«Hudud al-Alam». («Boundaries of the World»). Translation from Persian by N. Vorozheikina.
This anonymous work was written in 372/982—83 in Persian. It was discovered in 1892 in Bukhara by A. G. Tumansky. The Orientalist V. F. Minorsky translated it into English with extensive scholarly commentary. The «Hudud al-Alam» («Boundaries of the World») contains very valuable information about the Kyrgyz and the geography of Kyrgyzstan. V. V. Bartold based his first writings on their information regarding the penetration of part of the Yenisei Kyrgyz into the Tian Shan in the 9th century.
Text: The tenth lake is Tuz-Kul1 in the region of the Khallukh. Its length is ten farsakhs2, and its width is eight farsakhs. Salt is formed in it, and there is enough salt for seven Khallukh tribes. The eleventh is Lake Issyk-Kul3, located between the Chigils4 and the Toguzguzs. Its length is 30 farsakhs and its width is 20 farsakhs, and the city of Barskhan5 is located on the shore of this lake.
...And another mountain rises from the very beginning of the Toguzguz border, near Lake Issyk-Kul, stretching all the way to the end of the Tukhsi6 region and the beginning of the Khallukh border, and then it turns; its spur enters the area of one of the Khyrgyz tribes. This mountain is called Tulas7. Sables are found on this mountain, as well as many gray squirrels and musk gazelles. And in that spur, which goes towards the Khyrgyz region, there are musk deer, deer with hut horns, gray squirrels, and sables.
And another mountain is located in the northern region, between the Kimak border and the beginning of the Khyrgyz settlement. It goes from the very Kimak border and stretches eastward to the Khyrgyz border, then turns and descends to the northern regions, to those very places where the populated areas of the world end. In the northern regions, the Kimaks call this mountain Kandaurbagi8.
And there is another river, called Ila (p. 38). It originates from the mountain Irgadj-art, flows towards the northern regions, and empties into Lake Issyk-Kul9.
And another river is Uzgend, which originates behind the Khallukh mountain and goes past Uzgend, the city of Baba, Ahsikety, Khojenda, and Benaketa10, all the way to the borders of Chacha. Then it passes after Syutkenda, Paraba11, and numerous towns, reaching the border of Jend12 and Javar, and empties into the Khwarezm Sea13.
And another river is Khursab; it begins at the very edges of Butman, on the northern side of the mountain, and flows into the river Uzgend14 near the city of Khursab15.
And another river is Osh16; it originates on the same mountain, flows between Osh and Urest, and empties into the river Uzgend.
And another river is Kuba, flowing from the same mountain and nearby the settlement of Kuba, it empties into the river Uzgend.
And another river is Khatlam17; it originates from the mountain Maisa, at the point where the border between the Khallukhs and the Yagma18 passes, reaches the border of Khatlam, then approaches Baba and empties into the river Uzgend.
And another river is Parak19; it originates on the Khallukh mountain and flows into the southern regions, runs along the border of Chacha, and empties into the river Uzgend between Benaketa and the wall of Kelasa20. And then all these waters merge into one, they are called Chach21, and the Arabs call this river Seyhun.
And another river is Ras22; it flows in the northern limits and through the land of the Guzz. This is a large river, but muddy and foul-smelling. It originates from the mountain located on the border between the Kimaks23 and the Khyrgyz, crosses the land of the Guzz, and empties into the Caspian Sea.
...And there is another desert, located north of China24; to the east of it is the basin of the Eastern Ocean, to the south is the province of China, to the west is the river Kucha, and to the north are the Toguzguzs and Khyrgyz.
The entire populated part of the world consists of 51 countries...— Khifchak, Guzz, Kimak, Chigil, Tukhsi, Khallukh, Yagma, Toguzguz, and Khyrgyz. And each of these countries is divided into regions, and in each region, there are many cities.
To the east of it (i.e., the Toguzguzs — O. K-)25 is the country of China (p. 40), to the south — part of the Khyrgyz, and to the north — also the Khyrgyz, who settle along all its borders.
To the north of the Toguzguzs is a desert26, which extends between the Toguzguzs and the Khyrgyz to the region of the Kimaks.
Kashgar belongs to the region of Chinistan, but is located on the border between Yagma, Tibet, Khyrgyz, and China27. And the elders of Kashgar in ancient times were from the Khallukhs or from the Yagma.
To the east of it is the region of China and the sea — the Eastern Ocean, to the south of it are the limits of the Toguzguzs and partially the Khallukhs, to the west of it are the limits of the Kimak settlement, and to the north — the uninhabited lands of the north28. The surroundings of this region are completely deserted, and the uninhabited lands of the north are places where people cannot stay due to the severe cold. In this region, a lot of musk is harvested and many furs, white poplar and Khalaj wood, and hut horns (which are used) for making knife handles. Their ruler is called Khyrgyz-Khan29. And these people resemble wild beasts in their nature; their faces are rough, they have little hair, they are unjust and merciless, distinguished by their belligerence and propensity for quarrels: they fight and feud with all the peoples around them.
