THE RESIDENTIAL QUARTERS, POPULATION AND ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF BUKHARA CITY (LATE 19TH – EARLY 20TH CENTURIES)

Abstract

This thesis is devoted to the historical-ethnographic description of Uzbek tribal groups who lived in Bukhara in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and their social, political, and cultural role in urban life. The main aim of the study is to examine the formation, social structure, and ethnic processes of Uzbek tribes through the system of residential quarters (guzars) in pre-revolutionary Bukhara.

The scientific basis of the analysis is formed by the fundamental ethnographic research of O.A. Sukhareva. In her works, archival documents, field observations, statistical materials, and written sources by Russian and European travelers and diplomats are combined. Through these sources, the ethnic history of Bukhara Uzbeks, their mahalla life, and their place in the multi-ethnic urban environment are scientifically illuminated.

As a result, it is shown that the mahalla structure and ethnic composition of Bukhara’s population were important factors reflecting the socio-cultural characteristics of the feudal period. The obtained conclusions contribute to a deeper understanding of the internal social structure and ethnogenetic processes in the cities of Central Asia.