View source for Uzbeks

{{About|Uzbeks as an ethnic group|information about citizens of [[Uzbekistan]]|Demographics of Uzbekistan|a list of notable people from Uzbekistan|List of Uzbeks}}
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{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Uzbeks<br/>''Oʻzbeklar/Ўзбеклар''<br/>乌兹别克人
| image = File:Uzbek man from central Uzbekistan.jpg
| population = c. 30 million
| region1    = {{flag|Uzbekistan}}
| pop1       = 23,929,309 (2013)
| ref1       = <ref name=CIA-Uzbekistan>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uz.html|title=Population: 28,661,637 (July 2013 est.) [Uzbeks = 80%]|publisher=[[The World Factbook]]|work=Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)|accessdate=10 June 2013}}</ref>
| region2    = {{flag|Afghanistan}}
| pop2       = 2,799,726 (2013)
| ref2       = <ref name=CIA-Afghanistan>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af&regionCode=sas&#af|title=Afghan Population: 31,108,077 (July 2013 est.) [Uzbeks = 9%]|publisher=The World Factbook|work=Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)|accessdate=10 June 2013}}</ref>
| region3    = {{flag|Tajikistan}}
| pop3       = 1,210,236 (2013)
| ref3       = <ref name=CIA-Tajikistan>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ti.html|title=Population: 7,910,041 (July 2013 est.) [Uzbeks = 15.3%]|publisher=The World Factbook|work=Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)|accessdate=10 June 2013}}</ref>
| region4    = {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}
| pop4       = 980,000
| ref4       = <ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/kg.html#People CIA World Factbook – Kyrgyzstan]</ref>
| region5    = {{flag|Russia}}
| pop5       = 499,862
| ref5       = <ref name="Russia Census 2002">{{ru icon}} [http://www.perepis2010.ru/content.html?id=11&docid=10715289081463 Russia Census 2002]</ref>
| region6    = {{flag|Kazakhstan}}
| pop6       = 490,000
| ref6       = <ref>[http://www.stat.kz/news/Pages/pr_04_02_10.aspx Ethnic groups in Kazakhstan, official estimation 2010-01-01 based on National Census 2009]</ref>
| region7    = {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
| pop7       = 300,000
| ref7       = <ref name="Russia Census 2002"/>
| region8    = {{flag|Turkmenistan}}
| pop8       = 260,000
| ref8       = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tx.html#People|title=The World Factbook|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref>
| region9   = {{flag|Australia}}
| pop9      = 80,000
| ref9     ={{citation needed|date=November 2014}}
| region10    = {{flag|Pakistan}}
| pop10       = 70,133 (2005)
| ref10       = <ref>Rhoda Margesson (January 26, 2007). [https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33851.pdf "Afghan Refugees: Current Status and Future Prospects" p.7]. Report RL33851, [[Congressional Research Service]].</ref>
| region11   = {{flag|United States}}
| pop11      = 50,795 (2014)
| ref11      =<ref name="USCB">{{cite web|title=PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES, Universe: Foreign-born population excluding population born at sea, 2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_B05006&prodType=table|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=11 April 2014}}</ref>
| region12   = {{flag|Turkey}}
| pop12      = 45,000
| ref12      = <ref>[http://evrenpasakoyu.wordpress.com Evrenpaşa Köyü | Güney Türkistan'dan Anadoluya Urfa Ceylanpınar Özbek Türkleri]. Evrenpasakoyu.wordpress.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.</ref>
| region13   = {{flag|Ukraine}}
| pop13      = 22,400
| ref13      = <ref>[http://www.ukrcensus.gov.ua/eng/results/nationality_population/nationality_1/s5/?botton=cens_db&box=5.1W&k_t=00&p=100&rz=1_1&rz_b=2_1%20&n_page=6 State Statistics Committee of Ukraine: The distribution of the population by nationality and mother tongue]</ref>
| region14   = {{flag|China}}
| pop14      = 14,800
| ref14      = <ref name="China"/>
| region16   = {{flag|Mongolia}}
| pop16      = 560
| ref16      = <ref>Census of Mongolia, slide# 23. http://www.toollogo2010.mn/doc/Main%20results_20110615_to%20EZBH_for%20print.pdf</ref>
| languages  = [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]],[[Russian language|Russian]],[[Chinese language|Mandarin]]
| religions  = Mainly [[Islam]] (predominantly [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] or [[Cultural Muslim]]s),<ref>"Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation". The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity. Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. August 9, 2012</ref> minority [[Irreligion|non-religious]].<br/>Historically [[Tengriism]]
| related    = [[Tajiks]], [[Uyghurs]]
}}
The '''Uzbeks''' (''Oʻzbek/Ўзбек'', pl. ''Oʻzbeklar/Ўзбеклар'') are a [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] [[ethnic group]]; the largest Turkic ethnic group in [[Central Asia]]. They comprise the majority population of [[Uzbekistan]] but are also found as a minority group in [[Afghanistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Russia]] and [[China]].<ref name="China">{{cite web|url=http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Minorities/min-Uzbek.html|title=Uzbek Minority – Chinese Nationalities (Ozbek)|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref> Uzbek diaspora communities also exist in [[Turkey]], [[Saudi Arabia]], and [[Uzbeks in Pakistan|Pakistan]].

==Etymology==
The origin of the word  ''Uzbek'' remains disputed. One view holds that it is [[eponym]]ously named after [[Oghuz Khagan]], also known as ''Oghuz Beg'', became the word ''Uzbek''.<ref name="H. Keane,A. Hingston Quiggin p.312">A. H. Keane,A. Hingston Quiggin, A. C. Haddon, Man: Past and Present, p.312, Cambridge University Press, 2011, Google Books, quoted: "Who take their name from a mythical Uz-beg, Prince Uz (beg in Turki=a chief, or hereditary ruler)."</ref>
Another states that the name means ''independent'' or the ''lord itself'', from ''Oʻz'' (self) and the Turkic title ''[[Beg (title)|Bek/Bey/Beg]]''. There is another theory which holds that the pronunciation of ''Uz'' comes from one of the [[Oghuz Turks]] variously known as ''Uz'' or ''Uguz'' united with the word ''Bey'' or ''Bek'' to form ''uguz-bey'', meaning "leader of an [[oghuz (tribe)|oguz]]".<ref>{{cite book|last=MacLeod|first=Calum|title=Uzbekistan: Golden Road to Samarkand|page=31|author2=Bradley Mayhew }}{{unreliable source?|date=September 2013}}</ref>

==Origins==
Before, 5th century, what is today's Uzbekistan was part of [[Sogdia]], mainly inhabited by Sogdians, an Indo-Iranian people. It was part of the [[Achaemenid Empire]] and later part of [[Sasanian Empire]].  From 5th to 6th century, what is today's Uzbekistan was part of the [[Hephthalite Empire]].  From 6th to 8th century, what is today's Uzbekistan was under the rule of [[Göktürk Khanate]].  Turkic and Chinese migration into central Asia occurred during the Chinese [[Tang Dynasty]], and Chinese armies commanded by [[Turks in the Tang military|Turkic generals]] stationed in large parts of central Asia.  But Chinese influence ended with the [[An Lushan rebellion]].  From the 9th century on, [[Transoxania]] was under the rule of Turkic [[Kara-Khanid Khanate]], their arrival in Transoxania signalled a definitive shift from Iranian to Turkic predominance in Central Asia.  Kara-Khanid ruler [[Sultan Satuq Bughra Khan]] was the first Turkic ruler to convert Islam, most people of Central Asia soon followed.  In the 12th century, Transoxania was conquered by Qara Khitai (Western Liao), a sinicized [[Khitan people|Khitan]] dynasty, they brought to Central Asia the Chinese system of government.  In the 13th century, Kara-Khanid Khanate was destroyed by the Turkic [[Khwarazmian dynasty]], a vassal of the Qara Khitai.

