﻿KHIVA. 



KHIVA. 



394 



change to the great volume of water which was drawn from the river 

 to irrigate the adjacent countries. But Oorgentsh was at his time a 

 large commercial town, built near the river, which was navigable at 

 that place. In fact, he embarked here, and ascended it to the vicinity 

 of Bokhara. In the history of Abul Ghasi it is stated that in 1575 

 the Oxus turned to the northward, and began to run into the Sea of 

 Aral, and that the fertile country eun-ounding Oorgentsh or Ourghenj 

 waa then converted into a desei-t. Since that time this place has pre- 

 sented only ruins to the travellers who visited it ; no river has been 

 found in its vicinity in the last three centuries. But it would appear 

 t'.at in recent times the river has made some efforts to ro-ocoupy its 

 oM bed. Several statements tend to prove this ; and Basiner found, in 

 Sept. 1842, that the Szarkrauk, near Kana-Ourghenj was from 60 to 

 70 feet wide, and 2 feet deep, and that the place, which was formerly 

 uninhabited, had again been settled. 



The Oxus brings down during the freshets a great quantity of 

 detritus ; but the earthy deposit left diminishes the fertility of the 

 BoiL To prevent inundations the banks of the river and of the larger 

 canals have been raised considerably above the level of the country. 

 The detritus is thus confined to their betls, and it leaves there a 

 thick layer of mud mixed with sand. The canals must annually be 

 cleansed, and this is a laborious work. In spite of the embankments 

 partial inundations are rather frequent, and destructive of life and 

 property. The level of the river is highest from May to July, and 

 then its waters are very turbid ; but in the remainder of the year 

 they are clear and well-tasted. It runs with a considerable current, 

 at least two miles an hour. Its depth varies between 6 and 10 feet. 

 It must be much navigated, as it is stated that there are more than 

 1000 river-barges in the country. 



The Jaxarta, now Syr-Daria (on some maps SiAoun), which waters 

 the barren steppes of the Khirgiz Cossacks, and falls into Kamechlou 

 Bay, the most easterly inlet of the Sea of Aral, rises in the Kasbkar- 

 Davan Hoautains to the north of Kashgar, on the boundary of Chinese 

 Taitu7, and flows westward through Kukand ; thence north-west 

 between the desert steppes of Kizil-Koum and Kara-Koum to its mouth. 

 After entering the steppes the river becomes gradually narrower, so 

 much so that from about 120 miles above its mouth the breadth 

 decraaaes from 300 to 120 yards. The country between the Oxus and 

 the Syr was in ancient times called Tramoxiana. To the north of it 

 lay Scythia. Cyrus the Qreat lost his life in a battle fought upon its 

 banks, according to Herodotus (i. 201 — 216), who calls the river 

 Araxes; and Alexander founded a city (Alexandria) on its banks, 

 which some suppose to be Khojend. 



No country in the world has so many canals as Khyra. The 

 number of the larger canals is stated to exceed 20. In the southern 

 districts they run westward, but farther north to the north-west, and 

 terminate in that series of small lakes which, with the sand-hills 

 contiguous to them on the west, separate the cultivated region from 

 the desert. Their width varies between 70 and 100 feet, and their 

 length is considerable ; that of Sbawat, which is the largest, is at 

 least 70 miles long. From these larger canals others of minor 

 dimensions branch off and water the country to the distance of 

 20 miles. The canal of Pal wan has 12 such lateral canals, three 

 of which exceed 20 miles in length and about six are more than 

 IS miles long. The water of these canals is brought to the fields by 

 ditches. During the freshets a considerable current runs through the 

 canals, and even at other seasons it is perceptible. The canals are 

 still more navigated than the Oxus itself. 



Climate. — On the 8tb of October, 1842, the thermometer stood at 

 904° at 2 o'clock in the afternoon in the shade, and on the 22nd of 

 December in the same year it fell as low as 11" below zero of Fahr. 

