, since ancient times, the Tajiks constituted the overwhelming majority of the population, which, although conquered, did not cease to play the role of civilizers in relation to their rulers.
In their life and way of life, the Tajiks are similar to the Sarts, as a result of which some scientists considered them to be one and the same tribe.
Vamberi argued that the word "Sart" is the Turkish name for a Tajik.
Tajiks Wikipedia
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History of emergence of the Tajik people The formation of the Tajik people was preceded by long ethnogenetic processes that began as early as the 1st millennium BC. The territory of the addition of the Tajiks was the ancient Bactria (bass of the Amu Darya), Sogdiana (bass of the Zeravshan and Kashkadarya), the Ferghana Valley. Bactrians, Sogdians, Parkans (ancient Ferghans) lived here - farmers, as well as Saka tribes, nomadic on the northern and eastern outskirts of this country. The modern descendants of the Sogdians are the Yaghnobis, the Saks are the Pamir Tajiks. In the 2nd century. Yuezhi (or Tokhars) penetrate Bactria. One of the branches of the Sako-Tokhars, the Kushans, created a powerful state (the Kushan Empire). Its weakening led to the 4th-5th century AD. to the invasion of Central Asia by new steppe tribes - the Hephthalites, who formed a vast state that successfully fought with Sasanian Iran. With education in the 6th century. The Turkic Khaganate also increased the penetration of Turkic ethnic elements. By the time of the Arab conquest in the 8th c. Three main ethnic regions were distinguished on the territory of modern Tajikistan: Sogdian - in the north, Ferghana - in the northeast and Tokhara - in the south. The Arab invasions slowed down the formation of the Tajik people. With the formation of the Samanid state in the 9th-10th centuries. completed and the process of addition of the ethnic core of the Tajiks. This process was associated with the spread of the common Tajik language, which gradually replaced the languages of the Eastern Iranian group (Sogdian, Bactrian, Saka). From the end of the 10th century, political predominance in Central Asia passed to the Turkic-speaking peoples, more and more waves of Turkic, and later Mongol tribes penetrated into the areas of the settled Tajik population. The process of Turkization of Tajiks begins, especially on the plains, to a lesser extent - in the mountains and large cities (Bukhara, Samarkand, Khujand). During the Tajik SSR, the Tajik language completely completed its formation. This is an article from the Soviet Historical Encyclopedia 1973 release. And now we will write the same article from the Encyclopedia of Cyril and Methodius for 2005. The formation of the Tajik people was preceded by long ethnogenetic processes dating back to the end of the second - the beginning of the first millennium BC, when Iranian-speaking tribes came from the Eurasian steppes to Central Asia. They mixed with the local tribes of the Late Bronze Age and the main population of Central Asia became Iranian-speaking. In ancient Bactria (the basin of the Amu Darya), Sogd (the basin of the Zeravshan and Kashkadarya), the Fergana Valley, the agricultural tribes of the Bactrians, Sogdians, Parkan (ancient Ferghana) lived, and the Sakas roamed on the northern and eastern outskirts of Central Asia. The descendants of the Sogdians (according to linguistic data) are the Yaghnobis; Saka tribes played an important role in the formation of the Pamir Tajiks. In the second century BC, the Yuezhi, or Tokhars, penetrated into Bactria, which included Saka tribes. With the formation of the Turkic Khaganate in the 6th century, the penetration of Turkic ethnic elements into Central Asia intensified. By the time of the Arab conquest (8th century), three main ethnic regions of the future Tajik people had emerged: Sogdian in the north, Fergana in the northeast, and Tocharian in the south, whose populations retained their culture and way of life for many centuries. The Arab invasion slowed down the formation of the Tajik people. But with the formation of an independent state of the Samanids in the 9th-10th centuries, the process of the formation of the ethnic core of the Tajiks was completed, which was associated with the spread of the common Tajik language, which became dominant in the era of the Samanids. Tajik culture and science are developing in this language, rich literature is being formed. From the end of the 10th century, political predominance in Central Asia passes to the Turkic-speaking peoples, new waves of Turkic, and later Mongol tribes penetrate into the areas of the settled Tajik population; the centuries-old process of Turkification of Tajiks began, especially on the plains, to a lesser extent in the mountains and large cities. However, the Tajik language not only survived, but was state language Turkic rulers. In 1868, the northern regions inhabited by Tajiks became part of the possessions of