Kokand ( uz, Qo‘qon/Қўқон/قوقان, ; russian: Кока́нд; fa, خوقند, Xuqand;
Chagatai: خوقند, ''Xuqand''; ky, Кокон, Kokon; tg, Хӯқанд, Xöqand) is a city in
Fergana Region
Fergana Region ( uz, Fargʻona viloyati, russian: Ферганская область) is one of the regions of Uzbekistan, located in the southern part of the Fergana Valley in the far east of the country. It borders the Namangan and Andijan Re ...
in eastern
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
, at the southwestern edge of the
Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley (; ; ) in Central Asia lies mainly in eastern Uzbekistan, but also extends into southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan.
Divided into three republics of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse and in the ...
. Administratively, Kokand is a district-level city, that includes the
urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlementrussian: посёлок городско́го ти́па, translit=posyolok gorodskogo tipa, abbreviated: russian: п.г.т., translit=p.g.t.; ua, селище міського типу, translit=selyshche mis'koho typu, ab ...
Muqimiy
Muqimiy ( uz, Muqimiy, russian: Мукими) is an urban-type settlement in Fergana Region, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Re ...
.
The population of Kokand was approximately 259,700.
The city lies southeast of
Tashkent
Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...
, west of
Andijan
Andijan (sometimes spelled Andijon or Andizhan in English) ( uz, Andijon / Андижон / ئەندىجان; fa, اندیجان, ''Andijân/Andīǰān''; russian: Андижан, ''Andižan'') is a city in Uzbekistan. It is the administrative, ...
, and west of
Fergana
Fergana ( uz, Fargʻona/Фарғона, ), or Ferghana, is a district-level city and the capital of Fergana Region in eastern Uzbekistan. Fergana is about 420 km east of Tashkent, about 75 km west of Andijan, and less than 20 km fr ...
. It is nicknamed "City of Winds". In 1877 when the first ethnographic works were done under the new imperial Russian administration, Khoqand/Kokand was reported and visually depicted on their maps as
Tajik
Tajik, Tadjik, Tadzhik or Tajikistani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Tajikistan
* Tajiks, an ethnic group in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan
* Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan
* Tajik (surname)
* Tajik cu ...
inhabited oasis (C.E de Ujfalvy (“Carte Ethnographique du Ferghanah, 1877”). The city and the entire eastern 3/4 of the
Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley (; ; ) in Central Asia lies mainly in eastern Uzbekistan, but also extends into southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan.
Divided into three republics of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse and in the ...
were including in
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
in the 1920s and
Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
's dictates of political borders.
Kokand is at the crossroads of the two main ancient trade routes into the Fergana Valley, one leading northwest over the mountains to Tashkent, and the other west through
Khujand
Khujand ( tg, Хуҷанд, Khujand; Uzbek: Хўжанд, romanized: Хo'jand; fa, خجند, Khojand), sometimes spelled Khodjent and known as Leninabad (russian: Ленинабад, Leninabad; tg, Ленинобод, Leninobod; fa, لن ...
. As a result, Kokand is the main transportation junction in the Fergana Valley.
Etymology
The city's name is in conformity with other Central Asian cities that sport the element ''kand/kent/qand/jand'', meaning a city in
Sogdian as well as other
Iranic
The Iranian peoples or Iranic peoples are a diverse grouping of Indo-European peoples who are identified by their usage of the Iranian languages and other cultural similarities.
The Proto-Iranians are believed to have emerged as a separate ...
languages. The
Khwarazmian version was ''kath'', which is still found in the name of the old city of Akhsikath/
Akhsikat
Akhsikath (also commonly known as Aksikent or Akhsi) is an archeological site located in the Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan. A fortified city along the Syr Darya, it lies 22km to the southwest of Namangan and covers an area of 30 hectares. The oldes ...
in the
Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley (; ; ) in Central Asia lies mainly in eastern Uzbekistan, but also extends into southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan.
Divided into three republics of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse and in the ...
of
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
. The prefix ''khu/hu'' is
Iranic
The Iranian peoples or Iranic peoples are a diverse grouping of Indo-European peoples who are identified by their usage of the Iranian languages and other cultural similarities.
The Proto-Iranians are believed to have emerged as a separate ...
for "good." (modern
Tajik
Tajik, Tadjik, Tadzhik or Tajikistani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Tajikistan
* Tajiks, an ethnic group in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan
* Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan
* Tajik (surname)
* Tajik cu ...
