Uzbekistan General Information - History - Arabic conquest
Arabic conquest
In the 7th and early 8th centuries the Arabs conquered Central Asia. The political split and civil war that reigned in Central Asia at that time in one way or another made it easier for the Arab conquest.
The early 8th century saw the all-out invasion of the region led by the Arab commander and Governor General oiKhorasan, Kutaiba ibn Muslim (705 - 715). Taking advantage of the internal split, Kutaiba was quick to capture Tokhariston, and the area on the right bank of the Amu Darya.
In 705, Arabs fortified their positions in Chaganian, and moved further north - the area between the two rivers. In 723 the rulers of Ferghana, Chach, Nasaf, and the Western Turkic khanate set out against the Arab invaders by pushing them back to Samarkand.
The Sogdian revolt lasted for 10 years with participation of many of the local people. Thus, the entire region was engulfed with an anti-Arab march. A brave man of Central Asia, Mukanna, led one such rigorous revolt against the Arab rule. His movement has been named as "men in white". The "men in white" not only fought against the Arab rule in the area, but also - the one by local aristocracy, who used to side with the aggressors. The war for freedom lasted for more than 10 years and shook the powerful Arab caliphate. It is a vivid example of the fight for freedom by the people of Central Asia against invaders.
In the early 9th century the rule of the Arab caliphate on its territories began to gradually diminish. Thereafter, sovereign states started to emerge in the region, led by local dynasties.
In the late 9th century, the Samanid dynasty (819 - 999) gained full independence from the Arab caliphs, and spread its own rule from the northern slope of the Tian Shan to Gindikush and the Syr Darya steppes to the Persian Gulf.
The cities of Central Asia - large trade and cultural centers of their time - rose and prospered. The mosques and madrasah (educational institutions) were erected in many places such as Bukhara, Balkh, Samarkand, Termez, and others. Also, these cities became scientific centers, where the renowned scholars of the Orient such as Dakyky, Beruny, Avicenna, Faraby, and others lived and researched.
Especially, Bukhara saw its rise during the Samanids as the gathering place for the great scholars and literary men of the time. The city was famous for its library "Siwan al hikma" ("The Storehouse of wisdom"), used by Avicenna.