Russia, while the population of southern Tajikistan remained under the rule of the Emirate of Bukhara. The original occupation of the Tajiks was agriculture, based largely on artificial irrigation, and gardening; animal husbandry was subsistence. Tajiks have developed crafts, including art, many of which had ancient traditions (wood carving and alabaster, decorative embroidery). The Tajik people developed in close connection with other peoples of Central Asia. especially close medieval history Tajiks and Uzbeks - peoples with common ethnic elements. As you can see, in modern encyclopedias, the history of the emergence of Tajiks is written in almost the same way. And now I will trace the history of the emergence of the Tajik people in my historical atlas and on the basis of the information I have collected. I'll start with a deep antiquity, which many modern historians do not recognize. Whoever does not believe in the existence of human civilization on Earth millions of years ago, it is better to skip (do not read this page) 17 million years ago, Lemuria was the largest continent on Earth, it was located on the site of the modern Indian Ocean. IN western part Lemuria included the modern island of Magadascar, the northern tip of Lemuria was modern Ceylon, the extreme eastern tip of Lemuria was the area around modern Easter Island. The southern coast of Lemuria was the coast of Antarctica. There were no other large continents on Earth or they existed in the form of small islands. Even Tibet was an island in those days. The Pamirs and the very territory of modern Tajikistan did not exist - there was an ocean in this place. Lemuria was inhabited by the first people on earth - the first human race - asuras. Their civilization was very highly developed. Later peoples from were even called gods or demigods. They were tall people (up to 16-36 meters, and later - up to 6 meters). By 4 million years ago, the main part of Lemuria had gone under the water of the Indian Ocean. By this time, the mainland, which included Tibet, had increased due to the appearance of mountains - the Himalayas and Tibet, as well as a small part of northern India. By this time, the asuras were already smaller in height (up to 4 meters). From the sinking mainland, part of the Asuras, who by this time can already be called the descendants of the Asuras, began to move to the newly emerging continents - East Africa, South Asia, Australia with Guinea, to the islands of Indonesia. 1 million years ago on Earth, the largest continent was the mainland Atlantis, it was located in Atlantic Ocean, other continents have not yet been fully formed. Asuras continued to move to the east of Africa, the south of South Asia, to Australia, Guinea, and the islands of Indonesia. From 400 thousand years ago, and especially quickly from 199 thousand years ago, the mainland Atlantis began to sink under the waters of the ocean, by this time the modern continents had already basically formed. Therefore, from Atlantis began the migration of peoples (descendants of the Atlanteans) to the modern continents. At the same time, the mainland of South Asia joined with the mainland of North Asia, and a vast territory appeared around the Pamirs. But even in those days, the territory of Turkmenistan, the northern part of Uzbekistan, the south of Kazakhstan were under water big sea, which includes both the Caspian and Aral Seas. Most likely, at that time, the first inhabitants appeared on the territory of Tajikistan - these are the descendants of the asuras. They were already short in stature (degraded, feral asuras). Their appearance was similar to the modern Aborigines of Australia and the Papuans. These were the ancient Australoids. In addition to them, ancient great monkeys, Pithecanthropes, also lived in these places. By 79 thousand years ago, the territory of Central Asia was already roughly similar to the modern one, only the Caspian and Aral Seas were larger. And the rivers Aral Sea have already appeared. There are more inhabitants (Australoids), but still few. By this time, the Pithecanthropus had been replaced by a new species of ancient monkeys - Neanderthals, similar to people because they constantly walked on two legs, but they were monkeys anyway. The few tribes that lived at that time in Tajikistan were related to the tribes of the Soan archaeological culture that existed at that time in Northern India (Australoids). From 38 thousand years ago, the mass settlement of the descendants of the Atlanteans began throughout Eurasia, but the main stream (Turanian tribes) passed mainly from Europe to East Asia, to the area around the sea (there was a sea in the place of the Gobi Desert). But part of the Turanian tribes remained on the territory of Central Asia, and at this time they formed a new people - the Subareans (do not confuse them with the Aryans). The first wave of settlers of Eastern Europe to Central Asia began around 17500 BC. These were the tribes of the