(The main articles) of their wealth are Khyrgyz carts, sheep, cows, and horses. They migrate (in search of) water, dry grass, (favorable) weather, and green meadows. They worship fire and burn the dead30. They live in yurts and tents, engage in hunting and fishing.
Furi — this is the name of a people — also from the Khyrgyz; they settle to the east of the Khyrgyz and do not mix with other Khyrgyz. They eat people and are merciless, their language is not understood by other Khyrgyz, they are like wild beasts31, and not far from them is a city called Ksmidzhket32, where the Khyrgyz-Khan lives.
Kesim33 — the name of another people, also from the Khyrgyz, they settle on the slopes of the mountains, in tents, harvest furs, musk, hut horns, and more. This is one of the Khyrgyz peoples, their speech is closer to that of the Khallukhs, and in clothing, they resemble the Kimaks.
And all these varieties of Khyrgyz have, of course, no villages or cities at all, and they all settle in tents, except for the place where the Khan lives.
A word about the region of the Khallukhs and its cities:
Penchul34 is located within the settlement of the Khallukhs, and in ancient times its ruler was from the Toguzguzs, but now it is ruled by the Khyrgyz35.
This region, whose inhabitants are of Khallukh origin, is densely populated; to the east and south of it are the limits of the Khallukhs, to the west of it are the limits of the Tukhsi, and to the north is the region of the Khyrgyz. And everything that is harvested in the region of the Khallukhs and in the region of the Khyrgyz is also obtained by the Chigils. They have many sources of income, they live in tents and yurts, and they have few cities and villages, (the main articles) of their wealth and income are cows, sheep, and horses. Some of them worship the sun and stars; they are good, sociable, and pleasant people; the ruler is one of them.
A word about the region of the Tukhsi and its cities:
To the east of it are the limits of the Chigils, to the south are the Khallukhs and forested mountains, to the west of it is a group of Khyrgyz, and to the north are the Chigils. This region is even richer than the region of the Chigils; there they harvest musk and various furs. (The main articles) of their wealth are horses, sheep, and furs, tents, and yurts. They migrate both in winter and summer (in search of) pastures, grazing lands, and green meadows.
A word about the region of the Kimaks and its cities:
Karkar (a)khan is another region belonging to the Kimaks, and its inhabitants resemble the Khyrgyz in their customs36.
Muhammad Bekran. «Jahan Name»
Almost nothing is known about the life and personality of the author. He lived in Khorasan, and his work «Jahan Name» («Book of the World») was composed for the Khwarezmshah Muhammad Tekesh (1200—1220).
Text: Atil — this word denotes the name of the city of the Khazars, through the middle of which flows Jaykhun37, heading towards the sea; this is also the name of Jaykhun.
Its upper reaches lie near the Khyrgyz, and it passes between (the settlement of) the Kimaks and Turkmen tribes39, then flows to the Bulgars40 and to the borders of the Rus41, and then heads towards the Burtas42. Thus, it empties into Lake Abeskun43, (passing) through the middle of the city of the Khazars, which is also called Atil, or otherwise Jamlikh.
And the desert that begins at Usrushana and stretches within Fergana, reaching the Khyrgyz, is located beside this mountain.
Musk44. The best musk is exported from Hotan, and after it, the best is that which is exported from Tibet, then Tatar, then Kyrgyz, then Kashmiri, then marine.
Abd ar-Razzaq Samarkandi. «Matla as-Sadayn» («Place of the Rising of Two Fortunate Constellations»)
Abd ar-Razzaq (1413—1483) is a historian of Timur and the Timurids. Among his accounts of the campaigns of the latter against Moghulistan, there is one very interesting piece of information regarding the history of the Kyrgyz.
Translation from Persian by O. F. Akimushkin.
Text: As a tribute to Timur, (Iskander)45 sent several groups of beautiful girls from the Perilikh Almalik and Hotan, as well as Kyrgyz and Pishpalik enchantresses, accompanied by Sheikh-Yasau; he (Sheikh-Yasau) arrived in the High Horde in the land of Shams46.
Majji. «Zinat al-Majalis» («Decoration of Gatherings» Translation from Persian by N. Vorozheikina.)
This work by Majji (16th century) contains original information borrowed from other sources.