Although [[Turko-Mongol]] infiltration into Central Asia had started early,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia
| year         = 1983
| title        = Irano-Turkish Relations in the Late Sasanian Period
| encyclopedia = The Cambridge History of Iran
| publisher    = Cambridge University Press
| volume       = III/1
| location     = Cambridge
| id           = 0-521-24693-8
| pages        = 613–24
}}</ref> as late as the 13th century when [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] and [[Mongol]] armies finally conquered the entire region, the majority of Central Asia's peoples were [[Iranian peoples]] such as [[Sogdians]], [[Bactrians]] and, more ancient, the [[Saka]]–[[Massagetae]] tribes. It is generally believed that these ancient [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European-speaking]] peoples were linguistically assimilated by smaller but dominant Turkic-speaking groups while the sedentary population finally adopted the [[Persian language]], the traditional ''[[lingua franca]]'' of the eastern Islamic lands.<ref name="Iranica">Richard H. Rowland, Richard N. Frye, C. Edmund Bosworth, Bertold Spuler, Robert D. McChesney, Yuri Bregel, Abbas Amanat, Edward Allworth, Peter B. Golden, Robert D. McChesney, Ian Matley, Ivan M. Steblin-Kamenskij, Gerhard Doerfer, Keith Hitchins, Walter Feldman. ''Central Asia'', in [[Encyclopaedia Iranica]], v., Online Edition, 2007, ([http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v5f2/v5f2a017.html LINK])</ref> The language-shift from [[Middle Iranian languages|Middle Iranian]] to Turkic and New Persian was predominantly the result of an ''elite dominance'' process.<ref>A. H. Nauta, "Der Lautwandel von a > o and von a > ä in der özbekischen Schriftsprache," Central Asiatic Journal  16, 1972, pp. 104–18.</ref><ref>A. Raun, Basic course in Uzbek, Bloomington, 1969.</ref> This process was dramatically boosted during the [[Mongol Empire|Mongol conquest]] when millions were either killed or pushed further south to the [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]] region.

The modern [[Uzbek language]] is largely derived from the [[Chagatai language]] which gained prominence in the [[Timurid dynasty|Timurid Empire]]. The position of Chagatai (and later Uzbek) was further strengthened after the fall of the [[Timurids]] and the rise of the [[Muhammad Shaybani|Shaybanid Uzbek Khaqanate]] that finally shaped the Turkic language and identity of modern Uzbeks, while the unique grammatical<ref>A. von Gabain, "Özbekische Grammatik", Leipzig and Vienna, 1945</ref> and phonetical features of the Uzbek language as well as the modern Uzbek culture reflect the more ancient Iranian roots of the Uzbek people.<ref name="Iranica" /><ref>J. Bečka, "Tajik Literature from the 16th Century to the Present," in Rypka, Hist. Iran. Lit., pp. 520–605</ref><ref>A. Jung, ''Quellen der klassischen Musiktradition Mittelasiens: Die usbekisch-tadshikischen maqom-Zyklen und ihre Beziehung zu anderen regionalen maqam-Traditionen im Vorderen and Mittleren Orient'', Ph.D. dissertation, Berlin, 1983.</ref><ref>T. Levin, The Music and Tradition of the Bukharan Shashmaqam in Soviet Uzbekistan, Ph.D. dissertation, Princeton, 1984</ref>

===Genetic origins===
The modern Uzbek population represents varying degrees of diversity derived from the high traffic invasion routes through Central Asia. Once populated by [[Iranian people|Iranian]] tribes and other [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European people]], Central Asia experienced numerous invasions emanating out of [[Mongolia]] that would drastically affect the region. According to recent [[genetic genealogy]] testing from a University of Oxford study, the genetic admixture of the Uzbeks clusters somewhere between the [[Iranian peoples]] and the [[Mongols]].

<blockquote>From the 3d century B.C., Central Asia experienced nomadic expansions of Altaic-speaking oriental-looking people, and their incursions continued for hundreds of years, beginning with the Hsiung-Nu (who may be ancestors of the Huns), in ~300 B.C., and followed by the Turks, in the 1st millennium A.D., and the Mongol expansions of the 13th century. High levels of [[haplogroup C-M130|haplogroup 10]] [C-M130] and its derivative, [[haplogroup C-M210|haplogroup 36]] [C-M210], are found in most of the Altaic-speaking populations and are a good indicator of the genetic impact of these nomadic groups. The expanding waves of Altaic-speaking nomads involved not only eastern Central Asia—where their genetic contribution is strong, [...]—but also regions farther west, like Iran, Iraq, Anatolia, and the Caucasus, as well as Europe, which was reached by both the Huns and the Mongols. In these western regions, however, the genetic contribution is low or undetectable (...), even though the power of these invaders was sometimes strong enough to impose a language replacement, as in Turkey and Azerbaijan (...). The difference could be due to the population density of the different geographical areas. Eastern regions of Central Asia must have had a low population density at the time, so an external contribution could have had a great genetic impact. In contrast, the western regions were more densely inhabited, and it is likely that the existing populations were more numerous than the conquering nomads, therefore leading to only a small genetic impact. Thus, the admixture estimate from North-East Asia is high in the east, but is barely detectable west of Uzbekistan.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1086/342096 |author=Tatjana Zerjal|title=A Genetic Landscape Reshaped by Recent Events: Y-Chromosomal Insights into Central Asia |journal=The American Journal of Human Genetics |year=2002 |volume=71 |issue=3 |pages=466–482 |pmid=12145751 |pmc=419996|display-authors=etal}}</ref></blockquote>
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Multilocus genetic landscape of Central Asia.jpg|thumbnail|right|Genetic origins of Uzbeks from various parts of Uzbekistan. East Asian (e.g. Mongol) ancestry is prominent in the west, Central Asian prominent in the centre, and a roughly even mix of East, Central Asian, Mideast and European in the eastern projections.]] -->

