AGRICULTURAL AND WATERING SYSTEM OF SAMARKAND IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE XIX CENTURY AND THE EARLY XX CENTURY

Аннотация

This article analyzes agricultural and land-water relations in the second half of the XIX and early XX centuries of Samarkand region on the basis number of sources, literature and research studies. The article provides information about the Zarafshan River, which was the region's main source of irrigation its tributaries and other water systems. There were presented traditions of irrigated agriculture in the region, types of agricultural products, rules of their cultivation, irrigation procedures and harvest time. The article also analyzes the agrarian policy of the Russian Empire which is connected with colonial interests in the Samarkand region and its consequences. KEYWORDS: - Samarkand region, Russian empire, Zarafshan River, Karadarya, Akdarya, canal, ditch, agriculture, irrigated farming, non irrgated lands, cotton, wheat, rice, corn, gardening, grape, pood, desiatin, tanob, ko‘sh. century give a wealth of information on the I NTRODUCTION traditions and sectors of agriculture, irrigated agriculture that form the basis of Samarkand's Samarkand was one of the most fertile, well- economic life. In particular, according to watered areas of the Zarafshan oasis with an N.M.Virskiy, “Samarkand region is located in the advanced farming culture from the ancient time. upper Zarafshan and its tributaries, with 6,828 Irrigated agriculture has been developed in the acres of arable land, mostly adapted to artificial area since the hard work of local farmers. Here, irrigation, and it was become to that shape due to wheat, barley, rice, millet, sesame, corn, cotton, hard work of the farmers [1, 7-8]. In the article and other crops were planted and yielded 2-3 “from Tashkent to Katta – Kurgana”, N.M.Maev times a year. In the middle of the XIX century, the also reported on the territory of Samarkand territory of Samarkand was one of the most where the Upper Zarafshan oasis is located. “The developed and highly productive, rich natural peoples of this river used water for irrigation of resources within the Bukhara Emirate. their lands. The road to the Kattakurgan hill on T the Choponata hill at the entrance to Samarkand HE MAIN RESULTS AND FINDING is well-watered and green. The upper part of the A number of sources of the second half of the XIX Zarafshan valley was fertile and was well CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY 9 ISSN – 2767-472X https://masterjournals.com/index.php/CRJH CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HISTORY 2(7): 09-14, July 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37547/history-crjh-02-07-03 ISSN 2767-472X ©2021 Master Journals Accepted 05th July, 2021 & Published 10thJuly, 2021 watered” [2,198-219]. As the above data shows, River. Of these, 99 provided water to the the existing countries have consistently strived Samarkand region and 43 to the Bukhara to maintain this region due to its great economic Emirate. There were 1, 924 in the Zarafshan potential. oasis, 985 out of the secondary canals, and 939 in the Bukhara section [5, 202]. It is clear that the In the second half of the XIX century the Russian Empire has taken full control of the population of Samarkand region was mainly distribution of water, first and foremost in the engaged in agriculture in everyday life. 1.3% of Samarkand region and then the Zarafshan River. the total population of Samarkand region (1868- 1870) lived in urban areas, and in 1897 only In irrigated agriculture, a number of 15.7%. In 1897 80.1% of the total population of hydrotechnical structures, such as dams and the region was occupied by agriculture. In waterfowl, have been built in the slopes of the addition, the share of trade and industry workers river using natural resources such as nranchess, was 15.4% [3, 310]. Consequently, livelihoods of turfs, boulders. Therefore, the area's agricultural the people of the region were mainly related to lands were fertile and the population was agriculture, and irrigation was the main engaged in cotton growing, grain growing, occupation of the population. vegetable growing and gardening. In the Zarafshan oasis, especially in the Samarkand Due to the varied natural and geographical region, two types of crops have been cultivated, conditions of the Samarkand region, various depending on the season. The first is “autumn or methods of irrigation are widely used in white”, a fall crop, which includes barley, wheat, agriculture. For example, water was brought to flax, poppy and more. The second was the spring the fields by collecting water from pools, digging crop, which includes corn, rice, millet, moss, canals and ditches. The ditches and canals are peas, beetroot, carrots, onions, turnips, tobacco taken from the Zarafshan River, the main source and others. In addition, cottwere regularly of water in the province, or from the Karadarya, planted in the valley. Akdarya, Narpay and other water systems that have separated from it. Such measures allowed In the second half of the XIX century, a total of 32 the fertility of the Samarkand region lands [4, differ