A bridge between the people and history

🔴 “The main example of popular historiography”

 

🔴 A project featured in the Center’s “Khanates Era” exposition

 

Among the historical figures who scientifically presented their past and approached the heritage of their ancestors with deep respect, the Khan of Khiva, Abulgazi Bahadur Khan, occupies a special place. He was not only a skilled statesman of his time but also one of the first historians to deeply analyze the history of the Uzbek and, more broadly, Turkic peoples, applying contemporary sciences. His work, Shajara-i Turk, is not merely a genealogical record but a rare source of high historical, cultural, and scholarly value.

 

This work, written in the 17th century, provides a comprehensive account of the ancient origins of the Turkic peoples, detailing their ancestors, tribes, major dynasties, and the genealogy of their rulers. In the book, Abulgazi Bahadur Khan sought to present a complete picture of the kinship ties, historical roots, and political processes of the Turkic peoples. In particular, the style of writing, richness of language, and careful selection of historical facts have made it one of the most prominent scholarly legacies of its era.

 

Shajara-i Turk is not merely a genealogy but a rare work that serves to foster self-awareness among the people, revive historical memory, and elevate national pride. Through Abulgazi’s writing, we learn not only about past events but also about the thinking, worldview, social structure, and reflections on historical figures of that era. His scholarly approach, objectivity in analyzing sources, and loyalty to historical and cultural roots can serve as an invaluable example for today’s generation.

 

For this reason, studying Abulgazi Bahadur Khan and his Shajara-i Turk is not only an act of remembering history but also an important step toward a deeper understanding of national thought, historical memory, and scholarly heritage.

 

Abulgazi Bahadur Khan: personality and historical role

 

Abulgazi Bahadur Khan (1603–1663) was one of the major political and spiritual figures of the Khiva Khanate. Belonging to the Yadrov tribe, he mastered the Turkic, Persian, and Arabic languages and was recognized as a prominent historian who deeply studied religious and historical sources. From 1643 until his death nearly twenty years he ruled the Khiva Khanate. During this period, he ensured relative political stability in Uzbek lands and made a significant contribution to the development of science and culture.

 

Abulgazi was not only a statesman but also a scholarly figure who left an indelible mark on the development of Turkic historiography. His works, such as Shajara-i Turk and Shajara-i Tarākima, remain invaluable sources for modern historians.

 

Reasons for the creation of Shajara-i Turk

 

Before writing his historical work, Abulgazi Bahadur Khan spent several years deeply studying Arabic, Persian, and Turkic sources. He regarded history not merely as a chain of events but as a means of understanding the spirit, customs, values, and political thinking of peoples. For this reason, he advocated a scholarly approach to the history of his own people the Uzbeks and, more broadly, the Turkic peoples.

 

Based on this approach, Abulgazi critically analyzed historical sources, compared them, and sought to present facts through a political and cultural perspective. The work also had a practical purpose: to strengthen national unity and identity among the Turkic peoples by reminding them of their common roots and shared history.

 

Content and Structure of the Work

 

Shajara-i Turk (“The Genealogy of the Turks”), as its title suggests, narrates the origins, dynasties, customs, heroes, and activities of the Turkic peoples. The work covers the historical period from the 10th to the 17th centuries. It contains valuable information on the genealogy of the Uzbek, Kipchak, Mongol, Turkmen, and other Turkic tribes.

 

The book provides detailed accounts of historical and legendary figures such as Oghuz Khan, Alan-Qova, and Genghis Khan. In this respect, Shajara-i Turk is significant not only as a historical chronicle but also as an ethnographic, literary, and political source.

 

Each figure or tribe is described in a distinctive language, meaning, and style. Abulgazi often draws moral lessons from the activities of historical heroes, praising their bravery and sense of justice. This gives the work an educational and didactic spirit.

 

Language, style, and literary approach

 

Shajara-i Turk stands out for its simplicity, fluency, and closeness to the spoken language of the people. Abulgazi avoided a formal, heavy style, aiming instead to make the work understandable to a broad readership. This aspect contributed greatly to its popularity. Many historians have described it as “the main example of popular historiography”.

 

The work makes extensive use of elements from Turkic oral tradition proverbs, legends, and folk tales. This elevates the text to the level of a scholarly yet accessible historical epic. For linguists, it is also a valuable source for studying the lexical, phonetic, and grammatical features of the Uzbek language in the 17th century.

 

The work’s place in historiography

 

Today, Shajara-i Turk is widely studied not only in Uzbekistan but also in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Russia, and other countries. The book has been translated into several languages, published, and accompanied by numerous annotated analyses.

 

For this reason, the “Khanates Era” exposition at the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan devotes special attention to the legacy of Abulgazi Bahadur Khan. The section dedicated to him displays original copies of Shajara-i Turk and Shajara-i Tarākima, their scholarly commentaries, interactive maps, and virtual genealogical trees.

 

This exposition allows visitors to gain a deep understanding of Abulgazi Bahadur Khan’s multifaceted role as a scholar who critically analyzed historical sources, a statesman loyal to the values of his people, and a historian who preserved cultural memory.

 

His works, now considered scholarly, cultural, and historical monuments, continue to serve the cause of fostering self-awareness among Turkic peoples, reviving historical memory, and strengthening national pride. In this sense, the extensive coverage of Abulgazi Bahadur Khan’s personality at the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan is not only a restoration of historical justice but also an important step in teaching younger generations to approach their history with respect.

 

Husan TURSUNOV

P/S: The article may be used provided that the official website of the Center is cited as the source.