==Uzbek Tribes==
Uzbeks are said to have included 92 tribes in their orbit: Manghit,
[[Qunghrat]], Qiyat, [[Kipchaks|Qipchaq]], [[Khitan people|Khitai]], Qanghli([[kangli]]), Keneges, Durman, Targhut, Shoran,
Shirin, Tama, Bahrin, Girai, Aghrikur, Anghit, Barkut, Tubin, Tam, Ramdan, Matin,
Busa, Yajqar, Qilwai, Dojar, Jaurat, Qurlaut, Mehdi, Kilaji, Sakhtiiyan, Qirq, Ming,
Yuz, Saroi, Loqai, Qushchi, Kerait, Chaqmaq, Utarchi, Turcoman, Arlat, Kait,
Qirghiz, Qalan, Uishun, Ormaq, Chubi, Lechi, Qari, Moghul, [[Hafiz (tribe)|Hafiz]] dad Kaln, Belad
Bustan, Quchi Qataghan, [[Barlas]], Yabu, [[Jalair]], Misit, [[Naimans|Naiman]], Samrjiq, [[Qarlug]], [[Arghun]], Oklan, Qalmaq ([[Kalmyk people|Kalmyk]]), Fuladchi, Jaljat Uljin or Olchin, Chimbai, Tilabi, Kalmuk,
Machar or Majar, Ojinbai, Badai As, Kilchi, Ilaji, Jebergen, Botiyai, Timan, Yankuz,
[[Tatar]], [[Uyghur people|Uighur]], Baghlan or Baghan, Tanghut, Shagird, Pesha, Tushlub, Onk, Biyat,
Ozjolaji, Josolaji, Tuwadiq, Ghariband Jit.<ref>Султанов Т. Кочевые племена Приаралья в XV—XVII вв.// Вопросы этнической и социальной истории. М., 1982</ref><ref>Allworth Edward, The modern Uzbeks from the fourteenth century to the present: a cultural history, Hoover Press, 1990, p.74</ref><ref>Firdaws al-iqbal. History of Khorezm by Shir Muhammad Mirab Munis and Muhammad Riza Mirab Aghahi. Translated from Chaghatay and annotated by Yuri Bregel. Brill, 1999,р.55</ref>

==History==

===Ancient history===
[[File:Kaunakes Bactria Louvre AO31917.jpg|thumb|upright|Female statuette bearing the kaunakes. Chlorite and limestone, [[Bactria]], beginning of the 2nd millennium BC.]]
Uzbeks are inhabitants of Uzbekistan, the heart of Central Asia history goes back to the earliest [[Bronze Age]] colonists of the Tarim Basin were people of Caucasoid physical type who entered probably from the north and west, who may have spoken languages ancestral to the Indo-European [[Tocharian languages]] documented later in the Tarim Basin. These early settlers occupied the northern and eastern parts of the Tarim Basin, where their graves have yielded mummies dated about 1800 BC. They participated in a cultural world centered on the eastern steppes of central Eurasia, including modern northeastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
[[File:Napoli BW 2013-05-16 16-24-01.jpg|thumb|left|[[Alexander the Great|Alexander]] at the [[Battle of Issus]].]]

The first people known to have inhabited Central Asia were [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] nomads who arrived from the northern grasslands of what is now Uzbekistan sometime in the first millennium BC. These nomads, who spoke Iranian dialects, settled in Central Asia and began to build an extensive irrigation system along the rivers of the region. At this time, cities such as Bukhoro (Bukhara) and Samarqand (Samarkand) began to appear as centers of government and culture. By the 5th century BC, the [[Bactria]]n, [[Sogdiana|Soghdian]], and [[Yuezhi|Tokharian]] states dominated the region.

As China began to develop its silk trade with the West, Iranian cities took advantage of this commerce by becoming centers of trade. Using an extensive network of cities and settlements in the province of [[Mawarannahr]] (a name given the region after the Arab conquest) in Uzbekistan and farther east in what is today China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Soghdian intermediaries became the wealthiest of these Iranian merchants. Because of this trade on what became known as the [[Silk Route]], Bukhoro and Samarqand eventually became extremely wealthy cities, and at times Mawarannahr (Transoxiana) was one of the most influential and powerful Persian provinces of antiquity.<ref name=eh>Lubin, Nancy. "Early history". In Curtis.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Alexander the Great conquered Sogdiana and Bactria in 327 BC, marrying [[Roxana]], daughter of a local Bactrian chieftain. The conquest was supposedly of little help to Alexander as popular resistance was fierce, causing Alexander's army to be bogged down in the region that became the northern part of Hellenistic [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom]]. For many centuries the region of Uzbekistan was ruled by Persian empires, including the [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] and [[Sassanid]] Empires.

===Early Islamic period===
The [[Muslim conquests|conquest of Central Asia]] by Muslim [[Arabs]], which was completed in the 8th century AD, brought to the region a new religion that continues to be dominant. The Arabs first invaded Mawarannahr in the middle of the 7th century through sporadic raids during their conquest of Persia. Available sources on the Arab conquest suggest that the Soghdians and other Iranian peoples of Central Asia were unable to defend their land against the Arabs because of internal divisions and the lack of strong indigenous leadership. The Arabs, on the other hand, were led by a brilliant general, [[Qutaybah ibn Muslim]], and were also highly motivated by the desire to spread [[Islam|their new faith]] (the official beginning of which was in AD 622). Because of these factors, the population of Mawarannahr was easily subdued. The new religion brought by the Arabs spread gradually into the region. The native religious identities, which in some respects were already being displaced by Persian influences before the Arabs arrived, were further displaced in the ensuing centuries. Nevertheless, the destiny of Central Asia as an Islamic region was firmly established by the Arab victory over the Chinese armies in 750 in a [[Battle of Talas|battle]] at the [[Talas River]].<ref name=eip>Lubin, Nancy. "Early Islamic period". In Curtis.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Despite brief Arab rule, Central Asia successfully retained much of its Iranian characteristic, remaining an important center of culture and trade for centuries after the adoption of the new religion. Mawarannahr continued to be an important political player in regional affairs, as it had been under various Persian dynasties. In fact, the [[Abbasid Caliphate]], which ruled the Arab world for five centuries beginning in 750, was established thanks in great part to assistance from Central Asian supporters in their struggle against the then-ruling [[Umayyad Caliphate]].<ref name=eip/>

During the height of the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th and 9th centuries, Central Asia and Mawarannahr experienced a truly golden age. Bukhoro became one of the leading centers of learning, culture, and art in the Muslim world, its magnificence rivaling contemporaneous cultural centers such as [[Baghdad]], [[Cairo]], and [[Córdoba, Spain|Cordoba]]. Some of the greatest historians, scientists, and geographers in the history of Islamic culture were natives of the region.<ref name=eip/>

As the Abbasid Caliphate began to weaken and local Islamic Iranian states emerged as the rulers of Iran and Central Asia, the [[Persian language]] continued its preeminent role in the region as the language of literature and government. The rulers of the eastern section of Iran and of Mawarannahr were Persians. Under the [[Samanids]] and the [[Buyids]], the rich Perso-Islamic culture of Mawarannahr continued to flourish.<ref name=eip/>

