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Concept
Turkestan
Summary
Turkestan, also spelled Turkistan (from Torkestân), is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and Xinjiang.
Known as Turan to the Persians, western Turkestan has also been known historically as Sogdia, "Ma wara'u'n-nahr" (by its Arab conquerors), and Transoxiana by western travelers. The latter two names refer to its position beyond the River Oxus when approached from the south, emphasizing Turkestan's long-standing relationship with Iran, the Persian Empires, and the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates.
Oghuz Turks (also known as Turkmens), Kyrgyzs, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Khazars, Uyghurs and Hazaras are some of the Turkic inhabitants of the region who, as history progressed, have spread further into Eurasia forming such Turkic nations as Turkey, and subnational regions like Tatarstan in Russia and Crimea in Ukraine. Tajiks and Russians form sizable non-Turkic minorities.
It is subdivided into Afghan Turkestan and historical Russian Turkestan in the west, and East Turkestan.
Of Persian origin (see -stan), the term "Turkestan" (ترکستان) has never referred to a single nation state. Iranian geographers first used the word to describe the place of Turkic peoples. "Turkestan" is used to describe any place where Turkic peoples lived.
In 1969, a Turfanian document was found in Astana, Kazakhstan, which was given the name Documents on the Sogdian Slave Trade during the Gochang period of the Koji clan (Japanese: 麹氏高昌国時代ソグド文女奴隷売買文書) shows that in 639 the name Turkistan was used as this name of this land in Sogdian word "twrkstn"
On their way southward during the conquest of Central Asia in the 19th century, the Russians under Nikolai Aleksandrovich Veryovkin took the city of Turkistan (in present-day Kazakhstan) in 1864. Mistaking its name for the entire region, they adopted the name of "Turkestan" (Туркестан) for their new territory.
The history of Turkestan dates back to at least the third millennium BC. Many artifacts were produced in that period, with much trade being conducted.
Official source
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