by
Iraj Bashiri
copyright 2001
The AD Era to 1900 |
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|
AD |
Dates |
Events |
|
2 |
|
Parthian king since 2BC, Phraateces marries his own mother, Musa, an act that terrifies the Romans and the Greeks. |
|
3 |
9 Sept. |
The Parthian stronghold of Artagira falls to the Romans. |
|
4 |
|
Parthian king Phraataces is either killed or driven into Syria where he passes away. |
|
12 |
|
Artabanus defeats the Parthian Vonones and forces him to flee to Seleucia. |
|
16 |
|
Parthian king Artabanus forces Vonones to surrender the rulership of Armenia which he has made his own. . |
|
21 |
Dec. |
A letter sent by Artabanus to Susa validates a contested election. |
|
38 |
|
Artabanus, the ruler of Parthia, passes away. |
|
42 |
|
On his way to India, the sage Apollonius of Tyana passes through Babylonia. |
|
50 |
|
Kujula Kadphises establishes the Kushan Empire. The Kushans rule over Persia, the upper Oxus, and Transoxiana until they are overthrown by the Sassanids in the third century. |
|
51 |
|
Vologases I becomes king. |
|
52 |
|
Vologases I advances into Armenia without any resistance. |
|
53 |
|
For the next ten years Parthia and Rome fight for the control of Armenia. |
|
63 |
|
Vologases I and Corbulo make Armenia a buffer between Parthia and Rome. |
|
63 |
|
Legions in Spain and Dalmatia are recalled and assigned to the Roman army of the east. |
|
115 |
|
Trajan conquers Mesopotamia. |
|
117 |
|
Hadrian abandons Mesopotamia to Parthia. |
|
118 |
|
Roman armies advance in Mesopotamia. |
|
165 |
|
Avidius Cassius, a Roman general, destroys Seleucia. |
|
198 |
|
Septimus Severus captures Ctesiphon. |
|
200 |
|
Arabic kingdom of Hira is established. |
|
226 |
|
Ardashir I takes Ctesiphon; overthrows Parthian rule. |
|
241 |
|
Shapur I; spread of Manicheism. |
|
260 |
|
Sassanians caapture Emperor Valerian forcing Rome to relax its hold on Mesopotamia. |
|
274 |
|
Imprisonment and death of Mani. |
|
280 |
|
Valerian is taken prisoner at Edessa; Roman fortresses in Mesopotamia are reduced. |
|
297 |
|
Emperor Galerius defeats Narsah. captured fortresses are returned to Rome. |
|
303 |
|
Armenia accepts Christianity. |
|
309 |
|
Shapur II becomes ruler of Iran at birth. |
|
313 |
|
Constantine the Great adopts Christianity. |
|
337 |
|
Shapur II begins his conquests in the west. |
|
362 |
|
The death of Emperor Julian causes Rome to flood the eastern marches with many western units. |
|
370 |
|
The Hephthalites establish themselves in Bactria, defeat the Sassanians and expand their hegemony over Kabul and Gandhara. |
|
372 |
|
Hans invade the Western steppes. |
|
399 |
|
Yadagird I is sympathetic to Christianity at first. |
|
400 |
|
Altai Mountain Turks attack the Usun, a Turkic-speaking Mongolian nomadic people. |
|
410 |
|
Rome's Western provinces are overrun by Germanic tribes. |
|
420 |
|
Bahram V (Gur) becomes king. |
|
429 |
|
Eastern Armenia (Parsarmenia) is restored to Iran. |
|
438 |
|
Yadagird II persecutes Christians. |
|
440 |
|
The Hephthalites, or White Huns, capture Transoxiana and much of the eastern provinces of the Sassanids. |
|
440 |
|
Hephthalites defeat the Kushans and terrorize their Iranian neighbors. |
|
457 |
|
Firuz becomes king. |
|
484 |
|
Hephthalites kill Firuz, throw Iranian affairs into chaos. |
|
488 |
|
Qubads' first rule. |
|
499 |
|
Qubad's second rule. |
|
500 |
|
During the 6th century, the Turkic Tue-Chue overthrow the Hephthalites and establish themselves in Central Asia; the Kazakh-Kirghiz move south from Siberia. |
|
501 |
|
Qubad restores stability; Mazdak appears. |
|
531 |
|
Mazdakite movement ends; Khusrau I (531-579) welcomes Athenian philosophers to his court, reforms the state. |
|
545 |
|
The Prophet Muhammad's father, Abdullah, is born. |
|
549 |
|
Athenian philosophers return to Greece. |
|
550 |
|
Merchant Sughdians populate the Chu and Talas river valleys and serve as a solid link in the Silk Road between China and the Mediterranean. |
|
550 |
|
An alliance between the Western Turks and the Sassanids brings Hephthalite rule to an end. |
|
552 |
|
Bumin Kaghan establishes the first Turkic empire in Mongolia and, in the process displaces the traditional inhabitants of the region, the Sakas. |
|
552 |
|
Western Turks defeat the Juan Juan on the Altain plains. |
|
552 |
|
The Turkish leader, Bumin, forms an alliance with the Chinese and overthrows the Juan Juan dynasty. |
|
553 |
|
An alliance of Western Turks and the Sassanian Khusrau I ends the Empire of the Hephthalites. The Oxus river divides the realm of the Western Turks from the land of the Iranians. |
|
553 |
|
Bumin, having created an alliance among the Turks of the Altai Mountains passes away. Bumin's Empire is divided between his son, Mu-han (553-572), and his brother Ishtemi (553-573). The former bacomes the Khaqan of the Eastern Turks while the latter bacomes the Khaqan of the Western Turks; Ishtemi's empire reaches the Ili and Chu Rivers. |
|
570 |
|
Prophet Muhammad is born in Mecca, a center of the Spice Route that connected the West to the East. |
|
574 |
|
Persians capture Yemen by expelling the Abyssinians who had held sway there for 52 years. |
|
579 |
|
Rule of Hormuzd IV (579-590). |
|
590 |
|
Within the next 3 decades, Khusrau II (d. AD 628) captures Hira and Jerusalem; takes the True Cross to Ctesiphon; lays siege to Constantinople. |
|
590 |
|
Bahram Chubin (590-591) usurps the throne. |
|
591 |
|
Khusrau II (591-628) returns and expands the Empire. |
|
594 |
|
Prophet Muhammad becomes the overseer of Khadija's business. |
|
595 |
|
Muhammad (25) marries the widow Khadija (41). Of their 2 sons and four daughters, Fatimah becomes of lasting importance due to her marriage to Ali, the Prophet's cousin and first in the line of Shi'ite imams. |
|
600 |
|
Khusrau II flees to Byzantium. |
|
601 |
|
Bahram Chubin rules Iran as a usurper; Byzantine Emperor Maurice restores the young prince to the throne of Iran. In return, Iran gives up Iberia and much of Armenia. |
|
603 |
|
The Turkic empire established by Bumin is divided into an eastern and a western kingdom. Centered on Tokmak in present-day Kyrgyzstan, the Western Turks gradually dominate Central Asia. |
|
605 |
|
Prophet Muhammad determines the placement of the Black Stone in Mecca. |
|
607 |
|
Khusrau II captures Hira and Jerusalem, takes the True Cross to Ctesiphon, and lays siege to Constantinople. |
|
610 |
|
Muhammad receives dispensation through Gabriel. Khadija and Ali (10 at the time), Abu Bakir and Zayd are the first converts. The economic situation in Mecca, tied to Pagan beliefs, is not conducive to growth for the fledgling religion. Followers of the Prophet are persecuted. |
|
613 |
|
At Mt. Sara, the Prophet invites the public to join Islam. |
|
615 |
|
Muslims are persecuted by the Quraish; some leave for Abyssinia. |
|
616 |
|
Sassanians occupy Egypt. |
|
619 |
|
Muhammad is taken from Mecca to Jerusalem and to the 7th heaven, where he receives prescription for the rituals, especially for prayers. |
|
620 |
|
The Prophet ascends to the heavens on the back of the Buraq. This is usually referred to as the mi'raj. |
|
622 |
|
The untenable situation in Mecca forces the Prophet to move to Medina where he is welcomed by the Jews of the city; beginning of the Hijri or Islamic calendar; Heraclius defeats theSassanids. |
|
623 |
|
Aided by Khazar mercenaries, Byzantines attack Persia. |
|
628 |
|
Emperor Heraclius defeats Khusrau II near Ctesiphon. |
|
629 |
|
Prophet Muhammad performs the pilgrimage at Mecca. |
|
630 |
|
The rebellion of the Karluk Turks brings about the division of the western Turks into the Dulu and the Nushibi confederations. |
|
630 |
|
The Chinese traveler Hsuan-tsang visits Kabul, Balkh, Bamiyan, Kunduz, and Gandhara documenting Buddhist life in medival times. |
|
630 |
|
Between 630 and 640, the cities of Kucha, Khotan, Kashghar, Yarkand, and Turfan, i.e., present-day Xinjiang, fall to the Chinese. |
|
630 |
|
Between 630 and 682 Eastern Turks fall to the Chinese. |
|
632 |
|
Prophet Muhammad's message arrives at the Sassanid court; Prophet Muhammad passes away. |
|
637 |
|
Yazdagird III (633-651) accedes the Sassanian throne; Iranians are defeated at al-Qadisiyya; Rome is reduced to Byzantium. |
|
637 |
|
Between 637 and 691 a United Turkish Khanate is established by Elterish. |
|
640 |
|
The Sassanid Empire falls to the Muslim armies. Zoroastrianism, eclipsed by Islam, never recovers. Large numbers of Zoroastrian faithfuls leave Iran for India where they are known as Parsees. |
|
642 |
|
Iranians are defeated at Nihavand and later at Rayy. |
|
643 |
|
Azerbaijan and Tabaristan fall to the Muslims. |
|
644 |
|
Fars, Kirman, Sistan, and Makran fall to the Muslims. |
|
646 |
|
Arab conquest of Khurasan begins. |
|
649 |
|
All of Sassanian Iran is controlled by Muslim Arabs. |
|
650 |
|
A commission is formed by the Caliph Uthman to finalize the preparation of the text of the Qur'an started under Caliph Umar; Arab frontiers in the east extend into Khurasan. |
|
651 |
|
Yazdagird III is assassinated at Merv; Sassanian empire ends. |
|
655 |
|
Tang dynasty of China captures the territories belonging to the Western Turks in eastern Turkistan. |
|
656 |
|
Ali, the Prophet's cousin, becomes the 4th rightly-guided Caliph. A year later, he moves the seat of the Caliphate from Medina to Kufa in present-day Iraq. |
|
657 |
|
Imam Ali moves the seat of the Caliphate from Medina to Kufa. |
|
659 |
|
The West Turkic Khanate, a loose Turkic confederation, is overrun by the Chinese. |
|
659 |
|
Western Turks fall to the Chinese. |
|
660 |
|
The Caliphate is split. Ali controls Iraq and Persia (i.e., the domain of the former Sassanian dynasty. Mu'awiyya controls Syria and Egypt. |
|
661 |
|
Ali is murdered. His son, Hassan abdicates. The seat of the Caliphate is moved to Damascus, Syria. Kharijite Ibn-I Muljim's assassination of Ali results in the Sunni-Shi'I split. |
|
670 |
|
To decrease tension in Iraq, 50,000 bedouin families are relocated in Khurasan. |
|
674 |
|
Muslims cross the Oxus river and Bukhara becomes a Muslim vassal state. |
|
677 |
|
Samarqand is occupied by the Muslims. |
|
683 |
|
Mongolia is recaptured by the Turks. |
|
686 |
|
Mukhtar declares himself Caliph at Kufa. |
|
687 |
|
Mukhtar is killed in a battle between him and Abdullah Zubair. |
|
692 |
|
Elterish's brother, Qapaqan (692-716) forces the eastern and western khanates to recognize him as the Khaqan. |
|
695 |
|
Muslims advance in Transoxiana as far as Kish. |
|
696 |
|
Arabic becomes the official language of the Islamic Empire, displacing Persian that in the eastern regions had been serving as language of administration. Similarly, dinar and dirham replace the old Sassanid coinage. |
|
699 |
|
Uch-Elig Kaghan forms the Turgesh Kaghanate centered on the river Siyab in present-day Kyrgyzstan. |
|
700 |
|
Manichaeism, which synthesizes Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Gnosticism vies with Buddhism for the control of what is present-day Kyrgyzstan. |
|
700 |
|
The word Tatar is encountered for the first time in the Kultigin tablets erected close to the river Orkhon. |
|
709 |
|
Bukhara and Samarqand fall to the Arab forces. |
