In 1224, Genghis Khan, the founder of the Great Mongol Empire, divided his state into four uluses, each corresponding to the number of his sons. His second son, Chagatai, inherited Transoxiana and the surrounding territories.
Since 1326, Islam has been the official religion of the Chagatai Ulus. At its peak in the late 13th century, the ulus stretched from the Amu Darya south of the Aral Sea to the Altai Mountains on the border of modern-day Mongolia and China. In 1346, the state split into Moghulistan and Transoxiana.
The capital was located in the city of Almalyk, in the Ili River valley.
It later moved to Karshi and Samarkand.
The nomadic nobility long preserved Mongol traditions, but the local sedentary population spoke Turkic languages. A distinctive literary language, Chagatai, later developed there.
The ruler of the Chagataikhan ulus was the foremost expert on Genghis Khan’s Yasa in the entire Mongol Empire.
Of all of Genghis Khan’s sons, Chagatai was the only one whose name was passed on to his dynasty and the state it founded. Four clans enjoyed particular significance among the Chagatai: Arlat, Jalayir, Kauchin, and Barlas. According to some researchers, the term “Chagatai” originally applied specifically to these Mongol tribes that comprised Chagatai’s army. Even in the 15th century, Turkic or Turkified nomads in Transoxiana, who constituted a privileged military class long after the Chagatai dynasty had ceased to exist, still called themselves “Chagatai.”
The most ancient and beautiful cities of the East, such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Tashkent, Termez, Kokand, Khujand were located on the territory of the Chagatai ulus.
After the death of Amir Temur (Tamerlane) in 1405, the political situation in the country changed dramatically. While under Timur, the term “Chagatai” referred not to the entire population of the country, but only to the military class, in the 15th century it acquired a broader meaning: the entire Turkic population of Transoxiana began to be called Chagatai, including earlier tribes (such as the Karluks), without being limited to its nomadic part. Later, during the Timurids’ struggle with Muhammad Shaybani, the population of Transoxiana briefly became known as the “Chagatai people” (Chagatai Eli), in contrast to the Uzbek immigrants from Dasht-i Kipchak. According to ethnographic data, part of the population of Transoxiana still steadfastly retained the self-designation “Chagatai” even in the early 20th century.
It’s remarkable that even today, at the beginning of the 21st century, the name Chagatai, the son of Genghis Khan, lives and thrives. People who call themselves Chagatai live in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Many place names for “Chagatai” have survived throughout Central Asia. The city of Tashkent is particularly famous for its Chagatai Darvaza, and the famous cemetery in the old city of Tashkent is called the Chagatai Cemetery. Famous people of Uzbekistan are buried there.
The Chagatai mahalla has numerous restaurants and cafes, shopping centers, and markets bearing the name Chagatai. Delicious dishes include Chagatai shashlik, Chagatai khonim (a delicious dish made as a large roll of thin, unleavened dough with a juicy filling, steamed), and a delicious bread called Chagatai.
Prepared by Prof. T. Chagataikhaan