Kostenkovskaya culture, which were under pressure from other tribes in Europe. The Kostenkovskaya culture was formed from a mixture of Australoids who lived approximately in the modern Voronezh region (Grimaldi race) and Caucasoid Seletian culture. The tribes of the Kostenkovskaya culture were the creators of a new people - the Dravidoids (a transitional people between Caucasoids and Australoids). By 16500, the Dravidoids completely ousted the Subareans from the territory of Central Asia, as well as from the territory of modern Tajikistan. By 14500 BC, the Dravidoids populated (en masse) the entire territory of modern Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. By about 7500 BC, the archaeological culture of Ali-Kosh had developed in the vast territory of Central Asia and Iran. This is the Dravidian culture. They were also engaged in hunting, gathering, and fishing. By about 6500 BC, the Hissar culture developed on the territory of Tajikistan. The tribes of this culture were also Dravidoids. In the rest of Central Asia, by about 5700 BC, the Jeytun culture (these are also dravidoids) developed. By about 4100 BC, a developed Anau culture developed on the territory of Central Asia, this is an agricultural culture, and these were also dravidoids. By this time, somewhere in the territory of western Tajikistan, eastern Turkmenistan, Afghanistan or northeast Iran, the ancient center of all dravidoid tribes, the sacred Aratta, had developed. It was from this center that the advancement of the dravidoids began to the southeast (the Harappan civilization was created there) and to the southwest (the civilizations of Elam and Sumer were created there). By about 2800 BC, a more developed culture, the Altyn- Depe, the people of this culture (also dravidoids) had already begun to build urban settlements, handicrafts, agriculture and domestic cattle breeding were developing. Since about 1900 AD. the tribes of the ancient Aryans (ancient Iranians and Indians) began their movement from the steppes of the Southern Urals and Kazakhstan to the south - to the territory of Central Asia. Around 1500 BC, the tribes of ancient Indians penetrated the territory of Tajikistan from the north, the Dravidoids are destroyed, assimilated or flee south to India (later, on the basis of uniting with the ancient Indian population, they will create the Dravidian peoples, which will survive to this day in southern India). Around 1300 BC, the territory of Tajikistan was invaded and populated by ancient Iranian tribes. By 1100 BC, most of the territory of Tajikistan is included in the Kairakum archaeological culture (these are ancient Iranian tribes). By 600 BC, a new Iranian-speaking people, the Bactrians, had formed on the territory of Tajikistan and in the north of Afghanistan, who created their own state, Bactria. I believe that the Bactrians (and the Bactrian language) became the basis for the formation of the Tajik people (and the Tajik language). To the north of the Bactrians, the Saks (Iranian tribes) roamed, to the west of the Bactrians lived the Sogdians (an Iranian-speaking people related to the Bactrians). Around 550 BC, Bactria was subjugated to Achaemenid Persia, but this did not affect the Bactrians and their language in any way. Even the conquest of the territory of Bactria by Alexander the Great did not affect the Bactrians and their language. Around 250 BC, the Tocharian tribes invaded the territory of Tajikistan (these are Indo-European tribes that previously lived in northwestern China and were forced out by the Xiongnu tribes (future Huns). One of the Tocharian tribes, the Kushans, created a powerful state - the Kushan Empire. Tocharians and Bactrians lived together and gradually, the Tochars adopted the language of the Bactrians. The country was called Tokharistan, but the language remained Bactrian (perhaps some Tocharian words were included in it). Around 450 AD, tribes of Ephthalites invaded the territory of Tajikistan (this is Iranian-speaking tribes from Kazakhstan, ousted from there by the Huns.) The Hephthalites also created a large state, which also included Afghanistan and North India. nomadic Turkic tribes began to invade the territory of Tajikistan from the north. But if by 1100 the related people Sogdians completely lost their language, and the Sogdians themselves turned into a Turkic people, the Bactrians (future Tajiks) lived together with the Turks and retained their language, especially in major cities and mountainous areas. In the future, this language became Tajik (perhaps several Turkic words came into it). By 1200, the Tajik language and the Tajik people were finally formed, almost simultaneously with it, the Turkic people, the Turkmens, and the related people, the Pashtuns (in Afghanistan), were formed. But I think that the Tajiks who now live in the mountainous areas speak a little differently than the valley Tajiks, the mountain Tajiks have probably preserved more words from the Bactrians.