|
711 |
|
Khiva falls to the Arab forces. |
|
711 |
|
Islamic rule is expanded as far as the Indus Valley. |
|
712 |
|
Khwarazm falls to the Arab forces. |
|
712 |
|
Muslim armies capture the Ferghana Valley and Shash (present-day Tashkent). |
|
713 |
|
Arab armies sack Kashghar. |
|
715 |
|
Qutaiba ibn Muslim, the Governor of Khurasan, is assassinated by his own forces. |
|
716 |
|
The Turgesh Kaghanate uses the earliest Runic alphabet used by the Turkic inhabitants of Central Asia. |
|
716 |
|
Muslims invade Constantiople. |
|
716 |
|
Areas of present-day Turkmenistan are captured by the Umayyids. |
|
716 |
|
Qapaqan Khan is poisoned. Bilge (716-734), is established as ruler. |
|
725 |
|
Muslims occupy Nimes, France. |
|
728 |
|
Arab power is consolidated in Transoxiana; establishment of the Islamic faith among the populace, however, remains a major task to be accomplished. |
|
728 |
|
Economic discrimination by Arabs against the new Persian and Turkish converts sets the scene for a revolution in Khurasan. |
|
733 |
|
Muslims are defeated at Avignon, France. |
|
734 |
|
Bilge Khan is poisoned by one of his own officials. |
|
735 |
|
Arab armies cross the Syr Dariya and threaten the Turkic states to their north and east. |
|
738 |
|
Sughdiana falls to the Arab armies. |
|
738 |
|
Arab armies quell the Perso-Turkish revolution started 10 years earlier on the question of unfair taxation. |
|
738 |
|
The Arab ruler of Khurasan and the main support of the Samanid House in Balkh, Asad inb Abdallah, passes away. |
|
740 |
|
The Shi'a revolt under Zaid ibn Ali. |
|
743 |
|
Abu Muslim organizes a multi-faceted revolt against the Ummayids. For this, he draws on almost all facets of life that deemed discriminatory to the Khurasanians. |
|
744 |
|
The Turgesh Kaghanate is overrun by Arabs and Blue Turks. |
|
745 |
|
Kufa and Mosul are occupied by the Khwarijites. |
|
745 |
|
Mongolia is controlled by the Uighurs. |
|
745 |
|
The Uighurs break away from the Turkish alliance and set up their own empire. |
|
747 |
|
The Umayyad governor of Khurasan is overthrown. This, however, was not a shi'ite revolt as Iranians who had participated in it had thought, but a revamping of the Sunni rule. |
|
749 |
Sept. |
Kufa falls to the Abbasid armies; The Umayyi dynasty is on the defensive. |
|
750 |
|
The Abbasids overthrow the Umayyids in the Battle at the Zob River. |
|
751 |
|
The defeat of a Chinese army by Muslim warriors results in the capture of Chinese artisans familiar with the technique of paper making. |
|
751 |
|
The Arabs armies are defeated by the Chinese at the Battle of the Talas River; Transoxiana is divided so that the Semirechye region and the eastern parts of the Syr Darya are ruled by the Qarluqs Turks and the western region is ruled by the Oghuz or Ghuzz tribes. After the Battle of Talas, Muslim invaders decide to replace expansionism with consolidation of their Empire. In this they draw on the resources of the conquered Iranians, especially on the contributions of Greek scholars to ancient Iranian medicine, mathematics, philosophy, and law. By establishing translation centers, they transfer Greek knowledge to the Muslim centers of the east. |
|
751 |
Jul. |
The Arab armies defeat the Chinese on the Talas River and capture the Ferghana Valley. The Islamic faith enteres the region and remains in full strength. |
|
754 |
|
Abu Muslim, the cause of the fall of the Umayyid dynasty, is murdered. |
|
762 |
|
Isma'il, son of Ja'far al-Sadiq, passes away; Iranian dualist religions penetrate Islam, resulting in the rise of the Isma'ilis or Seveners. |
|
765 |
|
Jaífar al-Sadiq, scholar and sixth Shiíite Imam, passes away. |
|
766 |
|
Karluk Turks establish themselves in the region of present-day eastern Kazakhstan. |
|
767 |
|
Jurisconsult Imam Hanifa, the founders of the most tolerant of the four schools, the Hanafi school of jurisprudence followed in Central Asia, passes away in prison in Baghdad. |
|
776 |
|
Al-Muqanna' (the Veiled One) conquers Khurasan. |
|
780 |
|
End of the revolt of al-Muqanna'. |
|
780 |
|
Conversion of the Uighurs to Manichaeism begins under Kahn Mei-yu (759-780) |
|
780 |
|
The Bukharan wars with the armies of al-Muqanna' which had started in 775, end in the defeat of the "White Garment Warriors." |
|
786 |
|
Harun al-Rashid (22), the most well-known of all Arab Caliphs, ascends the throne in Baghdad. A protégé of the Barmakid Yahya, Harun is well-versed in the Persian language and in Persian culture. During his rule, Yahya rises to the peak of administrative power. |
|
792 |
|
Muslims invade the southern regions of France. |
|
800 |
|
Arab and Islamic influence permeate the region known today as eastern Kazakhistan. |
|
800 |
|
During the 9th century, many Oghuz tribes migrate to Central Asia and gradually consolidate their political and military might. |
|
803 |
|
The Baramakids fall from grace amid Caliphal distrust. Ja'far Barmaki is executed. |
|
808 |
|
Al-Ma'mun, born of an Iranian mother, is appointed governor of Khurasan. |
|
809 |
|
Harun al-Rashid passes away. Civil war between al-Amin and al-Ma'mun, his sons, begins. |
|
813 |
|
Al-Ma'mun kills his brother al-Amin and becomes caliph; flowering of scholarship and translation of Greek works into Arabic. |
|
815 |
|
Tahir Zulyaminain's father, Hussein ibn Mus'ab, passes away. |
|
817 |
|
Ma'mun nominates Imam Ali al-Riza as heir apparent to the Caliphate. |
|
818 |
|
Caliph al-Ma'mun divides the rulership of Transoxania into four and assigns it to the four sons of Asad ibn Samankhudat as follows: Ilyas is given Herat; Yahya is assigned to Ushrusana and Chach; Ahmad is appointed to Ferghana; and Nuh is given the governorship of Samarqand. |
|
819 |
|
Ma'mun comes to Baghdad. |
|
820 |
|
Caliph al-Ma'mun appoints Tahir ibn Hussein to the overlordship of Khurasan and Transoxania. Tohir arrives in Khurasan the following year. |
|
821 |
|
Taherids, awarded the eastern lands, pay nominal allegiance to Baghdad. The Tahirid Emirate includes Transoxiana. |
|
821 |
Apr. |
The arrival of the Tughuzghuz Turks in Ushrusana. |
|
822 |
Oct. |
Tahir ibn Hussein passes away. Caliph al-Ma'mun appoints Talha ibn Tahir in his place. |
|
827 |
|
Ma'mun adopts the doctrine of the Mu'tazalites as state religion and proclaims that the Qur'an is created. |
|
828 |
14 Jun. |
Talha ibn Tohir passes away. His son, Ali, who succeeds him is killed in the same year. |
|
829 |
|
Byzantine territories in the east are restored. |
|
830 |
|
The House of Wisdom is established by al-Ma'mun in Baghdad. |
|
833 |
10 Aug. |
Caliph al-Ma'mun passes away and is succeeded by Caliph al-Mu'tasim. |
|
835 |
|
Caliph al-Mu'tasim orders Imam Hanbal to be lashed. |
|
840 |
|
The Kirghiz defeat the Uighurs in Mongolia and force them to move to Turfan where they reestablish themselves. The Kirghiz come closer to the Altai, their eventual homeland. |
|
840 |
|
Mongolia is controlled by the Kirghiz. |
|
840 |
|
The Uighurs are defeated by the Kyrgyz. |
|
844 |
Dec. |
Abdullah ibn Tahir passes away. |
|
849 |
May |
Isma'il Samani is born in Ferghana. |
|
850 |
|
Al-Khwarazmi passes away. |
|
850 |
|
Pushed out of Mongolia by the Kirghiz, the Uighurs move to the Tarim Basin. |
|
858 |
14 May |
Ya'qub Lais rises against the government of Sistan. |
|
867 |
|
The Shi'ite Saffarid dynasty is established by Ya'qub Lais of Sistan. |
|
867 |
Aug. |
Ya'qub Lais defeats the Samanid ruler of Pushang and Herat and annexes those regions to his domain centered on Sistan. |
|
869 |
|
Shiraz falls to Ya'qub Lais |
|
870 |
|
Hadith collector Imam al-Bukhari passes away. |
|
870 |
|
Ya'qub ibn Lais captures cabul and converts the populace to Islam. |
|
871 |
|
Kabul falls to Ya'qub Lais. |
|
873 |
|
The 12th Shi'ite imam goes into Lesser Occultation (873-940). |
|
873 |
Jul. |
The Tahirids are defeated by Ya'qub Lais who enters Nishapur. |
|
874 |
Jun. |
The Caliph appoints Nasr ibn Ahmad the governor of Transoxania. In Bukhara, the Khutba is read in the name of Nasr ibn Ahmad Samani. At age 25, Isma'il Samani enters Bukhara and takes over its rulership. |
|
879 |
May |
Ya'qub Lais passes away. |
|
880 |
|
In the summer of 880, Al-Muvaffaq becomes Caliph in Baghdad. |
|
883 |
|
Nasr ibn Ahmad Samani replaces Amr Lais, Ya'qub Lais's brother, as the ruler of Kerman and Fars. |
|
885 |
|
Consolidation of Samanid forces under Nasr ibn Ahmad against Isma'il Samani. |
|
888 |
25 Oct. |
Victory of Isma'il Samani over Nasr near the village of Vazbadin. |
|
892 |
|
Isma'il Samani (r. 892-907) sets himself the task of reviving the Tajiks' ancient Iranian culture. This means a revival of the exact sciences and fine arts as well as an overhaul of administrative practices. In this context, Rudaki revives Persian literature and Firdowsi promotes the Persian language and Iranian nationalism. Similar contributions are made by the Shu'ubis, who use the Arabic language to defend Iranian culture against Arab domination. Samanid scholars contribute to our understanding of mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and medicine while Samanid artists enlighten us on the finer points of calligraphy, painting, and music. |
|
892 |
21 Aug. |
Nasr ibn Ahmad Samani passes away. Isma'il Samani ascends the throne. |
|
893 |
|
The Samanids defeat the Karluk Turks whose empire begins its decline. |
|
893 |
Mar. |
Caliph al-Mu'tamad appoints Isma'il Samani the ruler of Transoxania. |
|
898 |
Nov. |
Isma'il Samani defeats Amr Lais's army. |
|
900 |
|
Amr Lais passes away. The Samanids capture Jurjan and Tabaristan. |
|
907 |
Nov. |
Isma'il Samani passes away at the age of 58. He is succeeded by his son Ahmad. |
|
913 |
24 May |
Sistan falls to the Samanids. |
|
914 |
Jan. |
Ahmad ibn Isma'il is mudered in the hunting grounds by his slaves. His son, Nasr, succeeds him. |
|
922 |
|
Celebrated Sufi al-Hallaj (b. ca. 858), is executed by orthodox religious authorities. Al-Hallaj undergoes moments of extreme ecstasy during one of which he utters ana al-Haqq (I am the Truth). |
|
923 |
|
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Muslim historian and commentator also famous for his Annals of Apostles and Kings, passes away. |
|
924 |
|
The Kirghiz are defeated by the Mongol Khitans |
|
925 |
|
Outstanding Muslim physician al-Razi (b. ca. 841) passes away. An encyclopedic scholar interested in philosophy, alchemy, mathematics, and medicine, al-Razi recognizes smallpox and measles as two distinct diseases that plague children. |
|
932 |
|
Karakhanid Turks entering the area from the east form their own state and accept Islam. |
|
932 |
|
Buyid ruler, Muíizz al-Dawlah, assumes control of northern Iran. |
|
932 |
|
The Turkic Qarakhanid dynasty, centered on the city of Kashghar, is established. |
|
934 |
|
Under Abdukerim Saltuk Bughra Khan, the ruler of Kashghar, the Uighurs are converted to Islam. |
|
940 |
|
The Fourth representative of the Hidden Imam refuses to name a successor; Great Occultation begins and will last until the coming of the Mahdi. |
|
941 |
|
