The Kara-Khanid State and Its Development
Student of Denov Institute of Entrepreneurship and Pedagogy
Xudoyberdiyeva Mohiniso
Annotation
The Kara-Khanid State, which emerged in Central Asia between the 9th and 12th centuries, was one of the earliest Muslim Turkic states and played a significant role in political and cultural life. During their rule, Islam spread widely, mosques and madrasahs were constructed, and trade and crafts flourished. The works of Yusuf Khass Hajib, Qutadghu Bilig, and Mahmud al-Kashgari, Divanu Lughat al-Turk, belong to this period. Although the Kara-Khanids eventually weakened, they strengthened Islamic values in the region and greatly contributed to the cultural development of Turkic peoples.
Keywords: Qutadghu Bilig, Transoxiana, Central Asia, Muslim Turkic state, Islam, culture.
Introduction
Research in this field focuses on examining the role of Turkic states in the history of Central Asia, and the Kara-Khanid Khanate occupies an important place in this process. According to scholarly studies, during the period of the Uyghur Khaganate, the Karluks—composed of three major tribes—were among its subjects. In 756–757 they grew in strength and sought to seize the throne. The internal struggle that began in 789 prevented their success, causing them to separate from the Uyghurs and migrate toward the region of Jetisu, where they later established a new khaganate.
Sources published in Chinese and Uyghur languages describe in detail the historical and ethnic situation in Central Asia before the formation of the Kara-Khanid Khanate. According to these works, the political map of the region underwent repeated changes over several centuries: internal conflicts, wars, and invasions led some states to decline while others flourished.
Main Part
Historical Context and Migrations
Chinese scholars report that after the fall of the Turkic Khaganate, large migration processes took place in Central Asia for nearly two centuries. This intensified after the Uyghur Khaganate, founded in 744 in present-day Mongolia, collapsed in 840. Several factors contributed to the downfall of the Uyghur state: internal power struggles, widespread drought, disease, and harsh winters that devastated livestock. Discontented officials allied with the Kyrgyz, attacked the royal palace, and killed the khagan. Consequently, the Uyghur Khaganate disintegrated, and its population dispersed.
A large group of Uyghurs abandoned their homeland and moved westward, eventually settling in the pastures of Jetisu. When internal unrest broke out within the Uyghur Khaganate, the Karluks were among the first to withdraw from the confederation and migrate to Jetisu—present-day southeastern Kazakhstan. According to Chinese researchers, the Karluks belonged to the “Toqquz Oghuz” (Nine Oghuz) tribal union and constituted a significant portion of the population of the Uyghur state.
By the 9th century, the Karluks had gained considerable political influence and consisted of three principal tribes: Bulak (Muyolo), Sabak (Chjisi), and Mashli (Tashli. Some scholars, including Vey Liangtao, refer to them as one of the “eleven Uyghur” groups.
Islamization and Cultural Development
By the time the Kara-Khanid State was established and began consolidating political authority, most of the population of Transoxiana and surrounding territories had embraced Islam. During this period, Islam reached a high level of development and gradually became a distinct cultural system.
This religious transformation also influenced the Turkic tribes within the Kara-Khanid realm. Due to their close interactions with the settled population of Movarounnahr, the nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples gradually adopted Islam. In Transoxiana and Khwarazm, pastoral tribes living near urban settlements accepted Islam nearly simultaneously with the settled population. Nomadic groups living along the Syr Darya and further north also converted between the 9th and 10th centuries.
According to historical sources, in 960 alone, approximately 200,000 Turkic households embraced Islam.
The rulers of the Kara-Khanid State recognized the significance of Islam and actively supported the development of Islamic culture. Satuk Kara Khan was the first Turkic ruler to convert to Islam, adopting the Muslim name Abd al-Karim Satuk Kara Khan. During his reign, numerous Turkic tribes—Karluk, Chigil, Yaghma, Khalaj, and others—converted to Islam. This process played a major role in unifying the state and shaping its political stability.
Conclusion
The Kara-Khanid State successfully united various Turkic tribes and established a strong central authority. They strengthened trade routes, enhanced economic stability, and paid great attention to cultural and scholarly development. Madrasahs, mosques, and cultural centers were built in cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara.
The Kara-Khanids actively promoted Islam, ensuring both religious and political unity within their territories. Therefore, this state represents an important stage in the consolidation of governance and the cultural advancement of Central Asia.
References
1. Irpan To‘xtaev. Kara-Khanid Silver Coins Minted in the First Quarter of the 11th Century. Tashkent, 2015.
2. Vey Liangtao. Kalaxan Wangchao Shigao, p. 72.
3. Ibid., pp. 66–73.
4. Khojaev K.A. On the Terms “Jyushing Ugu”, “Jyushing Tele” and “Jyushing Xueyhe” in Chinese Sources. Oriental Studies, Tashkent, 2004, pp. 223–228.
5. Khojaev A. Data from Ancient Chinese Sources on the Ethnic History of Central Asia. Tashkent, 2017, pp. 239–252, 356.
6. Wikipedia.
7. Ablat Khodjaev, Dilrabo Turdieva. The History of the Kara-Khanid Khanate in the Research of Scholars of the People’s Republic of China. Tashkent, 2021.
Xudoyberdiyeva Mohiniso was born on May 22, 2006, in Denov district, Surxondaryo region. She is currently a second-year student at the Faculty of History, Denov Institute of Entrepreneurship and Pedagogy.