Tajikistan — books & literature

The story of Tajikistan

Tajikistan's high mountain valleys sit on one of Central Asia's oldest cultural crossroads, once part of the Persian-speaking world of Sogdiana and Bactria. The Samanid Empire (819-999), centred in nearby Bukhara and Samarkand, restored Persian rule to the region and produced Rudaki, still honoured as the father of Persian poetry; the modern currency, the somoni, is named for Ismail Samani, who made the Samanid state independent in all but name. Russian imperial control arrived in the 1860s, and in 1924 the territory became an autonomous Soviet republic within Uzbekistan before gaining full union-republic status in 1929. Tajikistan declared independence on 9 September 1991 as the USSR collapsed, one of the last Soviet republics to do so, and was almost immediately plunged into a brutal civil war (1992-1997) between government and opposition factions. A 1997 peace accord ended the fighting, and the country has since rebuilt around its defining geography: more than 90 percent of Tajikistan is mountains, including the Pamirs, the so-called 'Roof of the World'.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 874

   Ismail Samani becomes governor of Bukhara under his brother Nasr I, beginning his rise to power.

2. 892

   Ismail Samani becomes sole ruler of Transoxiana, governing as a de facto independent sovereign while keeping nominal allegiance to the Abbasid Caliphate.

3. circa 900s

   Rudaki, later called the father of Persian poetry, flourishes at the Samanid court.

4. 999

   The Samanid Empire falls to the Kara-Khanids, ending Persian dynastic rule in the region.

5. 1860s

   The Tajik-populated lands come under Russian imperial control.

6. 1924

   Tajikistan becomes an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within Uzbekistan.

7. 1929

   The Tajik SSR becomes a full constituent republic of the Soviet Union (16 October).

8. 1991

   Tajikistan declares independence from the Soviet Union (9 September).

9. 1992-1997

   Civil war between government and opposition factions; ends with a UN-brokered peace accord.

Top 10 things to know about Tajikistan

1. Tajikistan is the smallest Central Asian country by land area but the most mountainous.
2. More than 90% of Tajikistan's territory is covered by mountains, including the Pamirs, the 'Roof of the World'.
3. Ismoil Somoni Peak, at 7,495 m, is the highest point in the former Soviet Union.
4. The currency, the somoni, and the Samani district are named after Ismail Samani, the ruler who made the Samanid state independent.
5. Tajik is a Persian-related language, but unlike Persian/Farsi it is written in Cyrillic script.
6. Rudaki, born near Panjakent, is honoured across the Persian-speaking world as the father of Persian poetry.
7. The Roghun Dam, under construction on the Vakhsh River, is designed to be the tallest dam in the world.
8. Lake Karakul, high in the Pamirs, was formed by a meteorite impact millions of years ago.
9. Sunni Islam is the majority religion, practiced by the great majority of the population.
10. Tajikistan endured a devastating civil war from 1992 to 1997 in the years right after independence.

Famous people from Tajikistan

Say it in Tajikistan's language

Did you know?

• ★Lake Karakul in the Pamir Mountains sits at nearly 4,000 m above sea level and was formed by an ancient meteorite impact.
• ★The Pamir Highway crossing Tajikistan is one of the highest and most remote roads in the world.
• ★The Roghun Dam, once finished, is designed to exceed 335 m, making it the tallest dam on Earth.

Tajikistan culture

• Nowruz, the Persian New Year on 21 March, is the biggest national celebration, marking the arrival of spring.
• Osh (plov) , rice cooked with meat, carrots, and onions, often in huge communal pots , is the national dish.
• Chakan, a traditional style of hand embroidery on women's tunics, is recognised as part of the country's living heritage.
• Shashmaqam, a classical musical tradition shared with neighbouring Uzbekistan, is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

Why read Tajikistan's books

Tajikistan's literary line runs from Rudaki's Persian court poetry through Sadriddin Ayni's modern Tajik prose , a heritage the country's book shelves below help carry forward.