THE MUSLIM CONQUEST OF MAWARANNAHR DURING THE UMAYYAD PERIOD AND THE ISLAMIZATION POLICIES OF QUTAYBA IBN MUSLIM

Abstract

The article comprehensively analyzes the process of the conquest of Mawarannahr by Muslim troops in the 7th–8th centuries and the Islamization policy of Qutaytba ibn Muslim in this region. The authors identify the strategic importance of Mawarannahr and the middle Syr Darya region in the context of the eastward expansion of the caliphate and reveal the political and social consequences of military campaigns conducted in these territories. The study examines the periodic nature of the conquests during the Umayyad era, the treaties concluded with local Sogdian and Turkic rulers, the frequent uprisings, and their causes.

The main focus of the article is devoted to the activities of Qutayba ibn Muslim during his tenure as governor of Khorasan. Not only his military successes but also the religious and social reforms he carried out in order to establish Islamic rule in the region are comprehensively described. In particular, the role of such measures as the construction of mosques, the settlement of Arab tribes, the attraction of local nobility to Islam, and the adoption of a flexible policy towards the mawalis in the spread of Islam is analyzed. In addition, the article examines the legendary narratives regarding the capture of Ispidjab in comparison with historical data and shows their place in the regional religious consciousness. As a result of the study, it is concluded that the Islamization of Mawarannahr was not a one-time phenomenon or one based solely on military force, but a long-term, multifaceted historical process.