Abu 'Abd Allah Ja'far Rudaki (b. 858), Central Asia's celebrated bard, passes away. Born in the district of Rudak near the city of Samarqand, he memorizes the entire text of the Qur'an by the time that he is eight years old. A special ward of Nasr ibn Ahmad (r. 913-942), he becomes both rich and famous. Rudaki is known mostly for his "Ju-yi-Muliyan" (The Muliyan Brook) ode and his simple style which reflects the charm of the pre-Islamic literature of Iran. |
|
943 |
Apr. |
Ascesion of Nuh-i Samani to the throne of Bukhara. |
|
945 |
|
The Buyids occupy Baghdad and make the Caliph a figurehead. |
|
949 |
Jan. |
A peace treary is signed between Nuh-i Samani and the Dylamite Abu Ali in Hissar, in present-day Tajikistan. |
|
950 |
|
The Karakhanid dynasty becomes the first Turkic state in Central Asia to convert to Islam. The Karakhanid state was centered on the town of Balasaghun in present-day republic of Kyrgyzstan. |
|
952 |
|
Nuh-i Samani appoints Abu Ali to the rulership of Khurasan. |
|
954 |
Aug. |
Nuh-i Samani passes away. He is succeeded by Abdul Malik Samani, his son. |
|
955 |
|
Satuq Bughra Khan, under whom the Qarakhanids and the Uighurs passed from Buddhism to Islam, passes away. |
|
955 |
Jun. |
Isfahan is separated from the realm of the Samanids. |
|
960 |
|
Abu Ali Bal'ami is appointed Prime Minister. |
|
961 |
|
Mansur ibn Nuh (r. 961-976) oversees the inevitable decline of the might of the Samanids. The Turks, who grow in prominence in the ranks of the Samanids, overthrow the latter and establish their own dynasty (999). The decline of Samanid power also bespeaks the decline of Tajik political power. Tajiks become a constituent people, populating the empires of the Turks and the Mongols. |
|
961 |
Feb. |
Alptekin is appointed Commander-in-Chief of Khurasan. |
|
961 |
20 Nov. |
Abdul Malik Samani is killed. His brother Mansur succeeds him to the throne. |
|
962 |
|
Buyids institute the ritual of public mourning for al-Hussein and his followers to be held on the 10th of Muharram. |
|
962 |
|
The Ghaznavid dynasty, the members of which had been slave commanders of the Samanids of Bukhara, is established in Afghanistan. |
|
962 |
|
Alptekin rebels against Samanid rule and establishes himself at Ghazna, the center of the Ghaznavid dynasty in Afghanistan. |
|
963 |
|
In Baghdad, the victorious Buyids initiate the ritual cursing of the first three caliphs who had succeeded the Prophet. This is followed by public mourning and other Shi'ite rituals related to the Karbala event. |
|
971 |
|
Mahmud of Ghazna is born. |
|
971 |
|
During Sviatoslav's reign, the 4th prince, the new Russian state is invaded by the Pechenegs. The Polovtsians, another tribe, manage to cut Russia off from the Black Sea. |
|
974 |
Mar. |
Abu Ali Bal'ami, capable Samanid Prime Minister, passes away. |
|
975 |
|
Alptekin passes away. |
|
976 |
13 Jun. |
Mansur Samani is succeeded by Nuh II Samani. |
|
979 |
|
Sebuktekin becomes the Amir of Ghazna. |
|
982 |
Mar. |
The Samanid army is defeated in a battle in Jurjan. |
|
985 |
|
Seljuq Turks migrate to the areas around Bukhara. |
|
985 |
|
The Seljuqs, a Turkish ruling tribe of the Oghuz, move to the river valleys around Bukhara. |
|
988 |
|
Vladimir I of Kiev adopts Byzantine Christianity. Kiev becomes one of the largest and finest cities in Europe. |
|
990 |
|
The Karakhanid expand their domain along the Syr Dariya and establish an administrative center in the Ferghana Valley at Uzgen. |
|
990 |
|
The Shi'ite Buyids seize the control of the Caliphate in Baghdad. |
|
990 |
|
Outbreak of plague in Jurjan. |
|
992 |
May |
Between May and June of 992, the Samanids are defeated at the hand of the Turkish commander Bughra Khan. Samarqand and Bukhara are captured by the Turks. Amir Nuh II flees the capital of Bukhara. |
|
992 |
Aug. |
Nuh II returns to Bukhara and resumes his rulership of the realm. Samanids who had supported Bughra Khan are punished. |
|
994 |
|
Nuh II fights Abu Ali Simjur near Herat and defeats him. |
|
995 |
|
Manas, the national hero of the Kyrgyz, unites the Kyrgyz people and establishes an exemplary elected government. |
|
997 |
23 Jul. |
Nuh II passes away. Mansur II ascends the throne. |
|
997 |
Aug. |
Sabuktekin passes away. |
|
998 |
|
Mahmud of Ghazna becomes sultan. |
|
999 |
|
The Karakhanids seize the Ferghana Valley and later defeat the Samanids and capture Bukhara. |
|
999 |
3 Feb. |
Boiq and Bektazun blind Mansur II and support his brother Abdul Malik II. |
|
999 |
23 Oct. |
The Turkish commander Ilak Khan enters Bukhara, arrests Abdul Malik II, and imprisons him. |
|
1000 |
|
Between 1000 and 1100 the Turkmen tribes migrate from the east to the regions of the Caspian Sea. |
|
1005 |
Dec. |
Muntasir Samani, after many military attempts at restoring rulership to the Samanid house, is killed. |
|
1020 |
|
Firdowsi (b. 935), author of the Shahname (Book of Kings), passes away. Firdowsi, born to a family of landed gentry in the town of Tus, grows up in a rural culture suffused with the words and deeds of heroes long gone. At the age of forty, he sets himself the task of collecting, organizing, and versifying the most cherished stories and myths about his homeland. His epic, 60,000 couplets in length, constitutes the foundation of Iranian national identity. |
|
1030 |
|
Mahmud of Ghazna passes away. |
|
1037 |
|
Physician and philosopher Ibn-I Sina (b. 980) passes away. Usually cited alongside Hippocrates and Galenus, Ibn-I Sina is known in the East as "Shaykh al-Ra'is" and "Hujat al-Haqq" and in the West as the "Prince of the Physicians." He has left between 276 and 456 manuscripts and has contributed to many branches of the sciences and the arts including medicine, phenomenology, philosophy, alchemy, mineralogy, mathematics, literature, astronomy, and music. Of these contributions, between 44 to 59 books and articles are devoted to medicine. The contents of nine of these books, written in Arabic and Perso-Tajik languages, are in poetry; the rest are in prose. |
|
1040 |
|
At the Battle of Dandanqan, near Merv, the Seljuq armies defeat the Ghaznavids. |
|
1047 |
|
Abu Rayhan al-Biruni (b. 973), scientist, philosopher, and scholar, passes away. Born in the village of Birun, near Bukhara, Biruni studies mathematics and the theory of numbers and leaves a copious amount of publications, including al-Tafhim. This most important work, authored in both Arabic and Persian, deals with astronomy, mathematics, geometry, and geography. His most remarkable work, however, is his calculation of the circumference of the earth; his calculations are some twelve miles short of the present-day calculations. |
|
1055 |
|
Seljuq Turks seize Baghdad and control the caliphate. |
|
1055 |
|
The Buyids are defeated at the hand of the Selquq Tughrul Bek who captures Baghdad. The Seljuq sultanate becomes the protector of the Caliphate. |
|
1060 |
|
The Oghuz Turks, known to the Byzantines as the Cumans, move into the Kipchak steppe. |
|
1069 |
|
The court scholar Yusuf of Balasaghun writes Katagdu Bilig a book of advice to kings, similar to Nizam al-Mulk's Siyasatnameh or Book of Government. |
|
1070 |
|
The Saljuqs of Rum defeat the Byzantines at Manzikert; gain eastern and central Anatolia. |
|
1072 |
|
Mahmud Kashghari writes Divan-I Lughat-I Turk, the first such Turkish dictionary ever written for a Turkish language. |
|
1090 |
|
Hassan Sabbah seizes Alamut; Nizari branch of the Isma'ili da'wa begins. |
|
1092 |
|
Great Prime Minister of the Seljuq dynasty and author of Siyasatnama (Book of Government), Nizam al-Mulk, passes away. |
|
1992 |
|
Malik shah of the Seljuq dynasty of Persia passes away. |
|
1095 |
|
The First Crusade. |
|
1100 |
|
The city of Osh in present-day Kyrgyzstan becomes the center of Islamic learning. |
|
1111 |
|
Philosopher and mystic al-Ghazzali passes away. |
|
1120 |
|
The Uzgen minaret is built in present-day Kyrgyzstan by the Karakhanids. |
|
1122 |
|
Omar Khayyam (born 1021), Persian philosopher, mathematician, and poet, passes away. Known through the translation of his Quatrains by Edward Fitzgerald, Omar Khayyam casts a realistic glance at life and finds it at once bitter and sweet. Bitter because of the depth of the vacuum in which it is presented; sweet because nothing reaches its delight embodied in plants, animals, and man. Khayyam's Jalali Calendar, completed at the behest of Seljuq Malik Shah, in 1079, bespeaks the depth of his knowledge in mathematics and astronomy. |
|
1124 |
|
The leader of the Assassins of Iran, Hassan ibn al-Sabbah, passes away. |
|
1128 |
|
The Karakhitais capture the city of Kashghar. |
|
1137 |
|
At Khujand, the Qarakhitai defeat the Qarakhanids, a vassal of the Seljuqs. |
|
1141 |
|
The Karakhitais expel the Karakhanid governors of Bukhara, Samarqand, and Balasaghun. |
|
1147 |
|
The town of Moscow becomes a prominent center. |
|
1148 |
|
The Ghurid dynasty of Afghanistan is established. |
|
1151 |
|
Ghanna falls to the Ghurids who proceed to conquer the rest of the country. |
|
1162 |
|
Temuchin, the later Chingiz Khan, is born on the Onon River. He unifies the tribes around Lake Baikal into a formidable force, punishes the Tatars who had killed his father, adapts a written language for the Mongols from the defeated Uighurs, and is tolerant towards religions of the conquered people. |
|
1162 |
|
(Time approximate) Temuchin, later known as Chingiz Khan, is born near Burhan Kaldun on the shores of Lake Baikal. |
|
1169 |
|
The capital of the collection of rival principalities, including Vladimir-Suzdal and Novgorod, is transferred from Kiev to Vladimir. |
|
1175 |
|
Temuchin becomes betrothed to Borte. Yesugei Bahador, Temuchin's father, is murdered by the Tatars. |
|
1179 |
|
Bo'urcu assists Temuchin and later on becomes one of his Great Warriors. |
|
1182 |
|
Temuchin marries Borte. The Keriat chief, Tughrul Khan offers Temuchin protection. |
|
1183 |
|
Borte is abducted by the Merkits. While in Merkit captivity, Borte becomes pregnant with Jochi. Helped by Tughrul Khan and his blood brother (anda) Jamuqa, Temuchin rescues Borte. |
|
1185 |
|
Temuchin's clan, the Borjigin, elect Temuchin their khan. |
|
1196 |
|
The Tatars are defeated by Temuchin. |
|
1197 |
|
Tughrul Khan receives the title of Wang-Khan from the Chinese. |
|
1201 |
|
There is a fall out between Temuchin and Jamuqa. |
|
1202 |
|
There is a fallout between Temuchin and Wang-Khan. |
|
1203 |
|
Persian poet Nizami passes away. |
|
1203 |
|
Wang-Khan of the Keriat tribe is killed by Temuchin. |
|
1204 |
|
The Naiman tribe is defeated by Temuchin. |
|
1205 |
|
Temuchin captures and executes Jamuqa. |
|
1206 |
|
The Mongol tribes that have submitted to Temuchin's rule award their overlord the title of "Genghiz Khan" or Universal Ruler. |
|
1206 |
|
Having reduced all the tribes north of the Chin, Temuchin is elected khan of the Mongols. He assumes a new title: Chingiz Khan. |
|
1207 |
|
The Kirghiz join the Mongol confederation. Chingiz Khan attacks northern China (Chin). |
|
1209 |
|
On their march west, the Mongols defeat the Kirghiz and force them to leave their home on the shores of the Yenise River and flee south to the Tien Shan. Continuing the march west, the Mongols bring the Uighurs under submission to their rule. |
|
1209 |
|
The Uighurs join the Mongol confederation. |
|
1210 |
|
Genghiz Khan defeats the Tanguts on the Yellow River in present-day northern China. |