Quoting Camille:
I can’t say anything about the beauty that is described above, but in Uzbekistan many TV show stars, actors and singers are not Uzbeks, just like the population itself is mostly non-Uzbeks. I will give some examples: the singer Yulduz Usmanova is a Uighur by nationality, the singer Raykhon is a Uyghur by nationality, the singer Shakhzoda is a Karakalpak by nationality, the singer Lola Akhmedova is a Tajik from Denau, Surkhandarya region, the singer Nasiba Abdullayeva is Iranian by nationality, was born in Samarkand, singer Samandar Khamrokulov is a green-eyed Tajik from Namangan, actors Murod Radjabov and his son Adiz Radjabov are Bukhara Tajiks, etc., the list can be continued indefinitely. All of these listed gentlemen are registered as Uzbeks on their passports. Further, one should not confuse the Sarts with the Uzbeks, maybe some part of the Sarts mixed with the Uzbeks, but some did not. And then the Sarts and the Uzbeks have never been a single people, they were united only in the Soviet era. These two peoples have always fought with each other and mixed marriages between them were very rare, since the Sarts are settled residents of Fergana, Tashkent, etc. but the Uzbeks are the descendants of the Dashti-Kipchak Khan.
VOLUME NINETEEN
TURKESTAN REGION
amounted to
Prince V. I. Masalsky
S.- PETERSBURG.
1913.
In the Khanate of Khiva, there are about 336,000 souls of Uzbeks (64.7% of the total population), and in Bukhara - probably at least 900,000-1,000,000. Thus, the total number of Uzbeks in Turkestan reaches at least 2,000,000 souls of both sexes, and they make up the bulk of the population in the Samarkand region and in some areas of the Syrdarya and Ferghana regions, as well as in the Khiva and Bukhara khanates, where, in addition, they are also the ruling people.
Tajiks, who make up about 7% of the inhabitants of the Russian regions of Turkestan, are the descendants of the ancient Aryan population of the country, who left Iran and occupied the southern part of Central Asia in prehistoric times. This population, having experienced a series of invasions, wars and bloody troubles in the course of a long string of centuries, which were especially hard on it under the rule of the Turkic-Mongols, partly mixed with the conquerors, partly, under the pressure of the latter, was pushed back into the mountainous part of Turkestan and there preserved , in greater or lesser purity, their tribal traits. At present, Tajiks inhabit mainly the southern mountainous part of the country; according to the 1897 census, there were: in the Fergana region - 114.081 souls of both sexes (7.25% of the total population of the region), in the Samarkand region - 230.384 (26.78%) and in the Syr-Darya region - 5.557 souls (about 0 .40%). In the Fergana region, Tajiks live mainly in Skobelev (Margelan), Kokand and Namangan districts, in Samarkand - in Samarkand, Khojent and Katta-Kurgan districts, and in Syrdarya - in Tashkent district. There are no Tajiks at all in the Trans-Caspian region, and only 264 people are registered in the Semirechensk region. Thus, the total number of Tajiks in the Russian regions of the region was, according to the census, 350.286 people, i.e. 6.63% of the total population. There are no Tajiks at all in the Khiva Khanate, but in Bukhara they make up the bulk of the population of the mountainous parts of the Khanate - Karategin, Darvaz, Roshan, Shugnan, Vakhan and other areas of the upper flow of the Amu Darya, and also partly bekstvo - Kulyab and Valdzhuan. There is no exact information about the number of Tajiks in Bukhara; according to some data, they make up about 30% of the total population, according to others, apparently more reliable, there are no more than 350-400 thousand Tajiks in the Khanate; if we accept the last figure, then the number of Tajiks in all of Central Asia was about 750,000 by the time of the census, i.e., about 9% of its total population.
The Turkishization of the Tajiks, which took place over a number of centuries, continues to the present, manifesting itself with particular force in cities or where the remnants of the Tajiks are scattered in islands among the Turkic population. This phenomenon is especially noticeable in the Tashkent district, where in many villages the Tajiks underwent strong Sartization, half-forgotten their language and in the near future they will completely merge with the Sarts. The Sarts are pleased with such a transformation, rejoicing that “the slave, who did not know the human (Sart) language before, is now becoming a Turk”, as for the Tajiks, they treat their Sartization rather indifferently and even, perhaps, go towards it, since, having become Sarts, they get rid of the shameful nickname of a slave (kul), given to them by the Turks.
The Sarts speak the Jagatai dialect, which differs from the Uzbek and is known under the name Sart-tili.
Religion in Tajikistan occupies a special place in public life. First of all, it should be said that this country is the only post-Soviet country where an Islamic party is officially registered, but the people of Tajikistan had to pay a very high price for this.
ancient history
The history of religion in Tajikistan dates back to ancient times, associated with the amazing period of the conquests of Alexander the Great, who brought Greek civilization to these lands far from Europe and, accordingly, the Greek religion, which bizarrely combined with local cults.
