Taraz (Kazakh Kazakh is a Turkic language closely related to Kyrgyz and Karakalpak: Тараз / Taraz), formerly known as Jambyl or Zhambyl (Kazakh: Жамбыл / Jambıl, until 1997), Dzhambul (Russian Russian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe. Russian belongs to the family of Indo-European languages and is one of three living members of the East Slavic languages. Written examples of Old East Slavonic are attested from the 10th: Джамбул, until 1993), Mirzoyan (Russian: Мирзоян, until 1938), Aulie-Ata (Russian: Аулие-Ата, Kazakh: Әулие-Ата / Äwlïe-Ata, Chagatai The Chagatai language is an extinct Turkic language which was once widely spoken in Central Asia, and remained the shared literary language there until the early twentieth century. It was also spoken by the Mughal rulers in India: اولياه اتا, Persian Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is widely spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and to some extent in Iraq, Bahrain, and Oman. New Persian, which usually is called also by the names of Farsi, Parsi, Dari or Parsi-ye-Dari (Dari Persian), can be classified linguistically: تراز, until 1936) and Talas (Талас, until 1856), is a city and a center of the Jambyl Province in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is one of the six independent Turkic states. It is located in Eurasia and ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also ranked the world's largest landlocked country, its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe. It is neighbored clockwise from the north by Russia,. It is located in the south of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is one of the six independent Turkic states. It is located in Eurasia and ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also ranked the world's largest landlocked country, its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe. It is neighbored clockwise from the north by Russia,, near the border with Kyrgyzstan "Kyrgyz", is believed to have been derived from the Turkic word for "forty", in reference to the forty clans of Manas, a legendary hero who united forty regional clans against the Uyghers. At the time, in the early 9th century AD, the Uyghers dominated much of Central Asia , Mongolia, and parts of Russia and China, on the Talas River (Taraz River). It has a population A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define the population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals from other areas. Normally breeding is substantially more of 330,100 (1999 census), up 9% from 1989, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, after Astana Astana , formerly known as Akmola (Kazakh: Ақмола / Aqmola, until 1998), Tselinograd (Russian: Целиноград, until 1992) and Akmolinsk (Russian: Акмолинск, until 1961), is the capital and second largest city (after Almaty) of Kazakhstan, with an officially estimated population of 691,529 as of 1 March 2010. It is located in and Türkistan.