''khub''. Together, the name stands for "Good City."
A
Turkic derivation is untenable chronologically, but goes as such: "Kokand's name derives from the well-known tribal family group of 'Kokan' who belong to the Kongrat tribe of
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks ( uz, , , , ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the wider Central Asian region, being among the largest Turkic ethnic group in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakh and Karakalpak mino ...
."
History
The town of Kokand is one of the oldest towns in Uzbekistan and is situated in the western part of Fergana Valley. In the chronicles of the 10th century, the first written documents concerning town of Hukande, Havokande (old names of the town). In the 13th century, like most of Central Asian towns, the Mongols ruined the city. The town is a significant hub for trading on the Silk Rout
Kokand has existed since at least the 10th century, under the name of Khavakand, and was frequently mentioned in traveler's accounts of the caravan route between
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
and
East Asia
East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...
. The
Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
of China conquered the entire city in the 1st Century B.C. Later, the Arabs conquered the region from
Tang Empire
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
. The
Mongols
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...
destroyed Kokand in the 13th century.
The present city began as a fort in 1732 on the site of another older fortress called Eski-Kurgan. In 1740, it became the capital of an Uzbek kingdom, the
Khanate of Kokand
The Khanate of Kokand ( fa, ; ''Khānneshin-e Khoqand'', chg, ''Khoqand Khānligi'') was a Central Asian polity in the Fergana Valley centred on the city of Kokand between 1709 and 1876. Its territory is today divided between Uzbekistan, Ky ...
, which reached as far as
Kyzylorda
Kyzylorda ( kk, Қызылорда, translit=Qyzylorda, ), formerly known as Kzyl-Orda (russian: Кзыл-Орда), Ak-Mechet (Ак-Мечеть), Perovsk (Перовск), and Fort-Perovsky (Форт-Перовский), is a city in south-cen ...
to the west and
Bishkek
Bishkek ( ky, Бишкек), ), formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of ...
to the northeast. Kokand was also the major religious center of the Fergana Valley, boasting more than 300
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s.
Imperial forces of
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
under
Mikhail Skobelev
Mikhail Dmitriyevich Skobelev (russian: Михаил Дмитриевич Скобелев; 29 September 1843 – 7 July 1882), a Russian Empire, Russian general, became famous for his conquest of Central Asia and for his heroism during the Russo ...
captured the city in 1883 which then became part of
Russian Turkistan
Russian Turkestan (russian: Русский Туркестан, Russkiy Turkestan) was the western part of Turkestan within the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories, and was administered as a Krai or Governor-Generalship. It comprised the ...
. During World War I, two revolutions happened in the Russian Empire. it was the capital of the short-lived (72 days) (1917–18) anti-
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
Provisional Government of Autonomous Turkistan (also known as
Kokand Autonomy
kk, Түркістан автономиясы ky, Түркестан автономиясы tg, Мухторияти Туркистонrussian: Туркестанская автономия
, conventional_long_name = Turkestan Autonomy
, commo ...
). They sought co-operation from
Ataman Dutov and
Alash Orda
The Alash Autonomy ( kk, Алаш Автономиясы; Alaş Avtonomiasy, italic=no, ; russian: Алашская автономия, italic=no, ) was a Kazakh provisional government, or proto-state, located mainly in Central Asia, and partly ...
. However, their emissary to the
Amir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
of
Bukhara
Bukhara (Uzbek language, Uzbek: /, ; tg, Бухоро, ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan, with a population of 280,187 , and the capital of Bukhara Region.
People have inhabited the region around Bukhara ...
achieved little.
In September 1918, the Bolsheviks burned down the city and massacred over ten thousand citizens.
Main sights
The Palace of Khudayar Khan
The
Palace of Khudayar Khan was built between 1863 and 1874 by ruler
Muhammad Khudayar Khan
Sayid Muhammad Khudayar Khan, usually abbreviated to Khudayar Khan, was a Khan of Kokand who reigned between 1845 and 1875 with interruptions. He was the son of Shir Ali Khan. During the reign of Khudayar Khan, the Khanate was suffering from a ci ...
. American diplomat
Eugene Schulyer described it as being "much larger and more magnificent than any other
alacein Central Asia.”
Khudayar Khan commissioned architect Mir Ubaydullo to build him a royal residence with 113 rooms set around seven courtyards.