===Samanid Empire===
The Samanids were a Persian state that reigned for 180 years, encompassing a vast territoriy stretching from Central Asia to West Asia.<ref>Tabaḳāt-i-nāsiri: a general history of the Muhammadan dynastics of Asia, pg.31, By Minhāj Sirāj Jūzjānī</ref><ref>The historical,social and economic setting By M. S. Asimov, pg.79</ref> The Samanids were descendants of [[Bahram Chobin]],<ref name="America pg. 123">Iran and America: Re-Kind[l]ing a Love Lost By Badi Badiozamani, Ghazal Badiozamani, pg. 123</ref><ref name="Lineage of Samanids pg.79">History of Bukhara by Narshakhi, Chapter XXIV, Pg 79</ref> and thus descended from the [[House of Mihran|House of Mihrān]], one of the [[Seven Great Houses of Iran]]. In governing their territory, the Samanids modeled their state organization after the [[Abbasids]], mirroring the [[caliph]]'s court and organization.<ref>The Monumental Inscriptions from Early Islamic Iran and Transoxiana By Sheila S. Blair, pg. 27</ref>  They were rewarded for supporting the [[Abbasids]] in [[Transoxania]] and [[greater Khorasan|Khorasan]], and with their established capitals located in [[Bukhara]], [[Balkh]], [[Samarkand]], and [[Herat]], they carved their kingdom after defeating the [[Saffarids]].<ref name="America pg. 123"/>

The Samanid Empire was the first native Persian dynasty to arise after the Muslim Arab conquest. The four grandsons of the dynasty's founder, [[Saman Khuda]], had been rewarded with provinces for their faithful service to the Abbasid caliph [[al-Mamun]]: Nuh obtained [[Samarkand]]; Ahmad, [[Fergana]]; Yahya, Shash; and Elyas, [[Herat]]. Ahmad's son Nasr became governor of [[Transoxania]] in 875, but it was his brother and successor, [[Ismail Samani]] who overthrew the Saffarids and the Zaydites of Tabaristan, thus establishing a semiautonomous rule over Transoxania and Khorasan, with Bukhara as his capital.

====Samanids defeat the Saffarids and Zaydids====
Samanid rule in [[Bukhara]] was not formally recognized by the caliph until the early 10th century when the Saffarid ruler [[Amr-i Laith Saffari|'Amr-i Laith]] had asked the caliph for the investiture of Transoxiana. The caliph, [[Al-Mu'tadid]] however sent the Samanid amir, [[Ismail Samani]], a letter urging him to fight Amr-i Laith and the Saffarids whom the caliph considered usurpers.  According to the letter, the caliph stated that he prayed for Ismail who the caliph considered as the rightful ruler of [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]].<ref>The book of government, or, Rules for kings: the Siyar al-Muluk, or, Siyasat-nama of Nizam al-Mulk, Niẓām al-Mulk, Hubert Darke, pg.18–19</ref> The letter had a profound effect on Ismail, as he was determined to oppose the Saffarids.

The two sides fought in [[Balkh]], northern [[Afghanistan]] during the spring of 900.  During battle, Ismail was significantly outnumbered as he came out with 20,000 horsemen against Amr's  70,000 strong cavalry.<ref>History of Islam (Vol 3) By Akbar Shah Najeebabadi, pg. 330</ref> Ismail's horsemen were ill-equipped with most having wooden stirrups while some had no shields or lances.  Amr-i Laith's cavalry on the other hand, were fully equipped with weapons and armor.  Despite fierce fighting, Amr was captured as some of his troops switched sides and joined Ismail.<ref>Ibn Khallikan's biographical dictionary By Ibn Khallikān, pg.329</ref>

Isma'il thereafter sent an army to Tabaristan in accordance with the caliph's directive.<ref>Tabaḳāt-i-nāsiri: a general history of the Muhammadan dynastics of Asia, pg.32, By Minhāj Sirāj Jūzjānī</ref>  The area at that time was then controlled by the [[Zaydid]]s. The Samanid army defeated the [[Zaydid]] ruler and the Samanids gained control of the region.

===Turkification of Transoxiana===
[[File:Costumes of Uzbek men.jpg|thumb|upright|Clothing of Uzbek men, [[Khiva]]]]
In the 9th century, the continued influx of nomads from the northern steppes brought a new group of people into Central Asia. These people were the [[Turkic peoples|Turks]] who lived in the great grasslands stretching from [[Mongolia]] to the [[Caspian Sea]]. Introduced mainly as slave soldiers to the Samanid Dynasty, these Turks served in the armies of all the states of the region, including the Abbasid army. In the late 10th century, as the Samanids began to lose control of [[Transoxiana]] (Mawarannahr) and northeastern Iran, some of these soldiers came to positions of power in the government of the region, and eventually established their own states, albeit highly [[Persianate society|Persianized]]. With the emergence of a Turkic ruling group in the region, other Turkic tribes began to migrate to Transoxiana.<ref name=tm>Lubin, Nancy. "Turkification of Mawarannahr". In Curtis.</ref>

The first of the Turkic states in the region was the Persianate [[Ghaznavids|Ghaznavid Empire]], established in the last years of the 10th century. The Ghaznavid state, which captured Samanid domains south of the [[Amu Darya]], was able to conquer large areas of Iran, [[Afghanistan]], and northern [[India]] apart from Central Asia, during the reign of [[Mahmud of Ghazna|Sultan Mahmud]].  The Ghaznavids were closely followed by the Turkic [[Qarakhanids]], who took the Samanid capital Bukhara in 999 AD, and ruled Transoxiana for the next two centuries.  Samarkand was made the capital of the Western Qarakhanid state.<ref name="UNESCO" />

The dominance of Ghazna was curtailed, however, when the [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuks]] led themselves into the western part of the region, conquering the Ghaznavid territory of [[Khorazm]] (also spelled Khorezm and Khwarazm).<ref name=tm/>  The Seljuks also defeated the Qarakhanids, but did not annex their territories outright. Instead they made the Qarakhanids a vassal state.<ref name="sinor">{{citation|last = Golden|first = Peter. B.|contribution = The Karakhanids and Early Islam|year = 1990|title = The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia|editor-last = Sinor|editor-first = Denis|publisher = Cambridge University Press|isbn = 0-521-24304-1}}</ref>  The [[Great Seljuq Empire|Seljuks]] dominated a wide area from [[Asia Minor]] to the western sections of Transoxiana in the 11th century. The Seljuk Empire then split into states ruled by various local Turkic and Iranian rulers. The culture and intellectual life of the region continued unaffected by such political changes, however. Turkic tribes from the north continued to migrate into the region during this period.<ref name=tm/>  The power of the Seljuks however became diminished when the Seljuk Sultan [[Ahmed Sanjar]] was defeated by the [[Kara-Khitans]] at the [[Battle of Qatwan]] in 1141.