One of the oldest cities in Kazakhstan and in Transoxania, Taraz celebrated its official 2000 anniversary (recognized by UNESCO) in 2001, dating from a fortress built in the area by a Hun The Huns were a group of nomadic pastoral people who, appearing from beyond the Volga, migrated into Europe c. 370 AD and built up an enormous empire in Europe. Since De Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu who had been northern neighbours of China three hundred years before, considerable scholarly effort has been devoted in investigating such a (Ch. Xiongnu The Xiongnu were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin. The bulk of information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources. What little is known of their titles and names comes from Chinese transliterations from their language, Hsiung-nu, etc) chanyu Chanyu (Shanyu or Shanuy, simplified Chinese: 单于; traditional Chinese: 單于, Modern Chinese: : chányú, (Wade-Giles): ch'an-yü, Middle Chinese: (Guanyun): tɑn˥˩-ĭu˩ or ʑĭɛn˩˥-ĭu˩, Xiongnu language: sanok / tsanak, full title: 撐犁孤塗單于/撑犁孤涂单于, chēnglí gūtu chányú, according to Book of Han it means named Zhizhi and was a site of the Battle of Zhizhi The Battle of Zhizhi was a battle between the Han Dynasty and the Zhizhi Guduhou Chanyu (sometimes known as Western Xiongnu) in 36 BC. The battle was a success for the Han, who were led by Gan Yanshou and Chen Tang. It occurred at the Fortress of Zhizhi on Talas River, constructed soon after he arrived in the state of Kangju (centered on Beitian) in 36 BCE.[1] The city was first recorded under the name "Talas" in 568 CE by Menander Protector, the medieval city of Talas was a major trade centre along the Silk Road The Silk Road (or Silk Routes) is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, a major reason for the connection of trade. Talas was later described by Xuanzang Born in Henan province of China in 602 or 603 CE, he displayed signs of intellectual and spiritual greatness even at an early age. From boyhood he took to reading sacred books, mainly the Chinese Classics and the writings of the ancient sages, who passed Talas in 629 and later wrote: Traveling westward from the Thousand Springs 140 or 150 li The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer (c. 1640 feet). A modern li consists of 1,500 Chinese "feet" or chi and, in the past, was often translated as a "mile." Since the li has generally been only about a third, we come to the city of Daluosi. The city is 8 or 9 li The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer (c. 1640 feet). A modern li consists of 1,500 Chinese "feet" or chi and, in the past, was often translated as a "mile." Since the li has generally been only about a third in diameter; and was settled by Hu Wu Hu was a Chinese term for the northern non-Chinese nomadic tribes which caused the Wu Hu uprising, and established the Sixteen Kingdoms from 304 to 439 AD ("barbarian") merchants from various nations. The products and the climate are about the same as Suyab Suyab was an ancient Silk Road city located some 60 km north east from Bishkek, and 6 km southeast from Tokmok, in the Chui River valley, present-day Kyrgyzstan.[2] The Talas alphabet, a variant of the Turkic "runiform" Orkhon script, is named for the town. Talas secured a place in history by virtue of the Battle of Talas The Battle of Talas in 751 AD was a conflict between the Arab Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Dynasty for control of the Syr Darya. On July 751, The Abbasids started a massive attack against the Chinese on the banks of the Talas river; 200,000 Muslim troops (according to Chinese estimates) met the combined army of 10,000 Tang Chinese and 20, (751 CE), which was fought between forces of the Chinese China is seen variously as an ancient civilization extending over a large area in East Asia, a nation and/or a multinational entity Tang Dynasty The Tang Dynasty (June 18, 618–June 4, 907) was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li (李) family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire. The dynasty was interrupted briefly by the Second Zhou Dynasty (October 16, and those of the Arab Arab people or Arabs (العرب al-ʿarab) are a panethnicity of peoples of various ancestral origins, religious backgrounds and historic identities, whose members, on an individual basis, identify as such on one or more of linguistic, cultural, political, or genealogical grounds. Those self-identifying as Arab, however, rarely do so with it as Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate was the third of the Islamic Caliphates of the Islamic Empire [disambiguation needed]. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphs from all but Al Andalus Caliphate The term caliphate refers to the first system of governance established in Islam. The most common translation for the word which appears in the Quran is vicegerency (or caretaker). It is a republic, which means that the rulers are bound by a set of laws which they cannot break at a whim, and the people have the right to appoint their leader. The battle took place somewhere along the Talas River in the Talas valley. One of its indirect outcomes was the introduction of paper In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibers in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibers is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibers by pressing and drying to make paper. Most paper is made from wood pulp, but other fiber sources such as cotton and textiles may be used to the west, via the Arab capture of Chinese paper makers.

Contents

History

Numerous archaeological finds and monuments in the foothills of Karatau and in Talas-Assin oasis show the antiquity of settlements in the Talas River valley, supporting Taraz' claim to being the most ancient city in Kazakhstan. The history of the city is composed of several historical periods, interrupted by destruction and depopulation. The first reference historically recorded city linked with Taraz and the basis for the claim of 2000 year old history is the fortress of Zhizhi The Battle of Zhizhi was a battle between the Han Dynasty and the Zhizhi Guduhou Chanyu (sometimes known as Western Xiongnu) in 36 BC. The battle was a success for the Han, who were led by Gan Yanshou and Chen Tang. It occurred at the Fortress of Zhizhi on Talas River, constructed soon after he arrived in the state of Kangju (centered on Beitian) that briefly existed at the site of modern day Taraz in the first century BC. A city known as "Taraz" or "Talas" is then recorded in 568 CE and is known to exist until its destruction in 1209. The third historical period begins with the establishment of Aulie-Ata (later renamed Dzhambul and eventually Taraz again) on the same site and lasts till today.