|
1210 |
|
Jalal al-Din, Master of Alamut and Chief of the Assassins, becomes a Sunni believer. |
|
1210 |
|
Khwarezmshah defeats the Qarakhitais. |
|
1210 |
|
Battle between the Ghurids and the Khwarazmshahis results in the latter's defeat. |
|
1214 |
|
The kingdom of the Ghurids is annexed to the empire of the Khwarazmshah. |
|
1215 |
|
The capital city of Karakorum on the Orhon River is built. |
|
1215 |
|
As a test of their strenght, the Mongols sack Peking. |
|
1215 |
|
With the fall of Peking, Yehlu Ch'uts'ai, sage, astrologer, and Chinese official is sent off with a caravan of loot to the oasis camp of Dolon-nor where Genghis Khan is examining the new arrivals. |
|
1218 |
|
25-year-old Chin administrator Yehlu Chu'ts'ai joins the army of Chingiz Kahn as the Khan's personal astrologer. Later he becomes the Khan's adviser and principle minister. |
|
1218 |
|
Semirechye, the Tarim Basin, and Kashgar fall to the Mongols. |
|
1219 |
|
A four-prong assault of Central Asia is executed by Chingiz Khan, his four sons, and a number of his able commaders including Subadai and Jebe Noyan. |
|
1219 |
|
The Kyrgyz were defeated by the Mongols. |
|
1219 |
22 Apr. |
The invasion of Jand by the armies of Chigiz Khan. |
|
1220 |
|
At the time of the Mongol invasion the urban population of Central Asia is still primarily Tajik. Tajiks are the population that is most affected by the atrocities of Chingiz Khan, his sons, and grandsons. After the invasion, Samarqand, Bukhara, Khujand, and many other centers lose their importance. |
|
1220 |
|
Sultan Ala al-din Muhammad Khwarazmshah paeese away. His son, Jalal al-din Manguberni continues the war with the Mongols. |
|
1220 |
May |
The fall of Samarqand to the armies of Chingiz Khan; the Mongol contingent dispatched to capture the Khwarazmshah arrives in Nishapur. |
|
1220 |
|
During the summer, Tirmidh falls to the invading army of Chingiz Khan. |
|
1220 |
Nov. |
Mongol armies capture Sabzawar and Tus. |
|
1220 |
|
Alexander Nevsky, son of Yaroslav II, grand prince of Vladimir is born. |
|
1221 |
|
Persian poet Attar (b. 1142) passes away. Son of a prosperous pharmacist, Attar has an excellent education, especially in medicine, Arabic, and theosophy. His major poetic works include Asrar Nameh (Book of Secrets), about Sufi ideas; Elahi Nameh (Divine Book), about asceticism; and most importantly Manteq al-Tayr (The Conference of the Birds) in which he crosses the seven valleys of love. |
|
1221 |
Feb. |
The city of Merv is captured by the Mongols. The population is put to the sword. The city is razed. |
|
1221 |
Apr. |
Tuli Khan captures Nishapur, puts the population to the sword, razes the city and turns it into pastureland. |
|
1221 |
|
During the spring and summer, Tuli Khan captures Herat and puts 12,000 of its inhabitants to the sword. |
|
1221 |
|
During the spring. Chingiz Khan captures Bamian and puts its population to the sword in retaliation for the death of his grandson. |
|
1221 |
|
The Khwarazmshah Muhammad dies on the Abskun Island in the Caspian Sea. Subadai and Jebe Nuyan conquer their way through Russia. |
|
1221 |
|
Near Mamiyan, Chinese Taoist monk Changchun is brought to Chingiz Khan who questions him about the Fountain of Youth. |
|
1221 |
|
The Mongols dislocate the Oghuz Turks from around the present-day Syr Dariya and push them south to the Kara Kum and the shores of the Caspian Sea. |
|
1222 |
Jul. |
Herat falls to the Mongols and is destroyed. |
|
1222 |
|
Firuzkuh falls to the Mongols. |
|
1223 |
|
The first quiriltai--Mongol family reunion--occurrs in the Valley of the Chirchik River. |
|
1223 |
Aug. |
Chingiz Khan battles Jalal al-Din Khwarazmshah. The latter crosses the Sind River to the safety of India. |
|
1224 |
|
Mongol commander Subadai, in pursuit of the Khwarezmian shah, encounters the Russians on the river Kalka, defeats them. |
|
1227 |
|
Chingiz Khan passes away. From his deathbed he orders Ogodei, his successor, to destroy His Hsia, leaving no one or thing standing. |
|
1227 |
|
Batu Khan, called Sain Khan or "good prince" by the Mongols, receives half of the army of Jochi and assumes the rulership of Jochi's ulus. |
|
1227 |
00 Feb. |
Chingiz Khan's oldest son, Jochi, passes away. |
|
1227 |
00 Feb. |
Jochi Khan, the oldest son and second child of Chingiz Khan passes away. Jochi Khan's legitimacy was in question because his mother, Borte, had been abducted by the Merkids and could have been married to one of the Merkid chiefs. |
|
1227 |
00 Sept. |
Chingiz Khan passes away. His empire is divided among his heirs, including Batu (the Kipchak Khanate, on the Russian steppe) and Chagatai (The Chagataid Khanate, in Transoxiana, the Tarim Basin, and Semirechye).Tuli receives the heartland of the Mongols. |
|
1229 |
Aug. |
Ogadai accepts his father's wishes and establishes himself as the Grand Khan at Qamqorum. |
|
1229 |
|
I is suggested to Ogodai Khan that the population of the conquered lands in northern China should be eradicated, the towns should be razed, and the land should be used as pasture. Yehlu Ch'uts'ai points out to Ogodai that large amounts of silver, grain, and silk would not reach the Khan's treasury each year if the populace was wiped out. Ogodai agrees with Yehlu Ch'uts'ai. |
|
1230 |
|
The Khwarazmshahi dynasty comes to an end. |
|
1233 |
|
Ogodei captures northern China. |
|
1235 |
|
The Song Dynasty of southern China falls to the Mongols. |
|
1236 |
|
The second Mongol westward thrust begins by order of Ogadai Khan. It is led by Batu Khan accompanied by Prince Guyuk, Prince Monke, and Commnder Subadai. |
|
1236 |
|
Batu Khan's orda, along with Batu's brothers as well as princes Monke, his brother prince Bochek, Prince Guyuk, and Subedai set out to conquer the Qipchak plain, Grand Bulgar, and Rus. |
|
1236 |
|
Alexander Nevsky is elected Prince of Novgorod. |
|
1237 |
|
Riyazan falls to the Mongols. |
|
1240 |
|
Ogadai Khan suddenly recalls the ordas of Monke and Guyuk. |
|
1240 |
|
With the fall of Kiev, Russia falls under the Mongol yoke. |
|
1240 |
|
Alexander Nevsky defeats the invading Swedes on the Neva. |
|
1240 |
6 Dec. |
Kiev falls to the Mongols. |
|
1241 |
11 Dec. |
Ogodei Khan dies in Mongolia. His widow, Toregene, becomes regent. |
|
1242 |
|
Chaghatai, the meticulous and strict executioner of Chingiz Khan's yasaq, passes away. |
|
1242 |
|
The sudden death of Ogodai Khan causes the Mongols to stop their westward advance at the gates of Vienna. |
|
1242 |
|
Upon Ogadei Khan's death, died, Batu Khan becomes the most senior member of the Chigizid line. He refuses to participate in the quiriltai and delays the election of the new Khan for the next 3 years. |
|
1242 |
|
Chaghatai Khan, Chingiz Khan's second son and the ruler of the Chaghatai Khanate since 1227, passes away. Hew was known to the Mongols as the executor of Chingiz Khan's Yasaq or Mongol law. |
|
1242 |
|
Alexander Nevsky defeats the German Teutonic Knights thus preventing "Christianization" of Russia. |
|
1243 |
Jun. |
Yehlu Ch'uts'ai, sage, astrologer, and adviser to Chingiz Khan and Ogadai Khan passes away. |
|
1246 |
|
Chingiz Khan's favorite commander, Subadai Bahador, dies at the age of 70. Guyuk, Ogodei's son from Toregene becomes Grand Khan. |
|
1246 |
|
Batu Khan attends the quiriltai and supports Guyuk Khan. |
|
1246 |
|
Yaroslav, who had agreed to serve the Mongols as their agent among the Russians passes away. He was returning from Qaragurum. It is suggested that he was poisoned by Guyuk's prompting. Andrew and Alexander, sons of Yarolsav's are sent to Qaragurum for a decision to be made by the Khaghan. Andrew becomes Prince of Vladimir. Alexander becomes Prince of Kiev. By disclosing his brother's plot against the Mongols to Batu Khan, Alexander is made Grand Prince. As Grand Prince, Alexander Nevsky helps the Mongols collect taxes, build cities, promote trade, and become the absentee rulers of Russia. |
|
1253 |
|
Batu Khan passes away in Serai at the age of 48. |
|
1256 |
|
Hulagu Khan, Chingiz Khan's grandson from the House of Tuli Khan, defeats the Assassins, captures the stronghold of Alamut and establishes the Il-Khanid Mongols of Iran. |
|
1257 |
|
Berke Khan, Batu's younger brother becomes ruler after Sartuq and Ulaqchi. Berke's rule marks the beginning of a trend toward Islam. Berke's contribution to Islam consisted of the building of Berke Serai on the Volga, facilitating Muslims' trade via Utrar, Almaligh, Bashbaligh, and Hami to Peking. |
|
1258 |
|
Hulagu capture Baghdad, kills the last Abbasid caliph al-Musta'sim and brings the Abbasid caliphate to an end. Hulagu Khan's treatment of the Caliph angers the recently-Islamized Khan Berke who pulls his contingent out of Baghdad in protest. |
|
1260 |
|
At 'Ayn Jalut, the Mamlukes defeat the Mongols and destroy the myth of Mongol invincibility. |
|
1260 |
|
The Kipchak Khanate, ulus of Jochi Khan, is divided into the White Horde and the Golden Horde. |
|
1260 |
|
Kublai Khan, a grandson of Chingiz Khan from the house of Tuli Khan, establishes the Yu'an dynasty in China. |
|
1261 |
|
Between 1261 and 1533 most russian principalities are controlled by the Mongols. |
|
1263 |
|
Alexander Nevsky passes away. |
|
1269 |
|
Qaida unites the chaqataids and establishes independent rule. |
|
1271 |
|
Marco Polo travels in Iran and Central Asia on his way to the court of Kubilai Khan. |
|
1271 |
|
Marco Polo passes throught the Hazarajat in Afghanistan. |
|
1273 |
|
Sufi Jalal al-Din Rumi (b. 1207) passes away. Jalal al-Din's father leaves Balkh at the time of the Mongol invasion (1219-1220) and settles in Konya, Turkey. In 1244, Jalal al-Din meets Shams-I Tabrizi, his teacher, whose name he chooses as pseudonym and for whom he writes a divan or collection of poems containing 36,349 distichs and 1, 983 quatrains. His most well-known work, however, is Mathnavi-I Ma'navi (The Mathnavi devoted to the Intrinsic Meaning of all Things). Containing 7,000 couplets the Mathnavi, which begins with "The Song of the Reed," has been suggested to the Shaykh by Attar. |
|
1274 |
|
Nasir al-Din Tusi passes away. |
|
1284 |
|
The ulus of Chagatai, the Chaghatai Khanate, subsumes the old empire of the Uighurs. |
|
1292 |
|
Shaykh Muslih al-Din Sa'di (b. 1213), Iran's cultural icon, passes away. Sa'di travels extensively in the West as far as Mecca and, allegedly, in the East as far as Transoxania and, maybe, India. He is known mostly for his 1257 Bustan (The Garden) and the 1258 Gulistan (The Rose Garden). His Gulistan is the first classical Persian work to be translated into a Western tongue. The major themes of this quintessential Muslim humanist are: justice, love, humility, acceptance, contentment, and repentance. |
|
1293 |
|
Saljuq rule ends. |
|
1295 |
|
Ghazan Khan of the Il-Khanid dynasty of Iran converts to Islam. |
|
1299 |
|
In Anatolia, the Seljuq sultanate breaks up into smaller principalities one of which, under Osmon, forms the core of the future Ottoman Empire. |
|
1300 |
|
The Chagatai Khanate splits into an eastern (Moghulistan) and a western (Transoxania) branch. |
|
1301 |
|
The Tien Shan, Kashghar, and the Ferghana Valley unite to create Mughulistan. |
|
1301 |
|
