The Contribution of Russian Scientists of the 19th – early 20th Century to the Study of the Historical Geography of Central Asia in the Pre-Islamic Period
https://doi.org/10.53658/RW2026-4-2(20)-183-195
Abstract
The article is devoted to the analysis of the contribution of Russian scientists of the XIX – early XX centuries to the formation of scientific historiography of the historical geography of Central Asia of the pre-monotheistic (pre-Islamic) period. The focus is on the interpretation of the Avestan geographical tradition, reconstructed on the basis of a body of written monuments, among which the texts of the Avesta and subsequent Pahlavi literature occupy a key place. The author conducts a detailed critical analysis of the reports and diaries of Russian scientific expeditions, which systematically recorded the toponymic, hydrographic and orographic characteristics of the region, as well as its ethnocultural and anthropological features. The application of an interdisciplinary methodology integrating mapping methods, hermeneutic analysis of written sources and empirical field observations allowed for the first time to carry out a comprehensive systematization and localization of the oldest geographical objects of Central Asia. Special importance is attached to the identification of oronyms and hydronyms mentioned in the Avestan canon and their correlation with modern geographical nomenclature. The article also examines the heuristic potential of these studies for reconstructing the ethno-cultural identity of the Tajik people as a direct ethnogenetic and cultural successor of the ancient Iranian ethnic groups, as well as for recreating the historical and cultural landscape in which the formation and development of the Zoroastrian religious tradition took place. The materials collected and analyzed by Russian researchers represent a unique source base for further academic studies in the field of Avestan geography and biographical reconstruction of the life path of the Prophet Zarathustra.
Keywords
Central Asia,
historical geography,
Avesta,
Pamirs,
Russian scholars,
toponymy,
hydronyms,
ethnography
Supporting agencies: The article was written within the framework of the project “History of the Tajik people” (III – early XX century).
About the Author
N. J. Khojaeva
Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography named after A.Donish, National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Nargis J. KHOJAEVA. DSc. (Hist.). Leading Researcher of Department of Ancient, Medieval, and Modern History
33, Rudaki Avenue, Dushanbe, 734025
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For citations:
Khojaeva N.J. The Contribution of Russian Scientists of the 19th – early 20th Century to the Study of the Historical Geography of Central Asia in the Pre-Islamic Period. Russia & World: Sc. Dialogue. 2026;(2):183-195. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.53658/RW2026-4-2(20)-183-195
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