 The ■ummets are very dry ; rains fall rarely, but gales are frequent. 

 Frost is commonly experienced towards the end of October, and the 

 lakes and canals are soon covered with ice. The Oxus however does 

 not freeze before the end of the year. Snow does not fall in large 

 quantities, hardly more than 4 inches deep at once, and lies rarely 

 more than four days on the ground, which is remarkable, if the frost 

 is continuous. The climate is generally healthy ; but in autumn 

 feren and agnea are endemic. 



Production*. — Agriculture is attended to with great care and 

 industry; sometimes the fields are ploughed seven times. Great 

 attention is paid to the preparation of manure. On the fields are 

 cultivated rice, wheat, barley, millet, sesainum, cotton (which is 

 exported by the Cossacks by way of Orenbui^ and Samara to Nijni- 

 Novgorod), jugari, peas, lentils, hemp, poppy, and clover ; in the 

 gardens melons and water-melons, pumpkins, carrots, turnips, peas, 

 onions, potatoes, and cucumbers; in the orchards, mulberries for 

 rearing the silk-worm, apricots, apples, pears, plums, cherries, and 

 Tine, also currants. But the fruits are not distinguished by flavour, 

 except the melons and water-melons. On the banks of the canals 

 and ditchea are alleys of aspen, ash, willow, and poplar. Forest-trees 

 an only found on the eastern banks of the Oxus. 



The hones of the Truohmenes an very beautiful, and held in great 

 nHiiliilidii. eapecially those which are callerl ' argamaks.' Common 

 bones an brought to Khyva by the Kirghiz, who dwell between 

 ^'lirin and the AiaL Many camels are kept, even by the poorer 

 people, and also asses. Few cattle are reared, on account of the want 

 of meadows. The Kara-Kalpaks, however, who roam between the 



Sihouu and the eastern shore of the Aral, import cows and oxen 

 into the cultivated region. Sheep are reared by the Truchmenes, or 

 imported from Bokhara, on account of the fleece : the Kirghiz import 

 a considerable number for slaughterinj. Fowls are numerous ; but 

 turkeys, geese, and ducks are only kept by the khan. Water-fowl are 

 numerous in the delta, but other wild birds are rare. Of wild animals 

 there are bears, wolves, foxes, wild cats, jackals, hares, wild goats, 

 deer, and wild hogs, mostly in the delta, where also the tiger is some- 

 times met with. Fish abound in the lakes, river, and Sea of Aral ; 

 but are not much eaten, except by the Kara-Kalpakes. Turtles and 

 crayfish abound. Silk-worms are reared to a considerable extent. 



Gold and copper are said to exist in the ShikhodshOli Mountains, 

 but are not worked. The other useful minertila are stone for building, 

 limestone, pipe-clay, salt, and sulphur. 



Population. — -The whole population is estimated at 2,000,000, of 

 which one-fourth are stated to be settled in Khyva proper. This region 

 is inhabited by two nations — the Usbecks and the Sartes. The former 

 are a branch of the Turks, whose language they speak, and are the 

 ruling nation. The Sartes are Persians, and the same race of men 

 which, in other parts of Central Asia, are called Tajiks. It appears 

 that they are the most ancient settlers of the country. 



The uncultivated portion of the Khanat ia in posses.'<ion of three 

 nomadic tribes — the Truchmenes, Kara-Kalpaks, and Kirghiz. All 

 three are Turkish nations, and speak dialects of the Turkish language. 