The oldest cults that existed on the territory of present-day Tajikistan were associated with the appropriation various qualities natural phenomena, elements and celestial bodies, such as the Moon, stars, and in the first place - the Sun. Subsequently, these primitive beliefs, in a highly revised form, served as a favorable substrate for the spread of Zoroastrianism in the region.
Spread of Zoroastrianism
Given the fact that it is the closest relative of the Iranian language Farsi, it is not surprising that the religion of Zoroastrianism has become widespread in this country. What it is? Zoroastrianism is one of those that have ever existed in the world. It is believed that the prophet Spitama Zarathustra acted as its founder, whose image subsequently became widespread.
First of all, it should be said that Zoroastrianism is a religion of ethical choice, requiring from a person not only external piety, but also good thoughts, sincere deeds. Some researchers, discovering both dualistic and monotheistic features in Zoroastrianism, classify it as a religion of a transitional type, which served as a kind of stepping stone on the way to the emergence and widespread dissemination of monotheistic religions. The most important book of this religion is the Avesta.
Religion in Tajikistan
The history of modern Tajik civilization begins at the time of the Sasanian Empire, whose rulers, along with the majority of the population, professed Zoroastrianism. The empire arose in the lll century and included territories in which, in addition to Zoroastrianism, Christianity was also widespread. However, Christianity in Tajikistan was represented mainly by heretical movements, whose representatives tried to move as far as possible from the generally recognized centers of Christianity with their diktat and dogmatism.
Manichaeism in Central Asia
Religion in Tajikistan has always had great importance, but in ancient times, especially during the Sasanian Empire, this territory was characterized by a high degree of religious tolerance. It was this religious tolerance that became one of the reasons for the emergence of Manichaeism - a rather bizarre religion that combined in its dogmatic basis elements of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, as well as various Christian sectarian ideas.
It was from the arid lands of Central Asia that Manichaeism began its triumphal march west until it reached Rome. However, the fate of the followers of the doctrine turned out to be sad - everywhere they were subjected to persecution and extreme pressure. Subsequently, Manichaeism became extremely widespread on the Eurasian continent, but could not get rid of the stigma of the world sect.
Jewish community
Since the history of the country has more than one century, it is not surprising that a variety of religions are represented on its territory. Judaism has become one of these religions in Tajikistan, although the number of its adherents has never been large. The small number of Jews in these lands was due to the fact that the rabbis never showed an inclination to proselytize and recruit new supporters, limiting themselves to ideas about the exclusivity of the people of Israel.
The Jewish community in Tajikistan existed under Zoroastrianism, and after the spread of Islam, it exists there today, although on a very small scale, since most Jews moved to Israel immediately after the liquidation of the Soviet Union. Today, the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of Tajikistan profess Islam, there is a political party in the country that expresses the mood of religious citizens.
- (pers. tadschik conquered). Descendants of the ancient Persians, Medes and Bactrians, constituting the indigenous population of Central Asia of Aryan origin. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. TAJIKS pers. tadschik… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Modern Encyclopedia
The people, the main population of Tajikistan (3172 thousand people), in the Russian Federation 38.2 thousand people (1992). They also live in Afghanistan and Iran. The total number is 8.28 million people (1992). Tajik language. Believers are mostly Sunni Muslims… Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
TAJIKS, Tajiks, units tajik, tajik, husband The people of the Iranian language group, constituting the main population of the Tajik SSR. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
TAJIK, ov, units ik, ah, husband. The people constituting the main indigenous population of Tajikistan. | female Tajik, and | adj. Tajik, oh, oh. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
- (self-name Tojik), people. There are 38.2 thousand people in the Russian Federation. The main population of Tajikistan. They also live in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran. The language of the Tajik Iranian group Indo-European family languages. Believers in ... Russian history
Tajiks- (self-name Tojik) people with a total number of 8280 thousand people. The main countries of resettlement: Afghanistan 4000 thousand people, Tajikistan 3172 thousand people, Uzbekistan 934 thousand people. Other settlement countries: Iran 65 thousand people, Russian Federation 38 thousand… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Tajiks Ethnopsychological dictionary
TAJIKS- representatives of the indigenous nation of the Republic of Tajikistan. Special studies show that Tajiks are most characteristic of such national psychological qualities as a practical mindset, a rational way of thinking based on ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy
Ov; pl. Nation, the main population of Tajikistan; representatives of this nation. ◁ Tajik, a; m. Tajichka, and; pl. genus. check, date chkam; and. Tajik, oh, oh. T. tongue. T aya culture. * * * Tajiks people, the main population of Tajikistan (3172 thousand ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