Osmon Khan, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, is victorious at Baphaeon. |
|
1303 |
|
The Mamlukes stop the last Mongol invasion of Syria. |
|
1304 |
|
In Ilkhanid Iran, Ghazan Khan passes away. His brother Khuda Banda Uljaiyu replaces him. |
|
1310 |
|
Moscow becomes the See of the Orthodox church. |
|
1312 |
|
Khan Uzbek takes over the rulership of the Golden Horde. |
|
1312 |
|
Khan Uzbek assumes the rulership of the Golden Horde. He is not a direct descendant of Batu Khan, but Toktu's nephew. Under him the Golden Horde is converted to Islam. Also under him, the Horde begins its century-long decline. |
|
1313 |
|
Khan Uzbek of the Golden Horde converts to Islam. |
|
1326 |
|
Tarmashirin, the khan of the Chaghatai Khnate converts to Islam. |
|
1333 |
|
On his way to China and India, Ibn Batutah visits the cities of Herat and Kabul in present-day Afghanistan. |
|
1336 |
|
The Il-Khanid dynasty in Iran comes to an end. |
|
1336 |
9 Apr. |
Timur (Tamerlane) of the Turkish Barlas tribe is born. |
|
1340 |
|
The Golden Horde, under Khan Uzbek (1282-1342) converts to Islam. |
|
1341 |
|
Khan Uzbek passes away. Janibeg, his son, assumes a more totalitarian Muslim style (cf., the Mamlukes of Egypt). During his reign, Khan Uzbek distances himself from the Chingizid Yasaq and the tolerance that the Mongols exercized towards religion. This makes many Mongol leaders unhappy with him to the point that they plot to assassinate him. |
|
1350 |
|
Chaqataid Tughluq Timur Khan accepts Islam and requires his followers in the Tien Shan and Semirechye regions to accept Islam as well. |
|
1351 |
|
Black death which had started in China in 1333 and which had been moving west along the Silk Road reaches Moscovy. |
|
1365 |
|
Aided by his brother-in-law, Hussein, Tamerlane captures Samarqand. Hussein is installed as the amir. |
|
1369 |
|
Alliance between Tamerlane and Hussein ends. |
|
1369 |
|
Tamerlane (r. 1370-1405) conquers Khurasan and Transoxiana. |
|
1370 |
|
Hussein is killed by Tamerlane at Herat. Tamerlane becomes the ruler of Transoxiana. |
|
1370 |
|
Tamerlane establishes court at Samarqand and helps Tuqtamish, a Mongol youth, dominate both the White and the Golden Hordes. As Khan of the Hordes, Tuqtamish demands total submission from Russia. When the Russian princes refuse (1381), he burns their cities, massacres the people, and reestablishes strict Mongol rule. |
|
1370 |
|
The city of Balkh becomes the capital of Timur whose successors between 1370 and 1504 promote Islamic life and learning to new heights. |
|
1375 |
|
Between 1375 and 1400, the Turfan Uishurs convert to Islam. |
|
1378 |
|
Toqtamish invades Transoxiana but is defeated by Tamerlane. |
|
1378 |
|
Aided by Tamerlane, Toqtamish becomes the Khan of the White Horde. |
|
1380 |
|
Mamay, Khan of the Golden Horde, is defeated by Prince dmitri of Moscow at the Battle of Kulikovo. |
|
1380 |
|
Toqtamish captures the Golden Horde and becomes the leader of the united Golden and White Hordes. |
|
1382 |
|
Toqtamish marches on Moscow and brings the Moscow princes back into line. |
|
1382 |
|
Having sacked and burned Moscow, Tqhtamish extends Tatar rule over Russia for another one hundred years. |
|
1387 |
|
Tamerlane invades Transoxania, defeats Tuqtamish (1391) and destroys Serai. He then invades Moscow (139?) and captures the Russian principalities. After the death of Tamerlane (1405) and Tuqtamish (1406) and the establishment of the Khanates of the Golden Horde, the first czar of Russia, Ivan IV the Terrible, begins Russia's eastward movement. Russian infringement on Central Asia begins at this time. |
|
1389 |
|
Persian poet Hafiz passes away. |
|
1390 |
|
Between 1390 and 1400, the Turfan Uighurs convert to Islam. |
|
1395 |
|
Turkic conquerer, Timur routes the Golden Horde now led by Tuqtamish. |
|
1398 |
|
Tamarlane invades and conquers India. |
|
1400 |
|
The migration of the Kyrgyz of the Altai in the direction of the Tien Shan Mountains, Ferghana, and the pamirs begins. |
|
1400 |
|
For the next few decades, the Uzbeks separate themselves from the Kazakhs, move south and, under Abu al-Khayr (1413-69), invade Transoxiana. |
|
1401 |
|
Timur Qutluq of the Golden Horde, Tamerlane's vassal, passes away. Shadi Beg's rule begins. |
|
1402 |
28 Jul. |
Tamerlane defeats the Ottomans at Angora, captures Sultan Bayazid. |
|
1405 |
|
Tamerlane passes away. |
|
1407 |
|
King-maker Edigu installs Fulad Khan on the throne of the Golden Horde. Shadi Beg is deposed. |
|
1410 |
|
Timur of the Golden Horde displaces Fulad Khan. |
|
1413 |
|
Mehmet I unifies Ottoman territories. |
|
1417 |
|
Uluq Beg builds the Rigistan Madrasah in Samarqand. |
|
1425 |
|
In the western regions of Siberia, Uzbek prince Abu al-Khair declares independence. |
|
1430 |
|
Abu al-Khair occupies Khwarazm. |
|
1430 |
|
The Khanate of the Crimea (1430-1466) under Hajji Giray is carved out of the muriband Golden Horde. |
|
1434 |
|
The Oyrat, one of the Mongol tribes that originally lived to the west of Lake Baikal, forms the kingdom of Jungaria. |
|
1439 |
|
Uluq Muhammad of the Golden Horde withdraws from Sarai and establishes the principality of Kazan. Sarai is ruled by Said Ahmad. |
|
1440 |
|
The Golden Horde is divided into the four Khanates of Crimea, Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia or Sibir which includes present-day Kazakhstan. |
|
1440 |
|
Ivan III the Great of Russia is born. At age 12, he commands a military expedition in the far north and, at age 18, he campaigns successfully against the Tartars. |
|
1441 |
|
Mir Alisher Navai, premier Uzbek poet and national hero, is born. |
|
1441 |
|
Crimea cecedes from Sarai. |
|
1445 |
|
The Khanate of Kazan (1445-1552) is founded where the Grand Old Bulghar had existed before. |
|
1445 |
|
Johann Gutenberg (1400-1467) invents the printing press. |
|
1446 |
|
Shah Rukh passes away. Ulugh Beg ascends the throne. |
|
1447 |
|
Astrakhan cecedes from Sarai. |
|
1449 |
|
Ruler, scholar, mathematician, and poet Ulugh Beg is assassinated by his own son; Abu al-Khair captures Ferghana. |
|
1453 |
26 May |
Constantinople falls to the Ottoman armies. |
|
1460 |
|
Between 1460 and 1465, Janibek and Kirai split from the white Horde and moved to the present-day Kazakhstan. |
|
1462 |
|
Ivan III the Great becomes Prince of Moscow. |
|
1466 |
|
The Khanate of Astarakhan (1466-1556) is carved out of the Golden horde. |
|
1469 |
|
The Qasimov subdynasty is established. |
|
1470 |
|
During the 1470's, Ivan III the Great annexed most of the independent Russian principalities, including Novgorod and Tver. |
|
1475 |
|
Ottoman suzerainty over the Khanate of Crimea. |
|
1477 |
|
Thomas Moore is born. |
|
1478 |
|
Prince Ivan III of moscow proclaims himself Czar of Russia and refuses to pay tribute to the Golden Horde. |
|
1480 |
|
Two competing Turkish rulers, the Qaraquyunlu and the Aqquyunlu rule in the west. In the East, defeated by the Russians, the descendant of Juji, known as the Uzbeks, fill the vacuum in Transoxiana. |
|
1480 |
|
Proclaiming himself Czar of all Russia, Ivan III throws off the Mongol yoke. |
|
1480 |
|
Ivan III the Great throws off the Tartar yoke and set off the distintegration of the Golden Horde leading to the consolidation of khanates of Crimea, Astrakhan, and Kazan. |
|
1480 |
|
Ivan III (the Great) of Moscow renounces the Tartar yoke, annexes the territories of other principalities including Novogorod, and expands his territory against the Tartarts to the south and east. Moscow becomes the centre of this expanding Russian state. |
|
1488 |
|
Shaibani Khan, Ahmad Khan's nephew, comes to power. |
|
1497 |
|
Babur captures the city of Samarqand. |
|
1499 |
|
Safavid Isma'il establishes the Safavid dynasty and serves as its first shah. |
|
1500 |
|
Muhammad Shaybani Khan (1451-1510) conquers Transoxiana by forcing the descendants of Tamerlane to seek their fortunes in Afghanistan and India. Uzbek state is formed. |
|
1500 |
|
The Kazakh and the Kara-Kirghiz are divided and form separate ethnic groups. |
|
1501 |
|
The Portuguese, moving towards India, seek trade relations with Iran. |
|
1502 |
|
The death of Saiyid Ahmad ends the rule of the Golden Horde. |
|
1502 |
|
The synthetic value of the marriage of Shahrbanu (daughter of Yazdigird III) and al-Hussein (son of Imam Ali), belief in the Hidden Imam's absolute right to rulership, and a need to rescue Iranian culture from absorption by Arab and Turkish Sunni cultures prompt Isma'il to unite the seven major Qizilbash tribes, defeat the Aqquyunlus, enter Tabriz, and crown himself king. Isma'il adopts Shi'ism as Iran's official religion even though only a quarter of the population is Shi'ite. |
|
1504 |
|
Kabul is captured by Babur who goes on to become the first Mughal emperor of India. |
|
1504 |
|
The Khan of Kazan organizes a massacre of all the Russians. |
|
1505 |
|
Ivan III the Great passes away. During his reign, he consolidated the achievements of his predecessors, strengthened the authority of the monarchy, lay the foundation for a centralized state, and established Moscow as a great power. |
|
1506 |
|
Bukhara falls to the Uzbeks. |
|
1507 |
|
Herat, the last stronhold of the Timurids, falls to the Uzbeks. |
|
1507 |
|
The Portuguese led by d'Albuquerque establish a stronghold in the Persian Guld. |
|
1510 |
|
Timurid dynasty comes to an end. |
|
1510 |
|
Herat falls to the Safavids. |
|
1512 |
|
Uzbek tribes under Shaybanids dominate the Turkic tribes presently known as the Kyrgyz and the Kazakh peoples. |
|
1512 |
|
Babur withdraws from Central Asia. |
|
1516 |
|
Sir Thomas Moore's "Utopia" appears in print in two parts. |
|
1519 |
|
Between 1519 and 1521, Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) circumnavigate the globe. |
|
1526 |
|
Between 1526 and 1747 the territory of present-day Afghanistan is divided among the Safavids of Iran (Herat), Mughals of India (Kabul), and Uzbek rulers to the north (Balkh and Badakhshan). |
|
1530 |
|
Ivan IV the Terrible (1st Tsar of Russia) is born. He is also referred to with the term Grozni, or "aweinspiring". He is a descendant of Alexander Nevsky through his father. He was the tsar of Russia for 51 years. |
|
1533 |
|
Although Ivan IV is proclaimed grand prince at age 5, he takes part in formal affairs of state. |
|
1533 |
|
Between 1533 and 1584 Ivan IV (the Terrible) pushes forward the frontiers of Russia to include Astrakhan and much of Siberia. He institutes a strong centralized autocracy and a secret police force, the oprichnina. |
|
1533 |
|
Ivan IV becomes the Grand Duke of Moscow. |
|
1535 |
|
Sir Thomas Moore passes away. The notable humanist and statesman is executed for refusing to recognise Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England. Moore is the first to envisage an equitable society based on the ideas of Socrates and Plato. |
|
1538 |
|
The Kazakh confederation is divided into three Zhuzes with each having its own dialect. |
|
1547 |
|
Ivan IV is coronated First Tsar of Russia. |
|
1552 |
|
Between 1552 and 1582, Ivan IV the Terrible conquers the khanates of Kazan and Asterakhan. |
|
1552 |
|
Ivan IV the Terrible (1533-84) captures the Khanate of Kazan. |
|
1552 |
|