Prehistoric times

Discovery of caves A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. Some people[who?] suggest that the term cave should only apply to cavities that have some part that does not receive daylight; however, in popular usage, the term includes smaller spaces like sea caves, rock shelters, and grottos and ancient campsites during the investigation of the eastern part of the Talas-Assinsky Oasis, in the Karatau Ranges spur has confirmed Bernshtam's opinion (expressed in 1903) that the Talas Valley was settled before the 1st century BC: "It is doubtless that the continuation of valley's research will give older testimonies of man's stay."[citation needed] Remnants of material culture that were found during excavation of Taraz speak about the lifestyle in this territory to the Neolithic The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BCE in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age. The Neolithic followed the terminal Holocene Epipalaeolithic period, beginning with the rise of farming, which produced the " period.[citation needed]

Antiquity

The discovery of chest The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax ornaments, bronze Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, giving its name to the Bronze Age. The word Bronze is believed to be cognate with the statues of kings and remnants of ceramic A ceramic is an inorganic, non-metallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous . Because most common ceramics are crystalline, the definition of ceramic is often restricted to inorganic crystalline materials, as opposed to the non- products in separate parts of the Talas river valley are the evidence of the existence of the life in Taraz region in the bronze epoch. According to the archaeological excavation and available written sources, tribal unions of Saka Scythians had been formed in this territory by the 7th-8th centuries B.C.[citation needed]

Hanshu The History of the Former Han Dynasty is a classical Chinese history finished in 111 AD, covering the history of China under the Western Han from 206 BC to 25 AD. It is also sometimes called the Book of Former Han. The work was composed by Ban Biao, Ban Gu, and Ban Zhao. A second work, the History of the Later Han Dynasty covers the Eastern Han, 70 from 1st-century, talk about the fortress constructed on Talas River by Zhizhi Chanyu, a prince of Hun The Huns were a group of nomadic pastoral people who, appearing from beyond the Volga, migrated into Europe c. 370 AD and built up an enormous empire in Europe. Since De Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu who had been northern neighbours of China three hundred years before, considerable scholarly effort has been devoted in investigating such a (Ch. Xiongnu The Xiongnu were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin. The bulk of information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources. What little is known of their titles and names comes from Chinese transliterations from their language, Hsiung-nu, etc). The fortress is believed to have been at the site of modern Taraz.

Medieval Taraz

Early References

The opinion was expressed in 1903 by the authors of the book Turkistan Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan in Asian history, the regions of Central Asia lying between Siberia on the north; Tibet, modern day Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran on the south; the Gobi Desert on the east; and the Caspian Sea on the west. It has been referenced in many Turkic and Persian sagas and is an integral part of Turan. Oghuz Turks ([citation needed] that ancient Taraz (then known as Talas) was situated under modern Taraz. However scarcity of information, inaccuracy of descriptions, and weakness of geography made it impossible to know the location until 1936. Professor Wilhelm Barthold's research established that the location of ancient Taraz was under the Green Bazaar. Further research and archaeological excavations, which were made by an expedition of The USSR Academy of Science in 1938 under the supervision of A. Bernshtam and G. Patsevich to the depth 2-6 meters, made it possible to reconstruct the appearance and cultural – economic importance of ancient Taraz. The latest archaeological data has considerably expanded ideas about Taraz.

