THE ROLE OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE FORMATION OF THE ISLAMIC CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT IN CENTRAL ASIA DURING THE NINTH–TWELFTH CENTURIES

Authors
  • Azizbek Amiriddin ugli Ungalov

    Author
Keywords:
Central Asia; Islamization; Samanids; Qarakhanids; ulama; ribat; mutatawwi‘a; trade; city; cultural integration.
Abstract

This article examines social institutions shaping the Islamic cultural environment of Central Asia from the ninth through twelfth centuries. It identifies interactions among religious and legal networks, knowledge transmission, urban economy, trade, and court patronage. The study applies source criticism, comparative historical analysis, and institutional analysis to six Scopus indexed journal articles. Findings show that under the Samanids, jihad and ribat systems, scholars, and volunteer associations reinforced political legitimacy and normative order. In Bukhara and Samarkand, commerce, coinage, food supply, and palace art provided material foundations for integration. Under the Qarakhanids, Turkic, Persian, and Islamic elements produced a durable regional culture.

References

1. Hanaoka M. Visions of Muhammad in Bukhara and Tabaristan: Dreams and Their Uses in Persian Local Histories // Iranian Studies. – 2014. – Vol. 47, No. 2. – P. 289–303. – DOI: 10.1080/00210862.2013.860326.

2. Karev Y. Qarakhanid Wall Paintings in the Citadel of Samarqand: First Report and Preliminary Observations // Muqarnas. – 2005. – Vol. 22, No. 1. – P. 45–84. – DOI: 10.1163/22118993_02201004.

3. Kovalev R. K. Dirham Mint Output of Samanid Samarqand and its Connection to the Beginnings of Trade with Northern Europe (10th Century) // Histoire & Mesure. – 2002. – Vol. 17, No. 3–4. – P. 197–216. – DOI: 10.4000/histoiremesure.892.

4. Mir-Makhamad B., Mirzaakhmedov S., Rahmonov H., Stark S., Omel’chenko A., Spengler R. N. III. Qarakhanids on the Edge of the Bukhara Oasis: Archaeobotany of Medieval Paykend // Economic Botany. – 2021. – Vol. 75. – P. 195–214. – DOI: 10.1007/s12231-021-09531-6.

5. Tor D. G. Privatized Jihad and Public Order in the Pre-Seljuq Period: The Role of the Mutatawwi‘a // Iranian Studies. – 2005. – Vol. 38, No. 4. – P. 555–573. – DOI: 10.1080/00210860500338358.

6. Tor D. G. The Islamization of Central Asia in the Sāmānid Era and the Reshaping of the Muslim World // Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. – 2009. – Vol. 72, No. 2. – P. 279–299. – DOI: 10.1017/S0041977X09000524.

Cover Image
Downloads
Published
2026-09-10
Section
Articles