Ivan IV personally reduces the Khanate of Kazan on the Volga by massacring the male population, enslaving women and children, pulling down all mosques, and annexing the territory. |
|
1556 |
|
The Khanate of Astrakhan falls to Ivan IV. |
|
1556 |
|
The Khanate of Astrakhan capitulates to Ivan IV. |
|
1576 |
|
Jenkinson, a British envoy, arrives in Iran via Moscow. |
|
1578 |
|
Internal tribal struggles, Uzbek unrest in Khurasan, and the Ottomans' threat to Qazwin define the circumstances under which Shah Abbas I comes to power. The killing of his meddling guardian, reduction of the Qizilbash to ceremonial guards, and involvement of a young cadre of officials in governmental affairs constitute Abbas's initial steps at reform. Helped by Anthony and Robert Shirley, he introduces a new military system, builds cannons and ships, and trains soldiers. A new system of education, a new approach to medicine, a flourishing trade, and a new lifestyle distinguish Abbas' reign. |
|
1581 |
|
Ivan IV, using warrior cossacks, captures the Khanate of Sibir. |
|
1584 |
|
Ivan IV the Terrible passes away. He forced Russia into Europe (cf., Peter the Great), arrested Tatar and Turkish incursions into Russian territory, encouraged cultural development, e.g., printing, promoted divine right of the ruler, created a centrally administered Russian state, and created a state that included non-slavsic states. |
|
1584 |
|
The Mongols who occupy the eastern regions of the Urals are conquered by Russia. |
|
1598 |
|
Abdullah Khan II (1533-98), the last Shaybanid ruler of Bukhara, passes away. |
|
1598 |
|
The Astrakhanids takeover the rulership of Bukhara. |
|
1598 |
|
The period between 1598 and 1613 usually referred to as the "Time of Troubles," Boris Godunov becomes Regent for the feeble-minded surviving son of Ivan IV, Fyodor. When Fyodor passes away, Godunov proclaims himself Tsar. With assistance from the Church, he thought, he could establish a new dynasty. |
|
1600 |
|
In Iran, the British, unable to satisfy the nobles and the clergy, close their silk textile and armament factories and leave. |
|
1600 |
|
The principal and exclusive partners of the British East India Company included ports all the way from Aden and Bandar Abbas to Culcatta and Madras all the way to Bantum. |
|
1602 |
|
Aided by the British navy, Iranians expel the Portuguese from the Persian Gulf. |
|
1603 |
|
Persians defeat the Turks in the Battle of Urmiyah and occupy Tabriz, Mosul, and Diyarbakr. |
|
1613 |
|
Building on the old Moscovite Empire, Peter the Great of the Romanov dynasty launches the industrialization of Russia which includes building of factories in northern Kazakhstan. |
|
1613 |
|
Power in Russia is restored with the election of Mikhail Romanov and Moscow becomes the undisputed capital. |
|
1619 |
|
First diplomatic contacts between Moscow and Bukhara take place. |
|
1622 |
|
Afghanistan is ruled by Safavid Persia. |
|
1626 |
|
Amir Nasrullah consolidates state power in Bukhara. |
|
1628 |
|
The reign of Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty ends. |
|
1629 |
|
Shah Abbas I passes away. His son, Safi, succeeds him. |
|
1630 |
|
vIn Afghanistan, the Rowshaniyah movement initiated by Bayazid Ansari (1525-1581) in the Sulayman mountains is crushed. Khushhal Khan Khattak (1613-1689) revives the struggle for independence along nationalistic lines. He, too, fails. |
|
1639 |
|
The treaty of Zunab establishes a vague boundary between the Ottoman and the Persian Empires. |
|
1640 |
|
Mullah Sadra, Persian theologian and philosopher, passes away. |
|
1642 |
|
Safavid Shah Safi passes away. Shah Abbas II asdends the throne. |
|
1649 |
|
It is decreed that peasants are forbidden to move from the estates of their lords. The Orthodox Church is divided between the 'Old Believers' who opposed religious reform and those who supported new reforms. |
|
1658 |
|
The Kalmyks become the dominant power in Central Asia ruling over large populations of Uzbeks, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyzes. Unrelenting pressure by the Kalmyks forces the Kyrgyz to migrate from the Tien Shan to the Ferghana Valley. |
|
1667 |
|
Shah Abbas II passes away. Shah Sulaiman succeeds him. |
|
1694 |
|
Shah Hussein ascends the throne of Iran. |
|
1703 |
|
Peter the Great (1682-1725) founds St. Petersburg to replace Moscow as the capital of Russia. Peter the Great's reign is notable for his ruthless program of modernization, his conquests along the Baltic coast, and his creation of the 'window on the west." |
|
1707 |
|
Mir Wais Qilzai makes Qandahar independent of Safavid Persia. |
|
1710 |
|
Abdarrahman Biy establishes the Khanate of Kokand in the Ferghana Valley. |
|
1715 |
|
Peter the Great sends Russia's first Russian military expedition to the Kazakh Steppe. |
|
1717 |
|
Peter the Great invades Khiva, is defeated. |
|
1717 |
|
Russia's first military expedition to Khiva is massacred. |
|
1722 |
|
Peter the Great captures Derbend on the Caspian Sea. |
|
1722 |
|
Mahmud, Mir Wais's son, captures the city of Isfahan and initiates Afghan rule on southern and eastern provinces of Iran. Durranis terminate Safavid occupation of Herat and form an independent state of their own. |
|
1723 |
|
Iranian army is defeated by Peter the Great. |
|
1723 |
|
Mahmud puts Soltan Hussein Safavid to death; Safavid rule moves to the northern provinces of Mazandaran and Gilan. Ashraf becomes the Afghan king of Iran. |
|
1725 |
|
Peter the Great passes away. |
|
1729 |
|
Afghans are driven out of Iran by Nadir Qoli Beg, the future Nadir Shah. |
|
1730 |
|
Nader Shah Afshar defeats Ashraf and leads the Iranian army into Afghanistan, Central Asia and, later, India. |
|
1731 |
|
The Kazakh Lesser Horde seeks Russian protection. |
|
1732 |
|
Herat falls to Nadir Qoli. |
|
1734 |
|
Orenburg becomes the first of a series of fortifications built by the Russians to protect their interests in Central Asia. |
|
1736 |
|
Nadirquli (1736-47) drives the Afghans out; establishes the Afsharid dynasty. |
|
1739 |
|
Nadir Shah conquers lands to the east of Iran as far as Delhi. |
|
1740 |
|
Bukhara falls to Nadir Shah. |
|
1740 |
|
Following the Lesser Horde, the Kazakh Middle Horde seeks Russian protection. |
|
1741 |
|
Turkmens join the army of Nadir Shah. |
|
1745 |
|
The Wahhabi da'wa is established in Arabia. |
|
1747 |
|
The Manghit dynasty of Bukhara is established. |
|
1747 |
|
Nader Shah is murdered. Ahmad Durrani, a commander of Nadir Shah, returns to Qandahar. Durranis who had returned to Qandahar with Ahmad choose him as their Amir--Ahmad Shah Durrani, king of Afghanistan, rules for 26 years from his capital of Qandahar. |
|
1747 |
Oct. |
An assembly of Pashtuns pronounces Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani) king and thereby establishes Afghanistan an independent state. |
|
1750 |
|
The Zand dynasty is established under Karim khan. |
|
1753 |
|
Rahimbi (r. 1753-1785), the eponymous ancestor of the Manghits, establishes the Emirate of Bukhara. As a first step, he annexes Hissar Shadman and the Kuhistan region to Bukhara. Before long, Samarqand, Shahr-I Sabz, Khujand, and Tashkent are also added. A brave, courageous, and generous ruler, Rahimbi is prompt in making decisions and takeing drastic measures to resolve problems. |
|
1755 |
|
Moscow university is founded. |
|
1760 |
|
Henri de Saint-Simon is born. |
|
1762 |
|
Between 1762 and 1796, Catherine the Great expands Peter the Great's policies of westernisation to include the cultural and educational fields. |
|
1770 |
|
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel is born in Stuttgart, Germany. |
|
1773 |
|
In Afghanistan, Teymur Shah rules for 20 years. He moves the capital to Kabul. |
|
1773 |
|
In Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani passes away. |
|
1775 |
|
Britain acquire Madras, Northern Circars, Bengal, and Bihar in India. |
|
1780 |
|
Russian immigrants begin to flood Central Asia and take over fields and grazing lands. |
|
1783 |
|
Crimea is annexed br Russia. |
|
1785 |
|
Russian and Tatar merchants try to convince the Kyrgyz to submit to Russia. |
|
1785 |
|
Amir Shah Murad (r. 1785-1800) introduces a series of reforms. Rather than confiscating the land and property of the non-Manghit tribal chiefs, he sets a precedent by allowing the chiefs to keep not only their land but the peasants who work on the land. In time, this practice allows the non-Manghit chiefs to institute fiefdoms with powerful armies of their own. |
|
1789 |
|
Between 1789 and 1792, a revolutionary zeal in France overthrows the monarchy and institutes a republic. |
|
1792 |
|
In Iran, Vahid Behbahani, who forces the Akhbari school of Shiíism out of Persia and establishes the ascendancy of the Usuli school, passes away. |
|
1793 |
|
In Afghanistan, Zaman Shah rules for 6 years. Britain, fearful of Afghan designs on India, incites Iran against Afghanistan (1798). |
|
1795 |
|
The zand dynasty comes to an end; beginning of the Qajar dynasty. |
|
1797 |
|
Muhammad Shah Qajar passes away; Russia captures Daghistan. |
|
1799 |
|
In Afghanistan, Prince Mahmud dismisses Zaman Shah. Zaman Shah goes to India. |
|
1799 |
|
Kokand declares itself an independent Islamic state. |
|
1800 |
|
In Central Asia, Amir Haidar (r. 1800-1826) loses most of the territories captured by Rahimbi to Kokand, Khiva, and other Central Asian powers. After two years, however, he restores the kingdom to its former strength. Haidar's main mistake, however, is in commercializing education, an act that leads to the expulsion of the poor from the schools, erosion of the quality of instruction, and disestablishment of Bukhara's precious medieval library system. |
|
1801 |
|
Between 1801 and 1825, under Alexander I plans for political reforms along western liess are debated but not carried through. Russia's success against Napoleon, however, makes her a major force in European diplomacy. Despite all this, the division between social groups, i.e., the high officials and the landowners and those who worked the land went on. |
|
1802 |
|
Wahhabis raid Karbala in present-day Iraq. |
|
1803 |
|
In Afghanistan, Shah Shoja' dismisses Shah Mahmud. |
|
1804 |
|
Wahhabis capture Mecca and medina. |
|
1805 |
|
Iran makes an unsuccessful attempt at capturing Herat. |
|
1806 |
|
Britain captures Delhi and Lucknow as well as most of southern parts of India except for Mysore. |
|
1807 |
|
The Tsar of Russia (Alexander II) and Napoleon plann to capture India via Iran. |
|
1809 |
|
Shah Mahmud succeeds to the throne of Afghanistan. |
|
1809 |
|
Britain captures Maharashtra, Chuttack, and Assam. |
|
1809 |
7 Jun. |
British Mountstuart Elphinstone signs a treaty of friendship with Shah Shuja' of Afghanistan in preparation for defense against a possible Franco-Russian invasion of India. |
|
1811 |
|
Ali Muhammad Bab, founder of the Babi movement, is born. |
|
1813 |
|
In Iran, Fath Ali Shah (1799-1834) signs the treaty of Gulistan and loses the Caucasus to Russia. |
|
1813 |
|
Russia defeats Persia and enters the area of present-day Turkmenistan. |
|
1814 |
|
Iran executes the Definitive Treaty of alliance with Britain. |
|
1818 |
5 May |
Karl Marx is born in Trier, now in Germany (then in Prussia). |