The year of Taraz's foundation is generally accepted as 568 A.D., the date of the first written record[citation needed] according to the Greek sources. At that time the Great Silk Road The Silk Road (or Silk Routes) is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, a major reason for the connection of trade run across Southern Kazakhstan. It played a major role in trade and cultural exchange between China China is seen variously as an ancient civilization extending over a large area in East Asia, a nation and/or a multinational entity, India India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with 1.18 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Mainland India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the, Byzantium Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas (Greek: Βύζας, Býzas, genitive Βύζαντος, Býzantos). The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion. The city was later renamed Constantinople and briefly became the imperial residence of the, and Persia Iran (Persian: ایران [ʔiˈɾɒn] ), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and formerly known as Persia, is a country in Central Eurasia and Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was widely known as Persia. Both Persia and Iran are. Taraz developed as a fortified tradecraft city on the greatest transcontinental route in history. Comparatively gentle climate Climates encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time. Climate can be contrasted to weather, which is the present condition of these same elements and their variations over periods up to two weeks, fertile Fertility is the natural capability of giving life. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. This is different from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction . Infertility is a deficient fertility soil and rich pastures attracted many stock-breeder and farmers. In the 60-s of the 6th century the territory of the First Turkic Kaganate section included Taraz. The Sogdian Sogdiana or Sogdia was the ancient civilization of an Iranian people and a province of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, the eighteenth in the list in the Behistun Inscription of Darius the Great (i. 16). Sogdiana is thought to be "listed" as the second of the "good lands and countries" that Ahura Mazda was believed to have merchants, who controlled the Central Asian section of the caravan route, were interested in easier access to Byzantium Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas (Greek: Βύζας, Býzas, genitive Βύζαντος, Býzantos). The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion. The city was later renamed Constantinople and briefly became the imperial residence of the, and initiated trade negotiations first with the Persians Iran (Persian: ایران [ʔiˈɾɒn] ), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and formerly known as Persia, is a country in Central Eurasia and Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was widely known as Persia. Both Persia and Iran are, and then with Byzantium. In response, Byzantium sent ambassadors to the Turkic Kaganate, and in the 568 the embassy led by Zemarchus and Maniach to the Muhan Khan arrived in Taraz at the court of Istemi Yabgu. The Persian ambassador also appeared at the court of the Turkic Kagan at the same time, but Istemi Yabgu allied with Byzantium.

Unfortunately, it is not illustrated in the written sources of that time what Taraz looked like but it is said to have been a big city[citation needed]. The Chinese pilgrim Huan Tsiang, who passed through Taraz in 630 came to the Ta-lo-se having travelled 8 or 9 li. (according to the Chinese measures this equals 576m) in this city alternately. Due to written sources and archaeological investigation it is known from the 1st BC to 5th AD Kangui (Kanglu) tribes lived in the Talas River Valley. Similarity between the excavated materials of Taraz and the Kurgans of the Gynskyi and Usunskyi-Kanguiskyi tribes show the introduction of Turkic language. Mongolian features and elements appear in the settled culture of local mainly European population. According to A. N. Bernshtam's statement it was a period of ethnogenesis for Central Asia's modern Turkic populations[citation needed] Taraz was joined to the Western Turk Khanate. It felt, like other cities of the region, the influence of Sogdian culture.

Ancient Taraz

The evidence suggests that in Taraz, as other cities in Southern Kazakhstan, Turks were the major ethnic element of the population in 4th-13th centuries, together with Sarts, Arabs and Persians[citation needed]. Written sources of Paleo-Anthropological material collected from Kurgans in Southern Kazakhstan show the existence of close ties between Taraz and the Kypchaks Kipchaks (Turkic: Kypchak, Kıpçak) were an ancient people who, it is thought, originally formed part of the group of Kimäks in Siberia along the middle reaches of Irtysh or along the Ob. Around the middle of the 11th century, they split off from the bulk of the Kimaks and departed in the direction of Europe. The western Kipchaks were known as, Qarluq The Karluks (obs. Qarluqs, Qarluks, Karluqs, Old Turkic: , Qarluq, Persian: خَلُّخ , Arabic قارلوق (Qarluq), simplified Chinese: 葛逻禄; traditional Chinese: 葛邏祿; pinyin: Géluólù, customary phonetic Gelolu, Gelu, Khololo, Khorlo, Harluut) were a prominent nomadic Turkic tribe residing in the regions of Kara-Irtysh (Black populations of nearby valleys. As a result of an internecine struggle amongst Turkish tribal leaders at the beginning of 8th century the Turkish tribe in the Ili River Valley was divided into two branches: Yellow and Black. The Black(Kara) Turkish owned the Talas River Valley and made Taraz their capital in the middle of 7th century. In 751 in the Talas River region, upstream from the modern city of Taraz, an army comprising Yang Dynasty troops from China and Kara Turkish mercenaries fought an army from the Abbasid Caliphate. Despite winning the battle, the Caliphate forces withdrew from the region. In 766 the Kara-Turkish tribes were defeated by Qarlugs from the northwest. Later, nearly all the tribes of the former Western Turk Khanate were conquered.

