<Article>Shaibani Khan and the Town of Arquq

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  • <論説>シャイバーニー・ハンとアルクーク城
  • シャイバーニー・ハンとアルクーク城
  • シャイバーニー ハン ト アルクークジョウ

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Abstract

Shaibani Khan captured in 1500 Samarqand, and in 1507 Herat. Contemporary writers of Central Asia gave a variety of explanations on how he came to gain the strength enough to destroy the Timurid dynasty. The most important reason, however, appears to be his conquest of Turkistan wilayat on the mid-stream of the Syr-darya. This, as K. A. Pishchulina earlier pointed out, can be explained by the political, economic, military, and religious significance of the region. Arquq in question was a tiny town in Turkistan. However, according to Ibn Ruzbihan, its importance to Shaibani was comparable to that of Medina to the Prophet. The factors behind this assertion, in my opinion, are as follows. Firstly, though small, Arquq was an excellent fortress. Secondly, located in the area bodering the western end of Turkistan and the desert leading to the heartland of Mawarannahr, it was a strategically important point for both regions. By gaining the control, Shaibani could also be provided with abundant agricultural produce of the area. In studying cities of Central Asia, the Japanese scholarship has tended to emphasize their role as midway points on the East-West trade route. However, as the case of Arquq shows, their relationship with nomadic people also has to be taken into account.

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  • 史林

    史林 62 (6), 817-849, 1979-11-01

    THE SHIGAKU KENKYUKAI (The Society of Historical Research), Kyoto University

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