 The Turkomenes (Truchmenes), or Turcomans, wander about in the 

 wide region lying between Khyva proper and the Caspian. Tbey live 

 on the produce of their large herds of horses, camels, and sheep. Their 

 women are very industrious, and make carpets, tents, felts, cloth, and 

 girdles. Though they do not pay strict obedience to the orders of 

 the khan, they admit a certain degree of dependence, and acknowledge 

 it by sending presents to him. The Kara-Kalpaks (Black-Caps) are 

 numerous in the delta, especially to the east of Kungrad, and some 

 families are found on the south of the Oxus and Lowdahn, north of 

 42° N. lat. They are besides dispersed over all the shores of the Sea 

 of Aral, where they are eapecially occupied in fishing. At other places 

 they cultivate a piece of grouud, but rely for subsistence especially on 

 their herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. They are peaceful, and entirely 

 dependent on the khan. The Kirghiz, who call themselves Kasauks, 

 wander about in that immense plain which extends from the banks of 

 the Volga to Lake Balkash. Tbey have numerous herds of horses aud 

 sheep, of which they annually import a great number into Khyva. 



Tov>m and Villaga. — It is observed as a very remarkable circum- 

 stance that in no part of Central and Western AJia, except in Khyva, 

 is the country lying between two towns interspersed with a great 

 number of single farming establishments, which are situated in the 

 centre of the lands belonging to tbem. This proves that the inhabit- 

 ants of Khyva must enjoy a considerable degree of security. 



Khyva, ^e capital and residence of the khan, consists of about 700 

 mud-houses, but the suburbs contain 1500, and the population exceeds 

 12,000 individuals. The streets are crooked, aud so narrow that a 

 loaded camel cannot pass through them. The palace of the khan ia 

 only a large mud building. There are two colleges and three mosques, 

 all built of brick. The karavanserai is also of brick, and arched over. 

 The plain round it is irrigated and cultivated like a garden. Khyva 

 is situated near the point 41° 40' N. lat, 59° 20' E. long. 



The other towns are — New Ourghenj, Ourlan, Mangjrt, and 

 Kiptshak, in the vicinity of the Oxus, and Shawat and Tasshathaus 

 in the interior of Khyva proper, with populations varying from 3000 

 to 5000. The town of Kungrad may be considered the capital of the 

 nomadic population of the delta. In summer it has very few inhabit- 

 ants, but in winter it is the common residence of several nomadic 

 tribes that inhabit the adjacent country. Its walls are stated to be 

 more than twelve miles in circuit. Kana-Ourghenj is the former 

 Kharism, or Chorasmia, of which there are extensive ruins, and from 

 which the whole country, from the Oxus to the Caspian and the 

 frontiers of Persia, was formerly called Kharitm. The Chorasmii are 

 mentioned by Strabo as a tribe of Sogdiana (xi. 513), and by Herodotus 

 (iiL 93) they are named with the Parthi, Sogdi, and Arii as forming 

 the 16th Satrapy of Darius. 



M anufactura. — The manufactures are cotton-stuffs, some silks, 

 articles of wool made by the nomadic nations, earthenware, and copper 

 utensils. All articles of iron are imported from Russia : only a few 

 Kirghiz settled in the khanat exereise the trade of blacksmiths. 



C'omtnerce. — The commerce of Khyva is carried on chiefly with 

 Bokhara and Russia. Caravans go from Khyva to Orenburg, exporting 

 a few manufactured articles, sheep-skins, hides, and horses, and bring 

 back utensils of castriron, some woollen-cloth, and copper and other 

 metals. They pass through Kana-Ourghenj, traverse the table-land 

 of Usturt near the shores of the Sea of Aral, and after descending 

 to the low plain their route lies through the steppe of the Little Horde 

 of the Kirghiz ; but a part of the traffic with Russia is now carried on 

 by the Cussaks, as stated above. The commerce between Khyva and 

 Persia is less important. Khyva sends there chiefly horses, and receives 

 ill return dried fruits and some silk goods. On the whole, about 2000 

 camels (which are the ordinary beasts of burden) go annually to 

 Orenburg, Astrakhan, and Cabul, with agricultural produce, silk- and 

 cotton-stuffs, and yam. Russian produce is also now imported by 

 steamers and boats across the Caspian. 