In the late 12th century, a Turkic leader of Khorazm, which is the region south of the Aral Sea, united Khorazm, Transoxiana, and Iran under his rule. Under the rule of the Khorazm [[shah]] [[Kutbeddin Muhammad]] and his son, [[Muhammad II of Khwarazm|Muhammad II]], Transoxiana continued to be prosperous and rich while maintaining the region's Perso-Islamic identity. However, a new incursion of nomads from the north soon changed this situation. This time the invader was [[Genghis Khan]] with his [[Mongol]] armies.<ref name=tm/>

===Mongol period===
The Mongol invasion of Central Asia is one of the turning points in the history of the region. The Mongols had such a lasting impact because they established the tradition that the legitimate ruler of any Central Asian state could only be a blood descendant of Genghis Khan.<ref name=mp>Lubin, Nancy. "Mongol period". In Curtis.</ref>

The [[Mongol invasion of Central Asia|Mongol conquest of Central Asia]], which took place from 1219 to 1225, led to a wholesale change in the population of Mawarannahr. The conquest quickened the process of Turkification in some parts of the region because, although the armies of Genghis Khan were led by Mongols, they were made up mostly of Turkic tribes that had been incorporated into the Mongol armies as the tribes were encountered in the Mongols' southward sweep. As these armies settled in Mawarannahr, they intermixed with the local populations which did not flee. Another effect of the Mongol conquest was the large-scale damage the soldiers inflicted on cities such as Bukhoro and on regions such as Khorazm. As the leading province of a wealthy state, Khorazm was treated especially severely. The [[irrigation]] networks in the region suffered extensive damage that was not repaired for several generations.<ref name=mp/> Many Iranian-speaking populations were forced to flee southwards in order to avoid persecution.

===Rule of Mongols and Timurids===
[[File:Teymur.jpg|thumb|upright|Timur feasts in [[Samarkand]]]]

Following the death of Genghis Khan in 1227, his empire was divided among his four sons and his family members. Despite the potential for serious fragmentation, [[Yassa|Mongol law]] of the [[Mongol Empire]] maintained orderly succession for several more generations, and control of most of Mawarannahr stayed in the hands of direct descendants of [[Chagatai Khan|Chaghatai]], the second son of Genghis. Orderly succession, prosperity, and internal peace prevailed in the Chaghatai lands, and the Mongol Empire as a whole remained strong and united.<ref name=rt>Lubin, Nancy. "Rule of Timur". In Curtis.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2014}}

In the early 14th century, however, as the empire began to break up into its constituent parts, the Chaghatai territory also was disrupted as the princes of various tribal groups competed for influence. One tribal chieftain, [[Timur]] (Tamerlane), emerged from these struggles in the 1380s as the dominant force in Mawarannahr. Although he was not a descendant of Genghis, Timur became the de facto ruler of Mawarannahr and proceeded to conquer all of western Central Asia, Iran, the [[Caucasus]], Asia Minor, and the southern steppe region north of the [[Aral Sea]]. He also invaded Russia before dying during an invasion of China in 1405.<ref name=rt/>

Timur initiated the last flowering of Mawarannahr by gathering in his capital, Samarqand, numerous artisans and scholars from the lands he had conquered. By supporting such people, Timur imbued his empire with a very rich Perso-Islamic culture. During Timur's reign and the reigns of his immediate descendants, a wide range of religious and palatial construction projects were undertaken in Samarqand and other population centers. Timur also patronized scientists and artists; his grandson [[Ulugh Beg]] was one of the world's first great astronomers. It was during the Timurid dynasty that Turkic, in the form of the [[Chaghatai dialect]], became a [[literary language]] in its own right in Mawarannahr, although the Timurids were Persianate in nature. The greatest Chaghataid writer, [[Ali Shir Nava'i]], was active in the city of [[Herat]], now in northwestern Afghanistan, in the second half of the 15th century.<ref name=rt/>

The Timurid state quickly broke into two halves after the death of Timur. The chronic internal fighting of the Timurids attracted the attention of the [[Uzbek people|Uzbek]] nomadic tribes living to the north of the Aral Sea. In 1501 the Uzbeks began a wholesale invasion of Mawarannahr.<ref name=rt/>  Under the leadership of [[Muhammad Shaybani]], the Uzbeks conquered the key cities of [[Samarkand]] and [[Herat]] in 1505 and 1507, respectively, and founded the [[Khanate of Bukhara]].

===Uzbek period===
[[File:Mirza Abdulhuq and Rustom Beg in 1841.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[lithography|lithograph]] of two notable Uzbeks from [[Afghanistan]] in 1841.]]
By 1510 the Uzbeks had completed their conquest of Central Asia{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}}, including the territory of the present-day Uzbekistan. Of the states they established, the most powerful, the [[Khanate of Bukhoro]], centered on the city of Bukhoro. The khanate controlled Mawarannahr, especially the region of [[Tashkent]], the [[Fergana Valley]] in the east, and northern Afghanistan. A second Uzbek state, the [[Khanate of Khiva]] was established in the oasis of [[Khorazm]] at the mouth of the Amu Darya. The Khanate of Bukhoro was initially led by the energetic [[Shaybanid Dynasty]], the successors of [[Muhammad Shaybani]]. The Shaybanids initially competed against Iran for a few years, which was led by the [[Safavid Dynasty]], for the rich far-eastern territory of present-day Iran.<ref name="Eraly2007">{{cite book|author=Abraham Eraly|title=Emperors Of The Peacock Throne: The Saga of the Great Moghuls|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h7kPQs8llvkC&pg=PT25|date=17 September 2007|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-93-5118-093-7|page=25}}</ref> The struggle with the Safavids also had a religious aspect because the Uzbeks were [[Sunni]] Muslims, and Iran was [[Shia]].<ref name=up>Lubin, Nancy. "Uzbek period". In Curtis.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Near the end of the 16th century, the Uzbek states{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}} of Bukhoro and Khorazm began to weaken because of their endless wars against each other and the Persians and because of strong competition for the throne among the khans in power and their heirs. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Shaybanid Dynasty was replaced by the [[Janid Dynasty]].<ref name=up/>

Another factor contributing to the weakness of the Uzbek khanates in this period was the general decline of trade moving through the region. This change had begun in the previous century when ocean trade routes were established from Europe to India and China, circumventing the Silk Route. As European-dominated ocean transport expanded and some trading centers were destroyed, cities such as Bukhoro, [[Merv]], and Samarqand in the Khanate of Bukhoro and [[Khiva]] and [[Urganch]] (Urgench) in Khorazm began to steadily decline.<ref name=up/>

The Uzbeks' struggle with Iran also led to the cultural isolation of Central Asia from the rest of the Islamic world. In addition to these problems, the struggle with the nomads from the northern steppe continued. In the 17th and 18th centuries, [[Kazakhs|Kazakh]] nomads and Mongols continually raided the Uzbek khanates, causing widespread damage and disruption. In the beginning of the 18th century, the Khanate of Bukhoro lost the fertile Fergana region, and a [[Khanate of Kokand|new Uzbek khanate]] was formed in [[Quqon]].<ref name=up/>