The ruler wanted his mother to live in one of the palace's grand buildings, but she refused and set up her
yurt
A yurt (from the Turkic languages) or ger ( Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered and insulated with skins or felt and traditionally used as a dwelling by several distinct nomadic groups in the steppes and mountains of Central Asia. ...
in a courtyard.
The facade of the building is decorated with mosaic tiles and an Arabic inscription above the entrance. The inscription translates as “Seid Mohammad Khudayar Khan: the great ruler”.
Most of the palace, including its
harem
Harem (Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A hare ...
, was demolished by the
Soviets
Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union.
Nationality policy in th ...
, but 19 rooms remain.
These are open to the public, and the interiors have been partially restored.
They show a combination of Russian and traditional Uzbek styles, and the exquisite craftsmanship of Kokand's 19th century artisans. It is possible to view the palace's collection of Chinese ceramics on request.
Juma Mosque
Kokand's
Juma Mosque
A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.*
*
*
*
*
*
*
...
(Friday Mosque) is located on Chursu Square in the historic Icheri Sheher part of the city. It was built between 1809 and 1812 by
Muhammad Umar Khan
Muhammad Umar Khan was the Khan of Khanate of Kokand, Kokand from until his subsequent illness and death in . He studied at a Madrasa, madrassa after completing his primary education before seizing power from his brother Alim Khan (Kokand), Alim ...
, who was ruler of Kokand from 1810 until his death in 1822.
The mosque is built around a large courtyard and has a 100m long
iwan
An iwan ( fa, ایوان , ar, إيوان , also spelled ivan) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...
supported on 98 redwood columns, which are ornately carved and were brought from India.
The minaret is 22m high.
Although intended to be Kokand's main place of worship, the Juma Mosque remained shut for most of the 20th century. It then reopened after much needed restoration in 1989 and now houses a small museum of applied arts with displays of embroideries and ceramics.
Amin Beg Madrassah
The Amin Beg Madrassah, a religious school, was built in the 1830s for a son of
Madali Khan
Muhammad Ali Khan, commonly referred to as Madali Khan, was the official Khan of Kokand from . He became the official ruler of Kokand at the age of 14 after his father Muhammad Umar Khan died of an illness in 1822, although some sources claim his ...
, the khan of Kokand from 1822 to 1842. The
madrassah
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
has a beautifully tiled facade, which was restored in 1913 by a craftsman called Khomol Khozi. For this reason, the madrassah is often called the Khomol Khozi Madrassah.
Today, the building houses a small museum and a shop, but the tiles and the carved wooden columns are still impressive to look at.
Hamza Museum
Built in 1989, the Hamza Museum is named after
Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi
Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi ( uz, Hamza Hakimzoda Niyoziy / Ҳамза Ҳакимзода Ниёзий) (, Kokand – March 18, 1929, Shohimardon) was an Uzbek people, Uzbek author, composer, playwright, poet, scholar, and political activist. Niyazi, a ...
, a Soviet hero who was born in Kokand. Hamza was Uzbekistan's first national poet and the founder of Uzbek
social realism
Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structure ...
, and the museum was opened to commemorate the centenary of his birth.
The museum houses general exhibits about life in Kokand, and also has artefacts relating to a variety of dramatists, propagandists, and writers.
Additional Sites
There are three other historic madrassahs in Kokand. The 19th-century Shaib Mian Hazrat Madrasa has a small museum dedicated to the poet Mohammad Amin Muqimi (1850-1903).
The Narbutabey Madrassah was built in the 1790s. Its graveyard includes the tomb of
Muhammad Umar Khan
Muhammad Umar Khan was the Khan of Khanate of Kokand, Kokand from until his subsequent illness and death in . He studied at a Madrasa, madrassa after completing his primary education before seizing power from his brother Alim Khan (Kokand), Alim ...
and his wife, the famous Uzbek poet
Nodira
Mohlaroyim ( uz, Mohlaroyim, Моҳларойим; 1792–1842), most commonly known by her pen name Nodira, was an Uzbeks, Uzbek poet and stateswoman. She functioned as regent of the Khanate of Kokand during the minority of her son from 1822.
...
.
Known as the Modari Khan Mausoleum, it is ornately decorated with glazed blue mosaic tiles. Unlike the other madrassahs in Kokand which were closed by the Soviets, the Narbutabey Madrassah remained active as a place of Quranic study until 2016.
The last madrassah is the Dasturkahanchi Madrasa. It was built in 1833 as a school for boys, but it is now a training centre where girls learn embroidery.
