Rasht Valley
Encyclopedia
The Rasht Valley is located in Tajikistan
and composes a significant portion of the Region of Republican Subordination
, including the six districts of Jirgatol
, Rasht
, Roghun
, Tavildara
, Tajikobod
and Nurabad
. Historically the Rasht Valley has been called Karotegin or Karategin. During the 1992-1997 Tajikistan Civil War
, the region was a stronghold for forces opposed to the government of Emomalii Rahmon and became the site of numerous battles. Notably, four members of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan
were murdered in the Garm district in 1998.
From the 1920s until 1955 the Rasht Valley was within the Gharm Oblast
.
that is today part of Tajikistan
. The Karotegin region was also named Garm
, though Garm is also the name of a city and the Garmi ethnic group. Karotegin frequently appears in its alternative spellings,Qaratagin, Qarategin,Qaratigin, Karategin ,Karatigin and Karateghin, in literature from the 1990s and earlier. Karategin was an independent region in Central Asia
for many centuries. The native princes, who claimed to be descended from Alexander the Great, were independent until 1868, although their allegiance was claimed in an ineffective way by Kokand
. The Emirate of Bukhara
took advantage of internal political feuds and conquered the region, along with Darvaz
, in 1877.
The Karotegin consisted of a highland district bounded on the north by Samarkand
and Kokand
, on the east by Ferghana, on the south by Darvaz
and on the west by Hissar
and other Bokharian provinces. Traditionally rough woolen cloth and mohair were woven by the natives, who also made excellent firearms and other weapons. Gold was mined in various places and there were salt-pits in the mountains. The chief town, Garm
, situated on a hill on the right bank of the Vakhsh River
, was a place of some 2,000 inhabitants, . The population was about 60,000 in 1911; five-sixths were composed of Tajiks while the remainder were Kyrgyz, who reside in what is today the Jirgatol district
of Tajikistan. Historically it was difficult for the people of the Karotegin to communicate with neighboring lands except between the months of May and September.
In 1949 in the Khait District, an earthquake occurred resulting in the Khait landslide
, which killed over 30,000 people.
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
and composes a significant portion of the Region of Republican Subordination
Region of Republican Subordination
Districts of Republican Subordination is a region in Tajikistan, consisting of 13 districts which are directly under central rule.-History:...
, including the six districts of Jirgatol
Jirgatol district
Jirgatol district or Nohiyai Jirgatol lies in the extreme north-east corner of the Region of Republican Subordination in Tajikistan. Its northern boundary is the international boundary with Kyrgyzstan; on the south it borders with Tavildara and Tojikobod districts, and its western border is with...
, Rasht
Rasht district
Rasht District or Nohiyai Rasht , formerly called Gharm District, is an eastern district in the Region of Republican Subordination in Tajikistan...
, Roghun
Roghun
Roghun is a town in Tajikistan. It is the administrative capital of Roghun district in the central part of the Region of Republican Subordination.The population of Roghun in 2007 is estimated at 9,600.-References:...
, Tavildara
Tavildara
Tavildara is a town in Tavildara district, Region of Republican Subordination, Tajikistan. It is also the district capital.Tavildara is one of the highest areas in central-eastern Tajikistan surrounded by Rasht Valley in the north and with Darvaz mountains in the south and highest Pamirs peaks in...
, Tajikobod
Tojikobod district
Tojikobod District or Nohiyai Tojikobod is a small district in the eastern part of Region of Republican Subordination in Tajikistan. It is encircled by Tavildara District from the south, Jirgatol District from the north-east, and Rasht District from the north-west. Its capital is Tojikobod ....
and Nurabad
Nurabad
Nurabad may refer to two locations in Iran:* Nurabad, Fars, in the province of Fars* Nurabad, Lorestan, in the province of Lorestan- See also :* Nurobod District, Tajikistan* Nurobod District...
. Historically the Rasht Valley has been called Karotegin or Karategin. During the 1992-1997 Tajikistan Civil War
Tajikistan Civil War
The Civil War in Tajikistan began in May 1992 when ethnic groups from the Garm and Gorno-Badakhshan regions, which were underrepresented in the ruling elite, rose up against the national government of President Rahmon Nabiyev, in which people from the Leninabad and Kulyab regions dominated...
, the region was a stronghold for forces opposed to the government of Emomalii Rahmon and became the site of numerous battles. Notably, four members of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan
United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan
The United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan was a peacekeeping mission established by the United Nations Security Council in December 1994 and extended on several occasions until its mandate expired in May 2000. Its purpose was to monitor peace agreements during and after the Tajikistan...
were murdered in the Garm district in 1998.