===Russian conquest===
[[File:Defence of the Samarkand Citadel.JPG|thumb|The Defence of the Samarkand Citadel in 1868. From the Russian Illustrated Magazine "Niva" (1872).]]
In the 19th century, Russian interest in the area increased greatly, sparked by nominal concern over British designs on Central Asia; by anger over the situation of Russian citizens held as slaves; and by the desire to control the trade in the region and to establish a secure source of [[cotton]] for Russia. When the [[United States Civil War]] prevented cotton delivery from Russia's primary supplier, the southern United States, Central Asian cotton assumed much greater importance for Russia.<ref name=rc>Lubin, Nancy. "Russian conquest". In Curtis.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2014}}

As soon as the Russian conquest of the [[Caucasus]] was completed in the late 1850s, the Russian [[Ministry of War (Russia)|Ministry of War]] began to send military forces against the Central Asian khanates. Three major population centers of the khanates—Tashkent, Bukhoro, and Samarqand—were captured in 1865, 1867, and 1868, respectively. In 1868 the Khanate of Bukhoro signed a treaty with Russia making Bukhoro a Russian [[protectorate]]. Khiva became a Russian protectorate in 1873, and the Quqon Khanate finally was incorporated into the Russian Empire, also as a protectorate, in 1876.<ref name=rc/>

===Afghan Pashtun conquest===
{{main article|Balkh|Kunduz|Maymana}}
An Uzbek Khanate existed in [[Maimana]].<ref name="Chaffetz1981">{{cite book|author=David Chaffetz|title=A Journey Through Afghanistan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gUUCK2xrijIC&pg=PA63&dq=central+asian+features+turkish+popular+blood&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjussOhne3OAhWHqR4KHbaoDXAQ6AEIJzAC#v=onepage&q=central%20asian%20features%20turkish%20popular%20blood&f=false|year=1981|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-10064-7|pages=63–}}</ref> The Pashtuns battled and conquered the Uzbeks and forced them into the status of ruled people who were discriminated against.<ref name="Williams2011">{{cite book|author=Brian Glyn Williams|title=Afghanistan Declassified: A Guide to America's Longest War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cYtXJhByzoEC&pg=PA32&dq=uzbeks+afghanistan&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAmoVChMI08rx-dTIyAIVAj4-Ch10LgYT#v=onepage&q=uzbeks%20afghanistan&f=false|date=22 September 2011|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=0-8122-0615-0|pages=32–}}</ref>{{when|date=December 2015}} Out of anti-Russian strategic interests, the British assisted the Afghan conquest of the Uzbek Khanates, giving weapons to the Afghans and backed the Afghan colonization of northern Afghanistan which involved sending massive amounts of Pashtun colonists onto Uzbek land and British literature from the period demonized the Uzbeks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/from-slavers-to-warlords-descriptions-of-afghanistans-uzbeks-in-western-writing/ |title= From ‘Slavers’ to ‘Warlords’: Descriptions of Afghanistan’s Uzbeks in western writing  |last1=Bleuer  |first1=Christian  |last2= |first2= |date=17 October 2014 |website=Afghanistan Analysts Network |publisher= |access-date= |quote=}}</ref>{{when|date=December 2015}} Soviet era arrivals in Afghanistan from Uzbekistan are referred to as Jogi.<ref>{{cite news |last=Saboory   |first=Ghafoor |date= 17 July 2015 <!- – 14:03  -->  |title=Jogies Leading Impoverished Life in Balkh |url=http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/20495-jogies-leading-impoverished-life-in-balkh |newspaper=Afghanistan News-TOLOnews.com |location= |access-date= }}</ref>

===Russian rule===
By 1876 Russia had incorporated all three khanates (hence all of present-day Uzbekistan) into its empire, granting the khanates limited autonomy. In the second half of the 19th century, the Russian population of Uzbekistan grew and some industrialization occurred.<ref name=cp>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Uzbekistan.pdf "Country Profile: Uzbekistan"]. [[Library of Congress]] [[Federal Research Division]] (February 2007). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''</ref> The [[Jadid]]ists engaged in educational reform among Muslims of Central Asia.

To escape [[Basmachi movement|Russians slaughtering them in 1916]], Uzbeks escaped to China.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sydykova |first=Zamira  |date= 20 January 2016  |title= Commemorating the 1916 Massacres in Kyrgyzstan? Russia Sees a Western Plot  |url=http://www.cacianalyst.org/publications/analytical-articles/item/13325-commemorating-the-1916-massacres-in-kyrgyzstan?-russia-sees-a-western-plot.html |magazine=The Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst |location= |publisher= |access-date= }}</ref>

Moscow's control over Uzbekistan weakened in the 1970s as Uzbek party leader [[Sharaf Rashidov]] brought many cronies and relatives into positions of power. In the mid-1980s, Moscow attempted to regain control by again purging the entire Uzbek party leadership. However, this move increased [[Uzbek nationalism]], which had long resented Soviet policies such as the imposition of cotton monoculture and the suppression of [[Islam]]ic traditions. In the late 1980s, the liberalized atmosphere of the Soviet Union under Mikhail S. Gorbachev (in power 1985–91) fostered political opposition groups and open (albeit limited) opposition to Soviet policy in Uzbekistan. In 1989 a series of violent ethnic clashes involving Uzbeks brought the appointment of ethnic Uzbek outsider Islam Karimov as Communist Party chief. When the Supreme Soviet of Uzbekistan reluctantly approved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Karimov became president of the Republic of Uzbekistan.<ref name=cp/>  On August 31, 1991, Uzbekistan declared independence, marking September 1 as a national holiday.

===Uzbeks in Saudi Arabia===
{{main article|Soviet_Central_Asia#Exiles|Minorities_in_Turkey#Uzbeks}}
Dissident Islamist and anti-Soviet Central Asians fled to Afghanistan, British India, and to the Hijaz in Saudi Arabia.<ref>http://carnegieendowment.org/files/cp_77_olcott_roots_final.pdf http://carnegieendowment.org/files/olcottroots.pdf page 8</ref><ref>https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/research/reportcentralasiaislamicextremism.pdf page 7</ref> The last Emir of Bukhara [[Mohammed Alim Khan]] fled to Afghanistan. The Islamist Uzbek As-Sayyid Qāsim bin Abd al-Jabbaar Al-Andijaani(السيد قاسم بن عبد الجبار الأنديجاني) was born in Fergana valley's  Andijan city in Turkestan (Central Asia). He went to British India was educated at Darul Uloom Deoband,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://islamhouse.com/ar/author/243088/|title=قاسم بن عبد الجبار الأنديجاني|work=IslamHouse.com|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref> and then returned to Turkestan where he preached against Communist Russian rule.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vb.tafsir.net/tafsir36755/|title=(منبع العرفان) تفسير كبير باللغة الأوزبكية (القديمة) بالحرف العربي|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref> He then fled to Afghanistan, then to British India and then to Hijaz where he continued his education in Mecca and Medina and wrote several works on Islam and engaged in anti-Soviet activities.