The development of Taraz as a city arose as the result of the development and strengthening of political and economic ties linked to trade along the Silk Road. As a major halt, it flourished amidst a comparatively gentle climate Climates encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time. Climate can be contrasted to weather, which is the present condition of these same elements and their variations over periods up to two weeks, fertile Fertility is the natural capability of giving life. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. This is different from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction . Infertility is a deficient fertility soil and rich pastures, which attracted many stockbreeders and farmers. The struggle between Persia and Byzantium for control of the route forced both sides to look for allies. Byzantium sent ambassadors to the Western Turk Khanate, and Zemarkha Kililyskyi arrived in Taraz in 568. Simultaneously the Persians sent their ambassador to the Turks, but Istemi Khan was on the side of Byzantium.

Islamic and Persian period

The restored mausoleum of Ayshah Bibi near Taraz.

After the Arab conquest of Central Asia the Persian Samanid State appeared in Central-Asia, and by 9th century they had a major part of Central Asia including the Talas River Valley in their hands. By this time Taraz, developing little by little had been a rich city-state typical of Central Asia with a large population and vast agricultural zone. Islam was introduced in Taraz, replacing other religions, existing before (Mazdaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Tengrism). at the time when Taraz was ruled by [Kara-Khanid Khanate], which became Muslim state after the [battle of Talas river] ( in collaboration with the Arab Abbasid Caliphate they won their old enemy Chinese [Tang Dynasty]). By the 10th century Taraz had acquired the distinctive features of Central Asian city[citation needed]. Ancient Taraz reached the climax of its development in 11th-12th century under the Karakhanids. Instead of more or less centralized state like the Samanids, Karakhanid Central Asia was divided into many small fiefdoms. Taraz became an important centre. The political independence of Taraz and autonomy of the circle [?] promoted their development. The power of the city under one of the rulers, Tugan-Khan, was so great that he independently waged a military campaign against Samarkand and temporarily captured it. Kashgar was invaded and it was under the Taraz's power during 15 months. Certainly, this political power was the result of the economic importance of the city. In the Karakhanid Era the main part of Taraz, the Shahristan and Arg, did not grow beyond their sizes in the previous Qarluq-Samanid Era. The Arg lost its main significance in the city's life. The Shahristan became the heart of economic and cultural life of the city. It was there that all the military, administrative, cultural and other establishments that governed life in the medieval feudal city-state took place. At this time in the city and its countryside the mausoleums of Aisha-Bibi and Karakhan were built. Taraz had an underground water system made of terracotta pipes, paved streets, and sewage collection. Of great interest is the Taraz Banya, which was multiple-domed building built from fired brick. In due course under the influence of internecine wars the Karakhanids lost their power and in the end of 12th century the city was taken by the Kara-Khitans. In 1210 Kara-Khitans were defeated by Khwarazmshah Mohammed.

Mongols

It did not last long because in 1220 nearly all Central Asia and the territory of modern Kazakhstan were invaded by Mongols. There were no written documents about Taraz's growth under the Mongols after they razed it to the ground. Remnants of fire found during the excavation show that the city was burnt. Probably the town was renamed as Yany ('New'), while mentioning it, European as well as Arabic sources write "The city Yany, named Taraz before the conquest." The archaeological finds show that the once-lively city under the Mongolian yoke lost its previous significance and independence. The blooming of settled life in Taraz ended and decline began. Under the Chagatayids (descendants of Chagatai Khan) coins were minted in Taraz until 1334. The Tsareviches, who, as Vasa of 14th century states, "burnt the Golden Horde, destroyed Taraz and other cities, and killed the population. They took everything they could take, and burnt the rest. There was a mention of the city again in 1345 in the road guide book as a city laid on the trade route from Maw'ara un-nahr to Almalyk." [1] Steady, internecine war in Central Asia, interfered with the trade with distant countries, and the opening of the sea route from the Western European countries to India stopped the trade on the ancient silk road and led to the decline of the cities that were situated on this road.