From the 1920s until 1955 the Rasht Valley was within the Gharm Oblast
Gharm Oblast
The Gharm Oblast was an oblast in the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union from the 1920s to 1955. Its capital was Gharm. The population of Gharm were known as Gharmis, a term still used in Tajikistan today.-History:...
.
History
Karotegin is the historic name of the Rasht Valley and a historic political region in pre-Soviet Central AsiaCentral Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
that is today part of Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
. The Karotegin region was also named Garm
Garm
Garm may refer to:*Garm, Tajikistan, a town in the Rasht Valley.*Garmr, a large dog in Norse mythology that guards Hel, the land of the dead.*The Garm, a dog-like alien being appearing in the Doctor Who episode Terminus....
, though Garm is also the name of a city and the Garmi ethnic group. Karotegin frequently appears in its alternative spellings,Qaratagin, Qarategin,Qaratigin, Karategin ,Karatigin and Karateghin, in literature from the 1990s and earlier. Karategin was an independent region in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
for many centuries. The native princes, who claimed to be descended from Alexander the Great, were independent until 1868, although their allegiance was claimed in an ineffective way by Kokand
Kokand
Kokand is a city in Fergana Province in eastern Uzbekistan, at the southwestern edge of the Fergana Valley. It has a population of 192,500 . Kokand is 228 km southeast of Tashkent, 115 km west of Andijan, and 88 km west of Fergana...
. The Emirate of Bukhara
Emirate of Bukhara
The Emirate of Bukhara was a Central Asian state that existed from 1785 to 1920. It occupied the land between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, known formerly as Transoxiana. Its core territory was the land along the lower Zarafshan River, and its urban centres were the ancient cities of...
took advantage of internal political feuds and conquered the region, along with Darvaz
Darvaz
Darvaz , alternatively spelt Darwaz, Darvoz, or Darwoz, was an independent principality until the 19th century, ruled by a mir and its capital was at Kalai-Khumb. The kingdom controlled territory on the left and right banks of the Oxus River. In 1878 Darvaz was invaded by neighboring Bukhara and...
, in 1877.
The Karotegin consisted of a highland district bounded on the north by Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
and Kokand
Kokand
Kokand is a city in Fergana Province in eastern Uzbekistan, at the southwestern edge of the Fergana Valley. It has a population of 192,500 . Kokand is 228 km southeast of Tashkent, 115 km west of Andijan, and 88 km west of Fergana...
, on the east by Ferghana, on the south by Darvaz
Darvaz
Darvaz , alternatively spelt Darwaz, Darvoz, or Darwoz, was an independent principality until the 19th century, ruled by a mir and its capital was at Kalai-Khumb. The kingdom controlled territory on the left and right banks of the Oxus River. In 1878 Darvaz was invaded by neighboring Bukhara and...
and on the west by Hissar
Hisor
Hisor is a city in western Tajikistan, about 15 km west of Dushanbe. It is the capital of Hisor District, one of the Districts of Republican Subordination. It lies at an altitude of 799-824 m, surrounded by high mountains . The Khanaka River, a tributary to the Kofarnihon River, flows through the...
and other Bokharian provinces. Traditionally rough woolen cloth and mohair were woven by the natives, who also made excellent firearms and other weapons. Gold was mined in various places and there were salt-pits in the mountains. The chief town, Garm
Garm, Tajikistan
Gharm, , is a district in the Rasht Valley area of central Tajikistan.From the 1920s until 1955 there was a Gharm Oblast in Tajikistan, which included the territory of the current Gharm Valley...
, situated on a hill on the right bank of the Vakhsh River
Vakhsh River
The Vakhsh has been intensively developed for human use. Electricity, aluminum, and cotton are the mainstays of Tajikistan’s economy, and the Vakhsh is involved with all three of these sectors. Hydroelectricity provides 91% of the country’s electricity as of 2005, and 90% of that total comes from...
, was a place of some 2,000 inhabitants, . The population was about 60,000 in 1911; five-sixths were composed of Tajiks while the remainder were Kyrgyz, who reside in what is today the Jirgatol district
Jirgatol district
Jirgatol district or Nohiyai Jirgatol lies in the extreme north-east corner of the Region of Republican Subordination in Tajikistan. Its northern boundary is the international boundary with Kyrgyzstan; on the south it borders with Tavildara and Tojikobod districts, and its western border is with...
of Tajikistan. Historically it was difficult for the people of the Karotegin to communicate with neighboring lands except between the months of May and September.
In 1949 in the Khait District, an earthquake occurred resulting in the Khait landslide
Khait landslide
The Khait or Hoit landslide occurred on July 10, 1949 in the Hoit district in the Gharm Oblast in the Tajikistan, then part of the Soviet Union. The landslide was triggered by the 1949 Khait earthquake and buried 33 villages and has by some estimates killed 28,000 people...
, which killed over 30,000 people.