Medieval Central Asia: A Study of Cultural Development

Abstract

dieval Central Asia opens one of the brightest chapters in the intellectual history of Islam, nay of the whole world. During the medieval period, Central Asia witnessed influx of cultures, and a wide variety of societies, religions and ethnicities shaped its culture which is an aggregation of diverse customs, traditions and social values. This period also witnessed the intellectual and academic activity received full attention and the region became an important center of learning. In Khurasan and Bukhara, Arabic influence left behind a rich intellectual legacy. Bukhara achieved an intellectual andcultural refinement throughout the course of history as a result of intensive cultivation of admixture of the sciences, such as astronomy, astrology, mathematics and medieval art. In view of its distinguished position, poets, writers, learned men and skilled artisans and craftsmen flocked and flourished in the region and Bukhara became a famous centre of Muslim scholarship. The great Central Asian scholars such as Al-Khwarizmi (780-850), Abu Rai Raihan Al Burani (973-1048) and Abu Ali Ibn Sina need no introduction. The Samanid rule as such left an indelible mark on the development of the Persian language and culture that would not be eroded in Central Asia for centuries. The intellectual activity both at Samarqand and Bukhara got patronized as the rulers and their high officials themselves used to be great scholars. The objective of this article is to give the reader a sense of cultural progress in medieval Central Asia. It is in this context the present paper has been analyzed.