Uzbek exiles in Saudi Arabia from Soviet ruled Central Asia also adopted the identity "Turkistani".<ref name="Schlyter2005">{{cite book|author=Birgit N. Schlyter|title=Prospects for Democracy in Central Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eZASCqNASlEC&pg=PA245&lpg=PA245&dq=bukhari+saudi+soviet&source=bl&ots=nXebqetlDc&sig=rLNsSDPlFNsnjU3t8XkjDd7Q0wA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBmoVChMImprn85b1yAIVCj4-Ch3LLAB-#v=onepage&q=bukhari%20saudi%20soviet&f=false|year=2005|publisher=Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul|isbn=978-91-86884-16-1|pages=245–}}</ref><ref>https://cess.memberclicks.net/assets/cesr2/CESR3/article%203%20v3n1.pdf</ref> A lot of them are also called "Bukhari".<ref name="MaiselShoup2009">{{cite book|author1=Sebastian Maisel|author2=John A. Shoup|title=Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab States Today: An Encyclopedia of Life in the Arab States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uhJu2_8vMkMC&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=bukhari+saudi+samarkandi&source=bl&ots=GnxFal9mbR&sig=kDicaq-a0bt15EomhlLRh03O0SI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAWoVChMI6cnp45j1yAIVRJkeCh0vZwiK#v=onepage&q=bukhari%20saudi%20samarkandi&f=false|date=February 2009|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=978-0-313-34442-8|pages=145–}}</ref> A number of Saudi "Uzbeks" do not consider themselves as Uzbek and instead consider themselves as Muslim Turkestanis.<ref>{{cite book|author=Birgit N. Schlyter|title=Prospects for Democracy in Central Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eZASCqNASlEC&pg=PA246&lpg=PA246&dq=andijani+saudi+kokandi&source=bl&ots=nXebqeumA9&sig=8NDb5PZ6OgXYu6FWdC3F_LWmLr8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAGoVChMI0qGZ8Jr1yAIVij8-Ch2gugyP#v=onepage&q=andijani%20saudi%20kokandi&f=false|year=2005|publisher=Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul|isbn=978-91-86884-16-1|pages=246–}}</ref> Many Uzbeks in Saudi Arabia adopted the [[Nisba (onomastics)#Nisba to a place|Arabic nisba]] of their home city in Uzbekistan, such as Al Bukhari from Bukhara, Al Samarqandi from Samarqand, Al Tashkandi from Tashkent, Al Andijani from Andijan, Al Kokandi from Kokand, Al Turkistani from Turkistan.

Bukhari and Turkistani were labels for all the Uzbeks in general while specific names for Uzbeks from different places were Farghani, Marghilani, Namangani, and Kokandi.<ref>https://cess.memberclicks.net/assets/cesr2/CESR3/article%203%20v3n1.pdf page 16</ref><ref>http://www.academia.edu/3083768/The_Complexity_of_Central_Eurasia page 16</ref> Kokandi was used to refer to Uzbeks from Ferghana.<ref>http://www.palgraveconnect.com/pc/doifinder/view/10.1057/9780230376434</ref>

Shami Domullah introduced Salafism to Soviet Central Asia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pulsofcentralasia.org/2015/03/31/special-dangerous-preaching-the-role-of-religious-leaders-in-the-rise-of-radical-islam-in-central-asia-by-nurbek-bekmurzaev/|title=Special: Dangerous Preaching: The Role of Religious Leaders in the Rise of Radical Islam in Central Asia. By Nurbek Bekmurzaev.|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="KemperMotika2009">{{cite book|author1=Michael Kemper|author2=Raoul Motika|author3=Stefan Reichmuth|title=Islamic Education in the Soviet Union and Its Successor States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-gWAAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA247&dq=bukhari+saudi+soviet&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBTgKahUKEwi17O3xm_XIAhWI1x4KHTomBJQ#v=onepage&q=bukhari%20saudi%20soviet&f=false|date=11 September 2009|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-20731-2|pages=247–}}</ref>

Mosques in Uzbekistan are funded by Saudi-based Uzbeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tol.org/client/article/1767-the-myth-of-militant-islam-uzbekistan.html?print.|title=The Myth of Militant Islam: Uzbekistan – Transitions Online|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref>

Saudis have tried to propagate their version of Islam into Uzbekistan following the collapse of the Soviet Union.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ca-c.org/journal/2001/journal_eng/cac-01/13.abbe.shtml|title=CA&CC Press® AB|author=CENTRAL ASIA and THE CAUCASUS|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref>https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/nceeer/2007_819-01g_Collins.pdf page 16</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.academia.edu/273897/Hidden_Linkages_The_Republic_of_Uzbekistan_and_the_Gulf_Region_in_Changing_World_Order|title=Hidden Linkages: The Republic of Uzbekistan and the Gulf Region in Changing World Order|author=Prajakti Kalra|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="Gorder2008">{{cite book|author=Christian van Gorder|title=Muslim-Christian Relations in Central Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MWqTAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA80&dq=bukhari+saudi+soviet&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CE0Q6AEwCDgUahUKEwiZ8bLanPXIAhWDHB4KHbHBCRk#v=onepage&q=bukhari%20saudi%20soviet&f=false|date=5 June 2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-97169-4|pages=80–}}</ref>

Saudi Arabia's "Bukharian brethren" were led by Nuriddin al-Bukhari as of 1990.<ref name="Association1990">{{cite book|author=Central Asian Studies Association|title=Central Asia File: Newsletter of the Central Asian Studies Association|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PLERAQAAMAAJ&q=bukhari+saudi+soviet&dq=bukhari+saudi+soviet&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBDgKahUKEwi17O3xm_XIAhWI1x4KHTomBJQ|year=1990|publisher=School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London|page=20}}</ref>

