Information About Traditional Settlements Of Karakalpak

The article presents the experience of typologizing the traditional settlements of the Karakalpaks of the 19th - early 20th centuries. Settlements are formed in the process of formation of types of farms, culture and adaptation to natural and climatic conditions. In connection with the complex type of economy, the Karakalpaks had agricultural, pastoral settlements, sometimes settlements combining agriculture with cattle breeding, or fishing with cattle breeding.

The settlements of the Karakalpaks, one of the most ancient Turkic-speaking peoples of Central Asia, like the settlements of any other people, were formed in the process of the formation of types of farms, culture and adaptation to natural and climatic conditions. In connection with the complex type of economy, the Karakalpaks had agricultural, pastoral settlements, sometimes settlements combining agriculture with cattle breeding, or fishing with cattle breeding. There are many similarities and differences in the principles of the location of these settlements. This concerned the geographical location of the area, population density, the order of settlement, including tribal and national characteristics, construction techniques, building materials, planning of dwellings and outbuildings.
Similar features of the settlements were observed in 1915, when the population of the Amu Darya department did not represent a mass divided by the economy, despite the farmstead nature of settling in estates. The feature that unites the population is their economic interest. For example, if an aul has a pasture area completely isolated from other auls, then it will represent an independent size. The boundaries of pastures were long established by old clan traditions and usually denoted the land use of the main clans. Therefore, a community united by pasture interests more often did not coincide geographically with a separate aul and was a group of several auls connected by tribal, national or neighborly relations [Materials ..., 1915, p.148-149 ]. In the medieval Arab-Persian sources of the IX-XII centuries. there is information about the numerous settlements located on the modern territory of Karakalpakia. One of the largest settlements of that time was Kyat (Kas) -the capital of Khorezm. According to the descriptions of Al-Maqdisi, Kyat was located east of the river. Amu Darya. In the vicinity of Kyat, there were settlements and fortifications such as, for example, Narimjan Baba, Mizdahkan, Kerder, Tok Kala. The largest of them was Mizdahkan, which was located between Kunya-Urgench and Kerder. Around Mizdahkan, as Al-Maqdisi testifies, there are 12,000 fortifications and a vast volost [Materials…., 1939, p. 150, 178, 187].
Since the end of the 16th-beginning of the 17th centuries, due to the change in the Amu Darya channel from south to north, many settlements in the south, for example, Adak kala, were devastated. And in the north, old settlements were being revived, for example, Pulzhay with a fortification, Aybuir kala, Bograkhan, etc. New settlements appeared, for example, Ashamayly aul, etc. In the nineteenth and early centuries. XX centuries. settlements of the Karakalpaks were based on tribal division, which was investigated by T.A. Zhdanko. The Karakalpaks were divided into two parts, called arys (shafts): arys Ontort uryu and arys Kongrat. Each of these arys occupied certain territories in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya. Arys ontort uryu was located on the right bank of the river, in the Kegeyli canal basin. This territory was the economic center of the delta, where about half of the population and cultural lands were  Although each Ars had its own settlement territory, representatives of various tribal groups of the Karakalpaks met in their settlements. At the same time, the settlements of the Karakalpaks were formed on the basis of a set of farms of certain tribal groups. As is known, each of the arys, in turn, is divided into two parts: Ontort uryu -into two pairs of departments: Ktai-kypshak and Keneges-mangyt, Kongrat -into two departments: Shulluk and Zhaungyr.
In accordance with the division of the Arys, their territories are also divided. In particular, the settlements of ontort uryu were located as follows: Ktai-kypshak on the right bank of the Kegeyli canal, Keneges-mangyt -on the left bank [T.A. Zhdanko, 1950, map 7]. Note that T.A. Zhdanko did not set out to describe the geography of the settlements of Arys Kongrat. We give this moment according to the map of A. Kaulbars in 1873. The settlements of the Kongrat arys of the Shulluk branch were located mainly on the northwestern side of the Kungrad region to the Ustyurt plateau, the settlements of the Zhaungyr branch were located south of the city of Kungrad to the Sarykamys island.
Thus, comparing the data of T.A. Zhdanko and A.Kaulbars, we define the approximate border in the settlement of Arys Karakalpaks as follows: southern coast of the Aral Sea -Shegara Terek -mazar Akhunbaba -Kese Zhol -Zaire -Kungrad ... Note also that the unification of the Arys Kongrat considers Adak Kala and the area of Zhideli Baysyn one of its ancient settlements. The word "adak" means "lower reaches". The word "Zhideli Baysyn" means "a place rich in jida". Currently, there is no exact localization of the area of Zhideli Baysyn. IS Sagitov and L. Stoletova came to the conclusion that "the Zhideli-Baysyn area originates from the vicinity of the Baysun mountains" [Zh. A. Zhdanko noted that information about resettlement from the territory of Zhideli Baysyn is widespread among Kungradians, which is not observed among ontorts of Uru. These data confirm that the Ars Kongrat lived on the left bank of the Amu Darya River since ancient times. Let's remind that Karakalpak agricultural settlements appeared mainly in 3 places: Kanly-Kol, Kuskhanatau, Kegeyli . Kanly-Kol was located on the left bank of the river. Amu Darya, the rest were on the right. To the north of them were the settlements of cattle breeders and fishermen.