|
1820 |
|
Kazakhs revolt against the harsh rule of the Russians. |
|
1825 |
|
After the Decembrist uprising, Nicholas I turned away from the West. |
|
1825 |
|
The Decembrist officers revolt makes the first stirring of democratic passions in Russia. |
|
1825 |
|
vHenri de Saint-Simon passes away, Saint-Simmon combined the teachings of Jesus with science and technology to create a religion of socialism. He proposed that the states of Europe should form an association to suppress war. |
|
1826 |
Apr. |
Ahmad Makhdum Donish is born to a poor family of Bukhara. |
|
1827 |
|
Amir Nasrullah (r. 1827-1860) eliminates his brothers, displaces the influential figures who had served his father, and confiscates the land and properties of the non-Manghit tribal chiefs. This strategy, which weakens the economic and military power of the chiefs, allows Nasrullah to create an army of considerable strength. Under Nasrullah, modernizing ideas enter Bukhara while urbanization takes its toll on the farms. |
|
1827 |
|
Between 1827 and 1860, most Russian peasants are dissatisfied with the situation in which they find themselves. |
|
1828 |
|
Iran signs the treaty of Turkmenchay with Russia. |
|
1830 |
|
Khan Kenesary Qasimov, a Kazakh revolutionary, leads a formidable military campaign against the Russian advance into Central Asia. |
|
1830 |
|
Saint-Simon's students write a proclamation demanding the ownership of goods in common; abolition of right of inheritance; and enfranchisement of women. |
|
1831 |
|
Friedrich Hegel passes away at age 61 of cholera. Hegel developed a dialectical scheme that improved thought and matter as a result of interaction of two opposites (thesis and antithesis). |
|
1834 |
|
Russia builds fortifications in Turkmen territory. |
|
1836 |
|
Dust Muhammad defeats Shah Shoja', captures Qandahar, and takes title of Amir. |
|
1837 |
|
Kazakh resistance against Russian rule is led by Kenesary Kasimov (1802-47). |
|
1837 |
|
First newspaper is published in Iran. |
|
1837 |
|
Iranians put a three year siege on Herat but do not succeed in annexing the principality to Qajar Iran. |
|
1837 |
|
Ignoring the treaty of Zunab, the Ottomans invaded the port of Muhammarah (modern Khorramshahr) and demolished it. |
|
1838 |
|
Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, the architect of Pan-Islamism, is born in Asadabad, Iran. |
|
1839 |
|
In Afghanistan, during the first Afghan War, Britain captures Qandahar, Ghazna, and Kabul. Amir Dust Muhammad is deported to India. Shah Shoja' becomes a puppet king for Afghanistan. But the British rule does not last long. |
|
1840 |
|
Under Nicholas I, Russia begins operations to colonize Khiva. |
|
1842 |
|
Emir Nasrullah orders the execution of Stoddart and Conolly. |
|
1842 |
|
Shah of Shuja of Afghanistan is assassinated. Currani dynasty ends. |
|
1842 |
|
The British lose all their troops in the war. They leave Afghanistan. Dust Muhammad returns as king and rules for the next 21 years. |
|
1843 |
|
As king, Dust Muhammad unifies Afghan tribes by statesmanship rather than by force and centralizes the government. |
|
1844 |
|
Sayyid Muhammad Ali proclaims himself the Bab in Iran. |
|
1844 |
|
Engles and Marx meet and begin their cooperation. |
|
1845 |
10 Aug. |
Abai Kunanbaev is born in eastern Kazakhstan. |
|
1846 |
|
Between 1846 and 1907, Russia and British India, respectively, annexed large areas large areas in Central Asia and India. By 1885, the danger of a major confrontation was real. Having considered their options, both powers agreed to be satisfied with the regions they already controlled. |
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1847 |
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Russia reaches the estuary of the Amu River. |
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1847 |
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Marx and Engles joined the secret Communist Society in London. |
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1848 |
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Karl Marx publishes the Communist Manifesto. |
|
1848 |
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Accompanied by Amir-I Kabir, Nasir al-Din Shah enters Tehran and coronates himself. With the Shah's consent, Amir-I Kabir launches a far-reaching program of revitalization that adversely affects the court, the tribal hierarchy, and foreign (British and Russian) legations. Sectors of society affected by reforms rise in opposition to the Amir and eliminate him. |
|
1848 |
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Marx and Engles publish The Communist Manifesto. |
|
1850 |
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Between 1850 and 1914, Russian rule was firmly established in Central Asia. |
|
1850 |
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The epic Manas is put to writing for the first time. |
|
1850 |
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Dar al-Fonun is established to educate future diplomats and military generals; execution of the Bab and the massacre of his followers; Baha'I movement begins. |
|
1850 |
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A deligation, including Ahmad Donish (his first trip), who served as the secretary, is sent to St. Petersburg by Bukhara to learn about the advances in Russia in technology and military. |
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1850 |
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In Iran, Ali Muhammad Bab is arrested and executed as is the poetess Qurrat al_Ain Tabira. |
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1853 |
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Ak Masjed falls to the Russians. |
|
1853 |
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Between 1853 and 1856, British and French troops invade the Crimea in reaction to Nicholas I's Turkish policy. |
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1854 |
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Alma-Ata (originally called Fort Vernoe) is built by the Russians. |
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1854 |
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Between 1854 and 1864 Russia builds a series of forts along the Emba river as well as from the Aral lake to the eastern edge of Lake Baikal. |
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1855 |
|
Jamal al-Din al-Afghani travels to India and sees first hand the treatment that Indians receive at the hand of the British. He begins to entertain the thought that a united Muslim world should be able to decrease, if not eliminate, exploitation of the Muslim masses world wide. |
|
1855 |
|
Khiva is annexed to the Russian Empire. |
|
1855 |
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Fort Zailiyskoe is built in Southeastern Kazakhstan to facilitate trade. The town of Vernyi (later Alma Ata) is built. |
|
1855 |
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Russia's defeat in the Crimean War, which had started two years earlier between the Ottomans and Russia, points to the way east and to the conquest of the Caucasus and Central Asia. |
|
1855 |
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Between 1855 and 1881, Alexander II (the Liberator Tsar) introduces Zemstvos or provincial assemblies which sort out local issues. Russian's social and economical transformation begins. |
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1855 |
17 Jan. |
Pressured by the Khanate of Kokand and the Manchus, the Khygyz of the Issyk Kul regioin become russian vassals. |
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1856 |
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Russia considers a full-fledged invasion of Central Asia. |
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1856 |
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Iranians finally capture Herat. Russians map Issyk Kul. |
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1857 |
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Iran and Britain recognize the independence of Afghanistan. |
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1857 |
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At the Paris Treaty, the British mediate between Iran and Afghanistan. |
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1859 |
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Imam Shamyl of Daghistan is captured by the Russians. Daghistan becomes a part of the Russian Empire and Russian power is consolidated. |
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1860 |
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Serfdom in russia is abolished but peasant poverty remains. So does peasant and worker discontent in Russia. |
|
1860 |
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Generals Kaufman and Chernaev capture the town of Tuqmaq. |
|
1860 |
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Between 1860 and 1867, the Russians complete their military occupation of present-day Kyrgyzstan and the Ferghana Valley. |
|
1860 |
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A Sino-Russian treaty divides the Kazakh, the Kyrgyz, and the Uighurs. |
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1860 |
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Russia's increasing influence in Bukhara brings Amir Muzaffar (r. 1860-1885) into conflict with the Russian Empire. |
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1861 |
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In Russia, Alexander II frees the serfs. |
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1861 |
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Between 1861 and 1865 American Civil War increases Russian demand for Central Asian cotton. |
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1861 |
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Alexander II approves military plans including invasion of Central Asia and the coastal regions of the Caspian Sea. |
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1862 |
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The town of Pishpek falls to the Russians. |
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1864 |
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The town of Aulia Ata falls to the Russians. |
|
1864 |
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Russia, freed from Crimean War and conflicts in the Caucasus, moves to the Ust-Urt and the Kazakh steppe. |
|
1865 |
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Kokand state is liquidated by the Russian forces. |
|
1865 |
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Chernaev invades Tashkent but is faced with stiff resistance from Sultan Sayyid Khan. The latter, however, requests aid from Amir Muzzaffar. The Amir recalls Sultan Sayyid Khan and kills him. Ghernaev conquers Tashkent. |
|
1865 |
Jun. |
Tashkent falls to the Russians. |
|
1865 |
|
Russia begins a series of expeditions to assess the human and mineral resources of the region. As a result, Alexis Fedchenko discovers the largest glacier in the world (1865), Russia annexes northern Tajikistan (1886), and an Anglo-Russian Boundary Commission determines the Russian and British zones of interest in the region (1884); the fortress of Termez is built to guard against Afghan incursions (1894). |
