Samarkand in the History of the Turkic World: From Regional Structure to Integration into Islamic Civilization

Abstract

This study examines Samarkand as a key center in the history of the Turkic world in Central Asia, focusing on its regional structure before Islam, its role along major trade routes, and its transformation following the Islamic conquest and integration into Islamic civilization. The study argues that Samarkand was not merely a frontier city, but a major civilizational and political node in Transoxiana that connected the emerging Turkic world with broader economic and cultural networks. It analyzes the city’s diverse pre-Islamic social structure, the Islamic conquest under Qutayba ibn Muslim, and the gradual political and religious reorganization that followed. The study also highlights Samarkand’s later role in the Islamic Turkic world as an intellectual and economic center, particularly in crafts and knowledge transmission, including paper production. The study concludes that Samarkand served as a major bridge between the Turkic world and Islamic civilization, contributing to the formation of a shared cultural space in Central Asia.