Along with the economic characteristics in the settlements of the Karakalpaks, there were differences in the types of settlement, estates, construction equipment, planning of dwellings and methods of preparation and use of building materials.
In the spring, after completing sowing, Karakalpaks from wintering grounds (kyslau) migrated to summer grounds (jazlau), which was associated with cattle breeding. Rich people, leaving relatives or permanent workers on their arable lands, migrated to distant jazlau. Their livestock and horses were grazed in the In the agricultural areas of Karakalpakstan, household buildings were built, along with the listed building materials, from clay. In winter, the yurts were surrounded by reed hedges, djugara stalks and thorns to protect them from livestock. The stationary dwelling, yurt and all outbuildings of each family were fenced with the same fence. The Karakalpaks stored the harvested crop in special rooms, which were either in the dwelling itself (telek), or close to it (dankhana). In winter, the Karakalpaks with their flocks settled in kurens (winter quarters). According to the explanation of S.K. Kamalov, the word "kuren" coincides with the Karakalpak word "gureng", which means an accumulation of yurts in a fortification that served as protection from adversaries. Here, the registration of the livestock and the collection of the zaket by the khan's officials was carried out [S.K. Kamalov, 1968 Settlements of type I were a small aul (20-30 yards), inhabited mainly by members of one clan, and located along the channels of the Amudarya delta, large irrigation ditches, lakes, forming an elongated line. The estates were randomly located and there was no street layout. The estates belonged to 5-6 closely related families. Each estate had a stationary dwelling (qaqra) with a gable roof, a portable dwelling (yurt) and many outbuildings. Each estate was enclosed by a reed hedge. Near the villages on the Cairo lands there were melons and vegetable gardens, occupying small areas.
In the absence of such land, they were located at a considerable distance from the fishing village. Large thickets of reeds were located in the vicinity of the settlements. Settlement type I includes settlements located around the fortifications of Zhana kala, Zhamenei kala, Dosym kala, Yakypbay kala, Azbergen, Karazhar settlements, Paygambar kyzy, Khakim ata (XII-XVIII centuries), Nukus (XVI-XVII centuries), Tokpak ata (XII-XIX centuries). The settlements of the clergy are distinguished into a special subtype. For example, on the shores of Zhansiz Island there was a settlement Zhantemir Ishan, Seytek Ishan (XVIII-XIX centuries), etc. Each settlement had trade and craft centers, mosques and madrasahs, for example, Kazibay-akhun, Elmurat-akhun (XII-XIX ).
Type II settlements were scattered. The principles of settling by closely related families were also observed here. Groups of estates of such families were located in isolation among gardens, fields, orchards (farm type of settlement), and there were also compact settlements of certain tribal groups. Each estate had a stationary dwelling (there), the walls of which were adobe and the roof was flat. Opposite the entrance there was a room for a yurt (uy jay), outbuildings, premises for livestock, for storing feed, a summer kitchen, a shed (shertek). The entire complex was fenced with an adobe wall. Melons, a vegetable garden, a garden were located near the estate.
In this type of settlements, there are stationary dwellings with "ayvans" (on ayvan and teris ayvan). "Teris ayvan" is a canopy through which one can get to "on ayvan", on the sides of which there are entrances to the living rooms. The walls of "on ayvan" are much higher than the rest and usually have windows on the north side. Settlements of type 4 were located near "qaq" (natural accumulators of moisture in the lowlands) on the Ustyurt plateau, along the western edge of the Kyzylkum desert, near wells. "Qаq", wells, pastures represented lands suitable for rainfed agriculture and were considered the property of the tribal group. In the resettlement, the principle of closely related neighborhood was observed. The settlements were dominated by portable dwellings -yurts covered with felt, temporary dwellings and outbuildings. These are the fortifications of Adak on the Ustyurt plateau, Baraktam, the Mambetkarim akhun mosque on the western edge of the Kyzylkum desert, the Mustafa Ishan mosque, Sherip kala, etc. (Takhtakupyr region), Seren Kala (Chimbay region).
Thus, the settlements are one of the components of the traditional material culture of the Karakalpaks, which reflect in a certain aspect the ethnic territory, climatic conditions, types of farms, and the social structure of the people. Natural and climatic, economic and historical factors determined the formation and development of types of settlements, dwellings, outbuildings, building materials and construction techniques. One of the features of the Karakalpak settlements is its connection with a complex type of economy, namely: agriculture, cattle breeding, fishing, hunting, in a certain aspect, are reflected in the types of settlements. One of the main reasons for the emergence of various types of Karakalpak settlements is associated with the geographic location of the region: in the north -the Aral Sea, in the east -the Kyzyl Kum, in the westthe Ustyurt plateau, in the south -the northern edge of the Karakum desert and the lower reaches of the Amudarya and Syr Darya deltas. In this regard, the Karakalpaks formed various types of farms and associated types of settlements and dwellings, which are characterized by a sedentary and semisedentary lifestyle. Data on the settlements of the Karakalpaks indicate that the processes of the emergence and development of a sedentary and semi-sedentary lifestyle proceeded in close contact and had the same origins.