Landlocked Empire - History of Tajikistan

Tajikistan is a landlocked Central Asian country. It is surrounded by Kyrgyzstan to the North, China to the East, Afghanistan to the South, and Uzbekistan to the West. The country's capital is Dushanbe.

The highly mountainous country is famous for its cotton and Aluminum production. In this write-up, we explore the country's history, from its early Persian beginnings to its modern form.

Early Settlements and Persian Influence

The territory known as Tajikistan has been home to Bronze Age civilizations such as the Andronovo cultures. It is also home to the pro-urban site of Sarazm, a historical monument that has become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Scholars believe that at about 500 BC, the territory that is modern day Tajikistan was inhabited by the Achaemenid Empire. The region got under the influence of the subsequent military campaigns of Alexander the Great and eventually formed as a part of the Greco Bactrian kingdom which was one of the surviving Greek empires. During 150 BC, a significant part of Northern Tajikistan was captured by Nomadic tribes.

The Silk Road ran through the area during this period, and trade flourished there. Sogdiana, a particular city in Northern Tajikistan, was also known to be a commercial hub.

Then, the Kushan Empire took control and ruled the area from 100 AD to 400 AD. After some centuries, a group of Nomadic tribes called the Hephthalite Empire took control of the region. From the 9th century to the 11th century, the Samanid Empire brought the Tajik region back under Persian influence.

Islamic Conquest and the Samanid Dynasty

By the 700s, Arabs had begun to introduce Islam to the region. However, the Kara-Khalid Khanate conquered the Samanids and caused a transition from Persian to Turkic Islamic dominance in the area.

The Mongols, in their fury, conquered Central Asia in the thirteenth century. Following this short period there was another well-known ruler, called Tamerlane, who came into power and founded the Timurid empire, which includes modern Tajikistan. With the coming of the rule of the Khanate of Bukhara, the Tajikistan region was brought in the 16th century. The slaves were, however, overpowered in the 18th century, and logging was brought to a halt.

Subsequently, the historical area occupied by modern Tajikistan was a part of the Khanate of Kokand and the Emirate of Bukhara within the framework of the Emirate of Turkestan.

Russian Conquest

During the 18th century, Imperial Russia took control of Central Asia's lands. Between 1864 and 1885, Russia gradually gained a foothold over the lands under the Bukhara Emirate and the Kokand Khanate. The Russians implemented agricultural policies to use the territory for cotton production. Several uprisings led to violent clashes between the Russians and the occupants of the land.

Soviet Era and Independence

After the Russian Revolution at the end of the First World War, the Soviets took over Russia. Subsequently, Tajikistan and the whole of Central Asia came under the Soviets.

At first, the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was part of Uzbekistan in 1924 before becoming an independent constituent in 1929. The new authorities suppressed the practice of religion in the territory.

Their agricultural policy of using Takistan for cotton production, just like the Russians, led to a famine that killed multitudes. The two Soviet purges of 1927-1934 and 1937-1938 led to the removal of thousands from the Communist Party of Tajikistan. Thousands of ethnic Russians replaced the expelled members.

From 1920 to the 1950s, the Russian population in Tajikistan rose from 1% of the total population to more than 10%. By the 1980s, Tajik nationalists were restless because the country's living standards were very low.

Thus, the Soviet Union fell in 1991, and Tajikistan became independent on September 9, 1991. Immediately after getting independence, the country was faced with a civil war, which concluded in 1997. Until now, the person in the top political position of the country is Emomali Rahmon, the President.

Conclusion

Cultural and political development: Tajikistan, as any other nation, has its peculiar history that predetermined its development. All this time, the Tajik people have stood strong as a newly formed independent nation that has survived a post-Soviet civil war with ambitions to create a better world of art in the country.