Text: The land of the Khyrgyz. The region is long and wide. Its borders touch the borders of China. And among the features (of the area where the) Khyrgyz live, (it is necessary to note) four valleys. And in each valley flows a huge river; and in this place, the waters converge and (flow) among mountains and lakes to a gorge, which is (immersed) in darkness.
It is said that one man from the Khyrgyz built a small vessel, sat in it, and wished to know the farthest limit of this stream. When after a few days he reached the gloomy places, (being) there for about three days, he did not see the sun or the moon. When he reached the light, a vast steppe appeared before his eyes. Getting out of the boat, he climbed a tree in hopes that perhaps some person would appear and he could learn something from him.
Suddenly, three horsemen appeared. They were so tall that the height of each of them reached about ten zarov. They were accompanied by dogs, each of which was the size of a cow. And their horses were much taller than camels, gigantic in strength.
Suddenly the gaze of the horsemen fell upon him. They were extremely astonished (to see) how small the Khyrgyz was. They put him on their horse so that the dogs would not tear him apart, and, leading him to their dwellings, gave him food. The inhabitants of that area were amazed at his small stature, and, feeling pity for him, let him go; they brought him to the edge of the road and showed him the way, so that he got back on his vessel and returned to his river.
And no one knows from which tribe these (people) were47.
Comments and Notes
1 The first written mention of Lake Issyk-Kul is found in the account of the Chinese traveler Xuanzang of the 7th century.
2 V. V. Bartold tends to identify Tuz-Kul with Lake Issyk-Kul. However, the unknown Persian author mentions Issyk-Kul after the first lake. Apparently, Tuz-Kul should be identified with Lake Son-Kul.
3 Farsakh (Arabic: farsakh) is a measure of length, one farsakh equals 6—7 km.
4 The Chigils constituted one of the most significant parts of the population of Central Tian Shan and Semirechye. They played a decisive role in the composition of the Karakhanid state.
5 This medieval city was located somewhere in the area of the river and village of Barskoon, on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.
6 The Tukhsi are one of the tribes of the Turgish. Mahmud Kashgari places them in the valley of the Ili River.
7 Apparently, the mountain Tulas is one of the spurs of the Eastern Tian Shan, where the Kyrgyz lived.
8 In this mountain — K-n. daurtagi, (as in the source — O. K-) stretching between the Kimaks and Khyrgyz. V. F. Minorsky sees the Altai Mountains (an area near the sources of the Irtysh) where they connect with the elevations located to the west of the Irtysh; one of these elevations, apparently, has retained its name until later times.
9 In the text: Abiskuk. The river Ila presumably refers to the Ili River, which originates in the central part of Tian Shan, on the Irgard ridge. It crosses the angle formed by the Tian Shan chain and the southern Dzhungarian line and empties into Lake Balkhash (in the «Hudud al-Alam» it is mistakenly stated that it empties into Lake Issyk-Kul).
10 Benaket is a city on the bank of the Syr Darya.
11 Parab (Farab, now the settlement of Otrar) is the main city of the Farab oasis.
12 Jend (Jand, now the settlement of Jan-Kala) is a city in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya.
13 The Khwarezm Sea is the Aral Sea.
14 The river Uzgend corresponds to the Kara-Darya.
15 The city Khursab (Khursab) is on the bank of the river of the same name, a tributary of the Syr Darya.
16 According to V. V. Bartold, the Osh River (Ak-Bura) here is identical to the Urrest River.
17 The river Khatlam corresponds to the Naryn.
18 Yagma is a Turkic tribe. They lived in the 9th—10th centuries south of the Naryn River and in the Kashgar area and actively participated in the formation of the Karakhanid Kaganate.
19 The river Parak corresponds to the Chirchik.
20 The wall of Kelasa is on the northern side of the cultural strip of Chirchik.
21 Chach is the Syr Darya.
22 Ras is one of the names of the Volga River (Itil).
23 The Kimaks lived on the banks of the Irtysh and to the southwest of it; in the 9th—10th centuries they formed their own Kaganate.
24 This is the Gobi Desert.
25 Here, the reference is to the Toguzguzs — Uighurs of Eastern Turkestan.
26 This is the sands of Dzostyn-Elisun in Dzhungaria.
27 These and other data about the borders of the Kyrgyz with other Turkic tribes confirm their presence in the Eastern Tian Shan.
28 The author of the «Boundaries of the World» had a vague idea of what lies further north of the Eastern Tian Shan. According to his accounts, the land of the Kyrgyz extended north to uninhabited spaces.
29 These and the following data should be attributed to the Yenisei Kyrgyz.
30 The custom of burning the dead among the Yenisei Kyrgyz is confirmed by Chinese data and archaeological finds.
31 V. F. Minorsky («Hudud al-Alam».) identifies this description of the Furi people with the description of one of the wild tribes found on the way to the Kyrgyz by Ardizi (11th century). The same Furi (Kuri) is seen by V. F. Minorsky in the Turkic tribe Merke mentioned by Aufi, also called Kun, and indicates the location of the Kuri in the Baikal area (presumably).