Kazakh Rule

Lost in time, Taraz is mentioned again in 1513 with the coming of the Kazakh tribes. The once famous medieval city and former capital had become a simple settlement, then it was forgotten, as well as its ancient name. By the 16th century the city's territory had been absorbed into the Kazakh Khanate. The archaeological excavation shows Kazakh nomads were involved in the rebirth of Taraz with cultural links connecting the ancient medieval city with the culture of Kazakh people[citation needed]. The confirmation of it is the names of artificial channels stretched from the city. Under the Kazakh Khans in ancient Taraz there was just a small settlement, the inhabitants of which were engaged in craft, agriculture and cattle breeding. In 1723 the Talas Valley, as well as the major part of southern Kazakhstan were invaded by Dzungars who owned it nearly until 1755. At that time the Kazakh tribe community came back to their place and began to reconstruct the irrigation system in the Talas Valley.

From Aulie-Ata to Modern Taraz

A Kokand Fortress

In the beginning of 19th century, the upper part of the Talas River Valley was again invaded by newcomers. This time it was the Qipchaq soldiers of the Khanate of Kokand. They built a few small fortresses for guarding the border and the caravan route mainly on the ancient cities ruins. Due to the comparatively advantageous position of the fortress which was built on the ruins of ancient Taraz a new town began quickly to grow around it. At first it was named Namangan-i Kochek ("little Namangan"), as the first settlements were from the Uzbek city Namangan. In 1856 it was renamed Aulie-Ata, in the honor of Karakhan the founder of Karakhanid dynasty. Mullahs, using a legend about the mausoleum of Karakhan in 12th built a new mausoleum with minarets, which had nothing in common with the older one. This new mausoleum preserved the ancient name, "Aulie-Ata" ("holy father"). The town took the same name. By this time the city had become a considerable trade craft center. Annually, a large spring fair was held there. The products of craftsman and agriculture were changed for the things of cattle-breeders. Large consignments of livestock bought at the fair were sent to Tashkent and Fergana through the Karrabul Pass in the Talas-Alatau. The caravan way passed through the city to the north-through Akmolinsk (Astana) and Petropavlovsk (Petropavl), to Omsk.

Russian rule

In 1864 Aulie-Ata surrendered after a short siege by Russian forces led by General Mikhail Grigorievich Cherniaev. Soon the line of Russian fortifications across the steppe was connected through Chimkent with the Syr-Darya line. The whole part of this land was included in the Russian state. A new Russian quarter was added to old Aulie-Ata. Its streets were lined with pyramidal poplars, and new houses were built with brick. By that time there were 2,000-3,000 families with houses, shops, mansions, and small adobe houses of the poor. At first it was ruled by a military administration, later in 1867 it became the center of an Uyezd occupying nearly all of the territory of the modern Zhambyl Province of Kazakhstan and Talas Province of Kyrgyzstan. The city continued to play a great role in the livestock trade and in breeding. There appeared some small industrial undertakings, including wine-making. In 1876 the first school of a European type was opened by a Russian priest. At that time there were 11,700 inhabitants in the town - besides Russians and Ukrainians there were a lot of Sarts; Kazakhs were nearly absent, as they led a nomadic way of life. A full description of the city at the beginning of 20th century is given in Russian. It is mentioned that Aulie-Ata had a large market fair and some transport offices. The population consisted of Russians, Sarts and Kazakhs. There were 3 churches, 2 mosques, a post telegraph office, a city urban school, a hospital, a military hospital, factories and plants, 1791 apartment houses, 1905 [?] inhabitants[citation needed]. The organization of public services was on a low level, houses were mainly built of adobe.