* Dakhma-I-Shokhon, a necropolis of the Kokand Khans from the 1830.
Education and culture
A number of
madrasah
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
s can be found with the city. Kokand made contribution to Islam. It is also home to a number of notable
hanafi
The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named aft ...
scholars, such as Abdulhafiz Al-Quqoniy and Yorqinjon Qori Al-Quqoniy.
There are 3 institutes there are "Kokand branch of Tshkent State Technical University(named after Islom Karimov)", "Kokand University(founded in 2019)",
"Kokand State Pedagocical Institute", 9 colleges and
lyceum
The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Generally in that type of school the th ...
s, 40 secondary schools, 5 musical schools, a theater, and 20 libraries. There are 7 historical and house museums located in Kokand.
The first International Handicrafters Festival took place in Kokand in September 2019. It was hosted by the Uzbekistan Handicraft Association, and the guest of honour was Rosy Greenlees, President of the
World Crafts Council The World Crafts Council AISBL (WCC-AISBL) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that was founded in 1964 to promote fellowship, foster economic development through income generating craft related activities, organize exchange programs, wor ...
. More than 600 creatives from 70 countries participated.
The festival was created to enable artisans from around the world to demonstrate and sell their products, as well as to network and further develop their skills. The festival included conference sessions dedicated to developing hand craftsmanship. The crafts on display included musical instruments, painting, ceramics, textiles, metalwork, and woodwork.
It is planned that the festival will be a biennial event, and it will next take place in 2021.
Economy
The
black market
A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the se ...
provides nearly 75% of the income generated in the borders of the city. This includes retail, groceries, employment, money exchange, agriculture and manufacturing of many goods. A large part of the population works as small business owners in outdoor markets.
Kokand is a center for the manufacture of
fertilizers
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
, chemicals, machinery, and
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
and food products. Over the last two decades, new districts and public buildings have been created in the city as well as many houses, shops, cafes, restaurants and other private sector ventures. Kokand is an education center with one institute, nine colleges and lyceums, and numerous museums.
Notable people
*
Muhammad Sharif Gulkhani Muhammad Sharif Gulkhani (1770s–1827), better simply known as Gulkhani (also one of his pen names), was a poet and List of satirists and satires, satirist from Kokand. He was bilingual in Persian language, Persian and Chagatai language, Chagatai.
...
, poet and satirist
*
Ziroatkhon Hoshimova
Ziroatkhon Mahmudovna Hoshimova (), also shortened to Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, is the First Lady of Uzbekistan.
Biography
She was born in the city of Kokand in the Ferghana valley on 4 December 1957. Her father Mahmudjon Hoshimov was a wealthy offici ...
,
First Lady of Uzbekistan
*
Peter Mikhailovich Kulakov
Peter Mikhailovich Kulakov (born 21 March 1964) is a television evangelist, founding director of the first Christian Media Center in the former Soviet Union, pastor, and overseas missionary. He was born in Kokand, Uzbek SSR (now Uzbekistan) and r ...
, television evangelist
*
Ida Mayrin
Ida Mayrin ( he, אידה מיירין; born 30 October 1997) is an Israeli female rhythmic gymnast.
Mayrin has collected a total of two bronze medals, as a member of the national squad, at the European Championships (2014 and 2016), and eventu ...
(born 1997), Israeli Olympic rhythmic gymnast
*
Yodgor Nasriddinova, Uzbek-Soviet engineer and communist party official
*
Abdulla Qahhor
Abdulla Qahhor (sometimes spelled Abdulla Kahhar in English) ( uz, Abdulla Qahhor, Абдулла Қаҳҳор) (September 17, 1907 – May 24, 1968) was a Soviet and Uzbek novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, and literary translator. H ...
, Uzbek writer
*
Abraham Resnick, rabbi
*
Serhiy Shkarlet
Serhiy Mykolayovych Shkarlet ( uk, Сергій Миколайович Шкарлет; born 19 October 1972) is a Ukrainian economist and politician. On 25 June 2020 he was assigned as acting Minister of Education and Science. On 17 December 20 ...
, Ukrainian politician
[From Yanukovych to Zelensky through Poroshenko. Who is the head of the Ministry of Education Serhiy Shkarlet]
Ukrayinska Pravda
''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukraini ...
(13 October 2020)
References
External links
*
Official city portal of Kokand
{{Authority control
Populated places in Fergana Region
Cities in Uzbekistan
Populated places along the Silk Road
Fergana Oblast