History of Bukhara

f first the Chaghatay Khanate, then the Timurid Empire. Ibn Hawqal gives a detailed account of the chief canals which, starting from the left bank of the Sughd river, watered Bukhara and the gardens in the plain around the city.

BUKHARA IN KARAKHANID AND KHOREZMSHAKH PERIODS

In 1005 Bukhara was included into the Turkic state of Karakhanids. Karakhanid ruler Arslan khan ordered the building of one of the beautiful minarets in the Islamic world - Minora-i Kalon.

The Chinese Song Dynasty hired Muslim mercenaries form Bukhara to fight against Khitan nomads. 5,300 Muslim men from Bukhara were encouraged and invited to move to China in 1070 by the Song emperor Shenzong to help battle the Liao empire in the northeast and repopulate areas ravaged by fighting. The emperor hired these men as mercenaries in his campaign against the Liao empire. Later on these men were settled between the Sung capital of Kaifeng and Yenching (modern day Beijing). The provinces of the north and north-east were settled in 1080 when 10,000 more Muslims were invited into China. They were led by the Amir of Bukhara, Sayyid "So-fei-er" in Chinese. He is called the "Father" of Chinese Islam. Islam was named by the Tang and Song Chinese as Dashi fa ("law of the Arabs"). He gave Islam the new name of Huihui Jiao ("the Religion of the Huihui").

At the beginning of 13th century it was invaded by khorezmshakh Muhammed (1200–1220).

MONGOL ERA

According to Juvaini, when Genghis Khan conquered Bukhara "he contented himself with looting and slaughter only once and did not go to the extreme of a