Tashkent is a city with a long and rich history, dating back to ancient times. It is located in northeastern Uzbekistan, near the border with Kazakhstan, and is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of 3 million. Tashkent has undergone various changes in names and political and religious affiliations over the centuries, and has witnessed major growth and development in modern times. It is a cultural, economic, and political center of Uzbekistan, and a popular destination for tourists who want to explore its historical and architectural attractions.
Ancient times
Tashkent was first settled some time between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC by ancient people as an oasis on the Chirchik River, near the foothills of the West Tian Shan Mountains. In ancient times, this area contained Beitian, probably the summer “capital” of the Kangju confederacy, a nomadic people who controlled a large territory in Central Asia. According to the local pronunciation, the place was called “Chach”. The main city was called Chacha, i.e., Chachkent or Shashkent. Subsequently, the meaning of the word changed and turned into its consonance – Tashkent, popularly etymologized as “stone city”.
Before Islamic influence started in the mid-8th century AD, Tashkent was influenced by the Sogdian and Turkic cultures. Sogdians were an Iranian people who dominated the trade and commerce along the Silk Road, and Turkic tribes were nomadic warriors who migrated from the steppes of Mongolia and China. Tashkent was a prosperous and cosmopolitan city, with a diverse population of merchants, artisans, farmers, and religious minorities. It was also a center of learning and culture, with schools, libraries, temples, and palaces.
Medieval times
After Genghis Khan destroyed Tashkent in 1219, it was rebuilt and profited from the Silk Road, a network of trade routes that connected Asia, Europe, and Africa. Tashkent became a part of the Mongol Empire, and later the Timurid Empire, founded by the Turkic-Mongol conqueror Timur (also known as Tamerlane). Timur made Samarkand, another city in Uzbekistan, his capital, and transformed it into a magnificent and splendid city. Tashkent, however, remained a secondary city, overshadowed by Samarkand and Bukhara, the other major cities of the region.
In the 16th century, Tashkent became an independent city-state, ruled by a local dynasty of khans. It was a thriving and prosperous city, with a strong economy and a large population. It was also a center of trade and diplomacy, maintaining relations with neighboring states, such as the Khanate of Bukhara, the Khanate of Kokand, the Safavid Empire of Iran, and the Mughal Empire of India. Tashkent was known for its religious tolerance and diversity, as it was home to Muslims, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Buddhists. It was also a center of art and culture, with a distinctive style of architecture, painting, pottery, and metalwork.
Modern times
In 1865, Tashkent fell to the Russian Empire, after a long and bloody siege. It became the capital of Russian Turkestan, a colonial territory that encompassed most of Central Asia. The Russians built a new city, adjacent to the old one, with wide streets, modern buildings, and public amenities. They also introduced railways, telegraphs, schools, and factories, and encouraged migration of Russian settlers and workers. The Russian presence, however, was resented by the local population, who faced discrimination, oppression, and exploitation. Tashkent became a hotbed of nationalist and revolutionary movements, such as the Jadidists, the Basmachi, and the Bolsheviks.
In 1917, after the Russian Revolution, Tashkent became the capital of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, a constituent republic of the Soviet Union. In Soviet times, it witnessed major growth and demographic changes due to forced deportations from throughout the Soviet Union. Many ethnic groups, such as Koreans, Germans, Chechens, Crimean Tatars, and Volga Germans, were relocated to Tashkent, either as punishment or as labor force. Tashkent also received a large influx of refugees from other parts of Central Asia, especially during the famine of 1932-1933 and the Soviet-Afghan War of 1979-1989.
Much of Tashkent was destroyed in the 1966 Tashkent earthquake, but it was rebuilt as a model Soviet city, with modern architecture, infrastructure, and services. It was the fourth-largest city in the Soviet Union at the time, after Moscow, Leningrad and Kyiv. Today, as the capital of an independent Uzbekistan, Tashkent retains a multiethnic population, with ethnic Uzbeks as the majority. In 2009, it celebrated its 2,200 years of history. Tashkent is a vibrant and dynamic city, with a blend of old and new, tradition and innovation, and culture and commerce. It is a city that offers a variety of attractions and experiences for visitors, from historical monuments and museums, to parks and gardens, to bazaars and restaurants. Tashkent is a city that invites you to discover its past, present, and future.