During the first two decades following the Russian Revolution and the Civil War, Aulie-Ata remained a small town. It was re-named Mirzoyan (Russian: "Мирзоян") in 1936, after Levon Mirzoyan (Левон Исаевич Мирзоян), an ethnic Armenian head of the Communists of Kazakhstan. In 1938, after Mirzoyan lost power, the city was renamed Dzhambul (Russian: "Джамбул", Kazakh: "Жамбыл") after Zhambyl Zhabayev, a Kazakh akyn (folk singer). Starting the in the 1930s, Dzhambul, along with other places in Kazakhstan, became the destination for large numbers of the deported peoples who were subject to internal exile. Millions of Volga Germans, Chechens, Ukrainians, Koreans and other ethnic minorities, along with other marginalized subjects (former kulaks, members of the aristocracy, families of convicted "enemies of the people," etc.) were forced to relocate to Kazakhstan, many of whom settled in Dzhambul. Some were evacuated to Kazakhstan, and to Dzhambul, during WWII from the areas that were, or were feared to come, under German occupation. The city's population continued to grow throughout the 1960s and 1970s in spite of the end of exiles, due to an industrial spurt the city received during that time. As a result, Dzhambul had a highly diverse population composed of multiple ethnic groups, the largest being the Russians, followed by the Kazakhs. Fast-paced industrialization brought many amenities of modern urban living to the city, previously largely unknown, such as typical Soviet apartment blocks as well as condo-style houses, now all supplied with electricity and running water; roads and public transport; several higher education institution; large public parks, department stores, etc.

Although chemical and construction industries made up the core of the city's economy, Dzhambul continued to function as an unofficial trade post with its proximity to the other Central Asian republics and a relatively mobile population. The city was known in the area for its large bazaars with farmers selling agricultural produce from throughout the region.

After independence

Dzhambul, along with much of Kazakhstan, suffered a severe economic crisis in the early 1990s after the break-up of the Soviet Union, with many industries coming to an almost complete halt. The demographics of the city have changed drastically as well. The city lost a significant portion of its population with the exodus of the various nationalities that once made up its diversity, notably the Volga Germans and the Jews, as well as many Russians and Ukrainians. This trend was partially off-set by the migration of Kazakhs from rural areas into the city. The city's name was changed to its Kazakh spelling (Zhambyl) in the early 1992 and to Taraz (Тараз) in 1997. The city's economy has experienced a partial revival in the early 2000s. The city has established a sister city relationship with Fresno, California, USA according to Sister Cities International. In 2001, Taraz also entered into a sister city relationship with Muncie, Indiana facilitated by Interlink Resources, Inc. (www.interlinkresources.org).[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ General Conference30th Session, Paris 1999. unesco.org.
  2. ^ Ji, Xianlin (1985). Journey to the West in the Great Tang Dynasty. Xi'an: Shaanxi People's Press. p. 27

External links

Jambyl Province
Capital: Taraz
Districts Bayzak · Jambyl · Korday · Merki · Moiynkum · Sarysu · Shu · Talas · Turar Ryskulov · Zhualy
Major cities Janatas · Karatau · Shu · Taraz
Cities of Kazakhstan
Capital Astana
Other cities Aktau • Aktobe • Almaty • Arkalyk • Atyrau • Baikonur • Balqash • Ekibastuz • Karagandy • Kentau • Kokshetau • Kostanay • Kyzylorda • Oral • Oskemen • Pavlodar • Petropavl • Ridder • Saran • Satpayev • Semey • Shymkent • Stepnogorsk • Taldykorgan • Taraz • Temirtau • Turkistan • Zhanaozen • Zhezkazgan

Coordinates: 42°54′N 71°22′E / 42.9°N 71.367°E

Categories: Populated places in Kazakhstan | Populated places along the Silk Road | Zhambyl Province | Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan border crossings

 

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