Wikipedia

Mukhsha

This article is about the historical city. For Moxel, see Ancient Noronshasht.

Mukhshi (Tatar: Muxşa, Mukhsha, Naruçat, Naruchat, Moksha: νορονσαστ, romanized: Noronshasht, lit. 'IPA ['noronʲʃɑʃtʲ]', Turki: نرنجاط, Nurinjat IPA [nurinˈdʒɑt])[3]) was the capital city of Murunza and capital of the Golden Horde in the 14th century during the reign of Öz Beg Khan and his official residence.[4] It was the administrative center of Mukhsha Ulus and one of the Golden Horde centres of coinage. In the 15th century the city lost its importance and declined. The ruins (buildings of bricks, stone baths, Muslim graves) are situated in Penza Oblast near the modern town of Narovchat in the upper stream of Moksha River.

Muxşi, Muxşa
Noronshasht, IPA ['noronʲʃɑʃtʲ]
Сolumn chapiter of Özbeg Khan reign period
Mukhsha is located in Penza Oblast
Mukhsha
Location of the site within Russia
Mukhsha is located in European Russia
Mukhsha
Mukhsha (European Russia)
Alternative nameTurki: ﻥﺭﻥﺝﺍﻁ, Nurinjat IPA [nurinˈdʒɑt]
LocationPenza Oblast, Russia
RegionMukhsha Ulus
Coordinates53°50′57″N 43°44′15″E / 53.8493°N 43.7374°E / 53.8493; 43.7374[1][2]
Typecity
Length2000
Width900
History
Abandoned1600s
PeriodsMedieval
CulturesSaltovo-Mayaki
Satellite ofGolden Horde
Associated withMongols
EventsMongol Takeover in 1237, Destruction by Timur in 1395
Site notes
Excavation dates1923-1927
ArchaeologistsAleksandr Krotkov
ConditionIn ruins
City of Mukhsha in the middle of the Golden Horde

History

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Early history

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Main article: Ancient Noronshasht

Noronshasht was the capital of Medieval Moksha kingdom Murunza.[5] Russian Laurentian Codex mentions the name of the king Puresh.[6] Noronshasht was conquered by Batu Khan in 1237.

Foundation and name

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The city foundation date is unknown. The archeological findings confirmed the first city population was Moksha.[7] According to Iosif Cherapkin the first name of the city Noronshasht in Middle Moksha means 'former bog place covered with grass'.[8] The city is often referred to as Mukhsha or Mukhshi which in fact was the name of the ulus Mukhsha (after the name of Mokshaland), the official city name used in the Mongol period was Nurinjat [a].[9][10]

Mukhsha Ulus

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Mukhsha became the administrative center of Mukhsha Ulus and residence of Öz Beg Khan in 1313–1342. In 1313-1367 the city minted dangs, dirhams and pūls. Destroyed by Timur in 1395. In 16th century in Nurindzhat attested private and public baths, running water, sewerage, underfloor heating. The streets were paved with stones, there were fountains with drinking water, cathedral mosque, tavern (teahouse), inns, caravanserai, palace, houses and mausoleums of stone, Muslim cemetery (Noronshasht gravefield). There were 3 potteries with ancient forges and a brick factory. Every brick made in Mukhshi had a special tamga. There was an artisan quarter with numerous workshops. Residential quarters partly lay nowadays under the rural locality Narovchat. Northwest of Narovchat lays another gravefield (old cemetery), divided into Muslim ([b] named so by later Russian population due to round foundations of mausoluems ruins) and presumably "Pagan" areas. 4 mausoleums and probably a mosque and a minaret ruins were found in the "Mosque field"[11][12] The Medieval city ruins were discovered by Russian archeologist Aleksandr Krotkov in 1915.

Volga Trade Route

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In 14th century, Mukhshi played an important role on trade route from Don to Black sea (Principality of Theodoro and Genoese Gazaria colonies in Crimea)[13]

Literature

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  • Making Mongol History: Rashid al-Din and the Jamiʿ al-Tawarikh (Edinburgh Studies in Classical Islamic History and Culture) by Stefan Kamola, Edinburgh University Press; 1st edition (August 14, 2019), ISBN 978-1474421423
  • Golubev O.V. Mokhshi Coinage. Penza, 2020
  • "Muxşa". Tatar Encyclopaedia (in Tatar). Kazan: The Republic of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences. Institution of the Tatar Encyclopaedia. 2002.

References

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  1. ^ Lebedev 1958, pp. 11, 16, 19
  2. ^ Ikonnikov & Baisheva 2018
  3. ^ Lebedev 1957
  4. ^ Zakiryanov 2013
  5. ^ Карамзин Н. М. История государства Российского: в 12 томах. — СПб.: Тип. Н. Греча, 1816—1829
  6. ^ Laurentian Codex, 1377, Russian National Library, Saint-Petersburg
  7. ^ Lebedev 1957
  8. ^ Krotkov 1923
  9. ^ Lebedev 1957
  10. ^ Lebedev 1958
  11. ^ Krotkov 1923
  12. ^ Ikonnikov & Baisheva 2018
  13. ^ Ikonnikov, Karev & Baisheva 2019

Notes

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Turki ﻥﺭﻥﺝﺍﻁ, Nurinjat IPA [nurinˈdʒɑt]
  2. ^ Russian: Мизгитное поле, romanized: Mizgtnoye field, lit. 'Mosque field'

Sources

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See also

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