====Uzbeks in Pakistan====

[[Uzbeks in Pakistan]] moved there due to the Soviet war in Afghanistan.<ref name="Shalinsky1994">{{cite book|author=Audrey Shalinsky|title=Long Years of Exile: Central Asian Refugees in Afghanistan and Pakistan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yUluAAAAMAAJ|year=1994|publisher=University Press of America|isbn=978-0-8191-9286-8}}</ref> Due to aid requirements for refugees repatriation of camp dweller took place.<ref name="Shalinsky1994 2">{{cite book|author=Audrey Shalinsky|title=Long Years of Exile: Central Asian Refugees in Afghanistan and Pakistan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yUluAAAAMAAJ&q=Central+Asian+Refugees+in+Afghanistan+and+Pakistan+Audrey+Shalinsky+...+However,+over+25+percent+of+the+core+households+have+members+who+remain+in+Kunduz+in+their+original+location.+Some+of+these+are+women+and+children.+...+Unlike+the+Ferghanachis,+those+in+the+camps+have+no+other+choice+but+to+return+to+Afghanistan+some+day++because+international+recognition+and+aid+depend+on+the+assumption+...&dq=Central+Asian+Refugees+in+Afghanistan+and+Pakistan+Audrey+Shalinsky+...+However,+over+25+percent+of+the+core+households+have+members+who+remain+in+Kunduz+in+their+original+location.+Some+of+these+are+women+and+children.+...+Unlike+the+Ferghanachis,+those+in+the+camps+have+no+other+choice+but+to+return+to+Afghanistan+some+day++because+international+recognition+and+aid+depend+on+the+assumption+...&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjU1ISi8urOAhVJ1B4KHRJcCUUQ6AEIHjAA|year=1994|publisher=University Press of America|isbn=978-0-8191-9286-8|page=123}}</ref> In the 1800s Konya's north Bogrudelik was settled by tatar [[Emirate of Bukhara|Bukharlyks]]. In 1981 [[Uzbeks in Pakistan|Afghan Turkestan refugees in Pakistan]] moved to Turkey to join the existing Kayseri, Izmir, Ankara, and Zeytinburnu based communities.<ref name="Espace">{{cite book|title=Espace populations sociétés|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RCkkAQAAIAAJ&q=kayseri+diaspora+pakistan&dq=kayseri+diaspora+pakistan&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiby-XQ5urOAhVEpx4KHR4dCd04ChDoAQhAMAY|year=2006|publisher=Université des sciences et techniques de Lille, U.E.R. de géographie|page=174}}</ref>

==Attire==
[[File:Sart woman wearing a paranja, Samarkand.jpg|thumb|Traditional [[paranja]], [[Samarkand]], [[Russian Empire]] (present-day [[Uzbekistan]]), c. 1910]]
Uzbek clothing includes the [[Chapan]], [[Kaftan]], the headgear [[Tubeteika]] for men and the [[Paranja]] veil for women. Uzbek men traditionally carry hand crafted knives around called pichoq,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://englishrussia.com/2013/12/11/unique-uzbek-knives/|title=Unique Uzbek Knives|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sambuh.com/en/news/fergana-knives-breed.html|title=Fergana Knives Breed|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref> Chust made knives are famous in particular<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/uzbekistan-knives-skullcaps-china-cheap-imitations/27350814.html|title=An Uzbek Knife And Hat, Made In China|work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tourstouzbekistan.com/en/blog/handicrafts/chust-knives.html|title=Chust knives|author=Anur Tour Uzbekistan|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelcentre.com.au/travel/Central_Asia/heritage_of_fergana_armourers.htm|title=Heritage of Fergana armourers|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mezhov.info/en/huntingknives/452|title=Pchak "Uzbek"|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-3120623/stock-photo-traditional-handcrafted-uzbek-knife-with-bone-handle-and-leather-sheath.html|title=Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors – Shutterstock|publisher=|accessdate=26 April 2016}}</ref>

==Language==
[[File:Adib-i sani.jpg|thumb|200 px|right|upright|A page in [[Uzbek language]] Arabic script printed in Tashkant 1911]]
The [[Uzbek language]] is a [[Turkic language]] of the [[Karluk languages|Karluk]] group. Modern Uzbek is written in wide variety of scripts including [[Arabic]], [[Latin]], and [[Cyrillic]]. After the independence of Uzbekistan from the former [[Soviet Union]], the government decided to replace the Cyrillic script with a modified Latin alphabet, specifically for Turkic languages.

==Religion==
{{Main article|Islam in Uzbekistan}}
'''Uzbeks''' come from a predominantly [[Sunni Islam|Sunni Muslim]] background, usually of the [[Hanafi]] school,<ref name=EofI>{{cite encyclopedia| title = Ozbek| encyclopedia = [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]]| edition = CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0| publisher = Koninklijke Brill NV| location = Leiden, The Netherlands| year = 1999}}</ref> but variations exist between northern and southern Uzbeks. According to a 2009 [[Pew Research Center]] report, Uzbekistan's population is 96.3% Muslim.<ref>http://pewforum.org/uploadedfiles/Topics/Demographics/Muslimpopulation.pdf</ref> The majority of Uzbeks from the former [[USSR]] came to practice religion with a more liberal interpretation due to the official Soviet policy of atheism, while Uzbeks in Afghanistan and other countries to the south have remained more conservative adherents of Islam. However, with Uzbek independence in 1991 came an Islamic revival amongst segments of the population. People living in the area of modern Uzbekistan were first converted to [[Islam]] as early as the 8th century, as [[Arabs]] conquered the area, displacing the earlier faith of [[Manichaeism]].

==See also==
* [[Uzbek language]]
* [[Turkic peoples]]
* [[Mongol invasion of Central Asia]]
* [[Uzbeks in Pakistan]]
{{portal bar|Uzbekistan}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|2| refs =

<ref name="UNESCO">{{citation
 | last = Davidovich | first =  E. A.
 | contribution = Chapter 6: The Karakhanids
 | year = 1998
 | title = History of Civilisations of Central Asia
 | editor-last1 = Asimov | editor-first1 = M. S.
 | editor-last2 = Bosworth | editor-first2 = C. E.
 | volume = 4 part I | pages = 119–144
 | publisher = UNESCO
 | isbn = 978-9231034671
}}</ref>

}}

==References==
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0817987320 Allworth, Edward. ''The Modern Uzbeks: From the 14th Century to the Present'', Hoover Institution Press (July 1990).]
* Calum MacLeod, Bradley Mayhew "Uzbekistan. Golden Road to Samarkand" page31.
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0813384036 Critchlow, James. ''Nationalism in Uzbekistan: Soviet Republic's Road to Sovereignty'', Westview Press (October 1991).]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1502189.stm Noble, Ivan. BBC News, ''DNA analysis tracks Silk Road forbears'']
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1856491323 Rashid, Ahmad. ''The Resurgence of Central Asia : Islam or Nationalism?'' Zed Books (April 15, 1995)]
* [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=419996 Zerjal, Tatiana, et al. ''A Genetic Landscape Reshaped by Recent Events: Y-Chromosomal Insights into Central Asia'', Am. J. Hum. Genet., 71:466–482, 2002.]
* ''[[Great Soviet Encyclopedia]]'', Part 9, pages 483–489

==External links==
{{Commons category|Uzbeks}}
*[http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-clusters.php?rop2=C0226 Josuah Project: Uzbek]

{{Turkic peoples}}
{{Ethnic groups in Uzbekistan}}
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{{Ethnic groups in Afghanistan}}
{{Ethnic groups in China}}
{{Ethnic groups in Kazakhstan}}
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[[Category:Turkic peoples of Asia]]
[[Category:History of the Turkic peoples]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Uzbekistan]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Tajikistan]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Kyrgyzstan]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Turkmenistan]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups officially recognized by China]]
[[Category:Ethnic Uzbek people|*]]
[[Category:Turkic tribes]]