32 Apparently, Kemidzhket is the residence of the khan of the Yenisei Kyrgyz, located in the Minusinsk basin. It should be noted that on the map of al-Idrisi (13th century) the following cities of the Kyrgyz (in the author's text: Khyrkhyr) are mentioned: Khyrkhyr (twice), Khakan Khyrkhyr, and Darand Khyrkhyr. In the text about these cities it is stated: «All the cities of the land of the Khyrkhyr are concentrated in one territory, the length of which is about three marhala (i.e., the distance of a three-day journey for the Arabs). There are four—large cities, surrounded by walls and fortifications and populated by zealous, brave, and courageous people, who especially have to fear the actions of the Kimak ruler, a warlike prince, who is almost always at war with his neighbors» (Arab-Persian sources on Turkic peoples, Frunze, 1973.). There are no other references to medieval cities of the Kyrgyz in written sources.
33 V. F. Minorsky («Hudud al-Alam».) presumably identifies the location of the Kesim people to the west of the Kyrgyz themselves and considers it possible to restore its name as «Kishtim», thus seeing it as the name of a people that was defeated by Genghis Khan at the time when the Kyrgyz were also defeated.
34 In the text: P. n. chul. V. V. Bartold considered the pronunciation of this name to be not fully established, pointing to the Chinese transcription Wensu (Wensu), but he firmly believed that in terms of its location, Penchul corresponds to the present-day Uch-Turfan.
35 V. V. Bartold believed that this information, apparently, does not relate to the time of the author, but reflects the situation of the late 9th — early 10th centuries. It should be noted that according to this researcher, the Yenisei Kyrgyz, who appeared in Tian Shan in the 9th century, soon left it and all returned to the Minusinsk basin. This assertion by V. V. Bartold is not entirely accurate. Part of the Yenisei Kyrgyz permanently remained living in Tian Shan. This is confirmed by data from the same work «Boundaries of the World». For example, in it, the Kyrgyz, Karluks, Chigils, and Tukhsi are described as neighbors in Semirechye and Tian Shan. In the territory of the Karluks, one of the immediate neighbors of the Kyrgyz, cities and settlements such as Barskhan, Ton, Merke, Kulan, and Lake Issyk-Kul are mentioned. Information about the presence of Kyrgyz at the end of the 10th century in Eastern Turkestan is also reported by the Chinese envoy Wang Yan-de (see above). Therefore, the account of the author of the work «Boundaries of the World» about the occupation of Uch-Turfan by the Kyrgyz should be attributed to the time of the compilation of this book (982).
36 V. F. Minorsky believed that Karkarakhan could be associated with the city of Karkaralinsk, located in a mountainous area south of the Irtysh, approximately 350 km southeast of Semipalatinsk. In the 16th-century work «Majmu at-Tawarikh», the grandfather of Manas is named Karakara, and there, in the area of Karakara, the Kipchaks lived, from whom the forty heroes of Manas descended. In our opinion, Karakara can be identified with the region of Karakarkhan mentioned in the work «Hudud al-Alam», where the customs of the Kimaks were very similar to those of the Kyrgyz. At the end of the 1st millennium AD, the Kimaks migrated in the southeast to the Dzhungarian mountains. Therefore, the region of Karakarkhan in the 10th century and the places of Karakara in the epic of «Manas» should be identified with the pasture of Karkyra to the east of Lake Issyk-Kul, where the Kyrgyz, Kimaks, and Kipchaks could be immediate neighbors. The Kipchaks later became part of many peoples, including the Kyrgyz. In this regard, the ancestors of Manas and his 40 heroes are referred to as the Karakara Kipchaks.
37 Jaykhun is the Syr Darya.
38 This information is borrowed from al-Istakhri.
39 The Turkmen lived in the north — up to the Aral Sea and the Volga.
40 The Bulgars migrated along the banks of the Volga.
41 The Russians lived to the west of the Volga.
42 The Burtas also migrated on the steppes of the Volga.
43 Abeskun is the Caspian Sea.
44 Musk is used in the perfume industry, medicine, and as an aphrodisiac; it is extracted from the belly of the musk deer and the horns of the maral deer.
45 Iskander — the grandson of Timur at the turn of the 14th—15th centuries, made a campaign to Moghulistan and around the city of Beshbalyk encountered the Kyrgyz.
46 Shams is Syria.
47 In general, this text speaks of the journey of a Yenisei Kyrgyz to the northern neighbors.