|
1866 |
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Amir Muzaffar requests Russia to restore Tashkent to Bukhara. However, Russian officials proceed and capture Khujand and Jizzakh. |
|
1866 |
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Russian forces are initially defeated by Bukhara near Jizzach; and General Cherniaev is dismissed, but, in the long run, they capture Tashkent and Samarqand. |
|
1867 |
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Tashkent becomes the capital of the Governorate-General of Turkestan. |
|
1868 |
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Russia invades the Emirate of Bukhara a second time. Bukhara becomes a Russian protectorate. Samarqand, Kattagurqan, and Zirah Bulaq fall to General Kaufman. |
|
1868 |
|
Orenburg becomes the capital of the Governorate-General of the Kazakh Steppe.. |
|
1868 |
|
Bukhara signs a treaty with Russia giving up some of its territory. |
|
1868 |
1 May |
Russian forces defeat Bukhara at Chupan Ata and capture Samarqand. Bukhara becomes a Russian protectorate. |
|
1868 |
00 Sept. |
Amir Sher Ali occupies Kabul. As king, hecontinues the efforts of his father, Dust Muhammad. He organizes a large, modern army, establishes state controlled civil and military schools, establishes a consultative assembly, expands the bureaucracy, reforms the tax system, and makes a point of respecting tribal and individual autonomy within the state. |
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1869 |
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Krasnovodsk fort is established on the Caspian Sea. |
|
1869 |
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Amir Muzaffar sends a deligation, including Ahmad Donish (his second trip), to St. Petersburg to assess the possibility of taking back some of the terrirtory lost in 1868 to Russia. |
|
1869 |
|
Jamal Al-Afghani is exiled from Afghanistan. He moves to Egypt. |
|
1870 |
|
Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin) is born in Simbrisk. |
|
1870 |
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The revolt of the people of Kokand is suppressed. |
|
1870 |
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The Turkmen tribes initiate guerilla war against Russia. |
|
1871 |
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The Ili Valley is included in the Russian Empire. |
|
1873 |
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Slavery is abolished in Khiva and Bukhara. |
|
1873 |
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Khiva falls to the Russians. |
|
1873 |
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Aided by the Amir of Bukhara, Russians force the Amir of Khiva, Muhammad Rabin, to flee from Khiva. |
|
1873 |
00 Aug. |
The Khanate of Khiva follows the example of Bukhara and becomes a Russian protectorate. |
|
1873 |
12 Aug. |
The Khan of Khiva declares himself a "faithful servant of the Russian Emperor." |
|
1873 |
28 Sept. |
Bukhara signs a treaty with Russia accepting its status as a protectorate. |
|
1874 |
|
Tashkent and Samarqand fall to the Russians. |
|
1875 |
|
Aided by the Amir of Bukhara, Russia invades Quqand. Khuda Yar Khan, the Amir of Kokand is defeated and Kokand, Andijan, Namangan and Marqilan fall to the Russians who, reconstitute the region under Ferghana and place it under a Russian governor. |
|
1876 |
|
Qoqand falls to the Russians. |
|
1876 |
|
Russians divide the homeland of the Kyrgyz into Semirechye Oblast and the Ferghana District. |
|
1876 |
|
The Khanate of Kokand is included in the Russian Empire. |
|
1877 |
|
Yaqub Beg passes away (poisoned). |
|
1878 |
Nov. |
The Second Afghan War disrupts the reforms of Amir Sher Ali. |
|
1879 |
|
Al-Afghani is exiled from Egypt. |
|
1879 |
21 Feb. |
Amir Sher Ali of Afghanistan dies in Mazar-i Sharif. |
|
1879 |
26 May |
According to the Treaty of Gandamak, Afghanistan loses the Khyber Pass and the control of its foreign affairs to Britain but retain independence and control over its internal affairs. |
|
1879 |
3 Sept. |
Luis Cavagnari, British Resident at Kabul, is killed by Afghan mob attack. |
|
1880 |
|
The reduction of Turkmen troops conclude Russia's annexation of Central Asia. |
|
1880 |
|
The rail system, begun in Krasnovodsk, reaches Turkistan. |
|
1880 |
|
Under Alexander III (1881-1894) and Nicholas II (1894-1917) expansion into Central Asia continues, reaching the borders of China, Persia, and Afghanistan. At the same time, state-sponsored industrialization is accelerated and a Marxist movement develops in exile. |
|
1880 |
00 Jul. |
Abdurrahmon Khan is proclaimed Amir. |
|
1880 |
00 Jul. |
The British withdraw from Afghanistan. Russia and Britain decide to make Afghanistan a buffer state so that their empires do not meet. The British help 'Abd al-Rahman to centralize the government and consolidate his rule. #The Emergence of Modern Afghanistan # The Hazarahs enjoyed autonomy in central regions called Hazarahjat between 1229 and 1447. They number 340,000 and consist of fifteen tribes. Thirteen of these tribes recognized governmental authority. Only the Uruzgan tribe remained totally independent. They numbered 44,000. They rose in revolt to stop the Khan from segregating the elders of the tribe and against taking census for tax purposes. The Hazarah are Shi'ite. The Khan fielded 100,000 troops and tribal levies. And he incited his Sunni followers to a Jihad against the Shi'ites. Most of the Hazarah were enslaved between 1891 and 1893. The rest went into exile to Iran. Their pastures and flockswere divided between the Durranis and the Ghilzais. |
|
1880 |
27 Jul. |
Afghans defeat the British at Maimand. |
|
1881 |
|
Russia begins the construction of the Trans-Caspian Railway. |
|
1881 |
|
A revolutionary movement by the gentry leads to the assassination of Alexander II of Russia. |
|
1881 |
|
Russians capture Gok Teppe in present-day Turkmenistan. |
|
1881 |
|
The Emirate of Khiva falls to the Russians. |
|
1881 |
|
The city of Ashgabat is founded as a fort. |
|
1881 |
|
A revolutionary movement, inspired by Western anarchist, socialist idealists, and populists ends the rule of Alexander II who is assassinated. |
|
1881 |
22 Nov |
Enwer Pasha is born to a relatively humble family of Monastir. |
|
1883 |
|
The Amir of Bukhara sends a deligation, including Ahmad Donish (his third trip) to St. Petersburg to learn about government. Upon hearing about the workings of democracy, the Amir assigns Donish to the judgeship of one of the most remote provinces of Bukhara. |
|
1883 |
14 Mar. |
Karl Marx passes away in London at age 65; he is buried at Highgate Cemetery. |
|
1884 |
|
The city of Merv falls to the Russians. |
|
1884 |
|
American cotton picks up the slack in cotton production in Central Asia. |
|
1884 |
|
The Russian occupation of Merv completes Russia's conquest of Turkestan. |
|
1884 |
|
Xinjiang becomes a Chinese province. |
|
1885 |
|
Construction of the Samarqand-Askabat railway begins. |
|
1885 |
|
Amir Abdulahad (r. 1885-1910) agrees that his kingdom must undergo change. In the face of Russian pressure, he even allows new-method schools to teach subjects not covered in the madrasahs (theological schools). But as soon as Russia grows weak (1905), he renegs on his promises of reform. In Bukhara, urbanization and Russification advance at a steady pace. |
|
1885 |
|
Karl Benz designs the first automobile. |
|
1886 |
|
Panjdeh is captured by the Russians. |
|
1886 |
|
Turkmen territory is annexed by Russia. |
|
1887 |
|
Lenin's elder brother is executed. He is charged with an attempt on the life of Alexander III of Russia. |
|
1887 |
|
The railroad reaches Bukhara. |
|
1888 |
|
The railroad reaches Samarqand. |
|
1888 |
|
Vose (1845-1888), a Tajik peasant from Khavaling, revolts against the Turkish governor of Kulab. Following Tajik revolutionaries before him, he intends to unite the Tajiks of the Kuhistan, march on Bukhara, and inform the Amir of the atrocities of his governor. The Amir, of course, is aware. Vose is captured and put to death in Shahr-i Sabz. |
|
1890 |
|
Between 1890 and 1910, the Semirechye Oblast and the Ferghana Districts are flooded by Russian peasant workers displacing the nomadic population of the region. |
|
1890 |
|
The tobacco concession pits Iranians, especially the clergy, against the Shah and British interests. |
|
1890 |
|
Large numbers of Russians and Ukrainians settle in the Kazakh steppe. |
|
1890 |
|
Between 1890 and 1905, strikes and riots become a frequent occurrence in Russia leading to the formation of socialist, labor, and democratic parties, riots, as well as to confrontations with the police. |
|
1891 |
|
Close to a million Russian migrants move to the Kazakh steppe. |
|
1892 |
|
The achievements of Turkish rulers of the 8th century, commemorated in the Orkhon inscriptions are deciphered by the Danish Professor Vilhelm Thomsen. |
|
1893 |
12 Nov. |
The Durand Line becomes the official dividing line between Afghanistan and British India. The boundary determined by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand cuts the Pushtun population of the region into two and creates British and Afghan zones of influence. |
|
1894 |
|
Russia builds a fortress at Termez to safeguard Russian interests against the Afghans. |
|
1895 |
|
Independent Kafiristan, so far inaccessible to all Amirs and others, is attacked by Afghan troops. The 60,000 inhabitants of the region fight with bows, arrows, spears and some rifles. The region is reduced to central (Afghan) rule and its inhabitants are forced to accept Islam 1901. |
|
1895 |
|
Russia and British India leave the Wakhan Corridor to Afghanistan as a neutral border between their two empires and China. |
|
1896 |
|
The Pamirs become the last region captured by the Russians. |
|
1897 |
00 Mar. |
Tajikistan's cultural icon, Ahmad Makhdum Donish (b. 1826), passes away. Bored with Bukhara schools, Donish taught himself all there was to know at his time about the natural sciences and the arts. His three trips to Russia on behalf of the Bukhara amirs added to the depth of that knowledge. His legacy includes a concise essay on Tajik history as well as a valuable book entitled Navodir al-Vaqoye' (Singular Events). |
|
1897 |
9 Mar |
Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, philosopher and politician, who endeavored to unite the Islamic world against Western interests, passes away. |
|
1897 |
28 Sept. |
Mukhtar Auezov is born to a nomad family in Chingistan. |
|
1898 |
|
Andijan rises against the Russians. |
|
1898 |
|
Ali Monsieur, an intellectual from Tabriz forms one of the first centres of the anti-despotic struggle in Iran. |
|
1898 |
17 May |
The inhabitants of Andijan in the ferghana Valley kill some 22 Russian soldiers to discourage Russian advance into the the Valley. The Russian army quells the rebellion and executes 200 militants. |
|
1900 |
|
Between 1900 and 1905, Russian workers in Ashkebad go on strike. |
|
1900 |
|
The newspaper "Bukhara-i Sharif" is published for the first time. |